50+ Masters Training and Racing Open Forum

CDP - A few years ago when I was Setting my PR’s and in top shape, the same pain you describe came out of nowhere. Lasted 2 years at varying intensities. Voltaren tablets ( not the cream!) helped tremendously but it can become a habit which probably isn’t a good long term remedy. For me, I would take around 150 MG a day and reduce to 50 mg after a few days. Just sharing and not recommending...

Mopac- hamstring and butt issues are frustrating. I’ve also been doing much shorter sessions and maintaining fitness. Time and place for everything and why not have some fun experimenting.

old guy II - Great performance and best time going back 6 years is a good indicator. Huge doubts I will be remotely close to my times from a few years ago when 6 years pass.

Amkelley - how did the 15% incline treadmill walks you mentioned weeks ago impact your legs? I’ve had a lot of success with this approach coming back from injuries.

My Week:

Mostly unstructured runs and the Covid blues are intensifying. Started running at the empty resort I’m staying at which has been more enjoyable than I thought. It is about an 800 meter scenic meandering loop and even a pond to swim in after a hot run. Only one semi fast run this week and 35 miles. Another 3 hours fast walking on the treadmill at about 20% incline.

Solo fast session - On Sunday 2 miles at 5:49 per mile and it was not hard which is a good considering my lack of speed work. I anticipate this pace will get harder as time passes with fewer hard sessions.

Robert E . Lee - Ever venture out to Camelback mountain? In my late 20’s I was there every day and most of my friends at the time were up on the trail. Loved that hike but it became too popular and the crowds were difficult.

Hello,

welcome to the 49er from a M50.

My recipe was balancing strength and pounding, fast and slow, short and long. Stop immediately if you feel something is coming up, go for a nice walk when feeling really tired.

Started from unstructured easy running 5 times a week after last kid was 3 years old.

Year 1: worked on ability to run fast (100m), get some strength (drills, jumps) and endurance (easy mileage)

Year 2: same for speed & strength and added some faster aerobic intervals either short ones (200m) with plenty of rest or longer ones (800-1600m with plenty of rest), kept the mileage

Year 3: same for strength. Speed training became more raw speed. Get used to everyday training, added strides after easy running, added longer run

Year 4: kept drills, jumps, raw speed, long run, strides after easy running, added md specific intervals (still with long rest), aerobic development runs

Last week

Mo 8.5 miles easy

Tu 30 min jumps & drills uphill, 5x40 sprints uphill

We 7 miles easy, 5x100m with jog back

Th 7 miles easy, 5x100m with jog back

Fr 7 miles easy, 5x100m with jog back

Sa WU, 8x300m uphill with jog down, CD

Su 80 min recovery pace in the hills

A minor bug woke my immuno system on Thursday and I kept easy running instead of Zone 2. Beatiful late summer here. Cheers

BigMango wrote:

old guy II - Great performance and best time going back 6 years is a good indicator. Huge doubts I will be remotely close to my times from a few years ago when 6 years pass.

The secret to beating your times from past years is to throw in a lot of years of half-baked training as you go along. It makes the years you do intelligent training look much better.

M; off.

T-W: 7 miles.

R: 2km warm-up, 1000m X 5. (4:46-4:42-4:40-4:36-4:25)

F-SA: 7 miles.

SU: 19.6 km. (10:43-10:24-10:21-10:12-10:10-9:57-9:47-9:39-9:29-8:55)

2 km warm up was obviously not enough for the interval workout. I need a bit more. But it's better to start slow and finish fast than vice versa.

The weather was mild enough yesterday to do my "long" run outside. I started slow because I wasn't sure how I could handle the heat. But it turned out the heat wasn't much of a problem. Now two more weeks to a half marathon.

so so close! wrote:

How do you keep running past 50 and stay bullet proof?

Like others have said true "bullet proof" is extremely extremely rare if you are training fairly hard. Basically life happens.

I turn 65 in a couple of months and have a 29 year 3 mile a day streak going. Over that time I have hard one good bout of plantar fasciitis: 'cured' with rigid orthotics - which I am still wearing to this day, A swollen knee problem: Alleve, ice and time away from speed until healed itself, and a pretty nasty class II hamstring pull in February 2020 :again time, stretching, ice and Alleve did the trick.

Most importantly I think just going easy after a hard day, good genetics, listening to your body, and maybe just plain luck.

My week plus one day report:

Just 33 miles total for the first seven days. My year long plus 50 mile streak is over. I thought I would try tapering for the mile road race I had Wednesday night and the 5K handicap race today. Honestly, I don't think it helped at all.

- 6:06 for the mile WMA Age-grading calculator allows 4:44, but at least was 1 second faster than last year, so maybe backing off helped a 'little'. At least I did not run the predicted 6:10-6:11

-Early this morning we drove to a small race 1:30:00 away. 61 degrees slightly rolling scenic course which begins and ends along a lakeshore. Staggered handicapped wave starts.

I allowed myself to be dragged out too quick by a 29 y/o Clydesdale runner. Went through the mile in 6:24 and he was 6:20. I thought for sure he would die a bit. He didn't, but I did. Final 20:41 chip time (WMA= 16:10 or just barely 80%). 5th overall. Not happy, but I guess it could have been much much worse. Fought the urge to go for a little shake out run this afternoon. So seven mile plus for the log for today. The fact that I didn't go back out I guess may be a sign I am following my own advice just a little.

