50+ Masters Training and Racing Open Forum

Mike F & Other Fast Friends,

Thanks for the positive support for me and my Houston 800! coming up this "Who Dey" Sunday.

I know y'all know often times it helps to lay it on the line BEFORE you 'toe it' to help Just Do It. Usually works for me to tell folks I care about; almost like you're there with me when it's time to hurt like hell and love every stride of it.

Hoston Hay Is In The Barn. Final Speed Session just now, here in Rome.

2 mile warm-up including 2 x Dave Frank 'Flying 30s'.

3 x 400 with 5min rest @ 70pt 67pt 68pt ... flat first one; excited second one; dead third one.

2 x 200 with 3min rest @ 33pt 32 pt

Time to Coach The Rome Student-Athletes (we've grown to 230!)

Hi All:

"first time, long time". I've been following LetsRun since the early days i.e., 2000! I turned 59 a month ago and have been running since high school: ran DI XC in early 80's and never totally stopped running.

This looks to be a great thread. I'm only running approx. 25 MPH these days (f/t job, family, side gigs), and dealing with AFlutter/AFIB since 2016 or so, but looking to either break 5:00 again in the mile or run a fast 1/2 marathon (and of course, a fast Beer Mile). My fastest mile in 2021 was 6:05 on basically no speed work.

Hope I can add to this thread, or at least make you laugh once in a while

Regards,

Pat Tobin

Welcome.

Welcome Pat.

Keep us updated on your progress and training.

That 5:00 goal is a heavy lift (=an age graded 4:03), but a 6:05 on little speed work bodes well for improvement.

Just don't rush things. You have lots of time left, enjoy the journey...

[

Hoston Hay Is In The Barn. Final Speed Session just now, here in Rome.

2 mile warm-up including 2 x Dave Frank 'Flying 30s'.

3 x 400 with 5min rest @ 70pt 67pt 68pt ... flat first one; excited second one; dead third one.

2 x 200 with 3min rest @ 33pt 32 pt

)

Dude!!!

Hi DickMargarita,

Thank your for your openess to post your stellar performances. Elite and very kind.

Looking forward to follow your training having these reference points.

BR

ptobin wrote:

I'm only running approx. 25 MPH these days

You are WAY too fast for this thread! 😉

P.S. Welcome.

amkelley, You might want to read the Kara Goucher thread about her being diagnosed with Runner's Distonía. Good luck.

It's been three weeks sinc my last post and it has been a mixd bag. I strained a muscle in my back and it went around the entire shoulder, so missed a few days. Then I reflect on others who have real health issues and wonder whether I should mention it at all.

17-23 Jan

Mon - 50min

Tues - am - 40min TM run - pm track - 10x300m (ave 63.4)

Wed - 50min

Thurs - 45min fartlek

Fri - Sun - no running, sore shoulder

Total - 47km/29miles

24-30 Jan

Mon - no running

Tues - 40min

Wed - 65min

Thurs - am 25min - pm track 3x600m then 300m with a final 400m

Fri - 50min

Sat - no running

Sun - 95min

Total - 66km/41miles

31 Jan - 6 Feb

Mon - 65min

Tues - 35min

Wed - 65min

Thurs - am - 30min - pm track 4x150m accelerations

Fri - 30min

Sat - 1500m indoor race - 5:16

Sun - 70min

Total - 71km/44miles

In the next month or so I have several more indoor races and a 10mile race to mix things up.

May all your runs be good.

ATP, congratulations on your outstanding 1500 result! The last time I was able to do it I was under 50... Bravo and every success in upcoming races!

amkelley, may I join "wondering how" regarding the advice to read the thread about dystonia. Here is the link:

https://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=11110375

I've been posting my weekly efforts (may I call it "training"?!), and following along here without much commentary. But, wow, what an influx of talent of late. It's simultaneously inspiring and demoralizing; I believe I'm the slowest on this thread!

Still, fun to follow along. I'm looking forward to seeing fantastic performances posted here this year. World-class results, obviously.

Meanwhile, I'll be shuffling along the best I can. March 1st I undergo a biopsy to verify a tentative cancer diagnosis after a recent MRI. I'm hoping to avoid any major surgery until after my May marathon. That will be my son's first, so I really want to be a part of it.

When my wife retires this year, I'll be losing health insurance until I'm 65, so some hasty decisions may be necessary. We'll see. Cancer diagnoses were death sentences for my older brother (dead at 40) and my father (71). But my younger brother, at 57, has survived two cancers so far. Onward and upward!

Run well.

This looks to be a great thread. I'm only running approx. 25 MPH these days (f/t job, family, side gigs), and dealing with AFlutter/AFIB since 2016 or so, but looking to either break 5:00 again in the mile or run a fast 1/2 marathon (and of course, a fast Beer Mile). My fastest mile in 2021 was 6:05 on basically no speed work.

