50+ Masters Training and Racing Open Forum

Poison ivy, ants, smoke, heat, humidity ... Seems nature nature is conspiring against us lately!

Igy and Charlie -- thanks for the props. The TT went well, but more than a minute slower than only two years ago, ha! The best thing about taking months off from training is the guaranteed improvement curve afterwards. That's a roller coaster I've been on for nearly half a century.

guess -- are you asking folks to ID you? I'm not connected/involved in the sport well enough to take a guess, but sure seems you're a national-class AG competitor!

amkelley -- as always, super-impressive to see your training and mileage totals, even after the ant attack. Have you EVER taken weeks or months off, or even more than a few days? Even during my competitive periods, the two main components of my training are REST and RECOVERY, ha!

Brittle -- I enjoy seeing your daily reports -- motivation for me especially since we're about the same fitness. But I'd also like to see it collated into a somewhat detailed end-of-week synopsis, more than just total mileage. Thanks!

Have a good week, everyone.

Allen1959 wrote:

M61, 5'11", 181 lbs

AUG 16-22, 2020

Sun - Off

Mon- Off

Tues- 6.0 mi (9:26, 8:55, 8:36, 8:29, 8:13, 7:37)

Wed- Off

Thur- 5.0 mi (9:15, 8:52, 8:26, 8:18, 7:41)

Fri - Off

Sat - 2 mi warmup, 1 mi TT 6:48.6 (440y splits 1:40.5, 1:43.5, 1:43.8, 1:40.8), 2 mi cooldown

TOTAL: 16.0 MILES

Yesterday's 1-mile time trial was a nice improvement over my previous 7:30 on June 28. My goal was to break 7, so I was happy. I started a bit too fast, had to back off for two quarters, then rallied for the final.

I'll continue with the three runs per week as long as fitness continues to improve. Then re-evaluate.

The only glitch this week was a turned ankle. It happened at the start of Thursday's run, hurt for a half mile, then I didn't think about it until last night when I saw that my left foot and ankle were swollen. Hmmm ... I had been wondering why my left racing flat felt painfully tight for the time trial.

Wow!...6:48 at 181 lbs with a chronic knee injury! ? You are simply a smoker! I would wager that there isn't anyone your age, weightand with a knee injury that could run that fast. Most of the cats I know from the masters running club that are around your age & height who run faster are generally around 140 to 150 lb range (a few are real light at 130ish). We had a few big boys at 190+ but they struggle to break 8 for the mile.

I'm 11 lbs lighter than you (170 @ 5-7) and year or so younger, and couldn't come to close to that time even if ate my wheaties, had a tailwind and was running behind a pretty girl! ?. In fact, this old broken down stiff was going to try his usual Sunday mile TT yesterday only to be stifled by the fire smoke for the second Sunday in a row! Last week it was the Colorado fires - this week it's the ravaging California fires making a grand entrance to the Front Range. Not only was it blazing hot at 90 degrees at 7:00 pm, but the smoke & haze was just too overwhelming to try any intense effort. Crazy stuff here in Denver with these hot temperatures near sunset in late August. ?

There's a thread on "reasons why you quit running" and I responded to a cat who said he quit running at age 39 because of an Achilles problem. When I was 39, I was on top of the world running decent mileage, racing year round and virtually injury free. So, at 59.75, I don't feel so bad being able to run a little now & then despite this broken down arthritic old body. So, I might just keep my late dad's rocking chair & chess board in the attic after all. ?

49 yo male. I have been running on and off for 30 years. I was averaging 30mpw since February. Prior to that, about 20 mpw. 95% of it very slow with a few strides here and there. A week and a half ago I was out on a short run. About 2 miles in I got a sudden sharp pain in my right calf. I tried to massage and stretch it for a few seconds, then tried to run again. It immediately happened again. I tried one more time, then walked back to my home. No bruising. Just tenderness and tightness. I took off a week. The prior 2 days i could walk up and down stairs without any discomfort or tightness. I tried a short slow run. Every thing felt fine until about 1.5 miles when suddenly the pain came back. I immediately stopped, went home and iced it. Today its slightly tender, but more tight than anything. Calf raises actually don't hurt it all. Lay off another week and try again? Any suggestions? Thanks

i swear by this routine, and i've had a few bouts of "calf heart attacks"...

carpe crepusculum,

cush

Thank you. I'll check it out.

Stocky Runner wrote: I would wager that there isn't anyone your age, weight and with a knee injury that could run that fast.

I think you'd likely lose that bet, but thanks for the kind words. Keep in mind my TT was run at only 524 feet above sea level, a bit different from Denver!

Also, my knee "injury," is probably better described as a "condition" -- chronic tendonitis and inflammation, due to the patellar bone spur where the quadriceps tendon attaches, and also calcification of the tendon. On the x-ray, the tendon appears riddled with bits of bone. Only the right knee was x-rayed, but the left has identical symptoms.

Except for the pain, I'm not sure the function is impacted to any great extent. Sometimes I can stand from a seated position, without arm assistance, if I scream loudly enough!

I hope to get down to your weight soon, if I can muster the willpower. 170 has historically been my "normal" non-marathoning weight.

Keep on keeping on!

Anyone else with experience or tips for putting a Precor treadmill in unheated garage? Main concern: will cold damage the treadmill? With good advice from Ghost and Old Man, I'm leaning toward the purchase of used treadmill + super-strong heater. Happy to hear from anyone else with perspective. Thanks!

