50+ Masters Training and Racing Open Forum

I didn’t mind watching the Millrose Games on the tube yesterday. Really enjoyed watching both Ajee and Charlene break the American Record. Sweet!

My week:

Mon = 3 miles, medium @ 8:51 pace: 8:54, 8:52, 8:49

Wed = 3 miles, medium hard @ 8:24 pace: 8:24, 8:29, 8:22

Fri = 3 miles, medium easy @ 8:42 pace: 8:50, 8:37, 8:41

Sun = 3 miles on a hot and windy Imperial track @ 7:57 pace: 7:53, 8:00, 8:04

Another good week. I took a break from the elliptical as my left shoulder had been hurting. We are having early spring here in Va. Today the track temp read 80 with big wind gusts. I was not ready for that kind of heat and just wilted. I’m very happy that my arch/heel has remained quiet while I step on the gas a bit. I’m close to moving it into the ‘subchronic’ class with all my various other injuries. It’s ridiculous how long that list is of little beasties just waiting on their chance to pounce on you when you least expect it.

Have a great week folks.

I was busy during the Millrose Games broadcast yesterday but recorded it and still hope to watch some of it today.

Yesterday I ran my first race of 2017, a half-marathon about a 2 hour drive away. The course was dead flat, almost entirely on asphalt/dirt/sand bike paths right along the San Francisco bay at San Leandro. California has gotten a ton of rain over the past 6 weeks and the course had some unavoidable puddles, but they were shallow and the footing was good everywhere. Having run 1:46:xx in my two most recent HMs last fall and gotten in some decent training since then, I started out following the 1:45 pacer, who went out too fast. When he backed off, the faster pace still felt right to me so I went on ahead of him. Big mistake. About the 9-mile mark the wheels came off, the 1:45 pacer blew past me, and I staggered home on fumes, finishing in 1:46:15. I managed to win my age group but those last few miles were ugly. I was disappointed that to get no real improvement (10 seconds!) over November, but I really think I could have run faster with more even pacing.

Although the course was in good shape, the start/finish area was a mess, a grassy field that had been turned into a swamp by six weeks of nearly constant rain and then trampled into mud by thousands of feet. In order to pick up my age-group award I had to wade through ~20 meters of deep, shoe-sucking mud. I was really glad that the shoes I'd chosen to wear were near the end of their lifetime, and also that I had a second pair of shoes in the car to change into for the drive home.

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Week 297

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Salutations, 50+ers! Sorry for the late start. I've been on the road all morning, just dropped off the rental, ran home, and here I am. I going to take the remarks from last week, and continue to include the runs when I can, wherever I can, no matter how short. This week was complicated (again), and I only managed 20+ miles on 4 days. I tried to put more into the miles, however; log reads as such:

Sun: 5.2 fairly hard (7:06/mi)

Mon: Off (too busy)

Tue: 6.1 easy (7:41/mi)

Wed: Off (crappy weather)

Thu: 3.0(1.4am+1.6pm) (7:34/mi)commute w/pack...cold, much wind!

Fri: 6.0 hard (6:53/mi) (there were untimed breaks)

Sat: Off (meetings and travel)

Sunday had a few sub-7 miles, while the 1.6pm run on Thursday was really tough, straight into a 25 degree, 25 mph headwind most the way with a fairly heavy pack. Glad to get 7:40 pace out of that (the 1.4am pace was faster.) After driving all day Thursday afternoon and evening, then meetings all day Friday, I hit a rail-trail on the South Campus of Ole Miss just before sunset. Ran it hard all the way out, with the second and third miles at 6:38,6:28, however, I had to stop each mile after that to catch my breath (moving time was 41:28, while elapsed time was 46:09.)

Not much else to add. Thanks for the kudos last week. After that big increase, it maybe wasn't so bad to back off this past week. This coming week, I don't foresee and reason why I can't get back up to the mid-30's. We'll see.

Thanks, folks, for getting the ball rolling this morning.

All the Best!

Hello from PDX... where we finally had no rain, sleet, nor snow (yesterday) for the first time since Noah built the arc; I think. Hope all y'all are healthy and fit.

6+ weeks since rib fracture and I've turned the running corner. Been training daily, scored a PR in Fatness, and attempting to do a few of the workouts I coach the high school student-athletes with. Don't tell them though. I just want to know what I ask them to do feels like.

Best result so far... Friday morning at MJ Track with sleet...

4 x 200 w/ 200 jog at 37,39,37,39

3 x 600 w/ 400 jog at 2:01-2:02-2:00

A ways to go but happy to be trying.

