If you are 50+ and you could only do 3 workouts do these...

Moran

I believe the old-school Aussie style ages well. Easy Runs, Long run plus the occasional Mona Style Fartlek for the W.

Tempo/ threshold on Tuesday, intervals on Friday, 4-6 miles easy every other day.

59+ and a long way from breaking 18.

Seems solid for 1500/5k training.

What are your current and pr 5k times?

Personally, in regards to the 30-35 second intervals and the 30 second hill sprints, I'd probably just go with one or the other - or rotate them in your cycle.

If you're training for the 5k, you'd likely get better results by subbing in a 2nd threshold session with slightly longer intervals at a slightly lower intensity. Maybe something like 4 x 5-6 mins at 60-90 min pace.

If you think the current set-up is making the most of what you can currently do though, keep at it. You could certainly do worse.

How much more do you weigh now v. when you graduated high school?

Getting this as close to 0 as reasonably possible is a big part of the equation from what I've seen

At 45, when that magic number drops to single digits I feel almost like I'm floating

When it's above 20 I can still get after it better than most, but I feel like an absolute tank and am never satisfied with my performance knowing what could be if I cut out the beer and fully embraced the chemo look with resultant long inward-tapering femboi neck indicating fast time are imminent

Yes exactly. I think this type of training leaves me fit and healthy.

From previous I weigh about 15lbs heavier than my optimum racing weight when I ran sub 30 and 1:05 for half.

At 57 the goal is to enjoy the training. I think low 18's with the current super shoes should be achievable with consistency. I might be able to keep up with a few of the 13 year olds females that I coach.

I would combine workouts #2 and #3 and merely extend the long run. Like up to 10+ miles. Make the long run progressive, dropping down to tempo pace.

And if he doesn’t enjoy training like that? In the post above yours the OP stated that enjoying the training is a main consideration…

I'm 5 months from turning 60, and still love running/training/racing, even though I'm way slower than I want to be.

I would say one long easy run at least 1 hour 30 min; one interval session; and a moderate tempo day. The rest are easy/recovery not hard days, just running.

The bottom line is though, it you want run "fast", and you know when you've done best effort and/or had a strong race, you need to mix it up and carefully add mileage. It's so easy at our age to do too much effort and not enough recovery. Your body adapts to the increased stimulus (hard efforts) when you're resting, and consider the often repeated guidance: on hard days, put in the hard effort, and on easy days, run easier than you want to or feel like.

I'm 66, about 15 pounds above my weight at 20 (170 flat), and running 5Ks at just over 7:45 pace. 25-35 mpw.

I like the workouts you've described, although I'm still doing two workouts a week with a LR of 9-10 on Sunday and 3 mile jogs the other days.

I'd add two workouts that I've found particularly helpful.

First, I still do classic 3 mile tempos, and I'm learning how to start off a little easier, so that each mile is a little faster. I do one every 2-3 weeks. Sometimes I do a variation, a sort of "Mono fartlek" that I call tempo intervals. I'll run 3 miles by alternating .25 at 3K pace with .25 at a float--slower in the first seconds after the fast quarter, then slowly rising to tempo pace before the next quarter. In the final half mile, I run straight through but slightly slower, at whatever i adjudge my current 5K pace to be. So: 7:30's alternating with 9:30's, with a final half mile at 7:47. It's a great race predictor.

Second, as a buildup to race season, I've got a hilly 8-mile loop: mostly uphill in the first 4 miles, rolling for the next 2 miles, then mostly downhill. It helps strengthen me in various ways and when my times on it are fast relative to heart rate, I know I'm in shape.

I'm 170 now, was probably 155 then.

currently 60+

spent the summer doing 100+ weeks (for about 12 weeks)

I wouldn't do any of those workouts.

hoping to break 16:00

my preferences are:

1) steady states - currently hitting 6:30-6:40 for 10 miles

2) 8-12 x 800 (some days these are fast with more rest; some days easier with less)

3) 5 mile tempo 6:00 +/-

6x3min w/90 seconds rest.

try up a hill, threshold, and hard the last 2

two times per week

on the other days, plenty of easy full recovery strides

perfecto

What are the pace Of those 3-4 mile runs and the 6 mile long run?

These runs are pretty slow as they are on a trail so 730-8:30 mile pace. My 3 min efforts are on around 6-6:15 mile pace. I try to run 5x per week and do strength training.

I have noticed a distinct loss of power over the years and this article explained it. Thus the 30-35 second hill efforts that hurt.

An interesting article

outsideonline.com

Aging Athletes Need to Stay Explosive. Here’s How.

ckeyes

We lose power more quickly than strength as we get older. Researchers are trying to understand why—and how to fight back.

Open link