50+ Masters Training and Racing Open Forum

How do you guys know when to pull the plug on an ambitious goal?

I would like a BQ at age 57 which is 3:35 (8:09 pace) My fastest time is 3:37 but it was 8 years ago. Ran about 13 marathons in my running career.

Today I find myself running 1/2 marathon at about a 7:55-8:05 pace. Ran 3 in the last 5 months. Those should be about 7:45 pace if you trust race equivalents. And I feel I am too close to my lactate threshold during those half marathons. Totally spent after those races.

I have tried to get those race equivalent times down before jumping into a full marathon training block thinking it would be futile to train for the full and beat up your body if you don't have sufficient top speed. But I am finding after 55 that age is making gains come painfully slow.

If I do pull the plug on this marathon goal, I will be content just running future marathons and perhaps racing halfs as long as I can. But I hate to think I am missing some helpful training wisdom that might still get me that BQ.

OGII Nice Carlsbad , you are one tough dude!

On when to give up. So your real goal is getting a BQ. Maybe look ahead 3:50 at 60 or 4:05 at 65. By slowing down slowing down you get faster!

Goal sub 6 mile May 7th Hayward Classic which is 5 weeks out.
First time using heart rate and not pace for speed work leading up to a race.

Switched from all treadmill to just easy runs on treadmill and hard ones in the sand.

Tread mill is easy on my knees but somewhat hard on my calves.

Sand is real easy on my calves but somewhat hard on my knees.

Easy Week walking slow biking ect. except for :

Tues 8 x 60 seconds R 60 seconds walk 6% 8.4mph with the last one 3%grade 10mph.

-->Wednesday tight calves.

Thursday Bike LT 3 mile hill climb on my mtn bike. avg hr 135 time 28 flat a bit faster than last year's first effort up the same hill.

Sunday Sand my TT loop semi hard in 3:12. Last year I ran this loop all out 3 laps non stop in 9:15 . So 3:12 not all out is encouraging. Next week I plan on 2 laps in 6:10 or so.

Onward!

Old Guy II, great effort; inspirational. Hope Cush’s setback just temporary.

Igy

Oldrunningguy, you are the best judge on that. At some point it may make more sense to focus on the half marathon. Keep in mind the older you get the longer you are going to be out there. The marathon is a lot of physical stress, even for a young man. Best on that.

Igy

Orient,

“My XC ski season is over.”

My alpine ski season is over. I can tell I would benefit by getting back into free weight squats off season. It was an absolutely beautiful day to ski. Snowed a bit early on, then the sun came out. Stunning. You can tell things will deteriorate quickly with warmer weather, and we are expecting 70 degrees in the Valley on Easter. How’s Sochi this time of year?

Igy

Hi all,

Pretty tired on Monday. Winter came back. Change to summer time. Running in cold darkness again. Hmpf. So, used this week was for full (and needed) recovery.

Mo 7 min recover, very very very slow🙃

Tu off

We off

Th 30 min drills and jumps uphill, 6x60m flat

Fr 10x200m uphill with jog down

Sa off

Su 7.5 miles easy, no slow down uphill, i.e. kind of fartlek intensity wise...

OGII tough performance!

Keep fun, BR

Impressive.

apple.news

Four 80-year-old men finished a 100-mile race. Here’s how they did it. — The Washington Post

The Washington Post

Ultramarathons favor those with steady pacing and consistent training, which helps explain why so many later-in-life runners pick up the sport.

Link:apple.news/ASyKWQsHvQA6VExhsVuVRsA

Igy, thank for your interest. Sochi is a good place, both as a warm seashore resort and great
area for alpine skiing.
Imagine Sierra Nevada slopes start 15-20 miles from the California seashore (and ocean water is warmer than in LA). 40 min drive/train from the beach to cable stations. More than 2 meters of snow on average (even 3 is not something unusual) allow for skiing until early May (at altitudes above 2K, of course).

Indoor sport facilities built for Olys-2014 are mostly near the beach as well as the Formular-1 car race circuit. The latter will be hosting running festival on the next weekend.

This year the spring is late, which is good for running. 60-65F in the afternoon and 55F in the morning.

Wish you are having a nice spring in Idaho!

Orient,

Sounds great. We are having the type of weather and similar distances where you could ski in the morning and golf in the afternoon.

Igy