RE: 50+ Weekly Training Thread (for week ending 20-Feb-2011)

Oh, hell. I wish there was a post edit feature that one could fix their own silly mistakes, like accidentally leaving the "RE:" on the start of the thread. Oh well, we're all human....

Yea, it's nice to have the snow gone; just like that! I've got a feeling winter isn't over yet though...

Ran 6/6 days, just got back from a weekend upNorth. Drove thru snow & ice for 5 hours. Now it's pouring down rain, dark and about 33 degrees. Not sure if I'll make it out the door tonight or not.

All runs this week were between 4-6 miles, all were pain free easy runs except for Friday; Did my 4 miles at about 6:06/pace and felt good. Hopefully, I'm on my way to getting this stupid hamstring healed up!

Supplements? Just OsteoBiflex for about the past year. I have no idea if it does anything or not but guess it couldn't hurt, could it? Never a vitamin taker...

Have a good week!

Dave

finished the week with a nice 8 miler at 7:10 per mile.

Been running a few miles a few times a week for a few months.No pf No calf problems No racing No plans to race Maybe as I get closer to 60 ......

Lots of flaxseed oil and vitamin D3.

How to live before you die:

http://www.ted.com/talks/steve_jobs_how_to_live_before_you_die.html

Yes, I was loving that hot blast of 40's, nearly 50F midweek here in mid WI. Snow levels in the sugar bush were dropped to a third of the depth of a week prior.(20" down to 6-8") But the 50'sF sure are nothing compared to the heat in Mad City.

Maybe this is a cop out. Being a self employed small business person, with an educator for a spouse, neutrality is my only safe haven in this emotional political atmosphere.

Took a daily AM run with the Border Collies. 65% of HR max and 3 to 6 miles in length.

Saturday I blew out the carbon at a local 23K ski race. First competitive effort since July. Fast hard conditions had me taking 3 diggers. Basically I was gassed by 20 K and walked it in,but you've got to start somewhere. 4th of 6 in M50-59. Cooled off with a 2 mile run on the trails, post race.

If the weatherman is right at all next Saturdays 54K Birkebeiner will be staged with plenty of snow on the trails.

Good week and tranquil times to all.

Nice week lucKY2b.

This was my easy week. 7 runs in 7 days for 40 miles. I felt like I could do a lot more but I held myself back. Everything feels solid, so the plan is working. I hope to make next week another big week and continue the hard/easy plan. I’m just enjoying running and plodding along now. But in two weeks I’ll be getting back to my true love, the track.

Supplements? I’ve been a vitamin nut for over 30 years now. In 78 I read that book by Durk Pearson on life extension and I began an experiment that continues today. I have moderated what I used to take greatly and now here is what I take: 1000 mg vit C one in the am and one pm. 400 iu’s E x1 daily, 1000mcg vit b12, 300mg glucosamine/chondroiton, and a good multivitamin. My skeptic friends joke that vitamins just give you expensive pee. It could be good genes or just dumb luck,…or even this running thing…but I’ve been quite healthy with zero medical problems all these years.

My opinion is we still don’t know jack about the body and what it needs. Medical science is still full of more holes than answers. We tend to forget that. I don’t want to find out that some completely unexpected mundane mineral that is only found in a multivitamin is critical for preventing something we have not even discovered. So, I take the shotgun approach.

70 miles in 10 runs, and raced an indoor 5000m in 16:15.

An ok race- was expecting to go about 10 sec faster.

For me the indoor 5k is one of the toughest distances, mentally.

You're really hurting and the lap counter is still in double digits.

I wanted to quit with 10,9,8 to go, but kept telling myself "one more lap"

and eventually could smell the barn.

I take some powdery stuff with vitamin C and magnesium and a bunch of other minerals. Hardly ever get sick in the winter since I started, but who knows.

46 miles this week coming back to normal training after XCs. I should be back at about 55mi in the coming week.

