50+ Masters Training and Racing Open Forum

Newly minted 50 joining the gang.

I've been healthy and able to train consistently the last couple years. I won't quite crack 4,000 miles his year but I'll give it a scare. Not a lot of notable training this last week as I was tapering for CIM.

Anyway, first road race as a Senior was our local turkey trot in 16:17. Yesterday 2:35:22 at CIM.

Looking forward to getting to know you guys.

DickMargarita wrote:

Newly minted 50 joining the gang.

I've been healthy and able to train consistently the last couple years. I won't quite crack 4,000 miles his year but I'll give it a scare. Not a lot of notable training this last week as I was tapering for CIM.

Anyway, first road race as a Senior was our local turkey trot in 16:17. Yesterday 2:35:22 at CIM.

Looking forward to getting to know you guys.

Welcome to the group! Wow, you are fast. My own open-age PRs were almost 2 minutes slower at 5K and almost 8 minutes slower at the marathon. And nearly 4000 miles/yr is impressive volume.

There are quite a few fast 50+ guys on this thread spanning a very wide range of training approaches. Enjoy!

DickMargarita:

Welcome! Very impressive performance, close to 90% on the age-grading scale (corresponds to the world class level), congratulations and respect!

P.S. BTW, Dave seems to be the most popular name on this thread :-)

St Jude Memphis marathon was last Saturday. My goal was to run sub 1:40 in the half. Fortunately, we had 3:20 pacers who ran the same course for the first 9 miles. I passed the 3:25 pacer after Mile 1, and caught up with one of the 3:20 pacers at Mile 5 (the other 3:20 pacer was well ahead of the pace), and just stayed behind for the next 4 miles with several other runners who were all doing half. After Mile 9, I tried to focus on passing runners in front one at a time. Passed the 10 mile mark at 1:15:57, which was 3 seconds ahead of my target. I ended up running the last 3.1 about a minute faster than planned, with 1:38:58.

This is more than 5 min slower than my 2012 PB, but 69.45% age grade was slightly better than my previous best of 69.1% in 2016. 2nd out of 200+ in my AG , the first time in the top 1% of my AG, and the first AG award in this race. (The previous best was 7th in 2019.) I don't know if my knee is 100% back, but at least my running ability is.

Next up is another half in early March, and then a full marathon in late April.

Haven't posted for four weeks. The first two weeks I had some non-running commitments and a sore shin so was limited to 17miles, then 19miles. Shin improved with some exercises and stretches but then I had a flu vaccine on Friday and a covid topup on Saturday which brought the week to a premature end - 35miles for the week.

This last week has been better:

Mon 45min

Tues am 60min - pm club road session 2x800, 1000, 1200, 1000, 2x800 (or so)

Wed 70min

Thur 50min - should have been a track session as well, but it was so cold and the wind was bitter so I abandoned this.

Fri no running - We had a funeral to attend - a cousin on my wife's side who I had only met a couple of times, but occasions like these make me feel very mortal.

Sat 55min hill session

Sun 90min

Total 84km/52miles

Next weekend I have my final (10k) race of the year so I shall be winding down to make sure the legs are fresh.

May all your runs be good.

Mike Fanelli wrote:

Igy, re: XC Nationals, next December they’re in SF’s Golden Gate Park again… fingers crossed, hope to do them in 2022…you?

Mike,

I would definitely consider it. My best masters cross country races were on that course. Not sure I can navigate the log barrier on the backside though. 😹

Igy

Igy, there’s rumor re: the installation of a step ladder to get over that jumbo log obstacle in the 2022 race 🤣

Hopefully they’ll use some ratchet straps to keep the ladder stable as I climb.😂

Mike Fanelli wrote:

Igy, there’s rumor re: the installation of a step ladder to get over that jumbo log obstacle in the 2022 race 🤣

Mike,

I do recall photos of the two of us negotiating the logs from the 2007 Club Nationals. We looked pretty nibble fourteen years ago. Boy do some of these youngsters have something to look forward to.

Igy

Ghost of Igloi wrote:

Mike Fanelli wrote:

Igy, there’s rumor re: the installation of a step ladder to get over that jumbo log obstacle in the 2022 race 🤣

Mike,

I do recall photos of the two of us negotiating the logs from the 2007 Club Nationals. We looked pretty nibble fourteen years ago. Boy do some of these youngsters have something to look forward to.

Igy

Pardon me, 2006 or 15 years ago….

51.2 miles last week

Injured. It’s either sciatica or something behind my left knee..

