BM, another option is ART. I had some lingering hamstring issues and finally went to a chiropractor who did ART and she really got into the muscle and broke up the scar tissue. It took quite a few sessions, plus I started foam rolling everyday and also strength work (though not as consistent as I should be). My hamstring is much better and I only have pain if I do too much speedwork and then I do some extra foam rolling on that leg.
Good luck!
ljrunner wrote:
BM, another option is ART. I had some lingering hamstring issues and finally went to a chiropractor who did ART and she really got into the muscle and broke up the scar tissue. It took quite a few sessions, plus I started foam rolling everyday and also strength work (though not as consistent as I should be). My hamstring is much better and I only have pain if I do too much speedwork and then I do some extra foam rolling on that leg.
Good luck!
Thanks very much, good intel.
Right now I am focusing on a ton of stretching and strengthening work, and some slow running. If things get worse, I will certainly look into ART and foam rolling. I am very happy they helped you.
I'm 5-6, 165 and matched with two guys at the same height & weight; one a canoe sprinter and the other a fencer (?) ? So, now I know the truth; I wasted almost 25 yrs of competitive running when I should have been fencing or canoe sprinting. And I even live near a pretty good size lake! ?
On a good note, the gym I use finally reopened this past Monday? (24 hr fitness - one of the few that survived the bankruptcy closings here in Colo). It was wonderful - not many people there at 8:00 pm (maybe 30 when normally they would have 100 or so at that busy time of the evening). The gym is capped at 50 but members seem to be staying away thus far. One of the bad things is they close every hour for 30 mins of deep cleaning (you can go wait in your car or something - but 30 mins is a long time to wait, IMO).
Anyone else go back to using your gyms or fitness centers? Normal or sparse crowds?
The Treasure Valley YMCAs in the Boise area are at about 10-20% of normal. I actually pretty safe there. The pool requires a reservation with only lap swimming. It is actually nice since we don’t have to share with youth swim teams. You have a lane to yourself and predominately adults.
Our gym (In-Shape) reopened last week. You have to make a reservation ahead of time to work out and capacity is supposedly capped at some fraction of nominal max. My husband has gone there a couple of times, as he is desperate to work out at a gym. Although face masks are supposedly mandatory in all indoor public places in California, very few of the people at the gym wear them. I have not gone back to the gym and probably won't for a while, although indeed there are lots of exercises I was doing there that I can't reasonably replicate at home.
Day one in Alaska visiting family. Nice trail run this morning.
Regarding hamstring problems. I have had them in the past but both cases were easy fixes. On one occasion after suffering from HS issues I went to a chiropracter and after 3-4 sessions over 8-9 days he had me fixed with ART. On another occasion I went into a PT/Phiso guy who x-rayed my back to find a narrow opening in a vertabrae. After two treatments the pain was gone.
Coureur des bois wrote:
Day one in Alaska visiting family. Nice trail run this morning.
Regarding hamstring problems. I have had them in the past but both cases were easy fixes. On one occasion after suffering from HS issues I went to a chiropracter and after 3-4 sessions over 8-9 days he had me fixed with ART. On another occasion I went into a PT/Phiso guy who x-rayed my back to find a narrow opening in a vertabrae. After two treatments the pain was gone.
Enjoy Alaska!
Thanks for the hamstring comments. I am saving everyone's hamstring advice for my reference.
Nico Young is 5'11", 135 pounds (BMI 18.8) according to an article last fall.
I would be happy to be at your weight BM as I would be at 10% bodyfat. I am lacking the discipline to be that strict with diet these days so carry a few extra kgs of body fat. At 177 cm (I think about 5'10") we are very different physiques.
Curious about why you are trying to lose weight? At 62 why not try to build a strong muscular sort of physique?
Recently I was running through the 2019 GPS data of AFL (Australian football) players. Now these guys are not specialist runners but have to have great all round athleticism. But the data shows they have very good running endurance.
A few of these guys are taller than you and all are much heavier.
Mark Blicavs. 198 cm 100 kgs. Average kms per game 14.9 with a high of 16.9 kms. A former 3.42 1500 m guy at about 80 kgs before being recruited into the AFL.
Ben Brown. 200 cm. 101 kgs. Ave. 15.6 kms high of 17.3 kms.
Harris Andrews. 202 cm. 100 kgs. Ave 14 kms high of 15.4 kgs.
