50+ Masters Training and Racing Open Forum

Another week of being broken for me. My pinched nerve back problem was largely cleared up by Tuesday as I expected. My right hip, which most likely has trochanteric bursitis, has not. 16 miles mostly walking for the week.

M- rest sore back

T- 2 mi walk

W- 4 mi walk

Th- 4 mi walk with 1 mi warm up, 800M at 7:15/mi pace, 2.5 mi walk with an easy stride every 1/2 mi.

F- 4 mi walk with easy stride every 1/2 mi.

S- 2 mi with planned 5k TT shut down after 1 mi warm up at 8:45/mi. I tried to accelerate to about 7:30/mi pace after the 1st mile warm up and immediately got a sharp pain in my hip and walked back.

It looks like patience and a lot of walking and some weight work will be my training plan for as many weeks as it takes for my hip to heal.

Rtype wrote:

Charlie: MAF question. Do you adjust? Mine’s 119 and I’m adding 5 but thinking about adding 10. I think it’s too early to tell though.

For easy recovery I try and stay below Max Stroke Volume using the finger to carotid and check the pressure of the pulse while counting bpm. So it is usually about 116 , at 120 my pulse pressure goes up dramatically. So my suggestion is to try and find the increase in pulse pressure and see what hr you are at then stay below that hr.

Charlie wrote:

For easy recovery I try and stay below Max Stroke Volume using the finger to carotid and check the pressure of the pulse while counting bpm. So it is usually about 116 , at 120 my pulse pressure goes up dramatically. So my suggestion is to try and find the increase in pulse pressure and see what hr you are at then stay below that hr.

Thanks, I'm terrible and checking my carotid and doubt I could feel a pressure change. But, I know what you mean, feathering the peak and keeping under it. This is new learning for me.

M61, 5'11", 178 lbs

Goals: Continue gaining fitness, shed a few pounds, maybe participate in races again, eventually. Run 6:30 for next 1-mile time trial.

SEPT 13-19, 2020

Sun -- Off

Mon - 4.0 miles (8:57, 8:18, 7:52, 7:30)

Tues - Off

Wed - 7.7 miles @ 8:00/mi avg (9:08, 8:34 ... 7:43, 7:12)

Thur - Off

Fri -- 4.0 miles (9:11, 8:36, 8:06, 7:24)

TOTAL: 15.7 MILES

This was another week of three short progression runs and four days off. Fitness continues to improve -- I dropped another couple minutes off my 7.7-mile loop. I might schedule a 1-mile TT this coming week. Maybe sub-6:30.

I've been weighing below 180 pounds all week, for the first time in nine months. Still looking for 170 or below.

Have a good week.

*Week 486*

Greetings, 50+ers!

Sorry I'm late to the post today. Lots of church meetings today. Still haven't hit the reset button, but I'm starting to feel it. A couple of events that are tugging at me: my HS junior nephew broke 16 in a 5k XC race this past week and a 50-yo guy I've been "advising" finally broke 20 minutes in a road 5k and ran 1:34 HM the last couple of weeks. Pretty excited about both those developments.

Days are getting shorter, weather is getting cooler, on the precipice of this the autumnal equinox. Hope you're doing well and I hope I'll finally be reporting some progress as we head into fall.

All the Best!

Ditto on the gloves this week. We had our first frost warning of the season and we've had fires a few evenings to keep our cabin warm. The maples are bright yellow and red and should reach peak color next week. I'll have to break out the handwarmers soon.

Dhaaga - solid 5k even if you'd hoped for faster

Allen1959 - nice progress on your running and weight

OGII - have you had a steroid injection for your bursitis? it worked for me

Igy - early congratulations on your impending retirement!

My week: 37mi running, 60 mi biking

Sun: 9.0 Easy

Mon: 7.7 Easy, 1hr flex/strength

Tue: 7.0 Tempo (2 mi @ 8:20, 1 mi @ 8:15, 800 @ 8:10), 17mi biking

Wed: 7 .0 Easy, 1hr Flex/Strength

Thu: Aborted strength bike workout, legs too tired

Fri: off

Sat: 6.0 Fartlek (1minH/1minE), 42.7 mi biking @ 19.7mph

Long May You Run!

