50+ Masters Training and Racing Open Forum

Igy, and a congrats from me, too. I love the notion of "living fuller". Of course, for me, fuller sometimes means getting "fuller" on more chocolate chip cookies! :)

My back is still sore, but less sore, though some of that is from naproxen dosing. Only two months till my 1/2 marathon, so could well be walk/running it? Or postpone it a year, which I don't like the idea of.

My wife and I have been thinking of attending the Olympics, but the cost and the heat both seem oppressive! Certainly want to go to the Trials and Worlds in Eugene. Then we'd have more dollars for other adventures, as well as any needed stuff to do on our house. Lots to consider as we approach retirement age and when to draw Social Security. I am trying to hold off at least till age 69 (another 8.5 months). Don't know if it's worth waiting until age 70 at this point. I have a good counselor at Fidelity, but feel free to chime in here folks.

MikeL,

Thanks on the congratulations. A confidence builder for sure and something I needed.

On Social Security not one correct answer in my view, however most people should wait for their Full Retirement Age (FRA). For you and me that is age 66. The benefit increases by 25% by delaying until age 70. The breakeven point of taking at FRA (66) is about age 83. So the bet is for or against longevity risk.

Igy

Mike Lundgren wrote:

Lots to consider as we approach retirement age and when to draw Social Security. I am trying to hold off at least till age 69 (another 8.5 months). Don't know if it's worth waiting until age 70 at this point. I have a good counselor at Fidelity, but feel free to chime in here folks.

Since you’ve already waited to age 68, why not grab the additional 8% per year and wait until 70. Your longevity risk is minimally affected since you are already 68+. Of course, if you need the money now, that’s a different story.

^Yep, that’s correct 8% increase yearly FRA until 70; approximately 25% increase 62 until FRA.

runlebec, that's good news on the PSA results! I'm about one month away from my 3 year post surgery check up and I'm already getting anxious (no specific reason to be this anxious but it's there whenever I am getting close to my check in's).

runlebec wrote:

It was good news. Less than .01 for my PSA. Anxiety sucks while waiting for the results.

I take it the less-than sign is a no no on the forum. Everything I typed after that disappeared when I submitted the post.

Hi all,

Stumbled on this thread and really happy I did. Trying to get back into competitive running shape after a significant layoff.

BACKSTORY:

Early to mid 40’s was a mileage warrior. Had a year with 3600 miles but very little track work. I simply got by on my aerobic engine. Had a 3 year streak of sub 250 marathons and a couple of high teen half’s. Never broke 17 for 5k so that will demonstrate my lack of speed.

Then tragedy struck and my wife got really sick. Which caused me to basically give up any real running. Unfortunately she passed away and I became both mom and dad to my 18 month old/7 year old/9 year old which kept me on the sidelines.

Now at age 52 ( 5 years later) my kids are older which allows me to actually leave the house to run in the morning without worrying if DCFS will come knocking! ?

I work full time and the kids are very active but I am confident I can get 35-40 mile weeks in at this point to try to get back into some type of competitive shape.

About 5 weeks ago I decided to train for a 5K in hopes of breaking 20 (baby steps!) for an early Oct certified race

So far my cadence has been:

Mon: easy 4-5

Tues: 5-6M with 3-4 at tempo pace (between 655-705)

Wed: easy 4-5 plus strength workout

Thur: 7 with 3M of track work (12X400, 6X800, 5X1000, 4X1200 progression)

Fri: easy 4-5

Sat: easy 4-5

Sun: Long run of 8M

Last two weeks of track were 5X1000 with 2min rest at 359/350/352/355/350 and 4X1200 with 3min rest in 440/438/438/441 then a 200 all out in 35.

Very hard to shift from mileage to quality but so far so good! I look forward to following this thread and getting much needed motivation as I try to resurrect a little competitive running!

All the best!

MG

MG,

Tragic and interesting story at the same time. Hope your children are doing well under the circumstances. Running wise you seem to have it down. Good luck.

Igy

Thanks Igy!

Thanks for the kind words. Kids are doing remarkably well. Little ones are more resilient than we give them credit for. My oldest just started high school and is running cross country so we will add another runner to the family!

Good News ! Fifty Three is still pretty young so you should return to a high level pretty fast.

State the obvious..... The older you get the harder it is to return to a high level of fitness.

Or just drink coffee and take daily saunas.

Knock the rust er methylation off, reactivate them good transcription factor genes so you get fit.

IMO chronic exercisers get lasting benefits thus a return to fitness is ezr.

IMO2 slow twitchers return to fitness slower than fast twitchers but hold fitness better and can extend fitness to a higher level using volume kinda the tortoise and the hare deal.

What?

https://www.bionews.org.uk/page_93482

Charlie that study says DNA returns to pre-methylation levels after 48 hours. I want more bang for my buck!

Mag250, welcome to the thread. You've had a really tough situation but you seem to be handling it well. Best of luck to you on coming back to running.

