Running in your 40s is a shxtshow

Start cycling. You can max your effort and still chat, just like you could when you were running

I agree on the not absorbing workouts.

I’d say that’s something I have really noticed.

I train with a few younger guys on a rare occasion and they can go from pretty weak to really strong in just a few workouts. I have to spend months to see similar progress.

I feel like when I do adapt mainly I can go longer and not faster. I mainly train for the marathon and normally solo so it’s slightly difficult to go really hard. When I do go hard I hold back to not risk an injury.

try testosterone treatment

What kind of treadmill did you get? I am looking to get one now and there are so many out there it is hard to choose or narrow the choice down.

stan the corgi wrote:

Of course you're going to slow down as you age. With that, modify your approach and the attitude that goes with it. I recognized that the older I got, I was more prone to possible orthopedic problems. I switched to running on a treadmill for 80% of my mileage. Plus, I incorporated various supplements which made a difference as well. I still run 7-9 miles per day, because I LIKE IT and IT MAKES ME FEEL GOOD.

Try adding some resistance training. Like real strength training. 3-4 sets of 2-4 reps. Heavy stuff. You don’t have to lose muscle, just work on maintaining it.

Eat more meat, eliminate seed/vegetable oils, nuts and seeds especially soy, minimize carbs and fiber.

Recovery is amazing as a carnivore, and in my sixties I have actually begun improving again, on less training. All health markers are amazing.

Just get into powerlifting and you won't lose really anything. If you

The only way to deal with this is you have to basically just get stronger in the gym. Gym PRs will translate to track PRs. Focus on getting stronger in the gym. Low reps and high weight. Nothing really over 5 reps. If you go over 5 reps it means you're not really going heavy enough.

I’ve tinkered with lifting but normally quit after 2-3 weeks. I’ve never really given it a fair chance. Normally I tweak a muscle and can’t run so I give up fearing the risk of injury.

I do a ton of hill sprints and that seems to help with maintenance.

Good thread.

I'm 46 and am managing a hamstring tendinopathy issue that's been around a good 2-3 years on and off. I've reverted to alternate run/cycle days and a far greater emphasis on regular core & resistance work post-run/ride, the absence of which over time has likely lead to having to actually deal with hamstring issues in the first place.

Enjoying bad food & craft beer don't help; it's all in moderation, but it makes for an extra kilo or two you don't want.

Train for yourself and not for 'kudos'; don't get caught up in what others are doing, unless looking to learn or adopt things into your routine and don't get upset if you're not hitting 'targets', may of which you're probably doing to impress people on social media.

Belarussiya wrote:

try testosterone treatment

i know this is sarcasm. but the reality is unfortunately like that. for me, the age-grading tables from 2010 are the last ones that can be described as somewhat realistic. in a society fixated on eternal youth, help is given to such an unclean extent that it disgusts me personally.

in your 40s you have to rethink. scott murr (furman) has said that as a masters runner he tries to be a fit person who runs, because not every runner is a fit person. that means that you have to put a lot more emphasis on general athletics: strength-training, cross-training, stability-training and so on. you also have to train smarter and allow the individual number of recovery days that you need between hard workouts. the recovery days themselves shouldn't be lazy days, but should have an aerobic use (cycling, hiking, rowing and strength-training). of course there are regular complete off-days.

in this way you may run less, but the training overall has a good volume, including time. for me this means three quality runs per week (intervals, hard tempo, long run, adds up to perhaps 3-3,5 hours of running in total) plus an extra volume of about 3-4 hours with all sorts of crosstraining.

paul72 wrote:

agree early 40's are fine-I found that I bounced back from a late 30's slide (when busy with work, young kids, coaching sports put a dent in running), to running well from 40-46 years of age. the key was running consistent miles and avoiding injury; The past 2 years I found that I need at least one day off a week and cross-training and needing more recovery time after workouts. Little "kinks" that would get better after a few days take a week or so now. Now running gradual warm-ups and avoiding too much "running streaks" are really important keeping injury-free and consistent....

Good luck!

+1 this nails it for me, well said.

I'd say you just need to adjust things a little, your body is likely just sick and tired of doing the same old same old, still be consistent but back off a little bit, also mix things up a bit, add strength work, short sprints to improve form - form for me is the biggest thing that degrades work on keep that elasticity. Lots of people run well, well into their 50's (Tim Gross on youtube) is a good example.