Greetings on this last Sunday of summer. It def feels like fall here, but still no gloves, etc. despite some frost in nearby towns. Taking advantage of the great running weather, I completed another gold medal? week of 20+ actual running miles. Again the week included one set of b2b days, but also a pair of consecutive rest days after the legs felt a little dead on Monday. It paid off as things felt great during today’s “virtual” race (4th overall in a very small field). Life is good!

Sun: off

Mon: 54’ CR; body wt ex; med ball routine

Tues: off

Wed: off

Thu: 51’ runs (3); 16 oz curls

Fri: off

Sat: 52’ CR; body wt ex; med ball routine

Sun: 47’ runs (3); body wt ex

Best to most!

SCgal wrote:

Ditto on the gloves this week. We had our first frost warning of the season and we've had fires a few evenings to keep our cabin warm. The maples are bright yellow and red and should reach peak color next week. I'll have to break out the handwarmers soon.

Dhaaga - solid 5k even if you'd hoped for faster

Allen1959 - nice progress on your running and weight

OGII - have you had a steroid injection for your bursitis? it worked for me

Igy - early congratulations on your impending retirement!

My week: 37mi running, 60 mi biking

Sun: 9.0 Easy

Mon: 7.7 Easy, 1hr flex/strength

Tue: 7.0 Tempo (2 mi @ 8:20, 1 mi @ 8:15, 800 @ 8:10), 17mi biking

Wed: 7 .0 Easy, 1hr Flex/Strength

Thu: Aborted strength bike workout, legs too tired

Fri: off

Sat: 6.0 Fartlek (1minH/1minE), 42.7 mi biking @ 19.7mph

Long May You Run!

So far I have not had to do anything other than non-prescription NSAIDs and reasonable rest to fix my various overuse injuries. I injured my hip 3 weeks ago on my usual 6 mile hard trail run. A week later I thought it was minor enough to try a race effort 2-1/2mile uphill time trial. After that I knew it was a bigger problem and hoped that 2 weeks of easy effort would be enough healing to try a 5k time trial. Now I just need to behave myself long enough for it to clearly be healed enough for higher intensity running.

I do believe that I have a bulging or herniated disc in my lower back that ultimately will need more serious medical intervention, but I will discuss that with my GP when I have my annual physical in mid-October.

SCgal wrote:Sat: 6.0 Fartlek (1minH/1minE), 42.7 mi biking @ 19.7mph

It's so impressive to see your bike speeds. That's a heckuva ride. May I ask about your competitive history? Forgive me for not recalling if you've detailed it before. I also don't recall your age group.

dhaaga -- wow, a high-volume, high-quality week. I can't imagine attempting a virtual 5K or solo 5K TT. I struggle with 3-mile threshold runs.

Igy -- here's hoping you have opportunities to race as a newbie M70.

amkelley -- even in ideal conditions 40+ miles and 5 hours on the bike would be nice totals, at least from my perspective. I think 42 mpw was my 16-week average before my PR marathon. And no biking that I recall.

Charlie. -- lots of good info, but dunno if this old dog can learn new tricks.

Rtype -- interesting progression. For an 18-minute run, do you run down the road for nine minutes and turn around?

Old guy II -- It's impressive you'd even attempt a 5K TT. 5000m at race pace is painful -- can't imagine doing it solo.

LucKY -- Congrats to Coach LucKY2b, and to LucKY's nephew.

Old Farte -- Congratulations on the virtual race! Also, your week reminds me I need to incorporate upper body work. With four non-running days, I have no excuse. Well, lots of excuses, but none valid.

Thanks Allen1959. Keep up the good work, you’re getting there.

61.75 black male 6ft 145lbs

9/18/20 Friday 650am 1hr easy on treadmill.

