50+ Masters Training and Racing Open Forum

Sorry to hear about the injury woes to amk and rdb. I separated my shoulder and 2016 and it took 6 months to come back from the surgery. Hopefully your recovery won't take so long.

Orient, here we talk about Level 1-5 with skiing. I just count times as relatively equivalent. However, the theory is based on heart rate.

L1= easy aerobic

L2= moderate aerobic

L3= threshold

L4= V02 max

L5= sprint (which in skiing is generally 1.5 km, which physiologically is about like an 800 m)

Ran 59 miles this week over 6 days, and then xc skied for 1:45 on Saturday (may be last day of the year, but might try one more time for photo ops and video), for volume total of 9:45.

Ran easy through the week until Friday and did a 5600 m tempo on the track at 6:20/mi pace, and felt much better than the race last weekend. I ran that by feel and just checked my watch at the 1600 m splits. 15.2 mile long run today and felt decent.

amkelley and racerdb I hope that patience and good medical treatment get you back on your feet again. A couple of planned rest days and a couple of unplanned rest days made for a very short running week. I took Mon. and Tue. off, and then got busy with some things on Wed. AM and didn't run. Wed. afternoon I had a follow up visit for the Moderna vaccine trials which I volunteered for. Each quarterly visit they take 250ml or more of blood for antibody testing. Thurs. morning the blood draw made me feel seriously tired and I passed on running. Fri. I got out for a very easy 4mi run/walk. Sat. I ran a little better 4mi trail run with my son and d-in-law. This morning we went to the newly reopened aquarium with my granddaughter, son and d-in-law, and then I continued doing a project of replacing our exterior kitchen door with a new double-paned glass door. So, a modest 8 mile week for me, which, hopefully, will leave me feeling fresh and ready to go tomorrow.

Good running and fast healing to all!

Amy and Dave, I'm sending you good thoughts that things turn around soon for you both. I can relate to your frustration. I often find now that my mind is strong but my body is weak. Keep the faith and stay strong through whatever life has thrown at you. I'm sending you good thoughts for recovery and good news from the doctor tomorrow, Dave.

Amazingly, I have no physical complaints to add to the list this week. I got in 35 miles of running, 5900 yards swimming, and 75 miles of biking. I ran a 5k last weekend in 23:24 (the actual distance was 2.9mi) and other than being crushed with work at school, life is good.

Long May You Run!

SCgal wrote: Keep the faith and stay strong through whatever life has thrown at you. I'm sending you good thoughts for recovery and good news from the doctor tomorrow, Dave.

Thanks for the words of encouragement and healing thoughts. I always have the faith. It's just running, right? But there are times when I think when is enough, enough? As I sit here watching the NCAA games there is zero pain. I'm flexing, moving the foot around and things feel good. Maybe it was a freak thing that will just come and go. I took off my boot when we went to dinner tonite because I just didn't want to talk about it with anyone. And I always run into other runners.

Anyhow, I'll still call my Dr, tomorrow, maybe I'll run if there is no pain. And I'm looking forward to our vacation and running on the SRT in G'Ville in 5 days!

Dave

Hi runners,

good recovery to the injured.

Took it a bit easier. Last week 6 days running. This week easy with 5 days running. Trying to find the balance of beeing not too tired for live and good running.

Take care

In case it hasn't been discussed, USATF Nationals was moved from Sacramento to Ames, Iowa.

MasterzRunners wrote:

In case it hasn't been discussed, USATF Nationals was moved from Sacramento to Ames, Iowa.

At least there will not be any smoke from forest fires.

Take a bunch of older T&F athletes and schedule the biggest outdoor meet of the year in some hotter than H God forsaken place in the middle of July. Sign me up!

Actually I was hoping for Early Oct at the NEW Hayward Field

I really want to try 4 time is a charm

Age 43.999 made the final finished DFL

Age 46.999 made the final finished close to DFL

Age 62.999 straight to final finished close to DFL

Age 65 800 instead of 1500 at least hang for 600 yeah buddy! that is my goal! for 2022!

An easy 9m run this morning along the old Milwaukee RR (a.k.a. river trail) but on the return into a cold 18℉ wind chill, a result of a 25knt wind out of the west. That was really tough going. There were buttercups, and a Pileated Woodpecker along the trail yesterday that stopped me with awe and joy but not today. I did see some fox tracks in a dusting of fresh snow down along the river.

I've been injury free this spring which is really nice and keeping my weekly mileage around 45m/wk building slower than usual as I get ready for my 5th time on Beaverhead 55km this summer. I know I've got to get in more hill work but but but ....

