50+ Masters Training and Racing Open Forum

Oh by the way, I have seen more than a few disasters in my career as a financial advisor. Such as people taking money out of retirement accounts to start a business (floral shop, raise lamas), flip houses or just retire early. Longevity risk is an issue. It is also common for people to spend more in the early retirement years, home remodels, travel etc. Working longer lessens the longevity risk, but then if you die early how wise was that. Definitely these decisions are so personal hard to generalize advice.

Ghost of Igloi wrote:

Oh by the way, I have seen more than a few disasters in my career as a financial advisor. Such as people taking money out of retirement accounts to start a business (floral shop, raise lamas), flip houses or just retire early. Longevity risk is an issue. It is also common for people to spend more in the early retirement years, home remodels, travel etc. Working longer lessens the longevity risk, but then if you die early how wise was that. Definitely these decisions are so personal hard to generalize advice.

It definitely is and there are no guarantees that any of us will be here tomorrow. My spouse of 20 yrs died of a medical illness a few yrs ago (complications from a vaccine-induced autoimmune disease). She was a hard-charging career women who worked long hard hours to built up a big retirement net egg for the future. She died in her late 40s - so much for looking forward to her retirement years.

I, myself, was involved in serious MV accident last year where a texting driver blew a red light and t-boned me. Had the impact occurred on the driver's side instead of the passenger side I wouldn't be here typing out this post. There's no guarantees for a tomorrow. I've known people who work to the bone up to 70 yrs old or so building that huge net egg for a very comfortable retirement only to pass away from some medical illness the first few years of their retirement years...or to become so chronically ill where they are in & out of the medical system never able to really enjoy their retirement years ending up disgruntled & depressed.

Sorry to hear of your challenges. I cannot imagine life without my spouse, we have been together for so long. My greatest fear in my own health challlenges are to leave her alone for likely decades. I have no issues with her re-marrying but as close as we are see that as unlikely. Fortunately are kids are in town and we are a close family. I typically look forward, whether right or wrong, and rarely look at past decisions with critical view. Seems pointless to do otherwise.

Charlie wrote:

Reretired 2 years ago. I am 62. No regrets.

No one knows how many years they have left.

If I outlive my money I will be very happy!...!

Think about it!

Initially retired at 39 went back to work at 46 had to oops but 46 to 60 were my most enjoyable work years.

Right now I am contemplating a whole new career cause we live in very exciting times.

Here is an interesting video for anyone over the age of 50:

https://youtu.be/OfzfI2dvp3s?t=4030

I thought by now we were to be immortal, have flying cars, build outposts & bases on Mars, have robots & AI do all the work & thinking for us, and we humans can just relax and enjoy life living in Utopia. ?

At least this is what an old college professor told me back in the early 70s. He was a middle-age cat who who predicted these things for the early 21st century. Now he was a tad bit pissed that he thought he wouldn't be around to enjoy these scientific advancements and impressed on us students how fortuitous we will be to enjoy these things in the future.

What went wrong? ? A lot of us still have to do manual labor. We haven't conquered aging and still die relatively early. We can't go any further than the moon. We still drive gas-powered combustible cars. We still have to take toxic chemicals for medicine, and worse yet - we still fight & hate each other like crazy!

That professor I had back then didn't know what heck he was talking about! ?

Yea, a bunch of monkeys chasing shiny objects.

I grew up in Santa Monica, California a smallish coastal town at the time. We could go down to a creek by my house and catch frogs and tadpoles. That creek is now a cemented channel built for flood control. Every inch of land is built on. We see similar growth here in Idaho in the last several years. Reminds me of the line from that Joni Mitchell song of that era “pave paradise and put up a parking lot.”

Ghost of Igloi: I lost my first wife at only 35. We had been together since high school. She taught me to enjoy competition and even though she was a "walker" at the time, encouraged me to run my first marathon. Fast forward.....

I got a second chance. Fell in love again. Met her at a run, asked her to marry me on a run and got married mid-way of a half marathon.

I quit my corporate job and work part time at a run shop and flake around at various other part time ventures. Most importantly I get to spend time with my wife (school teacher) and run when I want to. We have been married almost 14 years now.

When faced with the concept that "life is short," my Mom reminded me that life is long too. If it were over in a few days we could afford to be miserable, but given the prospect it may last for many years.... Life is way too long to be miserable!

PS... Just ran marathon 104. Thanks EB-Warrior!

Thanks, nice story. Good for you. I have always felt I learned more from life's challenges. No reason to stop now.

