50+ Masters Training and Racing Open Forum

Mike F: Love those stories on our running history!

Dhaaga: It’s gotta be the weather!

63: Glad the foot is better, wow on the 78 miles!

Tue: 45 semi rocky trail

Thr: 45 min rocky trail

Sat: 3 miles on track, threshold run, 23:44, 7:54 pace

Sun: 45 min rocky trail, actually got cold. 700 feet climbing

Another good week. Improved a bit on last week’s track 3 miler at about the same effort. I sure am enjoying running now-a-days.

I remain thankful to be feeling so well.

Have a good week folks!

Running is good

Ran barefoot in the dunes 4 days in a row at 25 minutes a pop. My hilly loop times have dropped from 6:30 to 4:40 probably working a bit harder but still below 70 percent mhr. Daily rock hopping on the jetty very nice.

Igy, sorry to hear of your relapse. Good luck with the radiation therapy.

Boy, all this deep diet talk has got my head spinning! I try to keep my diet plan very simple. I'm not even sure what you would call it. But I think I have it all under control! I usually start with my day with a protein shake and maybe a banana or peanut butter toast...then my lunches are a typically a lean ham or turkey sandwich with mustard only, a handful carrots and some pretzels. I try to drink a lot of water during the day. I almost always have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich immediately after work and before my run. That gets me thru until dinner. Dinners are usually a salad, chicken or salmon, and occasionally spaghetti. I have no diet plan on weekends. I pretty much stay away from sugar, no sodas ever, and no white creamy sauces on my food. I do monitor my weight every morning and will adjust accordingly if I'm light or heavy.

My weeks are getting better. I still have heel pain though it is very minor these days and doesn't really seem to bother me much. It averages about a 1.5 on the pain scale, sometimes a zero; sometimes a 2.

Logged 34 miles this week. I finally hit 30 for week! Gotta be pleased with the way my weekly tempo has been going.

Here's how my log went last week:

Mon: Relaxed run in the rain with lighting cracking! After a long drive home from upNorth. Heel ok. 826,804,752,752,748,748

Tue: Good run in the scorching heat. About 90, dp 70. With Chris. 757,742,746,738,738,744,736

Wed: Easy morning wakeup run, Legs a bit heavy. Heel a 2 to 1. 853,828,824,819. Another ez day tomorrow then tempo Friday

Thur: 4 mile walk. Heel the usual 2'ish

Fri: Wasn't feeling it on the warmup but stayed the course and it turned out pretty good. 4.25 @ 8:06, then 3 mi (18:55) 632,621,602. .75 cool down. Really pushed the last 1/2 mi.

Sat: Nice easy run. No watch, no time. I need more of these runs. Heel pain was very minimal!!!!

Sun: Another steady No watch, no time run. Happy with my week. Hit my mileage goal finally.

This week I'd like to hit 36-37 miles. I did enter a 5K over by Notre Dame next Saturday. I'd like to see where I'm really at in a race setting. My training partner thinks a 18:35 is realistic, sounds about right. That would be right at 85% age graded. So if that happens, it would be a good day! We'll see.

Have a good week,

Dave

old guy,

Thanks but all good here. No relapse just consolidation therapy. Follicular Lymphoma 3a is usually accompanied with bulky lymph nodes. The PET showed no evidence of disease (NED) but recommendation is to treat any pre-treatment bulky nodal sites with low dose radiation. Cancer cells can hide in scar tissue. This is standard treatment for my disease.

Igy

Hello! Hope all are well. Returned to training this week with some decent results. Still recovering, can still feel where the clots in my lungs are but can now breath better.

Monday weights with the team and 15 miles on the bike about 16.1mph

Tuesday 500yd swim 9:58 3 mile run -2 at 7:45 and then jog home a mile with Michelle

Wednesday 20 miles spinning at 14.6

Thursday 500yd swim 9:42 3 mile run 23:06on the track with the women's team weights with team

Friday 15 miles 14.6mph

Saturday 3 miles racewalk 10:25 pace - this is the fastest I have walked in weeks because calf is feeling better

Sunday 5 miles 38:41

I am a bit out of shape and unfortunately over weight again but I will get it down.

Planning on running at the US Masters Cross Country with Michelle in Buffalo

Also now planning to do the Troy Turkey Trot for the first time since about 1982

End game Half Marathon December 15th in San Antonio at the Marriott we are staying at for USTFCCA convention

I had a purty gud weke of runnning and it was mostly phun.

Ran some 1000s on Wednesday, first hard workout since the Crim weekend, felt okay but did have some struggles toward the end of the workout. And did a 3.5 mile threshold workout on Saturday, more or less nailed that one according to plans and expectations.

Keep running and have a good week everyone!