Gee AMK you must be due for a bit of luck one day soon. That sounds like surgery with such a huge seperation. I have had a few similar falls but have been fortunate with less severe outcomes.

Fingers crossed for you Dave that it is nothing major.

My week had a few minor interuptions to "regular programming" but I managed to get through pretty well.

Mon. 5 km single track hike up and down 160 metres.

75 mins bumpy kayak in the rain.

My wife had been to the doctor for a sore throat and had a covid swab in the afternoon so I had to also isolate until she was all clear.

Tue. Had to skip work in the am but the all clear came around 9 am so I picked up a pm shift.

Only time for a 33 km mtn bike ride in the forest in 97 mins.

Wed. 6 km single track hike up and down 220 metres elevation.

13.7 km forest in 76 mins.

Thu. 3 km single track hike up and down 160 metres.

Off to Melbourne for a memorial service for a friend.

I squeezed in a 6 km run in the forest in 34 mins. that evening when I got home.

Fri. 3 km hike as per previous day.

33 km mtn bike in the forest in 97 mins.

Sat. 87 min bumpy kayak, thursday's missed session.

26 km mtn bike in the forest in 71 mins.

4 km single track hikeup and down 160 m.

Sun. 15 kms on mostly rugged trails 480 metres of climbing. I finished with a few kms on smooth trails the last one in 4.35 just to turn the legs over.

Happy enough with that week.

RacerDB,

How is your Achilles? What did the Dr. say? I hope you recover soon !

Orient wrote:

RacerDB,

How is your Achilles? What did the Dr. say? I hope you recover soon !

This is what I messaged my wife and a few running friends...

"Good news!... After a thorough exam and ultrsound, Dr Simons determined the injury is to the muscle not the tendon. Though there are very slight micro tears to the tendon. He said I can start running very easily, now. Though it will take some time to completely heal. I asked him what caused it. He said, even though I didn't know it or feel stressed at all, it could have been the distance, the speed, the cold, my age...but its hard to tell. He further explained a new study showed the damage is done before we feel it or know it! Maybe if I had stopped at 9 it wouldn't have popped the way it did, but he said the damage may have already been done. And we had a good discussion about over doing it without knowing you're over doing it.

All in all...its not that bad and wasn't related to my tendonosis or prior Tenex surgery.

Its my understanding it's more along the lines of a bruise or cramp rather than a break or a tear. I'll take my running stuff with me to Greenville on vacation and ease back into it."

For now, Its mostly painfree but even the slightest jog hurts like a huge charlie horse.

Thanks for everyone's concern and well wishes. I dodged a bullet and hopefully will be back where I was in a few weeks.

Dave

That's great news, Dave! Bring your long underwear with you. It's supposed to be "cold" Thursday and Friday nights, maybe below freezing. My open water swim next weekend should be a little nippy. Maybe I'll see you walking on the SRT?

SCgal wrote:

That's great news, Dave! Bring your long underwear with you. It's supposed to be "cold" Thursday and Friday nights, maybe below freezing. My open water swim next weekend should be a little nippy. Maybe I'll see you walking on the SRT?

Hopefully it will warm up by the time we get there Saturday! But where I come from, 35 deg is shorts weather 😉

I plan on spending some time on the trail everyday. But you'll probably have a better chance of seeing me in a downtown restaurant!

Dave

Happy Easter to y'all and your families.

Coaching, Running, and Racing in my new Georgia home has been quite therapeutic. I wish all y'all could enjoy the same; or very soon. At age 60.75 I've had an indoor 800 at 2:23pt, an outdoor 1500 at 5:07pt, and an outdoor Coaches Mile at 5:29pt. The mile was a sudden reminder of how the southern heat and humidity can zap the entire body. It was 80F & 80%H. Zero soreness from the 1500 six days before. But my calves, even forearms, were wasted after the humid mile. Y'all know what I'm talkin' 'bout I'm sure. Reckon it could have been the fact that I was down with a case of the classic "CRUD" two days after the mile. Thank goodness it wasn't COVID. Therefore, it's time to get surgically focused for the H&H at Iowa State just sixteen weeks away. Hope to see all y'all there.

KP

Another OK week for me.

Family commitments kept me from a chance for my first race of the year on saturday.

A hectic schedule the next few weekends so I might not get to race until the first weekend of May.

Mon. 1 hr kayak and then hiked with about 9 or 10 kgs of backpack the last 3.2 km into work.

Hauled it back again after work at 10.30 that night.

Tue. 3 kms hiking up and down 160 metres on the single track with some easy jogging on a few bits. 33 km /94 min mtn bike ride in the forest.

Wed. 15 kms of comfy paced forest running 84 mins.

