For me:
Age 35 = first significant decline in results.
Age 39.7 = leg injury which caused me to be a much slower runnner overnight. (2:04 800m at 39.)
Age mid 40s = clawed my way back to 2:10 800.
Age late 40s/early 50s = steady decline due injuries / lack of good training.
Age 57 = quit running due to left knee osteo.
It happens. It's life. Some of us are lucky and run/train well forever.
Early forties was a big drop, then fell off cliff after an injury at 51
elviejo wrote:
I ran very, very well until about 51. Then various minor injuries happened that slowed me a little but I wouldn't call it falling off a cliff. Ran ok for a few more years but at around 57 my running really did fall off a cliff. Now 61 and can't break 6:30 for a Mile. It's all good though, I enjoy the process of training and then racing. It's just slower now.
Update - maybe my rate of decline might have slowed some as I was able to run 6:28 on the track in July. Yay me. Now, if I can only get my mileage back up to 70 or 80 mpw ... LOL!
CrispyChicken wrote:
The glide slope became a nosedive at age 55.
55 is a very frustrating number:
For the record this isa great a song.
2 months away from 57. I average about 165 miles a month. Knees, hips, ankles are just fine. Last year, performance just dropped. Went from long runs (10+ miles) at a moderately easy 8:30-45 pace to struggling to maintain 10 minute miles.