I can’t tell. I bought one of those blue bags with Velcro that hold a gel of some kind. You put it in the freezer and Velcro it around the injured area.

It dosent work. It can’t get cold enough.

Very disappointing. The concept seemed so good.

Ice and sandwich bags and ace bandage! “The essential never changes” as Samuel Beckett wrote!

I’m so close to 2000 miles, I’ll have to get out there and run on it....

I had to drop out of a half marathon and switch to a 5k for January 29th

I don’t think I’ll ever race anything more than 10k again in my life.

That’s fine with me.

Before this injury my training was great.

14th week over 50 last week but can barely walk when I first get out of bed.

66y/o.. training since 1977. Cancer, colectomy.. two miniscus knee surgeries

@Robert E. Lee: sending a quick recovery!

@Across the Pond: same here with the Covid booster. Got the third jab (first two Pfizer, third Moderna) yesterday at noon. Today morning, some very light exercises. Hm, right know I cannot see me running a step tommorow. Some sort of luxury issue :)

RF reader Well Done! wondered what you were up to;)

Iggy Thanks for the heads up on Hayward but maybe may 7th?

Anyhow 3000 training has begun!

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e790a23f3b4fb4a1e9f78c4/t/61a7b4c27d7d234b3bb29c88/1638380757709/OTC_December+2021.pdf

DickM Dam unreal comp 50 cat even pacing respect for such a high age graded percent in the marathon at 50.

Logs or homeless camps? just encountered at first in the dunes encountered a large unoccupied brush hut reminded me of a dude I met at Hayward who claimed to be legitimate son of Pre and built/lived in a bunker next to his fathers trail;) he did crank out a 4:20 1500 without straining.

So end of Recovery mode , time for base,I went long and slow . Felt great!

Brush hut and sand dunes? Moon Doggy in Gidget? Some of you may be old enough.

Hi Folks,

A bit late posting my last week. Been very busy this week, creating Goats head hats for My Grade 2, and working on my latest painting. Phonics classes. lol Hope you are all well. Any races coming up?

Ok here we go

Week commencing Nov 29

Monday: AM -35 minutes PM-Weights

Tuesday:AM-40 minutes

Wednesday:Rest Pm-Weights

Thursday:AM-40 Minutes

Friday: Am 1 hour 20 minutes .Felt really good. I really felt the benefit of all those squats and deadlifts that I've been doing for the past 6 months. Covered just over 10 miles. PM-Weights

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Drills, strides and one mile of ins/outs in Dragonflys. Starting to develop good foot turnover.

To summarise: Starting to feel stronger and no problems with knee although still need to take things a bit carefully

* Finally : Sad to hear of Emmit King's passing last week, especially under these circumstances. When I first stated taking athletics seriously in 83, I will never forget that corps of great sprinters that you guys had. When I watched your relay team set that world record in Helsinki, apart from Alan Wells and Cameron Sharp, we didn't have a true world class sprinter who could match your boys. Remember Christie didn't break through until 85. I just thought why can't we have guys like Lewis, Smith, Gault and King.

It was watching these guys that made me take an interest in track and field, and to whom I am truly thankful . RIP Emmit

Ghost of Igloi wrote:

Brush hut and sand dunes? Moon Doggy in Gidget? Some of you may be old enough.

Thought about snapping a photo but if it was occupied the occupant might take offense to this.

Posting early for no good reason everybody knows the rules

Eagerly awaiting Race Reports!

Premature finish to Recovery call it transition to base I did run an 82 on old wavy no strain. I gotta hone in on 86 for 7.5 an impossible dream?

To dream the impossible dream

To fight the unbeatable foe

To bear with unbearable sorrow

To run where the brave dare not go

Honestly toeing the line at the new Hayward should be worth 1 sec per lap/

Recovery--*--Base,Speed,Race(May 7th Hayward 3000)

Amazing competitor!

Joe Classic decides M60 to run a 2:14 ON the rail just to keep it interesting .

First, this site renders like a POS on Safari on an iPad. Today was a beautiful day in Tallahassee for those of us who like warm weather. The course is fast but fair. I had a pretty good day and ended up 3rd 70-74, 4seconds out of 2nd and 32 seconds out of first. Now I need to avoid too many desserts at Xmas and rest a little for USATF XC on my home course in San Diego in 4 weeks.

That’s terrific, OG2. You’ve got to be the fastest 70+ year old that I know. Congratulations!

Old guy II,

First thing I did after my workout and running some errands was to check on your result. I had a feeling your were ready. Nice work.

Igy