KP

Good morning from a warming Eagle, Idaho. Temperatures approaching 50 today. In fact I just came in from trimming rose bushes and will wash the cars after breakfast. So it looks like the regular treadmill will be retired this week. As part of my Achilles therapy I did some faster AterG Treadmill runs, which I will continue next week. Last evening the wife and I downhill skied for a couple hours, movement of the ankle has improved considerably over the past week.

Monday: 6:30 spin; PT therapy and exercises; 6 mile AlterG run at 85%, top speed 7:30 pace

Tuesday: 40:00 spin

Wednesday: 2 miles walking

Thursday: 7:30 spin; PT therapy and exercises: 6.25 AterG at 85%, top speed 7:03 pace

Friday: 40:00 spin

Saturday: 4 miles on regular treadmill, alternating 2/10th walk, 3/10th run

Sunday: Off

Igy

65 miles this week, capped off with 15 today..

So a good but windy week, with repeat 5X 1000 m reps (@6:00, windy) on Tuesday, threshold reps at 3X8 min (6:20 pace, very windy) on Friday, and substantial hill runs (ca. 9-10 miles with ~1000 ft out, and back) on Thursday and Saturday.

I had a good news/mostly bad news training week, with multiple violations of my "don't do stupid stuff in training" policy. Last weekend on Saturday I did my last run with my son and his wife who have left the country for 6 months. I ran very hard to hang with them for the first 6 miles of the run and ended up at 8:07/mi pace for 8 miles on mildly hilly trails. That Saturday also was my college's annual track team/alumni preseason meet. I had the good sense not to run any events, but did go out Sunday and ran with the women's distance squad on their long run. I ran 8 miles at 8:36 pace with them over some pretty rocky trails. Monday I was feeling pretty tired and one achilles was mildly sore. I skipped running. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I still was tired and had a minor sore throat so I didn't run any of those days. Friday I ran an easy 4 miles to see how I felt. I felt better but still had some very minor achilles soreness. Saturday I decided to go run with the local "faster old guys" workout. The informal group runs Saturday mornings on a nearby paved 5 mile loop path. Most of the guys are doing marathon training, but some are training for shorter races. I ran with a couple of 55 year olds who are training pretty hard for a 5K in April. The planned workout was 2 miles warm up, 4 mile tempo at 6:40 pace and then 8x400. The warm up at 8:15/mi felt reasonable. I knew I was not in 6:40 for 4 mi shape, but I planned to go out and hang on as well as I could to see where I am at. I went 6:51, 6:59, 7:12 and then cracked and backed off to 7:44 for the last mile. Just as I was finishing the tempo my calf got really tight and my achilles got really sore. I had to walk/jog back to the start and I was done. This morning my achilles still is sore even for walking, so it's going to be cross-training until it doesn't hurt to walk and then walking until it doesn't hurt to run. I was pleased to run 2 miles under 7:00 pace but I now I have to get healthy again and try to hold on to as much fitness as possible in the process.

Been lurking here for a while and figured I'd join in. Turning 55 in a few months so looking forward to a new age group. 2016 was lacking in motivation and nagging injuries but I've been really dedicated so far in 2017. Cherry Blossom is first goal race (but I'll still be 54).

I don't run as much as some here but I cross train to make up.

4 swims this week totaling 6 miles

2 spins totaling 90 min

5 runs totaling 37 miles

1 lifting session

Thanks to all who post for the past motivation you've provided me. Hoping to trick Father Time at least a few times this year.

Week 297: 7 hours 43 minutes in 7 runs

Mon - 1 hr 1 min easy

Tue - 1 hr 18 min with 26 min tempo

Wed - 31 min slow!

Thu - 1 hr moderate

Fri - 1 hr easy

Sat - 1 hr 52 min slow with 3x strides

Sun - 1 hr 1 min slow on grass

Tuesday's tempo was a bit of a mess. I misread my watch in the dark and turned around too soon, had to make some adjustments to get in 26 minutes.

I actually don't know about Saturday's long run. I ran most of it with the 10min/mile group but left them to do the strides. Caught up with them again but finished with walk-run then walk with a runner who was struggling. Total time on my watch was 2:15. The plan for the day was 1:52 so I just put that. Actual running time was probably closer to 2 hours.

I haven't been healthy enough to do strides since June 2013. (I did try one day in June 2016.) It was a bit of a shock how hard it was to move the legs fast. I suppose I should have expected it.

@dhaaga - Dave, the "incl." is messing with my mind. I think you did 11 hrs running *plus* 2 hrs biking for 13 hrs total. Is that right?