Good to read everyone's weekly reports. Let's all enjoy the weather as it hopefully starts to cool off a touch.

OGII

Congratulations for your great running.

Thank you for the very interesting figur 0.56% per year.

NDYT You are not done at all: congratulation :)

correct NDJY

Good to see so many 50+ athletes finding ways to run and race to 60+. I'm sure we would all agree there are no secrets, no shortcuts, possibly not even good luck. Patience through realizing our aging is what seems most logical.

Reckon if we embrace father-time we might be happier with any result. What I know for certain is running as hard as I can still feels great (when it's over and the runner's high kicks in with a cold one in hand). And is worth more than what the satellite timing reads.

Ran a fast 5k course yesterday in 18:43 (1st M61). But oh the humidity at 93% is still a killer!

KP Nice 5k you are on a roll no doubt Def Motivational

AMK found an article to to study on RA and leaky gut

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-09-gut-relieve-rheumatoid-arthritis.html

Anyone else enjoy perusing this old 50+ thread? Some golden nuggets for sure

NDJY What are your plans for 65?

Refilling the aerobic tank(KP terminology) and I am feeling good

65 is more than a number it is a new age group!

Oh, to be young again.😹

At age 69 I am getting a solid 32-36 miles a week in. Off days are for cycling. I sometimes do some tempo work/fartlek, but I don't bother going to the track. No sense getting too serious with potential injury-producing activities when there aren't any races.

Charlie wrote:

NDJY What are your plans for 65?

Hey Charlie,

Good question.

#1 make it there. December is just around the corner.

Basically stay health and enjoy the journey. More specifically;

-Do a bit more light weight training

- Goals: I was never a miler in either high school or college, but I am intrigued by the 1,500/mile. So I would like to hit another a sub 6:00mile and/or 5:30 1500 at 65 y/o. USATF Masters are in Lexington Ky in July 2022 my 91 y/o mother-in-law and a brother-in-law both live nearby so I hope to go there.

-Stay in the low 20:00s for 5k. Sub 20:00 again would be great, but we will see.

-42ish for a 10k

-Maybe 1:33 for a half

-and some low key XC runs next fall.

I recognize my genetic limitations, but I think I know how to train sanely and get the most out of the hand I was dealt. With that said, keep my mileage right around 50mpw, but back off a bit before bigger races.

Until next week everyone...

KPdx, very impressive 18:43/5k//M61/severe_conditions !

And as far as I remember this is not your favourite distance (is it?). Doubly decent.

KP: Yeah that humidity sucks! Very nice time in nasty conditions!

Newbi: "for what distance and training phase was your plan made by Tinman?

Could you reveal more from this plan, please?" BR

It is a basic plan with a steady weekly dose of 60 sec strides, CV/tempo and a long run. There was buildup before beginning on Jan, 2015. A lot of 70 mile weeks. I raced well at all distances from 1 mile thru 20k though I focused on the 5k. The daily log for what I actually did is posted on Running2Win here.

https://www.running2win.com/community/view-member-running-log.asp?vu=Racerdb&sd=1/1/2015&ed=12/30/2015

I'm sure I posted on this thread during that time too but it's hard to find!

Still plugging away here. I'm well into my 13th straight 40 mile week. Which indicates I'm still doing alright! The past few weeks the faster stuff has been progressing as it should. 10x45 sec @ 6:00 pace, 3x1000 3:52.2, 3:52.2, 3:46.6, 100's in the 18's, some shorter tempo's in the upper 6:00's. I'm still being very careful with the recovery days and taking them easy. and biking when I can. 29 hilly miles last Sunday UpNorth. I may bump up my mileage a bit next month. But for now I'm good with 40 mile weeks with a day off!

Next week I think I'll run a mile on the track just to better see where my fitness is. Then a real in person bigger 5K on Sept 25th. I'm shooting for 5:35'ish in the mile and 6:00 pace for the 5k.

That's it from here,

Dave

racerdb wrote:

I've had a nice last two weeks here (68 & 71 miles). Still cold & blustery but able to get most runs done outside. Pretty much doing the faster stuff on the treadmill; the easier and long runs outside.

Getting used to Tinman's training. I seem to feel good most days. Nailing the harder Tues/Thurs workouts and running pretty well on the Saturday 15 milers. Happy with where I'm at...fitness and health wise. I think I'm getting in decent shape and have zero injuries to report!

Have a good one everyone,

Dave

Modify the page number at the end of the url :

Kinda clunky but it works ok if you have a date/time frame to guide search.

I would like to get into the 5:30s for the mile but it might be a pipe dream. We shall see....

KP is KP never count him out;)

Well I am happy / relieved as I seem to have bounced back from the efudex in just a few weeks Last time I used this stuff , spring 2018, I felt crappy for months.

Charlie wrote:

Modify the page number at the end of the url :

Cool trick! Now I just wasted an hour when I should have been working!

A few thoughts:

1. Damn, I'd kill to run a race today at some of my workout paces from 2015.

2. Looks like that was the beginning of the achilles problems. And here we are 6 years later...

3. I sure do whine about a lot of stuff.

Dave

😹