50+ Masters Training and Racing Open Forum

good to see recoveries in progress and racing reports. i’m hoping to stay healthy enough to go to iowa in july for some real racing after over a year of virtually nothing (pun intended).

93 days down, 272 to go:

march 28-april 3rd

sun: 13 (hilly trail run in 1:50--gave me close to a marathon for saturday/sunday)

mon: 6 (with h.s. team)

tue: am--5: 1x1200 (77+ pace, 3:53), 2x800 (2:39/2:40), 2x400 (75/76)--pacing female

teammate trying to break 5 in the mile

pm--2 (with h.s. team)

pm, pt. 2: 6: 1x1200 (3:48), 2x800 (2:29/2:26), 4x400 (70, 67, 71, 66)--been a long time since i comfortably ran sub-2:30 for 800 or sub-70 for 400...

wed: 3 (with h.s. team)

thu: am--4

pm--3 miles with h.s. team

fri: 5

sat: 7 (3 mile tempo, 17:40; 1 mile, 5:10, pacing fast female over last mile of her 6 mile tempo)

i’ve got a strange hip-nerve zinger still bugging me a little more since wednesday, so i’m trying to cut back volume--the hard part is i’ve really enjoyed working out with different workout groups and hate passing up opportunities to run with fast and fun people.

spring break begins for me, so time to get some other home projects (though none as ambitious as igy’s)--had a couple of masters teammates, including old man magill, over last night for my wife’s 56th and a great ucla basketball game, even with the crushing disappointment of gonzaga’s last second shot. oh well...

carpe crepusculum,

cush

sounds encouraging. I hope the time in sling does the trick.

One step forward and two back for me this week - hamstring felt better tuesday so I picked up the pace to almost normal on strides.......and tweaked it. Significantly tighter and sorer the rest of the week. Shoot.

M 45:00

Tu 1:00 with drills and strides

W 45:00 [+ first vaccine dose, resulting only in minor sore arm for a day or so]

Th 1:00

F 1:05

Sa 50:00

Su 1:00

have a great week,

Dave

Since my wife and I are both native Iowans, I like the idea of USATF Masters being in Iowa, though not in the heat and humidity. We've run plenty of races in those conditions, including racing in Ames at Midnight Madness. It's a race run in July, yes, very tough conditions. I do wonder if all the Masters events will be run, and run on the track, but can only hope that we all are vaccinated by then and can be held. I'll be 70 then, and actually might be inclined to sign up for a 1500/mile, really out of my normal.

Racerdb and amkelly, hoping for the best. My wife broke her shoulder many years ago and "only" needed a sling, too. She rode a stationary bike for a month or so, hardest part for her was putting on her bra, and so I had to help her every day.

db, wonder if you could get some ultrasound on it, or at least use a Hypervolt on the calf.

I am still walk/running about 40 miles/week, was able to do a couple of non-stop miles in 9:20 and 9:30 on the roads, too. The leasurely pace of walking has spoiled me, but on May 15 is a 1/2 marathon, which I will have to run/walk, just not ready to do more running. Hoping to finish it under 3, maybe faster if I am well rested and fitter.

Happy Easter to all!

Mike Lundgren wrote:

My wife broke her shoulder many years ago and "only" needed a sling, too. She rode a stationary bike for a month or so, hardest part for her was putting on her bra, and so I had to help her every day.

Funny you should mention this. My regular bras that fasten in the back aren't a problem, but I can't raise my arm to pull a sports bra over my head. I don't need a sports bra to ride a trainer but I like it just because it's the coolest thing I can wear and still be decent. I found that I can pull my bra on and off over my hips instead of over my head. Every time my husband sees me do that he just shakes his head and says not one woman in a hundred has small enough hips to do that!

Greetings to all!

KPs, your performance is great and impressed me so much! Especially in hot and humid GA.

Coyote Montane, a week ago you wrote about closing the ski season at your place. Has this really happened? On that very day I was thinking on quite similar lines, and indeed the temperature rose to some 45F in afternoon highs the previous week. But then on Fri. a cold front brought in some 2 inches of snow and it covered an icy and dirty ski track that I was using. So, on Sat morning I was on ski again. Mostly because I can hardly run even 4 times a week so far. Started with 2 in late Feb. and then added the 3rd day two weeks ago only. But now it’s indeed a definite good-bye to skis until Dec.

So, my week looks rather poor even for a “low volume” guy like I am.