On the subject of supplements, I generally subscribe to the theory that excreting a little excess vitamins and minerals is much better than being a little short even though I eat a pretty healthy diet. You have to be careful about overdoing the fat-soluble vitamins, such as A,D,E and K, but the rest just pass through if you take too much. Our efficiency at absorbing nutrients generally declines some with aging. I take a "mature" multivitamin, vitamin C, and acidophilus, which is supposed to help generally with nutrient absorption as well as lactose digestion. I sometimes will take an iron supplement if I feel like I am staying tired more than I should from normal workouts.

Everyone's training seems to be picking up as the weather is slowly improving. It is amazing how a nice day can put a spring in your step.

racerdb take it slow...it is still February. MSR...wow...16:15 indoors in February! You are going to have an amazing year. What is your big target race this spring?

Another good week for me. 74 miles. 2 workouts. 3X (800 w/:30 R,1 mile w/1:00 R ) on road loop. 2:40ish for 800's and 5:25ish for miles. Happy. Then later in week a 5 mile tempo on rolling hills and high winds in 28:18 (5:40 pace).

I take vitamin D and Omega -3...read about those two in Mens Journal

Thanks Rtype. It's been a good week.

Anyone know what runmore is up to? He had a tremendous build-up, and was at the point of leveling out and trying to see where he was at. Just curious how he's progressing.

On my original topic: I intimated that I don't take supplements, but I have started taking fish oil tablets fairly regularly of late. I also had a pretty lengthy discussion with a few people that swear by Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM Complex as is found in products like Osteo Bi-Flex, for example, so I was curious about people's experience with that. I've read a lot of good things said regarding improving mobility in dogs, but human experience seems more anecdotal. I'm thinking it might help with my toe joints, where I've had chronic issues, as I've talked about before.

I do agree that the shotgun approach sounds reasonable, it's probably a lot easier than analyzing one's diet in detail. Although that is probably also a good thing to do...something, I'm not proud to admit, I don't analyze much. I just keep a mental record regarding how many servings of fruits and vegetables (especially deep greens) I'm eating each day, and I try to take it easy on processed foods and saturated fats (try, being the operative word). Otherwise, I'm pretty much an omnivore. That's the extent of my dietary decision making.

msr wrote:

...and raced an indoor 5000m in 16:15.

An ok race- was expecting to go about 10 sec faster.

Man, that deserves a 'Dayam!!!' Nice run... What did you do last season?

Dave

Last post as AK-52.

Starting to cut back a little on volume. 9 hr, with 14 miles running, and 1 cycle workout, with the rest being xc skiing. Cold frick-fracken' week!

Capped off with 32 km ski race, 0 to -4F, snowing throughout. 4th overall, and 17% back from a guy who has been top 15 or 20 skier in US (actually some top 10s in short races). Okay for 52. Brutal conditions.

Supplements no. I try but not consistent. Daily Zyrtec and Singulair for asthma.

Thanks for the encouragement!

26385, the big "coming out of hibernation" race for us in New England is the New Bedford 1/2 marathon, so that is the main target for spring. You can see some of the 50+ competition in the "Old Fashioned 10-miler" thread. The main goal this year is Sacramento.

By the way, 26385, did you run a 2:30 at Chicago in the recent past?

If you're that guy, I'd love to hear about that race, and your preparation for it.

Dave, last year I did a 9:09 3k in the first indoor race of the season, then upped the mileage for Boston while still racing, got slower, then hurt for 6 months.

I checked out the Old Fashioned 10 miler results! Wow. You have your work cut out for you at New Bedford. Based on your training and that 5k, I would say you are ready to give them a run for their money. New England is amazing with its depth...I wish I could come up and run/race. I started a family later in life and have a 3 1/2 year old and a 2 1/2 year old so I really don't do much racing anymore. I ran a ton of races up until I was 42 and then semi retired from competitive running. I have had a couple of good races since turning 50 and was concentrating on the marathon, but after seeing both what you and Dave have done with the 5k, I am going to refocus my efforts. Getting close to, or breaking 16 would be awesome.

msr. I noticed your workouts are posted in mph...very unconventional. On a treadmill or with Garmin? Lots of doubles. What do you do for work? Family?

I own a few running shoe stores so I have an unfair advantage over most people..ie. I don't have a real job.

