I'm very near 50. Up through my 40s and into my early 40s, I was running fairly fast and doing well in my age group. As I approach 50, I'm still about the same type of runner as always (running since 1973), but my wheels are falling-off fast. Since turning 45 or so, I seem to be slowing significantly, maybe more so than my fellow runners. I realize people age at different rates. However, do most people experience a large slow-down from ages 45 thru 50?
50 and Slowing wrote:
I'm very near 50. Up through my 40s and into my early 40s, I was running fairly fast and doing well in my age group. As I approach 50, I'm still about the same type of runner as always (running since 1973), but my wheels are falling-off fast. Since turning 45 or so, I seem to be slowing significantly, maybe more so than my fellow runners. I realize people age at different rates. However, do most people experience a large slow-down from ages 45 thru 50?
Consider yourself lucky. I've experienced a massive slow down since about age 35 (most of that due to a disappearing interest in hard training, but still).
I'm 43 now and have chronic calf problems. No knee problems or any other thing...just the calves. I can typically run for a couple weeks at a time before I get a cramp in one of them that keeps me from running for another week (though I can Orbitrek and do other forms of exercise). I started getting periodic calf problems in my early 30s. I stretch and massage and do just about everything I can think of to keep the problem at bay, but nothing works long term.
Yes, I thought it would never happen to me. But at 48 it's hitting me with a vengeance. This might be the real test of endurance. Can we maintain enthusiasm during the downward spiral? I'm going to try to beat my age (2:48) at a marathon this October and that will have to be good enough.
I'm 48 - my speed isn't bad - can break 60 for 400M, and my endurance hasn't wavered...but my stamina is horrible.
I was sub 15 and sub 31 as a 25 year old. 6 minute mile pace now feels like 5 minute mile pace...and my decline too seems to have accelerated after the age of 46 or so.
I decided I'm done racing...I run 50 mpw and work out every other day - screw it, that's good enough.
When I turned 46, I started shredding my calves into confetti and could not stay on the road to train.
It became chronic, every spring I'd tear either the left or right one and would have to stop running for weeks at at time, then would be ok for a month or two and reinjure.
Then I found this thing called "the stick" and it literally has been a miracle for me.
I found it about a year and a half ago, and have not had any calf problems since. I roll each calf for about a minute before each run, and whatever it does it keeps the calves loose enough so they don't tear.
Unfortunately, the years between 46 and 51 were a complete washout for age group road racing. So it's really hard to say how I would have been affected without the calf problems, but yes, I think once you get into the second half of the forties, things can disintegrate pretty fast in a non linear type of way.
I've been trying to relight the engine the last four months, but there does seem to be a real lack of horsepower now, it sucks.
At 51 I run 3 days a week and bike 3 days a week and do tons of pushups, pullups,core,lunges etc.
My issues started in the 40s with calf and achilles problems. Ran 2:22 marathon and 30 min 10K back in the early 80s. I am learning just to enjoy the process. Ran 19 min for 3 miles with the CC team I coach this week. It was much fun just being out there with them. Lookin at some run/bike races in the next few months and maybe a couple 5ks. Lookin at just leavin the watch at home and havin fun just being out there suffering with everyone else.
It was tough going from running sub 5 pace in a 10K to over 6 minutes now, it has been something I accept now and just thankful I can still run, where most guys my age are sedentary blobs.
Monty
Join the club. By survey most of my contemporaries starting slowing >54.
It's inevitable.
Tip: lose your watch, run shorter/faster workouts and develop another athletic interest (a secondary one).
Oh dear! I went on this thread hoping to find some people who had managed to find a way of slowing down the decline. I'm similar to the OP - 52 and slowing down quickly after being a sub 15 5k runner 20 years ago. I'm not so interested in the 50 year olds who didn't start until their 40s as thety are in a different position. Its the lifers who have (too) many thousands of miles in their legs that I'd like to hear from.
Grow up people. I'm in my mid 60s, running strong (but modest pace, to be sure), healthy as can be, and thankful for all the above. I don't think slowing down ranks as a major life disaster. Would I like to be as fast as I was in my 20s? Sure, but that ain't gonna happen. Am I more concerned about health and longevity than about speed? You better believe it.
The key is to ignore your slowing pace, and make sure you find ways to keep going. Stop running, and you'll decline even faster than with running; you just won't have a stopwatch to measure your decline.
There are ways to maintain speed, well discussed in these forums. Hard, fast intervals. Strength training. Maybe downhill intervals, which I'm experimenting with now.
But these are stopgaps. Everyone gets slower; we need to learn to celebrate our turtle-hood, not freak out over it. There's something much worse than getting slower--the complete cessation of movement.
apparently I'm bucking the trend here. Long time (30+ year runner), with a couple of breaks induced by injury. After coming back from a long-term injury my times have maintained or improved slightly from 45/46 to early 50s.
Using WMA scores, I was 83-84 at my peak (20s and 30s), now in my early 50s it's 85-87. So maybe I'm doing something right, or at least something that works for me.
I run 5 to 7 days a week, including some doubles; real easy on easy days; do long runs consistently; do shortened pace and speed workouts; and do a lot of tempo running. Not a whole lot different than in the old days, but found that less intensity leaves more for race day, as well as longevity.
Free at last wrote:
Oh dear! I went on this thread hoping to find some people who had managed to find a way of slowing down the decline. I'm similar to the OP - 52 and slowing down quickly after being a sub 15 5k runner 20 years ago. I'm not so interested in the 50 year olds who didn't start until their 40s as thety are in a different position. Its the lifers who have (too) many thousands of miles in their legs that I'd like to hear from.
