Older runners: When did you start feeling old?

So yesterday I did my 800 workout and opened with a 2:25 - really ran hard. I was useless the rest of the workout - 2:42 for the 800 is just not what I'm used to - THAT'S when you know you're on that downward slide.

Orville's posts on this thread & on many other threads give a great perspective. At 45 now I am grateful for the ability to train at at least a respectable level.

Of the 4 Olympians I trained with, none even run recreationally. So many other of their peers are no longer running either. Primary reasons are injury (knees mostly), arthritis, malaise (hard to motivate self to run slowly) and, for many, just a feeling that its time to move on to the next phase of life.

I tried that. Took up the hearty challenge of lawn care. Played golf. Competed in fantasy sports. But, besides getting tired of buying bigger pants, I couldn't take the general feeling of a lack of fitness.

So, OP, you're 32 and still fit. Great! ENJOY it.

The best way to put this comes from an older guy when I was running well. He trained hard - ran 2:42 for a marathon at age 50. He's 73 now - can't race any more. He saw me at a local race where I was an easy 4th out of 400+ - told me I looked great. Then he said the words I'll remember. "Mackwamba - you'd better enjoy this. I've got more money than I know what to do with, but I'd trade it all for the chance to train and race hard again."

Rembember, inside every old person is a young person asking what the $% happened?

Glad this thread was posted. I wanted to post something similiar myself. Here is what I am dealing with as I get older. I ran in HS and then in college at a competitive NCAA DII school. I ran 45-75 miles a week in college depending on whether it was in XC or for the mile in track. After college (1994) I continued to run and train hard. I was motivated and had some really good years. Ran 2:35 in Chicago in 1997. Ran a 31:00 10k on the roads. I continued to pound the miles for years with anywhere from 2-5 days off a month and no down periods of more than a week. I am 38 now. 4 years ago I ran a 25:40 8k on the roads and a 15:08 5k on the track. I was motivated and still feeling good despite some nagging little injuries here and there. The past 3 years I have struggled really bad with running. I just never feel good anymore. I have went from 170 to 180ish and feel sluggish almost every time I run. I find it hard to recover from my runs and something always hurts. Mainly hamstrings and my feet! So I pushed through this everyday for about 2 years, but over the last year it has just broken my will to continue to run. I still run4-6 days a week between 4-6 a day with some 8 milers. I do it to stay in shape and not get fat! I used to love to run. Now I almost dread heading out the door and I tend to walk a lot when I run. Especially if it is hot and I am out on an open road! I would never have thought about walking. Sometimes I walk even when my legs feel fine. The mental part of itis just not there anymore. I guess I know how the other 99% of the population feels about running now!

My question is. Has anyone ever dealt with this? I was rolling and feeling good until the age of 35ish and then the wheels came off and it was sudden. Running is who I am, but I struggle with keeping it up. I tend to get on the bike 2-3 times a week and do some lifting. It helps keep me in shape, but will never replace the running.

whowantstoknowhat? wrote:

My question is. Has anyone ever dealt with this? I was rolling and feeling good until the age of 35ish and then the wheels came off and it was sudden. Running is who I am, but I struggle with keeping it up. I tend to get on the bike 2-3 times a week and do some lifting. It helps keep me in shape, but will never replace the running.

I bet you would benefit from spending 10-15 minutes most days doing stuff that gets your body back to how it used to be. I don't mean losing the extra weight, but of course that would help. Do strengthening and dynamic stretching to address the parts of your body that are gradually getting weaker, tighter and more imbalanced, so that running will feel more like it used to. You're still going to be slower, but the subjective pleasure should be about the same. Do these routines almost daily and I bet after a few months you'll notice that running is more enjoyable again:

smd wrote:

whowantstoknowhat? wrote:

My question is. Has anyone ever dealt with this? I was rolling and feeling good until the age of 35ish and then the wheels came off and it was sudden. Running is who I am, but I struggle with keeping it up. I tend to get on the bike 2-3 times a week and do some lifting. It helps keep me in shape, but will never replace the running.

Do strengthening and dynamic stretching to address the parts of your body that are gradually getting weaker, tighter and more imbalanced, so that running will feel more like it used to. You're still going to be slower, but the subjective pleasure should be about the same.

http://www.runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=16625

I often consider these types of cross training things, but never have given them much of a chance.

How many of you regularly do these types of strengthening and dynamic stretching exercises and, if so, do you feel it has kept you running faster and/or enjoying it more.

I appreciate all these great replies. I'm going to save this thread in case it vanishes from LetsRun somehow. I want to be able to reference this for years to come!

P.S. have you noticed how different a thread is when the subject line automatically keeps the high schoolers away? It's like repellent for them. hahaha.

go longer--a good name.

