masters longevity

Having kids, especially more than one, slows you down.

Sorry,mate,but it is all downhill from 40.

Check out the weekly master posting done by OMBTS there is a lot of good input weekly by your "average" master's runners as well as the master "elites" It usually gets started on Saturday or Sunday, I would start there and you can get a ton of knowledgable info. on training and racing

You didn't say "racing," but you did say "performance." After I quit racing my performance improved. I started running formally in 1952, and but for some breaks for military service and hospitalization, I ran and raced until about 1995--then quit racing. I must say that my running performance from 1995 to today is much more satisfying and successful. Seven mi's per day is plenty and allows for performance in some other areas--biking and kayaking--without any expectations beyond getting out there and anjoying the movement and the beauty of the road and natural environment. All the time moving and being part of the scene in the woods and roads and levees and . . . it's all good, now.

jim

A good program with 35 to 65 miles a week with two speed workouts and drills.

I'm 46, and for me the biggest difference from training when I was 18--25 is more recovery from key workouts and races. Whereas I used to run hard, long, or both 3 times a week, I now do so 3 times in 9 days [2 easy days after each] or, recently, 2 times a week [2 or 3 easy days after each]. And the easy days are very relaxed, untimed, based on feel but usually quite slow.

Best of luck to you for good health and good racing.

I train more consistently than when I was younger, with no lapses in enthusiasm. I eat and sleep better too.

If you are injury free, you can be as fit as any young man.

I am in my early 60's and have been running since the 1960's.

The key for me was adjustment.

In my early 40's I did not change my training even though my body was giving me signals that I could no longer train the way I did in my 30's. My times slowed anyway and I breaking down and getting sick.

I was nothing great anyway but I had run in the low 33's and high 32's for 10K consistently through my 30's. By the time I was 45 I was unable to run under 40 minutes for 10K.

I shifted my training radically and went to every other day running and I also used a heart rate monitor to make sure I was recovering on my easy days (70% of max or slower) I took the intervening days off. No cross training.

In six months I was back under 36 minutes for 10K and the following year was in the low 35's. I ran 8-10 miles every other day with a longer run of 12-13 miles every other week.

I kept speed work to a minimum. With races and time trials and whatever else I felt would help, I was at 5-7% hard running versus easy running. So if I ran a 5K it was 50-60 miles of training before I could run something hard again.

I shifted to a 4 day running week. I only run two days back to back and one of them is half the distance of the other day.

I stopped worrying about the pace of my slow run days. I found that the delta of the pace of my races and easy runs widened.

I did weekly strides to keep leg speed.

I stopped training with the faster, younger runners.

I trusted that all the miles I had done while being a younger runner gave me a consistent base that my present miles "topped off.

I understood that not all aging runners are the same. Some can keep the miles up and still respond to intervals. I don't.

I now have around 100,000 miles on my legs and 40 years continuous running with little injury.