Sun: ski, 80 min easy to easy-moderate

Mon: off

Tue: 7 miles, incl. 4x1K (2 min jog in between), av. pace 3.58/km (6.23/mile)

Wed: 7 miles easy to easy-moderate

Thu: 5 miles easy

Fri: 5 miles, incl. 3х1k (2 min jog in between), av. pace 3.59/km (6.25/mile). Planned to be a 5K tempo, but some segments of the road were totally under water, so had to stop and walk around through snow and thus switched to long intervals. Also, after the 3rd rep. my left Achilles started signalling that it was enough to it, and I gave up.

Sat: 75 min ski.

Subtotal: 24 miles running and 2.5 hr skiing.

Hoping for better times.

I haven't been to Iowa for 20 years, but have been having monthly or bimonthly zoom calls with my high school friends this past year. So I may be there as well for masters track, although that's 5 weeks after a planned marathon. We'll see about that and everything.

We're a Badger family now. They had matching day last month and son is doing his residency at Wisco.

Here's my week.

M - 6.3 mile recovery

T - 8.1 at Red Rocks, easy effort but with 1000 ft of elev. gain/loss that was a medium run.

W - sort of a messed up fartlek, but I made lemon juice out of the lemons. Plan was4X or 5X 4 min reps but legs were dead (see Tuesday) and ended up being a series of 9X 1:00 to 2:15 reps with short recovery (1/3 to 1/2 duration) and a couple pick ups.

Th - 8.6 easy effort

F - 10.3 with 7 mile tempo (@6:35, split 10K in about 40:35)

S - 6.3 easy

Su - 16.1 Long Run 2:08 up Waterton Canyon +some more. Legs were tired last 3 miles.

63.3 miles, added to short spin bike sessions for training time of 9:25

As far as mid-d times, my fastest 800s over the past 3 years have been splits in the mile. Ran 5:26 solo virtual road mile last year. With super shoes this year maybe shoot for under 5:20 at sea level?

Hi all,

changed my weekly structure to go back on track on Saturday.

Mo 4 miles easy. dead legs without a real reason

Tu 1 h drills and jumps uphill

We 5x800 m in 3:05...3:10 min with 400 m jog

Th 7 miles very easy

Fr 7 miles easy

Sa 6x100m with walk back. Stopped because a muscle in low calf got tight

Su 80 min easy in the hills

Because I am training without purpose, I may simply repeat the week and hope to execute Saturday's aborted workout completely.

Cheers and happy running / good healing

Orient, it looks like I'll be shutting down the skiing as well. There is a lot of snow in the high country but we had a warm week. Might have been okay this morning, if the groomers were out. Most areas here close up by early or mid April. We had 2 feet of snow on the ground where I live, through most of the week but it has mostly melted in the past 2 days.

socalcush wrote:

93 days down, 272 to go...

carpe crepusculum,

cush

Your streak is coming along nicely!

I just finished a very easy 11 miler here in Michigan to complete my training week. So the weekly mileage was just over 50 again for week #58 with 15% 'quality work' (10k or faster pace).

Still debating entering a live 5k in Bowling Green next Saturday and using it as a rust buster. I have already entered a bigger 5K the day before the Glass City Marathon in Toledo on the 24th.

I haven't raced since last October and really don't know where I am at or what to aim for.

It should be interesting to say the least!

50 miles

It took me a little longer than I thought to recover from my race last weekend but it had been two years since I raced.

I have until May 16th to get some extra base in then the summer series 5k’s come rapid fire. I think 10 of them between May 16th and Sept 1st.

I’ve signed up for em all.

May-September...racing mode two longer races one in October and November.... we’ll see.

M: off.

T-W: 10.7km.

R: 14.2km. (9:58-9:38-9:21-9:12-9:02-8:55- 8:44-8:08.)

F-SA: 10.7km.

SU: 21.4km.

I had a great workout on Thursday under almost ideal conditions. I had the fasted lap since Nov. 2017. (About 7:18/mile pace if my calculation is correct.)

Then I tried to run 13 laps (23.1km) on Sunday under hot and windy conditions. Halfway through lap 12, I realized I didn't have "it" so I decided to jog the last half lap and ended my run there. Hopefully I will have better conditions on next Sunday.

Reading all of your weekly postings really keeps me inspired during my comeback from foot surgery...managed a 5 miler this week, almost to the day 5 months since getting cut...was 50 minutes slower than my PR for the distance (run in 1980)...and I couldn't have been more thrilled.

Have a fine week of training and racing.

your pal,

MF

Good day to all !