M59 -- 5'11" 162 lbs

Last year (2017) -- 18:58 5K, 59:59 15K, 3:07:23 marathon

This year (2018) -- 19:13 5K, 1:02:36 15K

Goals -- 19:00 5K this autumn; 3:00 marathon Oct. 2019

Sept 2-9, 2018

Easy -- 3.0 miles @ 7:57/mi

LT -- 7.7 miles w/4.0 miles @ 6:39/mi

Easy -- 8.0 miles @ 8:54/mi

Off

VO2 -- 2-mi warmup; 3x1-mi w/5-min jog (6:09, 6:04, 6:07); 1-mi cooldown

Easy -- 7.7 miles @ 8:28/mi

LR -- 16.1 miles @ 7:46/mi

WEEK TOTAL: 49.5 MILES

Tuesday threshold workout: Ran by feel, not checking watch until the end. Looking for about 6:35/mi; actual was 6:39.

Friday VO2max : I experimented with the warmup -- 1.5 miles slow jog, then 3 minutes at perceived 5K pace. I've been thinking maybe a sustained effort might be better than my usual few strides. Still not sure.

Sunday long run: Cool temps and a brisk breeze. Run was a flat out-and-back. Tailwind for the first half, and I averaged 8:00/mi including 10 minutes for the first mile. I pushed pretty hard into the headwind coming back (7:32/mi).

Coach Rohl -- I am considering running the XC race in Buffalo, or trekking there to spectate, at least. I will look for you!

re: stretching: i have eliminated pre-workout stretching (but not post-workout) since i turned 40 with no change in overall health and fitness, and once i added eccentric calf exercises post-workout (at around age 45), my achilles were actually better than they were during my 20s. most other issues i've had i have to assume are from age and the natural toll of 37 years of running on my toes. i could probably run recreationally with fewer problems, but where's the fun in that?

that said, these "calf heart attacks" have been a little more baffling. i've just finished one week of running 3-4 miles per day, culminating in today's 6 miler with no pain now, so hopefully september will be good to me and i can seriously consider resuming racing, hopefully in tulsa for the 15k and the ultimate goal, spokane clubs x-c.

re: diet: for what it's worth, i've eaten the same breakfast (a mix of whole oats, grape nuts, almonds, walnuts, raisins, banana, any other fruit in the house, wheat germ) and lunch (tuna fish sandwich or hard boiled eggs plus carrots or other fresh vegetables/salad) since my open days, probably around 300 days a year. i always felt eating was part of the workout, and i wanted consistency in how i'd feel--in my open days, there was no way i was going to tell my coach i had a tummy ache because of something i ate, and this habit stuck with me once i resumed racing competitively at age 40. dinner was pretty much whatever. i generally only drink water, coffee (one cup in the morning) or beer (generally one at night).

best of luck to those in malaga, and saw some nice results from the 5th ave mile. hope to see some of you at the races soon,

cush

Igy, somewhere in the basement are all my bills. At MD Anderson they listed how much everything cost even if the drugmaker was picking up the tab. Conservatively, though, take the cost for one infusion of rituximab ... now add two zeroes to the end. Anyway, if I ever do document my disease it will probably be along the lines of MikeF's blog only less interesting.

old guy II wrote:

I am one of those people who never was much of a stretcher, and my approach seems to have more support from recent research. To the extent that I stretch, it is only post-workout, not pre-workout.

I've found Jay Johnson's Lunge Matrix Leg Swing drill useful pre-workout. I don't do all 10 reps except before hard workouts, like the one I'm putting off a few minutes by trying to name-check as many people on this thread as I can.

socal cush wrote:

best of luck to those in malaga, and saw some nice results from the 5th ave mile. hope to see some of you at the races soon,

cush

I'd like to know if there is a good competitive 5K in the Midwest post-Turkey Day. Or 3K or mile! As I tell my doctor, I can take anything as long as it's over quickly.

Old Farte, when I was in Quebec it took sometimes 5 minutes to get my Garmin to find the GPS. Someone this weekend told me the watch eventually trains itself. I realize you weren't traveling but maybe leaving it on forever outside?

Garmin issues this week (and let's be honest, my inexperience) kept me from hitting my times in Thursday's 5K road reps. I'd look down, see I was pushing it, ease up only to get home and find the splits had adjusted to paces of: 606 548 602 602 602 601 602 552 602 535. The target was 556-601. And no, I didn't blow it out the last one, I just ignored the watch. The test is always, could I do one more? Yes I could've.

Otherwise, a tempo run of 3x10' (3' recoveries) was fine and two long runs, both with groups, got me to 43.4mi even with a day off. OK, I'd better get out and do my fast tempo before my wife comes home and finds me on the internet.....

Hello All:

Checking back in after a long absence. 55 years old; currently 5' 10.5" and ~170 pounds. I was hoping to build up for a shot at a 1:45 fall half marathon but I'll need more time yet. Might aim for the Columbus, OH, Hot Chocolate 15k in November instead. Here's how last week went for me:

M 4 miles easy

T 4 miles tempo. Good run but Achilles sore.