KCgeezer wrote:

Charlie that study says DNA returns to pre-methylation levels after 48 hours. I want more bang for my buck!

Mechanism for re-methylation ? sponge or sticky something like that

Measuring chronic exercise might yield a more permanent changes in methylation?

Kinda like the frequency volume intensity over time probably de methylates stuff in a more perm way or maybe that is not a good thing? Anyhow the 48 hours is something of importance to guide exposure saunas for example to keep the heat shock proteins accessible.

This gets into an idea I used to train by kinda a semi random approach to fool the body into holding onto fitness longer. Kind of a Skinnarian oc thing: from wiki

Gambling – variable ratio scheduling

Main article: Gambling

As stated earlier in this article, a variable ratio schedule yields reinforcement after the emission of an unpredictable number of responses. This schedule typically generates rapid, persistent responding. Slot machines pay off on a variable ratio schedule, and they produce just this sort of persistent lever-pulling behavior in gamblers. The variable ratio payoff from slot machines and other forms of gambling has often been cited as a factor underlying gambling addiction.[

As an old software engineer I just love this stuff. Organic Chem and that stuff is like how the cpus are made but the genetics is just software with classes polymorphisms cell types objects and messages the methylation is the high layer of control but then ya got stuff like variable useful life of mRNA and microRNA doing strange but important changes and all of the feedback loops within each and every cell all running the same code except for good old methylation yes all this stuff will be understood well enough to make safe predictable changes to our very being. I want to make several changes but not so easy or safe but finally science has advanced to the point where the mechanisms of action are being understood.

On my pre run/hike at South Jetty woods prior to running in the OHV sand dunes I was thinking about all the changes I have made based upon exposure to the knowledge explosion .

the bell just rang salivation has begun salmon awaits wild sockeye yum.

For the workout yesterday after the mile and a half warm-up went right into a 5K pace mile which ended up at 6:34- thought that was slow- temp was 80 and humidity 60- not too bad but somewhat heavy. Didn't check the watch until done maybe should have and pushed it a bit- was planning for 6:25.

Ran an 800M cool down and went right into 4X400 w/200M recovery.

The 400's were slated for 1:33 and ended up as 1:30; 1:28; 1:28 and 1:26. Typically those 200's, 400's and 800's come easier than the 1000's and mile even when doing many sets of the shorter distances at a 3K pace and the longer ones at 5K pace.

1 1/2 mile cool down.

Not sure how all of this adds up in a full race.

Sub-20 looks like it's in the bag,and sub-40 for 10K not far off! Great to hear your successful comeback story.

[quote]jimBOS wrote:

runlebec, that's good news on the PSA results! I'm about one month away from my 3 year post surgery check up and I'm already getting anxious (no specific reason to be this anxious but it's there whenever I am getting close to my check in's).

Thanks jimBOS, funny how we always think the worst. Last week I did have a couple of good races for not training much this year. I won my age group in a trail 10k that was thankfully short, and got second in the 60 plus age group at COC XC Finals in a 19:41 which is part of the So Cal USATF Grand Prix series. Maybe I'll try a few more....

Allen53 WAGs you were still a bit tired from the 6x1000 and/or your lactate threshold is too low and/or 5k race pace effort is FASTER than comfortably hard;)

Stumbled across an excellent training site you probably all ready know about but others might not:

https://www.podiumrunner.com/the-10-week-advanced-5k-training-plan_31348

On the re methylation after 48 hours so enter the recovery run maybe keeps the fitness proteins transcribing so run every day.

I do run every day! Even ran a shakeout on Monday BUT ...

This plan raises the age old question of what exactly is an EASY run?

That guide you gave us says 5K pace +1:30 or at most +2:00. I have seen this in other run guides. Well guess what, people, my easy run is 5K + 3:00! Sometimes I knock it down to +2 but what’s the deal? Lots of elite runners run +3:30 and even +4 on their easy runs.

I’m leaning toward running slower based on the experimenting I’m doing, re-methylation or not. It just feels better and I had a great tempo workout on Wednesday, so I’m leaning into slower running for now, seeing if my fitness keeps up despite the slower easy runs.

Anyone else want to share how easy their easy runs are? I know lots of people post their times but I don’t know how much over you 5K pace that is.

Charlie,

I suspect it is the issue with lactate threshold. The difference between what I can do in a 2 mile and a 3 mile race is significant.

I suspect that is simply not having a proper base to work with. This being the first year I've "properly" trained I suspect my body is simply not able to handle the distance at the rate I'm trying to push it. Just have to keep going.

I have seen that website and looked at it some- have not seen that article and read through it. Once this season is over I will look over that plan and the other one you referenced and implement a more organized training structure.

Keep the articles/info coming.

My easy runs work best at nearly age 69 alternating 100m run and 100m walk for 3-4 miles. I average just under 14:00 a mile, the walk portion is relaxed, so the run at a good clip. I really think of form on the run segments. My theory is that as you get older you are better off running with proper biomechanics than slogging just so you can say you “ran.”