Sub 5 at 60 ,like a moth to a flame I gave it a try. Starting point 6:40 mile off NOTHING I had just turned 60 overweight and out of running shape. My brain said heck drop 30 lbs 160-130 and that shedding of girth will net me 60 tics , say 5:40 . A year or two of solid training and I got it! Well 15 lbs and 6 months later of work I was at 5:51 and that was on a really good day with lots of comp. But undaunted I was still figuring I could do it. Semi crashed and burned in 2018 almost quit. Problem was doing metabolically stressful speed work and not recovering....I was using a role of K Tape per race;). Backed off all speed jogged with some lt and 10 months later ran 19:05 5000 at 63 but my mile stalled out in the 5:40s at 130 lbs.

The Need for PURE Speed

After the 19:05 I figured all I needed was a bunch of strength stuff . Six months later off no hard stuff I ran 20:03 at what felt like Lactate Threshold until I tried to accelerate over the last 200 to break 20 and NADA. I had no speed. I was becoming an old shuffler. NFW so rock vs hard spot back to the drawing board. Low impact Short Sprints with long recovery mainly CP for fuel. This worked a few months later and one month before turning 64 in 15 year old heavy spikes I ran a fast for me a solo 2:28TT at S Eugene. Never looked back felt great so much bang for so little effort. Low impact means STEEP hills 30 seconds close to all out x 4 with 4 minutes rest. A year later last Oct at 65 I ran 5:38 which age grades to 5:23 for 60 not bad for me I am not a D1 type talent maybe D3 travel squad;)

Made this one minute video 2 days ago treadmill 10mph 10 percent grade 30 seconds . This is in base mode but I believe keeping the speed tuned all year round do this stuff once a week:

https://youtu.be/yL8hMCQimxc

Allen just read your post . Not trying to be nosy but from what I recall you have a family history of prostrate cancer. My mom's dad died of prostrate cancer at 90 first diagnosed at 60. Anyhow I have been monitoring my PSA for many years but have not really put in enough effort to be on top of this call it denial. Anyhow I did find a test called PSMA pet scan that looks very useful. Take care my friend.

Allen,

Hope all those troubles that were so ruthless to your next of kin will pass you by.

Also, the medicine is progressing and things that were deadly 20 years ago are curable now. Regarding prostate cancer, a friend of mine in Cape Canaveral (FL) first had it in early 00's and the treatment was totally successful. However, the docs told him that this devil may return in some 5-10 years. It indeed returned in about 15 when he had diabetes in addition to it. The second treatment was harder but also successful.

Hold on and good luck!

Great post and ideas, Charlie! I will consider your approach to "re-gaining" speed. For the record, I'm almost Clydesdale-like at 6'2" 179 lbs.

great video! 10 mph at 10% is daunting, but you looked as though you were under control. I think I'd have been swallowed up, George Jetson-style, if I tried that.

good week but poorly planned weekend:

M 1:40 double

Tu 1:30

W 1:20 with 3 X 10:00 (2:00 jog) at half-marathon effort

Th 1:30 double

F 1:40 double with drills and strides

Sa 1:15

Su 1:20 with 5 X 3:00 (2:00 jog) treadmill hills

Chickened out of a race this morning in mid-30's snow-showers due to my HPP (Hamstring Preservation Policy) of not racing or doing anything fast when the footing is iffy. Meanwhile, yesterday it was 50 and sunny, but I was volunteering at parkrun. Should have reversed the two. oh well.

Happy Super Sunday,

Dave

M62, 5'11", 181 lbs

Age 23 - 2:40:30; age 58 - 3:07:23

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FEBRUARY 7-13, 2022M - 6.0 miles (9:23, 9:08, 9:06, 8:41, 8:16, 7:39)Tu- OffW - 5.0 miles (9:43, 9:10, 8:54, 8:08, 7:31)Th- OffF -- OffSa- 1.8 mi wu; 10 mile race @ 8:14/miSu- OffTOTAL: 22.8 MILES

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I was satisfied with yesterday's race, all considered: hilly course, 30 mph wind, my current training and obesity.

The final mile is a gradual climb for a half mile, then a steep half-mile ascent up the Niagara escarpment. At 8 miles, I had caught and passed a "gray beard" whom I suspected was my age group. He then easily went ahead again on a short steep hill. 

So, I needed to put a good distance on him before that last mile. That worked out, as he did not threaten again, despite my 10:32 closing mile (averaged sub-8 for first nine).

So, first place M60-64, amongst a smaller and slower field than usual. 1:06 won the age group recently, versus my 1:22!

Next: Half marathon in April, marathon in May.

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Charlie and Orient: Thanks for the thoughts and encouragement. Yeah, my younger brother has been living with non-aggressive prostate cancer for a four or five years -- as long as I have been ignoring my high PSA numbers. He has excellent health insurance, so can do the required monitoring. I'll be losing coverage when my wife retires this year, so that approach might not be possible. I'm not too worried at the moment. We'll see.

Formatting issue. Another attempt.

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FEBRUARY 7-13, 2022

M - 6.0 miles (9:23, 9:08, 9:06, 8:41, 8:16, 7:39)

Tu- Off

W - 5.0 miles (9:43, 9:10, 8:54, 8:08, 7:31)

Th- Off

F -- Off

Sa- 1.8 mi wu; 10 mile race @ 8:14/mi

Su- Off

TOTAL: 22.8 MILES