W Rest

R Rest

F 90 mins hockey

S Rest

S 6 2/3 miles progression run, down below 8:00/mile, which is good for me.

Here's my challenge: I'm dealing with the worst bowel problems ever of my running career. Yesterday I ran early in the morning; voided beforehand and had some water before heading out. Had to stop in the bushes at about mile 5 and then cut the run short with another diarrhea attack. It's been this way off and on over the past few weeks, especially on long runs. It was similar two years ago when I ran the Columbus Half. I'm starting to think the culprit might be ice cream, which I eat Friday to Sunday evenings, but I'm not sure. I had thought it was ibuprofen, which I've been taking for my Achilles. But yesterday's attack suggests that's not the case.

Any words of wisdom or recommendations greatly appreciated. Two years ago when training it was hit or miss: twice on 10+ mile training runs I ended up in the bushes almost at the very end. On two other occasions with little difference in diet, I coasted 10+ miles without a single thought to my stomach.

Thanks,

Andy

Mon. 1 hour mountain bike ride.

Tue. 5.3 km trail run 4 x up Roo Hill 415 metres elevation gain. 1.04.

Wed. 8 km trail run on Mt Ida 350 metres elevation gain in 1 .00

Thu. 38 mins kayak.

Fri. 22 km mountain bike ride inc a 33 min hill climb.

Sat. 9.3 km trail run with 230 metres elevation gain in 1.00.

Sun. 6.8 km bush and trail run with 290 metres elevation gain in 1.00.

Banking a bit of fitness with 4 hours of steep trail running for the week. My knee gives me issues if I try to stride out but is ok at a gentle pace on the flat. It doesn't bother me at all once the grade gets above 10% so I can push hard on the steeper uphills.

KCgeezer,

Yes I could see a Clinical Trial being crazy expensive. Another drug that was expensive was the Neulasta to support the white blood cells. That was given the day after chemo at $6,000 a pop. Beats trips to the ER.

Igy

Take a NASA like approach to cancer. Big pharm's monoplie gets busted. R and D money goes to the most promising cures funded based up on promising the research is . Then the DRUGS are OWNED BY THE PEOPLE . Successful treatments get the big bucks big ideas get funded . If people would just wake the f up and DEMAND this we would all be better off. The talent owned and controlled by big pharm would leave in droves if there were alternatives where they could do meaningful work. Big pharm keeps this from happening by monopolizing talent then putting them to work doing meaningless stuff just to keep em from competing yep forget the wall time to tear down the monopoly called the cancer industry. Ask yourself what would happen financially if a low cost no side effect cure to all types of cancer hit the market. Call me a nut job but in a world of insanity that is a compliment.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3538397/

Charlie,

I questioned the cost of one of the treatments and the attitude is “you have insurance so what’s it to you.” Yea but we all pay in the long run. There are some very interesting therapies that hold promise of a cure for my disease. Problem is access is given to those near an end point of treatment options. I understand all of this but feel for those unable to advocate for themselves. The recent addition of radiation therapy came from my asking questions.

Igy

Cancer needs a moon shot after all it is our money. What happened to Joe Biden's goal? What a joke:

https://www.cancer.gov/research/key-initiatives/moonshot-cancer-initiative

These are pennies OUR government should allocate a TRILLION DOLLARS towards WIPING OUT CANCER.

IT IS OUR MONEY

Which is a bigger threat foreign armies or cancer?

Military Spending in the United States. In fiscal year 2015, military spending is projected to account for 54 percent of all federal discretionary spending, a total of $598.5 billion.

Running is a healthy hobbie and I post on this with fun but CANCER is serious and this might not be a good place to post stuff so this will be my last post on the cancer industry here.

Engineering a patients immune system to target their cancer is HUGE so cut the red tape get the cost down improve the process and give anyone with cancer who is brave enough and understands the treatment the option to use this treatment this will rapidly advance the technology. So why does this not happen well folks IP yep who really benefits from all the red tape to bring a treatment to people? Pretty e f ing evil if you ask me.

Please do read this about a ground breaking NEW way to use your own immune system to CURE CANCER

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/research/car-t-cells

KCgeezer wrote:

Igy, somewhere in the basement are all my bills. At MD Anderson they listed how much everything cost even if the drugmaker was picking up the tab. Conservatively, though, take the cost for one infusion of rituximab ... now add two zeroes to the end. Anyway, if I ever do document my disease it will probably be along the lines of MikeF's blog only less interesting.

old guy II wrote:

I am one of those people who never was much of a stretcher, and my approach seems to have more support from recent research. To the extent that I stretch, it is only post-workout, not pre-workout.

I've found Jay Johnson's Lunge Matrix Leg Swing drill useful pre-workout.

Since I'm a disgruntled injury-prone old stiff running on barrowed time, this is one of my favorite warm-up & stretching routines: