B. Lagat could be right on aging, speed and laziness. Age not a major factor in endurance events?

Look at the great Ed Whitlock. Seems like his endurance is excellent but his speed is not the same as it was.

Slower recovery and injuries probably play a much bigger role when you age.

VO2max declines from about 35-40 years and muscle mass starts to decline at about 50 years of age.

I don't think Lagat said that quote, but I think it came up in an article about them.

I don't think most of the message board laughed. I think it's true. Your ability in aerobic events doesn't decline that much. It's just that it doesn't get better, either. So if you train from a young age and become the 10th best in the US at age 28, you can really only hope to stay at 10th at 38. Is it really worth it?

In Lagat's case, he's a global medal contender at 26 so it makes sense that it being a medal contender might still be worth pursuing at 38. But for the second-tier US guys it's not worth it and naturally a lot of them retire by age 30.

Lagat HAS declined, it's just that when you run 3:26 you can lose a lot, move up to the 5k, and still be pretty competitive.

Age certainly is a factor, but it doesn't affect everyone at the same rate, and its not a linear thing.

Look at Haile. In his late 30s he was set world records, but now he's not quite able to perform at the same level. Although of course he still a better runner than most professional runners in their prime - but he's declined by his own standards.

I very much doubt whether Lagat will break any of his own PBs now and I don't suppose he believes that he will either.

There are certain measurable things that definitely change with age that you can't stop - testosterone production drops off for example.

Genetics is playing a huge part in his running longevity.

A Duck wrote:

Genetics is playing a huge part in my idiocy.

What's your name, kid?

Running sub-13 for 5000m is not purely an endurance event.

Everything, including Bernard Legat's performance declines with age. You don't see him running 3:26 anymore, do you?

In search of the magic formula

http://web.archive.org/web/20070722093736/http://home.hia.no/~stephens/torart.htm

Maybe speed fades with age because people stop doing speedwork as they get older?!!!!

I don't do any speed anymore. Thus, I've lost speed.

Maybe speed fades with age because people stop doing speedwork as they get older?!!!!

I don't do any speed anymore. Thus, I've lost speed.

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I think this is true but it seems the risk of injury goes up with age and speedwork.

If you are feeling pain it will slow down your speed. Not just physical pain either. Emotional pain can cause slow movement.

Taco Truck wrote:

Maybe speed fades with age because people stop doing speedwork as they get older?!!!!

I don't do any speed anymore. Thus, I've lost speed.

--------------------------------------------------------------

I think this is true but it seems the risk of injury goes up with age and speedwork.

One thing is certain - the biggest endurance killer out there is being injured for long periods of time.

Taco Truck wrote:

Maybe speed fades with age because people stop doing speedwork as they get older?!!!!

I don't do any speed anymore. Thus, I've lost speed.

--------------------------------------------------------------

I think this is true but it seems the risk of injury goes up with age and speedwork.

Why? If you are training properly, there should be no reason to get injured regardless of age

Exactly what I was getting at in my other thread discussing recreational running past one's peak.[quote]Hardloper wrote:

Your ability in aerobic events doesn't decline that much. It's just that it doesn't get better, either. So if you train from a young age and become the 10th best in the US at age 28, you can really only hope to stay at 10th at 38. Is it really worth it?

In Lagat's case, he's a global medal contender at 26 so it makes sense that it being a medal contender might still be worth pursuing at 38. But for the second-tier US guys it's not worth it and naturally a lot of them retire by age 30.

Based on my experience being 48 and having three kids, a full career, and still training and racing, it seems that cardio ability is always better than muscular ability, so I tend to agree with what's been said here.

I think that's true across the board for men and women as they age -- the cardio ability may be excellent, but there's only so much stress you can put on the muscular/skeletal system. When you're young, you can absorb these stressors easily.

The desire and motivation is there, but my muscles at this age just don't recover as fast, and you're therefore limited in the volume and intensity of speedwork that you can do week after week.

One thing is for sure: if you don't train strategically and smart, you'll get injured fast.

LOL. How many times have we heard this before? Doping athlete claims that there is something 'special' or different about his training/motivation/etc that explains why he is getting better while everyone else is getting worse.

Lagat is a dirty doper who already tested positive (despite Letsrun forced ignorance on the subject). Dirty leopards don't change their dirt spots.

Lagat's 2013 has been less than "stellar." Yes, he did run sub-13, but he is no longer a medal contender, which he was in 2012, because he has lost his most dangerous weapon -- his kick. Basically, you lose speed as you age, so athletes have to move up to distances where speed is not as important. In Lagat's case, he can't move up anymore. He's not a 10k/marathon runner and no amount of training will make him one. He really needs to retire. He can't really turn to the roads because paying road races are mostly 10k and up.

A Duck wrote:

Genetics is playing a huge part in his running longevity.

Who are you? I'm surprised you still post considering you were blown out and proven to be someone with a mental illness/pathological liar.

Please go away and never post again.

I think Jack Daniels is doing research on this (or may have published by now) He reported some preliminary results sometime in the last couple of years.