@old guy II - For a while there I thought you could be my role model, your training was so logical. But then I found out you are just human, too.

@Not half fast - Welcome and good luck in your race. Do you have a goal time?

So I ended up racing that 10 miler yesterday, even though I was worried about the 1/2 at the end of the month.

I have this black and white post card on my dresser with a picture of Bowerman and the quote "If your afraid to lose, don't run".

I am sore today but glad I ran ,didn't place in age group but knocked out a 1:11.20 on a hilly windy course. I took today off, and plan on doing 8mls a day on the deadmill for the next 5 days.

There's nothing like the feel of the race . The 1/2 at the end of the month will be in warmer weather.

Have a good week ya'll.

Greetings everyone!

I have been scheduling a long run, secondary long run, LT workout and V02-max workout every nine days. But, again this week, I eliminated the secondary long run to accommodate a short taper for a weekend race. The race was a certified 10-mile loop with a few significant hills, including a major climb in the last mile.

The 10-Mile Race:

I was VERY pleased with the race. After the first mile I decided to join up with a group of five in front of me, even though they were running a faster pace than I had planned. My goal pace was 6:52 per mile, and the group was running sub-6:40s, but I felt it better to stay with a group than get stranded in a "no man's land" so early in the race.

Three of the runners in the group fell off the pace, leaving just a couple of youngsters and me together at the half-way point. One of them dropped back significantly after that, and the other pulled ahead as I fatigued a bit in the eighth mile. That left me running solo for the rest of the race.

I suffered some mental weakness during Mile 9 ... knowing no one was close to chasing me down from behind, and with a big gap ahead of me, I backed off the pace. Also, that steep, half-mile climb in the final mile loomed ahead! I rallied going into the tenth mile, and held a steady pace up the hill to the finish. Because of the rolling hills and big climbs (and mostly tailwind first half, headwind second half), the mile splits aren't straightforward to evaluate, but this is how it went: 6:42, 6:34, 6:34, 6:22, 6:48, 6:42, 6:43, 6:44, 7:06, 7:06.

The average pace was 6:45 per mile, which has me thinking that a sub-1:30 half marathon is realistic for April. I will be increasing my long runs and overall mileage, and anticipate continued improvement. A full taper and fresher legs I think will also be an advantage. Yesterday, even with a mini-taper, I was feeling a little sore and beat up going into the race.

This past week:

M..LR: 12.0 miles @ 7:48/mi

T...Off

W..Easy: 7.0 miles @ 8:23/mi w/3 x 100y strides

Th.Easy: 4.0 miles @ 8:24/mi w/2 x 100y strides

F..Easy: 3.0 miles @ 8:48/mi w/1 x 100y strides

Sa.LT: 1.5-mile warmup; 10-mile race @ 6:45/mi (1:07:27)

Su.Easy 4.0 miles @ 8:31/mi

Goal Pace

5K: 6:13/mi

Marathon: 7:26/mi

Most Recent Pace

5K: 6:26/mi (Feb 2017)

10 Mile: 6:45/mi (Feb 2017)

Marathon: 7:51/mi (Oct 2016)

Have a great week!

-Allen

Mon. 30 min. Kayak.

8 km trail run very easy, 215 m. elevation gain. 58 mins.

Tue. Hilly 30 min mtn bike then straight into 9.4 km run in 54 mins 140 m. of elevation gain. Back on the bike for 38 min ride home.

Wed. Early morning 9 km hike with weighted backpack.190 m. elevation gain.1 h 46 m.

Hot afternoon (38C) 1 hour kayak session.

Evening 5.7 km steep trail run 275 m. elevation gain. 50 mins.

Thu. Early morning rugged mtn bike 50 mins.

Night time run on the oval. Temps down to a more comfy 38C, had been 43C.

Just 3 km on the grass rolling through 5 x 1 min fast 1 min slow. I started the run sharing the oval with 3 Eastern Grey Kangaroos. By the time I finished more than 40 had joined the party.

Fri. I stopped at the lake on the way home from work for a 45 minute kayak. I was cooked by the end 43C again. Couldn't muster the energy to get out the door again once home. Still 40C at 9 pm.

Sat. Temp had dropped to 38C by the time I was driving home from work. I pulled into the One Eye Forest and ran 10 flat shady kms home in 53 mins.

I rode the mtb back to the car with an extra loop thrown in 39 mins.

Sun. The change came our way with top temp of 17C. Not so lucky further north where temps of 45 to 47 were common. I didn't get out until late.