I spent 3+ decades working a high stress job that eventually led to 60-70 hour weeks. Burned out, I retired in my late fifties. The good news is the job left me and my wife financially set for life. Also good is that I’ve been able to rediscover running as my career left only a small amount of time for that. Now I spend my time running, fishing, volunteering, traveling, and enjoying a couple of other hobbies. I’m never bored.

Like others, I watched friends and acquaintances die way too early. I didn’t want that to happen to me and miss out on the enjoyment of retirement. Though I loved my job, I don’t miss it. There’s a lot of living left to do.

Nick Symmonds is not over 50 or retired but he is a retired pro runner who inspires.

He just keeps setting goals some of them running but SETTING GOALS is what keeps one young!

First video of 100 meter goal Nick set. He gets a baseline for a new distance. His enthusiasm is contagious!

https://youtu.be/LaV00QHyY5I

Last night my legs felt bouncy BOUNCY time to hit the track but I had already run so a walk

At 11 am I dutifully start my 3 lap lsd in the sand after 2 laps I said enough.

Walked home made some coffee and felt like 400s.

Sunny 53 degrees no wind road 400 straight as an arrow

put on my running shorts and top felt good

43 200 starting at the half way no bad

3 minutes jog back

80.04 felt really good hr about 176

3 minutes jog back

74.03 WOW Elation that is the fastest 400 I have run in 12 years hr 186

that was it and that is it and that is why I run not just the time but the feeling

lsd works for me so if you are a fast twitch wannabe distance guy you might try slowing down.

Charlie,

Fast running. Looks like 800m is in the cards this year.

Igy

Ghost of Igloi wrote:

Charlie,

Fast running. Looks like 800m is in the cards this year.

Igy

Thanks Igy

I never raced an 800 so any time would be a PR! WAG 2:32 or so right now.

Reality is to just break 6 in the mile. That would be 3 years of going sub 6 every year starting at age 60 .

No Hayward field this year I want to keep doing the Age Graded Mile at the Hayward Classic as part of the streak hope they still have the meet maybe at south Eugene or LCC.

Charlie,

I got sucked into a 72 400m at Hayward in an 800m. I was gassed at 500m and walked off the track.

Igy

2010 heat 2 800 you were looking good but lead pack went out in 63 ouch!

Your 5:21 1500 at 59 is not too shabby!

KP was running 2:06 in 2010!

Results:

http://www.haywardclassic.org/2010HaywardClassicResults.html

800 Video

https://haywardclassic.runnerspace.com/eprofile.php?event_id=228&do=videos&video_id=29750

*Week 398*

Greetings, 50+ers! Another week of muddling. Still only 3 runs and a couple walks, did extend my longest continuous effort out to 3.6 miles (30-minutes), but other than that, seems the January doldrums have set in. Adding to that, I learned that my niece passed from an accidental overdose; her life was never easy, but she had really turned things around the past few years. Then she hooked back up with a toxic former boyfriend and boom. Funeral is set for this coming Wednesday in Wisconsin. To make matters even worse, the *high* for that day is supposed to be -13F degrees; don't know if it's even safe for me to travel that long a distance. Might have to send my regrets.

That's really all I have. Not feeling real chipper right now....not depressed, or anything, just not feeling my usual optimistic self this week. For my running, I really need a shorter-term goal, otherwise, I have no sense of urgency and am letting other shtuff get in the way.

Hope your week has been better. Good luck this coming weekend to those traveling to Florida!

All the Best!

That 800 with Blackmore in a large field was fun while it lasted. Gone are those days of a full field even at Hayward.

KP

L2B sorry about your niece. A goal that is working for me is try to run everyday. I set the bar at 20 minutes minimum but that is "running" any pace even slower than walking if needed. Maybe set of a goal of not running just daily walking for a 2 months then adding a few minutes of running to each walk with the goal of doing 30 minutes a day every day in 6 months. Anyhow I feel for ya and wish you the best.

KP yea I was shocked not sure why masters no longer run this as it was still being run well maybe too many other events have diluted masters track meets. 2010 was not that long ago .

My week was pretty good about 35 miles , 5 a day.

B Complex plus the lsd ? Anyhow my 74 400 felt amazing I was just cruising

Also did another trail run 63 minutes really enjoyed this at a snails pace.

Charlie,

Thanks, oh to be young again. The previous day on Friday I ran 5:40 in the mile. That was a few months before turning 60.

Igy

Good Morning,

Beat up from a cable TV and electrical outlet installation project. Then I caught a chest cold. So spent the rest of the week just taking care of household chores. Walked about six miles is all. Hopefully get back on the horse.

Igy