50+ Masters Training and Racing Open Forum

Happy Easter!

Had an ok week and that is ok

Monday 2500yds swim, 20 mile bike

Tuesday 5 miles running PM 15 miles bike

Wednesday 2500yd Swilm PM 24 mile shop ride

Thursday AM 5 miles easy - PM meet director for 24 high schools

Friday took the day off so sore from running around a the home meet

Saturday Buckenll Invite 4 mile run when I got home

Sunday wife told me to get out to the house and go ride my bike. So I did/ 21 miles windy and hot and a bug bit my neck

Not going to be able to swim next week because a pump is broke - going

Spent the first 4-5 days recovering-going easy following last weekend's half marathon. Capped off with 20 today, perfect morning in the 50s and not much wind. mixed in about 7 miles at marathon pace. 67 for the week. One more week at a little more than this week and then I cut back.

Have a good week everyone.

Ghost of Igloi wrote:

Mike Long wrote:

Speaking of to each his own, I admit to being a bit disheartened to read the "holier than thou" attitude expressed by another poste abover. We are all part of the brotherhood and sisterhood of runners. It matters not how we dress or what periodicals we read. We should support each other.

Faker Detector Dude.

What does that even mean?

It means he is a known troll: The Detector Dude.

I wonder what it is about his post that makes you think he's a troll. He seems to make a lot of sense.

Good week with a lot of volume for me.

4 swims totaling 6 miles including 2 miles in sub 63 min yesterday

5 runs totaling 36 miles including 13.5 at 7:02 pace on Friday and first track session today. 4x1600 on an 8 averaging 5:58. It was not fun and a little discouraging but I know it will pay dividends with what's planned for June and July.

2 spins totaling 1:45

1 lifting session.

Happy Easter all.

Happy Easter Y'all.

Happy Bahston Patriots Day Tomorrow.

Unhappy Tax Week.

Near Breakthrough Workout this past Tuesday...

2 sets...

*800 at SoCal Cush 5k Pace!

*400 at SoCal Pete Pace!

*200 at KP Pace :)

Igy, nice Boston story my man...was that your 2:18 race?

I first qualified for Boston 43 years ago (1974) back when there was only one qualifying time for ALL age groups...that standard was 2:50 as a lot of you oldsters probably recall...back before anyone uttered stuff like 'BQ' or 'half mary' versus 'fulll mary'...iccckkk ;)

Oh and Dan Moynihan ran at Tufts not Boston College...same difference though as he was local and quite the stud...not unlike you Mr Ghost

...and congrats on your solid training week...the hilly 11 miler impressed me...you are making great strides in your comeback from injury...stay the course young man

MF

So I had my first long run since 3/26/17 when I went 11.5 and felt mentally/emotionally awful by the end (and wondered if it was the gel that I used that had fructose in it). Today's run was 12.5 miles and in a better time of 2:01:43 for me. Only used a single gel with a couple miles to go, too. Ran with a group from a competitor's running specialty store, but my only focus was to get in the long run, since I have my 1/2 in another 4 weeks. Might try about 13.5 next weekend, since I don't have any other time than that (d/t upcoming races of a 4 mile and a 5 km).

I find that it is very hard to run a long run the day after a race at my age (approaching 66 for next month).

Been managing about 30 to 35 mpw still, but since my wife's been at her Mom's this week, no partner. Ah, well, she's home tonight!

Got a sore spot on my heel that flared up at 1/2 way, and no way to the car but to continue the run, so will try to see our podiatrist in the next day or two.

I tried to qualify for Boston back in the sub 2:50 era, but only managed a 2:54 and 2:55, then injured. Older and slower, did make it twice to the finish lines of Boston in '98 and '02 through BQ's, so feel so very humbled by the opportunity as well as the encouragement of my wife to keep trying. The success I felt was thanks to her, as much as to any training and racing I did. What can be a better life than that, to know you have someone who cares and loves you enough to want to see you succeed!

The track workouts by you folks are pretty impressive. I don't have the discipline at this point but maybe later in the summer. Starting to get back into the routine this week with 25.7 miles although struggling with allergies.

Mon: off

Tue: 6.8 miles (63') w 4x5', 3' rec

Wed: 3 miles (29')

Thu: 4.3 miles (43') pushed the hills

Fri off

Sat: 6 miles (57')

Sun: 5.6 miles on trails (62')

I regret that I never ran Boston. I qualified after they relaxed the standard but felt like I could qualify again when I was older, but after starting a family I could never qualify again. Looks like a strong tailwind for this years race. Hope someone takes it out quick. Have a good week all.

Ghost of Igloi wrote:

It means he is a known troll: The Detector Dude.

Mike Long has a long and storied racing history. We are lucky to have him contributing to this thread.

Also, Dan Moynihan was a Jumbo, not an Eagle.

Jeeze.

To add to others' reminiscences of Boston:

I entered Boston exactly once, the first time I was able to qualify. This was in 1990, and I don't remember what my qualifying time was or what I needed to BQ as an under-35 female. What a disaster. I spent the day before the race seriously playing tourist in Boston, on my feet all day eating and drinking all of the wrong things. Then I had no idea how to handle preparing for a race that started so late in the day. To make a long story short, I was wiped out by 10 miles and dropped out of the race, not even making it as far as Wellesley. Although I BQ'd several times after that, I never tried to run it again.

But I do have one bit of good karma associated with Boston. When I lined up at the start of the 1991 Twin Cities marathon, having improved tremendously in the intervening year and a half, it was barely above freezing and I wore my ugly yellow long-sleeved BAA shirt to stay warm. About four miles into the race I dumped the BAA shirt and never saw it again. I went on to run my lifetime PR and qualify for the 1992 Olympic Trials. There was something very satisfying about flinging off the shirt from my worst marathon enroute to my best.

I still think about trying to run Boston one more time, as sort of a bucket list item. I haven't even finished a full marathon since 2004 but I keep looking at the qualifying times getting slower and slower as I get older and think I could surely do it. Yesterday I ran 18 miles at 3:44 marathon pace in a controlled way with no taper or race-day excitement. My current BQ time is 4:10 and it goes up to 4:25 in 13 months when I turn 60. Perhaps I'll go for it and be one of those slow old ladies shuffling along in the back of the Boston pack.

I knew Mike Long, you are no Mike Long.

@amkelley,

I can't imagine all the trouble required to run a major marathon. Apparently not conducive to fast times for most athletes.

Igy

Ghost of Igloi wrote:

I knew Mike Long, you are no Mike Long.

Neither of us could carry Mike's jock back in the day. He deserves your respect.

Yes he out kicked me at the Sacramento Invitational 3 mile 1970 14:03 to 14:04.

The real Mike Long, kneeling on the right.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thehappyrower/8017880092

His sister Liz was cute too.

Igy

Of course he did. Maybe it's time you let it go instead of continuing to hold a grudge all these years. His post was thoughtful and inspirational, and certainly not worthy of a response like yours.

great story and retroactive congrats on your Olympic Trials qualification! I ran Boston 1983, 2003, 2012, 2014 [so i'm 2 for four on pushing fellow American men to victory - Greg Meyer and Meb K]. It's very involved logistically and expensive if you're not local, but I do encourage your thought of going back to conquer the course. It's an experience.

best wishes,

Dave

amkelley, I have never heard the cheering, the support, the joy of connection that Boston brought about. Of course, I have never qualified for or run the Trials, so don't have that comparison.

Oh, shoot, run Boston, I'd say, unless you have other "bucket list" items of greater importance to you. Just thinking of Beantown, and how my wife and I have both been down that trail brings me almost to tears. #BostonStrong.

Blessing for good health to all!