10 km run in 57 min 150 m. elevation gain.

Not much done on the bike but otherwise a pleasing week.

We were lucky with the weather here with only 3 really hot days and even then they were not the catastrophic days they forecast only hitting low 40s.

@dhaaga - Dave, the "incl." is messing with my mind. I think you did 11 hrs running *plus* 2 hrs biking for 13 hrs total. Is that right?

.....yes that's right. sorry for confusion. "incl." short for "including" so 13 hours total including.....[and then i list what I did on hard days]

I read an article this week advocating for less use of confusing abbreviations, but apparently it didn't stick with me.

cheers,

Dave

Thanks for the welcome Alan.

A goal is hard at the moment. My mind still thinks I'm the same runner I was a couple of years ago but my times over the second half of 2016 say otherwise. A sub 62 seems like a reasonable target -- I've been sub 60 there in my early 50s.

26.4miles in 5 runs. Temps around 30 degrees make for icy spots. I’m trying to run harder 3 days a week so I ran 2 miles hard Tuesday. I tried to run the hills hard on Thursday but backed off to tempo pace after the first one when my legs would cooperate.

Hope to lose the ice in the next week with warmer temperatures. I’m sure the spring winds will hit before long.

M:off

T: 5.7 miles in 53 minutes, Miles 2, 4 at 8:00 pace plus 4x30sec sprints

W: 3 miles treadmill in 30 minutes, mentally hard

T: 5 miles in 52 minutes, tempo pace on 5 hills

F: off

S: 8.3 miles in 76 minutes

S: 4.4 miles in 45 minutes, more ice

After reading about everyone's race plans I decided I need to come up with a goal race. The 40th running Get In Gear 10k is in April so that's an option. Hope the "spring" weather continues for everyone.

Psyched to see people getting 1 week healthier and a bit less broken (I.e.old pals Igy and KP)

Psyched to watch Millrose on TV yesterday...have been watching since early 70s...got to see it in MSG a half dozen times over the years...this year's event the best in some time..no fewer than TEN world leading performances

Psyched that Warriors beat Memphis and OKC on the road in 'back to backs'

Psyched that the cortisone shot I had 11 weeks ago has, knock on wood, continued to hold up pretty well...first time one has ever worked

Psyched to crush yet another 40 mile week in spite of the age 60+ gravity obstacles

40 miles is a hard number for me to reach these days if I am incorporating any true 'stress sessions'...that being said, like last week, got in 3 stress sessions...a 7 miler on dirt with 4 very long hill repeats sandwiched in between a bunch of fartlek, an 8 miler also dirt (farm roads in a prominent vineyard) with 45 minutes of pretty bad ass fartlek, and a mini track workout yesterday... 4 x 100 in clunky trainers at 25,22,21,22 then 6 x 200 at 45, 44, 43, 42, 42, 41...intended 8 but tightness in low back / high glutes after 5 caused me to re-consider...did one more in hopes that it was just one of those passing 'things' but tightness was identical on the sixth and so therefore bailed so as to 'live to fight another day'

Knocked out an easy paced 1:30 hilly trail run with the dog this morning and felt no ill effects from the previous day's 200s

Now if I can just squeeze out 10 more 40 mile weeks on this pre-historic body, I may be ready to don a pair of spikes once again...but clearly, I'm getting ahead of myself ;)

Wishing everybody enhanced fitness in the week to come...remember to 'train don't strain'

Your pal,

MF

Thanks, got it. 13 hours including or 11 hours *not* including is where I was getting twisted up.

Another solid week for me again 42 miles total in 5 Days

Monday 6.4 @8:33 paces with 750 feet of climbing - 1000yds swimn

Tuesday 7.3 miles 8:19 pace with 550 feet of climbing 1000yds swim

Wednesday 2 WU + 800 Tempo 3(3*300) 1 rest between reps and 3 between sets went 63, 63, 63, 63, 62, 63, 63, 61, 60 felt good even though my glutes were sore from those long +100yds swim 2 CD climbs PM 15 miles on the trainer

Thursday 5 miles 7:41 pace on the tread mill at the hotel (I had to travel to Union meetings this week

Friday - planned rest day stretched and foam rolled

Saturday 16 miles 1:58:30 7:25 pace - last 4 miles at 7:10 ran with one of my Alums who graduated last year and is working near Cleveland. He came back to visit his girl friend but he an i secretly planned to run together - we took off from the group run and I heard her say "coach stole my boy friend"

Sunday I missed today. We were at Cornell in Ithaca and the crappy weather and travel ruined my planed 3 mile racewalk recovery