I guess I'm a lifer since I've been running for 51 years. Inspiration is the key. My main inspiration is Ed Whitlock; here is a link about him:
http://petemagill.blogspot.com/2009/03/ed-whitlock-profile.htmlIts so easy to fall into a trap and think that you are "too old" for running. Yes, there is a drop off in performance as you get older and the older you get the greater the relative drop off becomes. Personally, I run a lot more base building stuff: long, slow runs at about 65-70% max HR and I listen to upbeat music on my iPod along the way. I dont sweat speed workouts or hills so I avoid injury and burnout which is really easy as you get older. Although derided by letsrunners on there, I mostly adhere to the principles set forth by Galloway, Maffetone and Van Aaken. That wont win me any Olympic medals at my age but will allow me to continue to compete at a high level within my age group. Most training advice is geared towards the younger runner. I ignore that as being irrelevant to my situation. You have to "play the cards thats dealt you" and admit to yourself your limitations.
The first step is to accept that guys will beat you in races who are running your long-run easy pace when you were in your 20s. Once I got over that, I look for other challenges. My age-graded performance is pretty close to what it was in my 20s (when they didn't have them, but I plug my old times in). I was about a 32:00 10Ker and last year got a 35:35.
There's much variety in how people handle recovery, etc., and at 52 I'm taking a bit longer than I did even 2 years ago. But I still try to do speedwork at a pace based upon my speed and not my age. And I still do my long runs too fast.
I guess I'm a lifer since I've been running for 51 years. Inspiration is the key. My main inspiration is Ed Whitlock; here is a link about him:
http://petemagill.blogspot.com/2009/03/ed-whitlock-profile.html
Its so easy to fall into a trap and think that you are "too old" for running. Yes, there is a drop off in performance as you get older and the older you get the greater the relative drop off becomes. Personally, I run a lot more base building stuff: long, slow runs at about 65-70% max HR and I listen to upbeat music on my iPod along the way. I dont sweat speed workouts or hills so I avoid injury and burnout which is really easy as you get older. Although derided by letsrunners on there, I mostly adhere to the principles set forth by Galloway, Maffetone and Van Aaken. That wont win me any Olympic medals at my age but will allow me to continue to compete at a high level within my age group. Most training advice is geared towards the younger runner. I ignore that as being irrelevant to my situation. You have to "play the cards thats dealt you" and admit to yourself your limitations.
Thanks for the input - could you describe a typical week's training, current times, race frequency etc. if thats OK? (You too Joe Garland if you don't mind) - I think its fascinating seeing how 'lifers' my age are dealing with the slow down and ensuring they'll be in it for the long haul.
Question for everyone - with this slowing down as you age, what goes first:
You heart does not handle it
You stride become smaller
You stride frequency decreases
Sorry Caveman - I've never done a quote before - didn't mean to steal your words!
Lifer here as well. The advantage I have is that I was never fast, low 34 10k, and so a mid 37 at age 53 isn't as traumatic. Looking for a sub three at Chicago this year and here is what I do: Monday through Friday one hour on the grass (more than seven, less than eight) Saturday - long and slow, 18 - 22, Saturday - 4 x 2 mile, Wednesday - second run, 6 x 1 mile on the track. When I was young I trained my ass off to get faster, now I train my ass off to get less slow.
Turned 50 this year. Where does the speed go? Do you remember when you were young and looking at those old weekend warriors with their dicey,short strides and wondering why they were doing it? Now I am one of them and i know why! I just like to run. and 6 min./mile feels like a 5m/m used too. It's all relative too only instead of getting faster I am just trying not to slow down.
Oh happy meat
Thanks, so far, for the input.
I wasn't actually whining (sorry if it came-off that way). I'm happy with my running/racing and happy I'm still able to do both. I still do intervals/tempos/long runs and I cross train. I was just wondering if the big drop-off for most people occurs after 45.
I'm content to keep running even while slowing, still enjoy the sport, and still seem to find the motivation to keep pushing.
I've experienced many of the same problems as I turned 50. One problem I have is that I can't accept not running as fast as I did when I was 30. I don't want to run a PR since turning 50,I want to run fast again!
I have been running less- 40 mpw- and doing more crunches, pull ups, push ups. I guess if I can't run fast I might as well look good.
I'm about 90% over plantar fasciitis but I'm still wary of doing any speed work and hills. Right now, I'm just trying to run long slow stuff, about 65-70% max HR or about 115-120 BPM. I'm following the Maffetone program which fits in nicely to my current injury problem since it's emphasis is on running long, slow distance in order to teach your body to burn fat primarily instead of glycogen. In the recent past, prior to injury, I was doing a two hour run/day at a nice easy pace (10 min/mile or slower depending on how I felt) and racing a lot on the weekends, mostly 5Ks. In 2007, I ran 15 marathons, qualifying for Boston 13 times. My best times were: 3:26 marathon, 19:44 5K, 43:50 10K. I do no cross training and no speed work other than the weekend races. I havent raced in the past year due to the injury.
As we get older, I think we must reduce the speed work or risk injury and/or burnout. I probably raced too much but I'm almost back now. At present, I'm running 60 mins., twice a day, early in the AM and late in the evening, trying to put 12 hours between workouts. I run 7 days/week. Again, the pace is easy. I'll keep to that program for a few months until I regain my prior condition and then race again.
I'm glad to share whatever I know. There isnt much info available for us geezers. If you can list your email address here, I'll forward more info. and links.
P.S. I'm 65 and have been running since 1958