HITHEREYOU wrote:

Lots of people run well, well into their 50's (Tim Gross on youtube) is a good example.

Link?

YMMV wrote:

HITHEREYOU wrote:

Lots of people run well, well into their 50's (Tim Gross on youtube) is a good example.

Link?

Would help if I spelt his name correctly! He's on Strava also, probably a link to that on his channel somewhere. Seems injured at moment so maybe not best example but over last year or so he has been running well.

I ran better in my early 40’s than I did in my 30’’s. Slowed a little bit in late 40’s, but not much. I started running at 25. I think my 40’s were so good because I learned how to train smart. Now at 52, I’ve slowed but it hasn’t been drastic. I can’t run the same mileage because I need more recovery. And it crucial to regularly touch on speed. Running tempos uphill helps with impact. Basically, to avoid a sharp decline you have to do the little things and not train like an idiot. But age will slow you.

....lots of great coaching within this post. A few more things I've found to help maintain injury free quality training and faster running, as we age. I'm mid 50's btw..

- Take advantage of recovery tools: HyperVolt, Roll Recovery, Normatek, etc. There are great recovery tools currently that were not available decades ago. Post run recovery is always important and certainly no less important, as we age (and take longer to bounce back)

- Incorporate daily work on flexibility & staying fluid: dynamic stretching and mobility remains important to maximize range of motion and remaining injury free...I've also found it's critical to keep the hips aligned and balanced, as they influence mechanics and lower legs functioning.

- Incorporate regular core work & ancillary exercises: Basics like push ups, crunches, planks, squats maintain solid overall strength...weekly strides and drills continue to be very important to maintain RE speed and faster aerobic running.

- Continue to incorporate consistent faster sessions & long runs, as part of your training (tempo runs, Vo2 Max, RE sessions), but take more recovery days between these sessions. As mentioned, consider swapping easy running sessions for cross training with similar aerobic focus (such as spinning).

- as mentioned in several other posts, consistency, consistency, consistency is so important to maintaining fitness & running well. In order to be consistent, we need to stay injury free. Consider your strength's and weaknesses, as far as how much you're able to manage currently - volume, intensity, frequency. .. in other words, figure out what's needed to stay healthy while training to maximize performance.

- Be open to new resources...for example, I've incorporated a lot from Kelly Starrett into maintaining mobility and overall recovery. There are a lot of great resources available - running specific and fitness related that can help, as we age...take advantage and be a student of the sport.

.....hope this helps!

ldfks00dfpowe wrote:

I also think you tend to fall of the horse a little more in your 40's if you have trained and competed at a high level since JR high and HS. Those new to the sport in their 30's or those that quit cold turkey for 10=15 years after college tend to be as good as me if not better when they are in their 40's. And they could be a lot less talented but they have so much more in the tank and body!

They don't have "more in the tank." It's not like you can only run so much. It's just that they were good runners that were not running.

Do you think if you starting lifting or cycling at age 40 you'd be better than people that do those activities because you have "more in the tank."?

To reiterate what it takes to keep running somewhat competitively as a Master's runner.

These are things that you can skimp or miss on as a younger runner, but their importance is amplified as you age.

- cross training of some sort, weights, yoga, cycling.... you need to include it along with your running to help counter muscle imbalances, to help ROM, and to get that calorie burn.

- diet, it is just more difficult to out run a bad diet as you age and the weight is super difficult to take off.

-weight, you have to watch your weight. As you age not only is it more difficult to drop weight, it is easier due to lifestyle to indulge in bad choices too often.

-be willing to adjust your routine. Your body doesn't know it's Monday and that you are starting a new weekly total, maybe look at a 10 day cycle, or 12 day...

-motivation- lots on here talk about "no more PRs" and of course that's true. But at 52 I no longer talk or think about PRs at all. I now have "Recent Bests" and they are just as motivating. I'd be a fool to think, or to try to run the same times I did in college; and for anyone else thinking they can do that is setting yourself up for disappointment and over training.

50ish and can't run like I used to, or surf like I used to, or recover from drinking, or physical injury, etc. BUT I did shoot a 72 a week ago, which was a huge PR for me. So there's hope for you yet in taking up golf.

Is it bad that I always relate to these threads about aging? I always can see myself in what everyone is saying. I'm 21. Maybe I'm just not made to run ??