One of the great running players of the last decade is Hawthorn's Isaac Smith. Isaac regularly hits up 16 plus kms a game. He is 188 cm and 83 kms. He rolls through preseason 2km time trials in 5.30ish has excellent explosive speed can score off the charts on beep tests. Can bench, squat and dead lift big weights and has a good vertical leap.
So bigger guys can still run long and hard. Being very skinny IS necessary to maximise performance in longer races. Most of us old buggers have too many issues though. Personally I am happy to be a bit heavier than I was in my faster youth as long as it is functional muscle. Yep too much of the good life means I am more often 76 to 78 kgs instead of a lean muscular 73 to 74. As a 20 something I raced at 68 to 70 but I would have to strip a lot of muscle off to get back to that.
It is just my opinion but I do think most of us should be focused on good all round fitness rather than just max running potential.
So far this week training has been good.
Yesterday I ran 2.2 km downhill to warmup then a strong progressive 7.4 km uphill run. I took a couple of mins rest then ran a strong effort 5 kms back to the car, splitting 4.20, 4.11, 4.08, 4.10, 4.01 for an over 60 pb of 20.50. Definately got a big asterisk next to it as it was all downhill, losing 35 to 40 metres a km. Nevertheless it was nice to turn the legs over at that pace.
“It is just my opinion but I do think most of us should be focused on good all round fitness rather than just max running potential.”
Good point.
Ghost of Igloi wrote:
“It is just my opinion but I do think most of us should be focused on good all round fitness rather than just max running potential.”
Good point.
Agreed, and that's why for about the past 15 years I've been 10 pounds over my optimal (marathon) running weight. Even without the age-related decline I'd surely be slower with the extra 10 pounds, but I look better now and I'm more capable at doing almost anything except running, such as carrying a backpack over rugged terrain.
amkelley wrote:
Ghost of Igloi wrote:
“It is just my opinion but I do think most of us should be focused on good all round fitness rather than just max running potential.”
Good point.
Agreed, and that's why for about the past 15 years I've been 10 pounds over my optimal (marathon) running weight. Even without the age-related decline I'd surely be slower with the extra 10 pounds, but I look better now and I'm more capable at doing almost anything except running, such as carrying a backpack over rugged terrain.
I also agree. That is why I don’t train; I just run for fun and fitness. Then I lift a few weights, go for a swim, do some other exercises, shoot some hoops, go for a walk, etc. It’s not about racing for me. I have nothing left to prove in that arena. For me, it’s about quality of life. Running is about physical and mental fitness for me.
just to be a little contrarian:
i'm never completely sure what people mean by all-around fitness. i'll never dunk a basketball, and i'd rather not try to take on doing a backflip for the first time in my life, but i can do more pull-ups than most, and a fair amount of push ups. with practice, i can bench 150% of my weight. but i look like an idiot when i golf or bowl. maybe when i retire from teaching i'll take up a martial art, and enjoy--even revel in--the humiliation that can only come from doing something new very poorly...
for now, i'm actually pretty content to be a one trick pony when it comes to athletic pursuits, and while i absolutely am motivated by the benefits of sound body and sound mind, i've always felt that racing, goal-setting, and process help with sound body and sound mind, as long as it isn't at the expense of marriage, parenting, and my paying occupation(s). but here again, i've found running AND racing has enriched all of the above. i also feel like i still have something to prove--not in an obsessive/compulsive way--in the arena of racing since every year now presents new challenges. this is not to disparage running solely for fitness, but i'm at peace with saying at this point that ain't me...
for example, i followed my obsessive 100 mile week with 36 miles this past week, enjoying time in with the family in lake tahoe for 5 days--short runs in the morning before daytime activities and hikes. my kids are all 18-26, and i'm glad at 52 i'm not really challenged by a 12 mile hike and over 2000 elevation gain up mt. rose, and running regularly has absolutely afforded me (and my 55 year old wife/runner) that. sure, you don't need to train like most of us do on this thread to easily summit mt. rose, but i do still like the automatic confidence that comes from fitness...
that's my story and i'm sticking to it--carpe crepusculum,
cush
Ghost of Igloi wrote:
“It is just my opinion but I do think most of us should be focused on good all round fitness rather than just max running potential.”
That's where I'm at these days. But I don't want to be there forever! My achilles misfortune has made me work at being the fittest out-of-shape runner I can be. Lots of biking, walking, pool runs, weights and rehab drills have put me in a pretty good place, without running. With that being said the achilles is 100% painfree on most days though there is the occasional depressing painful days. I need to figure out what triggers those days. (Biking hills? Job related ladder work? Something else?)