6/19/20 Saturday 930am

13 x 40s @ 520-500min/mi with 55s float R @ 800-9min /mi 5min break 5min @ 7min /mi 10min WD

6/20/20 Sunday 715am 10 miler 838ave pace. Easy to moderate. Tempature 54 degrees with nice breeze.

Cheers to yall.

Allen1959 wrote:

Rtype -- interesting progression. For an 18-minute run, do you run down the road for nine minutes and turn around?

We have a section of paved greenway that has not been connected to the rest of it. So it is totally flat, isolated, and about 1.5 miles. I just go out and back. Otherwise, when I finally get some longer runs in I'll use loops around my house, and up to the cemetery (ala Ed Whitlock) where I have a .95 totally flat loop. Weirdly, the cemetery is fairly crowded with walkers.

Guess wrote:

61.75 black male 6ft 145lbs

9/18/20 Friday 650am 1hr easy on treadmill.

6/19/20 Saturday 930am

13 x 40s @ 520-500min/mi with 55s float R @ 800-9min /mi 5min break 5min @ 7min /mi 10min WD

6/20/20 Sunday 715am 10 miler 838ave pace. Easy to moderate. Tempature 54 degrees with nice breeze.

Cheers to yall.

Guess, you seem to do a lot of training on the treadmill. I'm curious why? I don't know where you live, and I thought weather might be the reason, but Sunday's 54 degrees sounds nearly perfect. Personally, "1 hr easy on treadmill" would drive me nuts even if I were able to run on a treadmill, which I'm not. Just wondering...

Until the gym got closed by coronavirus, I was running 4-5 times a week on a treadmill. Nice things about treadmill are: (1) I don't have to worry about the weather, (2) it's easy on my joints, and (3) I get to watch some TV (although usually without the sound).

All my running since March has been outdoor. Some on track, but mostly on paved surface in parks. Now I am checking the hourly weather forecast all the time to determine when to run. At least I no longer have to avoid heat, but the daylight is getting shorter. On the positive side, I can run by feel, although I always have to keep reminding me not to go too fast on easy days.

M: off.

T-SA: 7.1km.

SU: 8.9km.

This was a cut back week, and I tried to push the pace on Thursday (9:44-9:20-9:06-8:39) and Sunday (9:42-9:30-9:21-9:13-8:35). Thursday's run was 67 sec faster than Aug. 20 (including 11 sec faster for the final lap, and Sunday's run was 61 sec faster than Aug.30, including 10 sec faster for the final lap. So I consider both efforts successful.

thanks. good detective work. I'm retroactively pleased with the time -- challenging course IIRC and a fun event. --Dave

[quote]Rtype wrote:

Dhaaga: Nice 5K. I’s say that 5K is long! Oh, the Va 10 miler has more results up. In 1977 I see a 16yo Dhaaga going 59:44!

Easy to control not going to hard, no hills, safer when day light is a issue and softer surface. Just general good safe recovery. And I like it. And when I start to dread it I know I am going over my limit. But I love running outdoor more.

Cheers to yall.

Thanks, man.

We have a lot of chatter here about calves so thought I'd post this ...

https://www.podiumrunner.com/training/injury-prevention/calf-injuries-and-masters-runners/

I don't do much strength work but I do perform step-downs 2-3 times a week which I think qualify as soleus/gastrocnemius strengthening. They're tough and they feel great. The article suggests I should do more than 2 sets at a time, though.

Guess wrote:

Easy to control not going to hard, no hills, safer when day light is a issue and softer surface. Just general good safe recovery. And I like it. And when I start to dread it I know I am going over my limit. But I love running outdoor more.

I go back and forth on this. Galen Rupp does a lot of TM and so too, obviously, does everyone north of the 40th parallel. However, if you exclude my L.A. business trip where I was kind of confined to milling, I did just 9 TM sessions this year. I'm starting to think that maybe that time would be better spent on a gen-u-ine piece of cross training equipment, like a spinner or an elliptical.

However, the reasons Guess lays out for relying on the TM are all solid legit in my book.