When I was working and competing, I did not think I had the time to do the training you mention. After getting a program from a Doctor of Therapy, I now spend about 80 minutes three times a week doing exercizes on machines in the gym to strengthen my knees and back. I have also increased the achilles stretches that I have done for 30 years and am working on my balance problems. I do not think I would even be able to continue my walk/jog routine without this program.

You may find, like I have, that when you finally have the time to do the long running and training that you would love to do, that your body will not let you. Maybe it would be better to spend a little of your (running) time preparing for older ages in advance.

I think he has a point. A couple years ago a coach of another sport at my school asked me to help one of his athletes "get some speed".

I put together a plyo routine and met her at our track.

I got their early and went through the routine myself a few times. I felt GREAT!

I continued that summer and felt better then I had in years (I was 48 at the time).

School started and I got out of the routine and the old nagging pains and injuries returned.

Not sure I really ever started feeling old! At 60, when I am willing to put in the effort (take time away from other interests in my life) I train similar to the way I did when I was younger. And, in fact, this last spring had some of my best training weeks ever. Now I refer to younger as 35 since that is when I took up running. In college as a pole vaulter, anything over 35 yards was distance training to me. I also had a long period of time in my 40's and fifties where I basically did not run.

In fact I came withing 5 minutes of my PR at the marathon distance at aged 59. Never have been a very good long distance type, better at 5k.

What I have seen though is a slowing of my times and I accept that, just doesn't necessarily make me feel old, but certainly indicates I am ageing.

you may benefit from an extended time off. I felt very similar at age 37 (see earlier post on page 2 of this thread). Coming back at age 41 most all the nagging injuries had gone (to be replaced with new ones due to weight gain. But the excitement was back - and that is what is crucial.

Try taking a good month off - maybe two - and then see if the desire comes back. For me it took 3 years to really want to run again(then a year of struggling with injuries). In hindsight that was too long - I let golf come into play (golf has one similarity to running - you can work on it & see the results of your efforts over time).

Also, a good sports masseuse may help as well now - I go to one every 3-4 weeks and I would not be running again if not.

Mackwamba

raced quite well into my late 30s and early 40s. Then I noticed a deep-seated tiredness that just wouldn't go away - Just when I thought about going out for a long run, this feeling in my head and body of being "too tired." Funny, I could work around the house like an animal (maintaining five acres), but the thought of running made me sleepy. But, at 59, I'm back at it. Weight work is boring; bikes are boring (have a Trek in the basement collecting dust); hiking is good, but not accessible on a daily schedule; so, I'm back to plodding. Because of my appearance, people think I'm a "runner," - but, I know I'm a has-been. Guys like Whitlock and the guy in the recent RT mag are motivating to me. It can be done. 10 today in the heat/humidity of the SE at a pedestrian pace.

Now 43 and feeling as good as ever.

I trained until mid 30s and ran sub 16 5k until a few years ago. But keeping myself at that level took a substantial amount of work and mileage. I lost a year due to injury and when I came back I just focused on running for fun, health and sanity.

I don't race anymore. I occasionally do mini workouts (light intervals, run to barn tempo) and strides to keep things fresh and maintain a bit of speed.

I probably run 5 days a week and do whatever I feel like doing, which usually winds up being 5-10 miles. I have kids, wife, job and house to maintain so I need running to be a form of relaxation, not another agenda to push. I hope I can keep this up until my kids can run with the old man.

I think my training pace is about same as it was when I raced 10 years ago, 6-7 min pace. The big change is I don't have the high gears anymore. This may be partly due to age but I think equally, or more, due to lack of specific training at tempo, interval and race paces. I'm a cruiser, but who cares?

My weight and body are the same as age 20 and age 30. Looking around, I have to say almost all my peers are soft or overweight. I don't mean to flatter myself with the comparison. Nothing special about me. Rather, most people don't take care of themselves.

Running now is pure play for me and as fun as ever. Just don't time me.

It definitely depends on the individual and I believe the type of runner you were--I was slow twitch like Orville. I ran college sub 15:00 5k, but was better at the longer stuff as I ran 2:22 marathon at age 20.

I continued to compete and train hard while having the 40 hr per week job and 3 kids. Ran a number of marathons between 2:21 and 2:27, running 2:22 again when I was 35.

I agree with needing more recovery from the interval sessions. I also saw it hard to maintain my 5k times, while my longer races saw no real drop off. I got stronger, but not faster. And considering all the life stuff, to be able to continue to run at that high of a level, meant I was handling more in my life and still running the same times.

By the time I hit 40, my marathon time had slipped to 2:32, and by 46, it was 2:42. I would like to think I can hit 2:50 when I'm 50, but I can't do two-a-days any more. My mileage is in the 50's vs 80-90's for the two decades from 20-40. Not sure I can handle the intense training and volume to get to 2:50 now.