Me too, I did not race since Oct. 2020. And as I have recently signed for a 5K road race on 24 April, I am interested to know what can I hope for. Tried a 4 km tempo today at a pace, which I thought to be my current 5k. The result is 16.08, for which various predictor calculators give 20.26 for 5K.

First workout for me with some tempo km’s without pain this spring, a great feeling!

So, I am now trying to find arguments why I can do better in 2+ weeks :-)

First, it’s just my 14th run since mid Dec., all the rest miles/hrs were on skis. According to Coyote Montane (who I totally agree with), I am only at the beginning of a 6-8-week transition period. So, hopefully the recovery curve will bring my average pace a little bit up, perhaps subtracting 2 sec per km.

Second, I am using Saucony (Triumph 18) for everyday training, while for the race usually take Nike Zoom Peg’s turbo 2 out of the shelf. Or, more likely, will try Asics MetaSpeed Sky that I have purchased recently. Have not tried them outdoors yet, but on a treadmill at the store only (too muddy around my place now to spoil such a fragile-looking stuff). Think that shoes alone could help subtract another 2-3 sec per km.

Third, perhaps will manage to get rid of 1.5-2 lbs of my winter weight. And of course, the adrenaline during the race.

With all the above I hope I can break 20 min, which is my regular goal after I turned 60+.

However, as the proverb has it: “Want to make the Lord laugh? Share with him your plans”.

Happy and injury-free running to everybody!

Hi, all. I’ve only read this page, but this looks like a very useful and informative thread. I look forward to reading more and perhaps participating. Best to all!

Welcome, Grunt! You'll find lots of good advice and camaraderie here.

Glad to hear that Dave and Amy's injuries will mend. Kudos to my friend and teammate Sonja Friend-Uhl on her W50 pending AR for 1500m in 4:41.21. Amazing! Also, kudos to masters runner extraordinaire, Kathy Martin, on her Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare Advantage commercial. I sure was surprised to see her racing across my TV screen ;-)

A good week of training for me: 36 mi running, 42 mi biking, 5200 yards swimming. Races are happening here. I've got two triathlons in the next month and then I'm off to Alabama for the National Duathlon Champs. Things almost feel like normal.

Long May You Run!

Julie Norney ran a 10.29.84 3000m O50 Australian record at Box Hill last week.

Mike F,

So great to see your post of a 5 miler. Keep On Truckin!

KP

Early post to bump this old thread

Just laying the base for 65 am actually excited about turning 65;)

Sand is Grand Almost back to where I was last spring off less running more xtrng

A couple of links

https://runningmagazine.ca/the-scene/do-the-new-super-spikes-increase-your-risk-of-injury/

https://youtu.be/H8Nw-BAiJgs

A pretty normal week for me, a few minor adjustments because we were away Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon.

Mon. Early shift and got a ride in and back with my wife. It meant no am hike as we left home at 5.30. I ddidn't get to the lake until around 5pm. for a 76 min bumpy and windy kayak session. It was nearly dark by the time I finished. Daylight saving finished on the weekend for us.

Tue. Hiked up and down 160 metres and 3.6 km of single track. Then 33 km mtn bike ride in the forest in 95 mins.

Wed. Hike as per previous day. Drove to Melbourne stopping at Humevale to run the beautiful forest road. Parked around half way and jogged down to warmup then a steady solid effort climbing the full length of 7.3 kms 270 metres gained) then gradually going through my gears running back down to the car 13 th km 4.39, 14th 4.18, last 600 at 4.14 pace. Total time 82 mins.

Thu. 72 min kayak on the river. 18 kms mtn bike ride in the forest 52 mins. Then finished off with a 4 km hike but only climbed 120 metres in elevation.

Fri. The usual hike up and down 160 metres over about 3.5 kms. A more technical mtn bike ride in the forest, also very windy. 30 kms in 93 mins.

Driving for 4 hours after that.

Sat. All day on my feet at an "Off Grid Living Expo".

Late afternoon weary plod mostly on bitumen bike paths, flat and pretty uninspiring. 10 km in 58 mins.

Sun. 4 hours driving late morning.

Back home I hiked up the usual suspect but came down a different traii which made it 4 km.

Then an 11 km run i n the forest in 1 hour.

It looks like I might be able to fit in a club race next sunday although the social schedule looks very tight.

We will be off to the SE later that day as we have a 4 day hike starting on monday.

I have struggled to get much intensity into the running lately so my race goal would not be very ambitious.

I have managed to train pretty consistently though and I guess at 61 that is a bit of a win.