I am looking forward to the day I can be a competitive runner again! But until then I'll keep on doing what I'm doing and be the best version of myself I can be. Then the transition back into running when I'm thru this won't be too bad.
Have a good run,
Dave
That was mo pac I was quoting by the way. Part of overall fitness is maintaining the ability to do your own household chores. Just the process of staying flexible enough to do yard work has a lot of health benefits. Last weekend I was climbing a ladder to clean out my gutters. Couple of hours of light labor made me tired, far better than a gym session. Of course if you just hate such activities than that’s another matter.
I don't race much but racing is important to me.
Training hard to race is part of the experience.
Story time 3 years ago....
Hayward Classic age graded mile shape not bad 15lbs overweight on a come back negative thoughts a fast 60 guy next to me I know I could run with if I was in great shape. Bang he takes off and I look at the ground .
Toeing the line with dread:
https://haywardclassic.runnerspace.com/eprofile.php?event_id=228&do=photos&photo_id=830424
209 meters I take another look and he is halfway round the bend.
First thought was GO Catch that dude followed by f(&k this I quit followed by just keep going.
https://haywardclassic.runnerspace.com/eprofile.php?event_id=228&do=photos&photo_id=830428
Home stretch all in feeling great:
https://haywardclassic.runnerspace.com/eprofile.php?event_id=228&do=photos&photo_id=830437
Beaten but not beat:
https://haywardclassic.runnerspace.com/eprofile.php?event_id=228&do=photos&photo_id=830438
Charlie, great race! Looks like you almost caught him. If you were a little lighter, you would have beat him.
Seems like you are a visual guy. There are few images of me running; probably for the best.
Mopac wrote:
Curious about why you are trying to lose weight? At 62 why not try to build a strong muscular sort of physique?
Mopac,
I am not 62, only 61 & 10 months. ;-)
My wife and I have had this discussion about losing weight versus building muscle.
In the big picture, I agree with you. Building muscle is important for us older people. Running fast is not.
However, I have not given up yet on trying to run a few more races. And for racing at any distance beyond the sprints, you need to be strong and light.
Clearly I can't train enough to run fast, even for my age. However, I can still set a goal to participate in some short races, such as 5K's, and try not to embarrass myself too much.
I have even considered trying for a participation award offered by USATF, called the "Phidippides Award," which someone my age can get by completing 12 5K's in one calendar year.
The fast guys and gals might scorn such an award, but for someone like me, who has trouble staying healthy enough to complete a 3-mile race at any speed, it could be something to motivate me to train diligently and carefully on a daily basis, by doing my stretching, lifting, easy running, watching my diet, etc.
(I think I have managed to complete a total of maybe five 5K's over the last decade, none of them faster than 24:xx if I recall correctly.)
Whatever works, you know? We all have to set goals that are realistic given our different situations. Realistically my goals are much more modest than other people who post here.
Well the guy I almost caught was NOT fast guy. He was done and taking a nap by the time I crossed the finish line . The guy that beat me was slow like me but he really helped me to get under 6. He ran perfect pace. Someday I hope to run a time faster than fast guy.
We do not have to be elite runners to seriously chase fast guy.
Wet blankets suck . I placed 3rd in my age group at a big 10k(san anton exprs) and broke 35 . Next day a fellow runner came by my cube and congratulated me I was feeling fine . Then a non runner crap head pointed out the winning time (Eric Polanski) was 28.xx. Am I supposed to know my place? Does it take away from my accomplishment or effort? Point is our society is f*&(ked up we have Pros and the rest of us are Spectators. Vicarious achievement is a disease. Gotta keep the fire burning king of your castle al be it a sand castle
Charlie, I think you are a really good runner, and it sounds like you always have been. You have that chesty Prefontaine build, the sign of a strong aerobic engine.
Today on my lunch hour I went to the track. There was a slim tanned guy, looking really fit, running 400's with his shirt off; he was maybe 50-ish going by his gray temples but otherwise the body of a college track dude. He did about half a dozen 400's. I complimented him on his speed. He said, "I could maybe finish top-10 at Boston, if I ran a hundred of these in a row."
My warm-up: jogged a lap; walked a lap; jogged a lap; walked a lap.
3 miles in 30:40 (10:13/mile), 81 F., hazy sun.
Mile splits: 10:39, 9:59, 10:02. Last lap 1:43 (6:52 mile pace).