Thu. 3 kms hiking as per tuesday but no jogs.

A fast hour in the kayak, finally a windless day.

Fri. 4 kms hiking 170 metres elevation.

32.5 km/100 min mountain bike inc a solid climb up Mt Ida.

Sat. 2.5 km hike up and down 150 metres.

16 kms forest run with a few hills 94 mins, pretty warm 32 deg C.

Sun. 7 km/38min. easy run in the forest with the 5th km rolling along to stretch the legs. I had dropped my wife off further up the railtrail for a point to point ride so ran before picking her up.

Went off on my own mtn bike ride after that 6.5 km warmup then a hot lap of my "dirtcrit" loop 6.6 kms in 15 mins. then 12 km cooldown ride. It was a warm sunny 32 deg C for both the run and the ride. 15 is good going for me on that loop.

Nothing impressive but I am still ticking over ok.

We will be doing a 4 day hike down at wonderful Wilsons Prom from the 19th and then heading over to Tassie on the 24th. The routine will be pretty disrupted for a bit there. 30th is our local railtrail nightride and the 2d will be our local running festival inc marthon. I have only entered the 5 km.

Cheers!

Greetings, fellow 50+ers! Happy Easter and Passover to those celebrating. This turned about to be quite a good week for me with over 25 miles of actual running. 🥇Both the weather and the olde bod were mostly cooperative this week. However, despite my optimism from a fortnight ago, I still haven’t done any “speed” work. The seemingly forever lingering hammy issue still has not been completely resolved. It is much better, but during each run there is a brief moment when it still speaks up. As a coach, my #1 rule was always “listen to your body”, so I’ve been taking my own advice. Anyway, at least the volume and intensity are both up. Life is good!

Sun: 63’ CR; body wt ex + med ball routine

Mon: off

Tue: 72’ CR; body wt ex + med ball routine

Wed: off

Thu: 52’ running (3 segments); 16 oz curls

Fri: off

Sat: 75’ CR; body wt ex + med ball routine

Best to most!

Inspiring KPdx !

Maybe KPg?

Good week first 4x30 secs all out done in the sand went well followed that with a 6 minutes at threshold felt like I was in shape able to surge and recover without feeling tired.

Switched to 3 day pattern . This worked well when I was turning 50 so a revisit as I turn 65.

xtrn row,bike and walk

xtrn row , bike and walk plus a possible short run

60 minutes of running might gradually increase this to 80 minutes

60 minute runs are 3x 20 running + 20 minute walking. Running is mixed some slow some fast in the sand.

Here is to better days ahead iow looking forward vs backward;)

Very nice running, KPdx!

Good news from my appointment with the orthopedist about my dislocated and fractured shoulder. Based on the x-rays, she is pretty sure that the reason that small piece broke off the head of the humerus is because it’s attached to the tendons of the rotator cuff. When the humerus was ejected from the socket, instead of the tendons ripping off the bone, the bone fractured leaving the tendons attached. That’s good, because detached tendons rarely reattach without surgery while fractured bones usually heal as long as the broken ends are in decent alignment. Her prescription was another three weeks with my arm in a sling, and then as long as a follow-up x-ray looks OK, I should be able to start some gentle range of motion exercises.

Four weeks in a sling is inconvenient but certainly beats surgery. I didn’t ask about running; even if it were safe for the arm, it would be way too clumsy and off-balance and would probably lead to other injuries. For now I’m stuck with walking (strolling, no speed-walking one-armed) and pedaling a bike trainer. The trainer seems safe enough with one or no hands, but it’s hard to tolerate for a long time when I can’t stand up on the pedals to shift my weight around. Also, my gym finally reopened last week so I have access to the leg exercises like adductors and abductors that I haven’t done in a year, and I may also try the stair climbing machines to the extent I can with a mask on. I may gain a little weight but I should be able to maintain some baseline level of aerobic fitness, and hopefully my pulled hip muscle will be fully healed by the time I’m able to resume jogging. A fractured leg would be so much more limiting (I’m thinking about you, SCgal!).

Happy Easter and belated Spring Equinox to all.

Good reports, so far for the week, especially KP’s fast racing at 60.75 and amkelley’s Drs report. As for me next to nothing on the exercise front, but my house painting project is about 75% complete. I have had a number of 6-9 hour days. Neighbors are pretty impressed, and looks good so far. There is a group of retired folks that ride bikes together several times a week. As they passed the other day one remarked “there’s that guy that is painting his house by himself.” I suppose fewer people do that sort of stuff these days, and unusual for a 70 year old. Fortunately I am healthy and motivated enough to do it. I should be finished in another 10 days.

Have a good week.

Igy