Charlie, the paddleboard is a suspect on the sciatica issue, but a low probability one so far. Early this year I had to give up my usual 20 minute rowing machine sessions that I have been doing for most of the last 25 years because of low back pain afterwards. My first bout of sciatica in early June came after a bunch of yard work that involved bending at the waist. I have had no sciatica problems with running or other activities involving standing and staying vertical. I strongly suspect that I have developed a bulging disc in my lower back after a mere 70 years of treating my back harshly with an active lifestyle. Since the start of August I have been doing some stretching and strengthening exercises designed to relieve low back and disc problems. I see my GP in early Sep and I'll talk to him about it, but I strongly suspect the answer is that my lower back is just not as robust and resilient as it used to be , and I need to moderate my activities accordingly.

My recent CT scan showed more problems with my back than the purpose of the screening. Funnily enough each radiologist finds something else that is not right. I would take these scans more seriously two years ago. Now I take the view most of what shows up is far better than the average for my age.

Good day for a double

8/24/20 Monday 650am

61.5 yo black male 6ft 150lb.

Very easy run on the treadmill 1hr for total of 5 miles.

245pm out and back 5 miles on the road easy for the first part then turn around and pick it up to moderate. Total time 45:24 ave 903/ m. 81 degrees overcast and muggy.

Cheers to yall.

Wk 480.

M: off.

T-SA: 7.1km.

SU: 8.9km.

Wk 481. (Cut back.)

M: off.

T-W: 6km.

R: 7.1km.

F-SU: 6km.

Sunday's 6km went 7:55-7:43-7:31-6:48 for each 1.5km. 49 sec faster in total than four weeks ago, and 7 sec faster for the last 1.5km. So I am at least moving in the right direction. Now that I have completed the first meso-cycle of 6 runs a week since March, I can focus on increasing the volume in each day.

Here's a timely piece with quotage from socalcush ...

https://www.podiumrunner.com/training/ask-pete-should-i-train-hard-during-the-pandemic/

8/25/20 Tuesdays 7am 61.5 yo black male 6ft 150lb

Spinning bike for 30min then lifted weights.

8/26/20 Wensday 650am

10k in 57:24 ave 545/km

First 5k easy 2nd 5k moderate.

Cheers to yall.

Five sub 6s in a row! 60-64 gotta say today's was fun roped a 20 year old preparing to join the Army into trying to break 6 with me. Nice kid he was happy with his 5:48 and so was I. Conrad wants to go AirBorne and is looking to max out the 2mile (under 12).

On the way home from Eugene I thought about the time when I can't go sub 6. My plan is simple just lower the bar to sub 7 so at first it is easy. My way of dealing with the decline we all must face.

Overall it was ezr than prior years I have a bigger base and better speed .

Onward!

KCgeezer wrote:

Here's a timely piece with quotage from socalcush ...

https://www.podiumrunner.com/training/ask-pete-should-i-train-hard-during-the-pandemic/

sadly, you now have to pay for the content. not sure it's worth it, but i haven't read it--i'll let KC speak to that. that said, much of what pete's written has been very useful to me and others on this thread, so subscribe at your own risk...

carpe crepusculum,

cush

68 years old, 5'9" and 150 lbs.

My weeks have settled into running M/T/Th/Sat for about 30-35 miles total, and cycling the other three days for about 80-100 miles total. I only do speed work about once every two weeks, and it is all fartlek on the road/path. My pace per mile excluding fartlek sessions is about 9:25/mile.

No injury issues, but I am evaluating consulting a cardiologist. I've always had a low heart rate but currently my resting heart rate is 38 and it tends to average 32 when I sleep.

A Long Run The Movie: founder of RW attempts to avg sub 7 pace in 50 races at age 65 interesting:

https://youtu.be/AZBicZR4y84?t=4114

Has your training changed because of the pandemic ?

Nope!

old calves wrote:

Today its slightly tender, but more tight than anything. Calf raises actually don't hurt it all. Lay off another week and try again? Any suggestions? Thanks

I'm just working through a similar problem, that has been plaguing me for more than 10 years. Finally got some top notch PT from a group that are all runners. I was already doing slow, one legged heel drops with 16lb added weight before the last injury (I weigh 127lb). Now I'm slowly working up to 25% of body weight, 3 sets of 10 with straight leg and the same with a bent leg. Also I'm foam rolling once or twice a day. Never really believed in it before. And I'm following what's in that "Calf heart attack" article. Surely all that should cure it?

Seems to be working so far, but I'm only up to 30mins of easy running with walking breaks every 5min. To be continued...

Charlie wrote:Five sub 6s in a row! 60-64 gotta say today's was fun roped a 20 year old preparing to join the Army into trying to break 6 with me. Nice kid he was happy with his 5:48 and so was I.

Charlie, congrats! 5:48 for you as well?! At 64, wow! I remember at 57, I went to the track, assuming I could break 6 with very minimal training. For decades, I could always jump-start the latest "comeback" attempt with sub-six repeats. In fact, I had planned on running repeats at 6:00 that day, too. Failure simply didn't occur to me ... until I felt how hard that first 90-second lap was. I only made it to 800 meters, and decided to run half-mile repeats. Ha!

Hats off to you! I think you can look forward to extending your streak for a while. Then sub-7, like you say!