In summary, I think for me it happened in my upper 30's, but the short stuff was gone long before that because of both my emphasis on the marathon, and my genetics like slow twitch.

going on 52. that sounds old but I have been really really lucky with my body. I did not run much in my thirties and mid-forties. When I first started back I thought I could pick up where I left off. 15:35 5k. Ha Ha aaha..ouch, when I get out of bed in the back and calves. A few cups of coffee puts me back on track (or the roads). Running is a blessing- young or old, fast or slow, but nothing feels better than being young and fast in your prime. Appreciate it. Use it. You will be rewarded for using your talent.

agapius mackwamba wrote:

Rembember, inside every old person is a young person asking what the $% happened?

The last sentence of that outstanding post is the POD.

OrvilleAtkins wrote:

go longer--a good name.

When I was working and competing, I did not think I had the time to do the training you mention. After getting a program from a Doctor of Therapy, I now spend about 80 minutes three times a week doing exercizes on machines in the gym to strengthen my knees and back. I have also increased the achilles stretches that I have done for 30 years and am working on my balance problems. I do not think I would even be able to continue my walk/jog routine without this program.

You may find, like I have, that when you finally have the time to do the long running and training that you would love to do, that your body will not let you. Maybe it would be better to spend a little of your (running) time preparing for older ages in advance.

Orville, I am familiar with your running career and appreciate your posts on LR. Thanks for sharing your experience with cross-training and its positive effects on your longevity in the sport. As a "younger" old runner (42 y.o.), I am still in the process of accepting that I can't just get out and run and regularly have the experience be what I want it to be. It is good to know that undertaking a regular strenghtening/flexibility program can promote longevity. I just have to steel my will and make it happen more regularly. Discipline can be such an elusive creature. I used to think it was discipline to get out the door at 5 a.m. in the middle of winter to get the first 8 miles of the day in. Now, I don't know if it was discipline as much as just loving the act of running. Doing the mundane and dreary (like cross-training) with delayed gratification, that's DISCIPLINE.

To all older runners, I am curious as to how our subjective feeling of running changes as we slow with age. I have been slowing for 8 years now and some of the time I feel great on my runs. They are just SLOW. Other times, for weeks or months at a time, every run, every step, no matter how slow I go feels almost intolerable. I don't mind going slow as much as I mind feeling like absolute garbage doing it. Thoughts? Experiences?

go longer wrote:

To all older runners, I am curious as to how our subjective feeling of running changes as we slow with age. I have been slowing for 8 years now and some of the time I feel great on my runs. They are just SLOW. Other times, for weeks or months at a time, every run, every step, no matter how slow I go feels almost intolerable. I don't mind going slow as much as I mind feeling like absolute garbage doing it. Thoughts? Experiences?

I can relate to the first part, not the last. I feel great on the vast majority of my runs - likely in the same proportion as I did 20 years ago (I'm 41 now). I still FEEL like I'm running fast when doing intervals, but my watch says otherwise. As you say the running's great, just SLOW. My 800m rep times are some 20s slower than those in my mid-20s for the same workout, but my overall weekly mileage is only maybe 10% less than that of my mid 20s. To answer the op's question about timing, I still can't say that I truly feel "old", although I'm all-too-quick to describe myself as such to younger runners when I need an excuse for a poor race result.

Honestly, I still just love to lace 'em up and RUN. As a wise marketing person once said: there is no finish line....

I am in my mid 60's and have run since 1968. Just cleared 100K miles last year.

I started to notice the difference in my late 30's. I wasn't recovering as quickly and while rarely injured, I suffered through long bouts of colds and the flu at age 36 and 37 because I was over training (but didn't realize that this was the problem).

Cut my weekly miles about 10% in my late 30's but gradually got to the point by my mid 40's that I was dragging through runs. At age 45 I went to every other day running and using the HRM. Daily runs stayed slow but racing times got a good deal faster.

At 50 I stopped racing and since then have run 4 days a week.

I do best when I run slow for 60-70 minutes. Sometimes I even go to 80 minutes but I have to run slow or my legs get beat up. Intervals beat up my legs. Running my training runs too fast beat up my legs. Life beats up my legs.

So super slow running, mostly done every other day and wearing the HRM to make sure I don't do something stupid.

Running on my best day doesn't feel anything like it did 25-30 years ago. I have accepted that.

When I was 32 I could pick up on college chicks. Now I'm 38 and not so much.

I am mid 50's and do not feel old. I still race and still can feel the prerace tension. (Love that feeling) There are changes. It is much easier to overtrain. Feeling tired all the time and the weakened immune system are the signs. The races do wipe me out for a couple days. I need a much greater taper before races.

I can still run all out. I still have the competitive juices flowing. Sex is great. I have more money and more free time for stuff.

The 50's are really good.