Question for "older"/masters types.

Other Running Related Topic

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18 years ago 09/19/2005 8:42am EDT

re: old guy II

Ran cross country in high school. Didn't take it seriously, and was never any good. But I enjoyed it.

Decided to do a marathon my senior year in college (1978). Didn't know what I was doing but got up to about 40 mpw and struggled home in 3:30 or so.

I've been running pretty steadily ever since, for a long time my mileage stayed steady at between 2,000 and 2,500 miles per year. Got a little more into it when I was around 45 (children were also older, which made it easier), and upped my mileage to the point where I've run over 11,000 miles in the last three years. This year, I've been struggling with a calf problem, and it looks like I won't even make 3,000 miles for the year.

It's still fun, though. One advantage of never having been fast is that I still have a chance at setting some PRs. I set a marathon PR last December at age 48 (2:57). As my kids would say, "it's all good."

18 years ago 09/19/2005 9:13am EDT

re: GreyBeard

GreyBeard wrote:
Thanks to everyone who responded so far. Like R.G., I'd like to hear more stories, if possible.
While there is some variation, there seems to be a trend in these postings that building mileage with SLOW running is doable for an "older" guy but for many of you speed work trashes you more. Some of you even recommended staying away from it for a while.
I must be unusual then, because I go to the track about 2 times a week (it's on one of my running routes) and will bust out about 4-6 "fast" 100 meters. My legs actually feel GREAT doing this. It also seems essential to making my longer runs feel like less of a "plod." I don't want to lose my fast twitch muscles as I age by doing only slow stuff. However, I do intend to increase my mileage by only adding more slow stuff (and still keeping those few 100m blasters).
I may be misinterpreting what people mean by "speed work" though. I've always wondered about this generic use of the term. It seems like there are many types of speed work. When people (and running books) say that speed work "kills", aren't they really refering to too many gut-busting, lactic acid bath, anaerobic repeats? It just doesn't seem like a few 100 meters would hurt even an older guy. I know some old dudes who play basketball or soccer for an hour a few times a week and it doesn't seem to hurt them.
Anyway, thanks again to everyone who responded.

Those 100 meter accellerations are not speed work.

Lots of runners do them.

You seem to be paying attention to how your body responds.

Try not to let racing goals or training schedules override your bodies messages.

For the first few years you can get very fit and keep making large improvement by doing a weekly "hard" run of 3 to 5 miles at a pace 10 to 20 seconds slower than 10k race pace.This type of run will help with your long term development , make you stronger , improve your current racing and has never injured me.

18 years ago 09/19/2005 9:32am EDT

re: late starter too

Yeah, I put "workout" in quotes, because it means a lot of different things to a lot of people. I call therm capacity sessions, which several 100m runs after an easy run is not. Those are strides / accelerations, etc, which can be done on most "easy" days. My typical 2 weekly "workouts" are a 5000m session on Tuesdays and a much shorter faster one on Saturdays. Used to be every second day was a "workout" day for me.

Great thread! (No Trolls so far Hahahahaha.)

18 years ago 09/19/2005 11:17am EDT

re: Skuj

No run workouts for me, only easy+steady (40/50/60m next 3wks, hopefully). My run mech is just too awfull.

Bike wo: +4000ft in ~1:30 (lame, but better than not)

I'll try strides ...

18 years ago 09/19/2005 11:26am EDT

re: GreyBeard

Started at 33. For 6 years did 20 to 30 mpw. Took a year off do to a ms scare. My body was going numb. Started up again and within a year or 2 was up to 60 mpw with dramatic drops in time. This year I'm averaging 70 mpw to date and running every day with hardly any problems and still running prs here and there at age 46. I'm hoping for another marathon pr in 6 days.

18 years ago 09/19/2005 11:57am EDT

re: 17 Year Layoff

Just pulled up your website. Looking at your PR's as a Master your 400 m time was a blinder!

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