Most of our success after turning 50 will depend on staying injury free and out surviving our competition. I run 70% of my mileage running on trails with my dog "Deek" who is as good as the original. Have a great rest of the week.! Bob

Gotta agree, the O.F. 10 miler...Man! How do you guys run so fast in February?

26385: It would be great to have you & msr at Syracuse. It's unbelievable to have a shot at 16:00 minutes again and at the same time, it is incredibly disappointing to be so close and come up short. To have it right in your hands with less than a K to go and then wuss out... and it's not going to be getting any easier.

msr: You've got real nice range; quality results from 3k to 26.2. Do you think it would help any if you 'shortened' your range and the length of the season? Do you take any down time?

Me? A few things have helped me...I've taken the marathon 'off the table'. Not even thinking about it. I use the Winter/Spring as base only, no speed just miles then a HM in May. In June, it's 5K season. Start a new base with a little speed and end up in Syracuse...Then it's XC time.

Dave

Dave, the last K of a 5K is another world. Don't second-guess yourself.

As soon as you cross the line you begin to forget the asphyxiation.

I hope to share your suffering at Syracuse, with both of us sub-16!

I took your suggestions seriously, since I often sabotage myself by training for multiple, contradictory distances. I live on the Boston marathon course, and have run it for the past 12 years, so it is hard to pass on it. I decided to pass this year, for Sacramento, and return in 2012. But then we found out the registration is Sept 12, before my fall marathon (Cape Cod-beautiful course), and my qualifying times have expired. So I was thinking about a half-a**ed marathon in April just to get my foot in the door. But you got me thinking that maybe this is more of my usual stupidity. So I decided to pass on 2012 again, and wait till 2013. Thank you.

Bob, it would be great to meet you at Syracuse too. My "unfair advantage" is no kids, and a wife who supports me completely and who runs enough to understand. My work has flexible but unlimited hours. I can usually run my fill, but the work suffers from zombie-time after a long run or tough workout, so as with all of us, it is a balance thing.

msr wrote:

so as with all of us, it is a balance thing.

I hear you on that. I find it hard to get in more than 50 miles a week in. Too many other things that need to my attention. It doesn't help that I just don't like running in the dark, or on a treadmill. If I'd do either of those two things, I could probably get those extra miles in, but there is just too little precious daylight, especially over the winter months, when we're supposed to be building base.....sigh.

msr, racerdb, 26385, you guys are really pushing the envelope. I'd love to get close to what you guys are doing. Certainly it's more inspiration to get my weight down, then I may actually get within eyeshot of you all. Will definitely be looking forward to seeing yourall's results this summer, sounds like there will be some awesome times. I'd Love to see a few sub-16's!!

msr wrote:

I took your suggestions seriously, since I often sabotage myself by training for multiple, contradictory distances. I live on the Boston marathon course, and have run it for the past 12 years, so it is hard to pass on it. I decided to pass this year, for Sacramento, and return in 2012. But then we found out the registration is Sept 12, before my fall marathon (Cape Cod-beautiful course), and my qualifying times have expired. So I was thinking about a half-a**ed marathon in April just to get my foot in the door. But you got me thinking that maybe this is more of my usual stupidity. So I decided to pass on 2012 again, and wait till 2013. Thank you.

Glad I could help. But I think I'm going to stop recruiting guys that can kick my @ss!

Dave

Dave, I looked you up. Each at our best we would be neck and neck. What fun!

At this stage of life, times don't matter except in relation to the competition.

By itself, a sub-16 5k is nothing to write home about.

The top 50+ runners in New England, National xc, and guys like you and Bob are the benchmarks that make such a result mean something.

Bob: The mph runs are on a treadmill.

It's just easier to use mph (so many minutes at x-mph, then so many at y-mph). In winter here the roads are unreliable and it's too cold to run fast, so for faster stuff it's either the tm or the indoor track.

LucKY2b, I'm with you on not liking darkness or tm.

Last night was tm, tonight was darkness-out and back on the 17.5-22 mile sections of the Boston marathon course. Lots of runners use it because it is well-plowed and mostly on a "carriage road" separated from the main traffic, except the cars try to kill you at each intersection. But when you see so many people out there running, you can't help but go out yourself.

Mark