Ghost of Igloi wrote:
If you haven’t had a physical and labs, do it. That is a wide drop in performance.
+1 It could be a health problem disease,deficiency ect. but is NOT typical of aging.
What I have learned IOW My checkered (not the flag) past I have found it takes longer to regain fitness.
I am in the normal range for the rate of slowing down. Call it a grade of B-. My age graded times are still off by a few percents but this might training related. However even with perfect training and all the PEDS in the world I am not gonna be the Next Gene Dykes! No I do not use PEDs but I have become a health nut.
Advice for all , the stuff on blood sugar is so important get a meter look for spikes ask for an a1c as part of your blood work.
Compare and Contrast Time
5000 track 49/16:41 62 /18:37 . Current best this year at 62 is 19:42 road so probably 19:30 or so track
When I did a comeback at 49 5000/16:41 off:
18 months total but started at a pretty high level of fitness just not running.
6 months base 40 minutes a day easy running
12 months 9 day cycle run xtrn xtrn
runs alternated 3 6 9 miles all tempo
Ended up with pf before racing
At 60 had really let myself go was maybe hitting 30 minutes a day of walking crappy diet 50 lbs over racing weight YIKES but I felt ok. Almost 3 years later I am off by about 20 seconds per mile age graded.
Details:
6 months of walking hiking up and down a 9 minute hill round trip progressing to 45 minutes a day and eating way better fresh fruits and veggies ect.
Ran 6:48 1600 off this after just a couple of runs and having dropped 20 lbs
Started running hard stuff 2x per week 6 months later 5:51 mile another 10 lbs stalled out
nada for another year of the same 2xperweek and was feeling crappy often
Last 6 months:
switched to easy base daily runs felt great went OMAD dropped to race weight
I would like to see a big drop but either way I have found something that works for me and that is the key
as you get older come backs are harder and produce less so my plan is minimize the comebacks by staying healthy fit I don't leave it all out there cause you need to save some for later