Ever been to the track on a really really windy day? You go around the turn and then BAM the wind just smacks you in the face and no matter how hard you push it and try, no matter how much you WANT it, you just can't run any faster?
That's what it's like as an old runner. Every. Day.
Another late 50s runner here. Never really stopped, but had some years of injury setbacks along the way resulting in a runners equivalent of punctuated equilibrium/decline.
Peak : 25 to 34. I could get reasonably close to PR shape from the mile to half marathon with 2 or 3 months of base work and a few weeks of speed. 5K was the toughest to learn (took a long time to break through and didn't PR until 27-28) and it was the first to go. At 32 I didn't "have it" for the 5K anymore, but PRd at 8K and 15K at 32-33.
Decline: 35 to 39. Lots of life changes and stressors but I kept running while battling some nagging injuries. Put on 10lb which I never really lost. Performance dropped significantly (10K slowed >3 minutes from age 34 to 39).
Masters boost and crash: 40-45 Bounced back strong and had some good masters years; never approached PRs but ran ~13 sec slower in the mile, 1 min in 5K, 2:20 in 10K, and 10 min slower in marathon (compared to PR). For the latter I did significantly less mileage. Had more nagging injuries, which took forever to heal.
Comeback and cruise control: 46-55. Lost a lot of speed, but ran competitively for age group. Enjoyed some great and fun years. Had to adjust training with less speed work, more endurance training. Otherwise felt pretty good most of the time, as long as I incorporated recovery and periodized the training. Had very little decline in this period. Higher mileage than since mid-20s (~2700 - 3000 miles a year).
Decline?: 56-59. Recovery is more difficult. Speed is very hard to develop or maintain. No spring in legs. Mile and 5K times have dropped off a lot in 2 years. 8Ks are torture; 10Ks more aerobic and not too bad. Hanging in there for 15-25K; marathons not terrible but only do those every other year or so.
Diet is HUGE!!!I tore my left ACL (as well as my meniscus) playing basketball for the second time 10 years ago. After high school, I ran, but only to stay in shape for sports, so it was just interval work once a week and the occasional long trail run. After the ACL, it has only been straight line activities. At 36, I thought I still had a young man's metabolism (you don't, not after 28-ish) and I packed on 15 pounds during the one year rehab that just refused to go away. Over the next 4 years, I started to get really down on myself for being old. At 40, my wife convinced me to start running seriously again, and to make it easier on my knee, I went vegan, in an effort to lose weight. Now, I've I have never felt better in my life. I'm 46 now, but feel better than I did at 35. The good food will lift your mood, you'll feel awesome, and in turn, you'll run better. And if you drink, just knock it off early in your life. The momentary lift from the booze isn't worth the damage it is doing to your system.
not too old wrote:
I'm not a vegetarian but I eat a ton of fruit and vegetables and avoid beef and fatty meats. I take fish oil but no other supplements, and use a lot of olive oil. I train hard and feel nearly EXACTLY as I did at ages 15/18/21/30. I am slower (sub-49/1:51 at 400 and 800 in college; it's tough to break 60 now -- but it FEELS the same.) Nutrition is a huge factor throughout life, and a relatively poor diet catches up to you at some point. A positive attitude is huge too.
I can't speak for the older guys but I'm 37 yes old and there are a couple of things I have noticed. I'm not as much of a runner as a sprinter and jumper. My main thing is surfing so my daily training is really only to aid in that. My recovery from activities such as running or paddling is about the same. However after a hard leg day which includes weights and plyos my recovery is somewhat slower. Not a lot, but slower. The other thing I have noticed is when I'm out with an injury the first couple days back either sprinting, plyos, or lifting (legs especially) are usually much more difficult than they would have been had I taken an equal amount of time off at 25 yes old. I can only imagine that 10 or 20 years from now it's going to be so much worse.
As far as how you feel, that's really up to you. If you live a healthy lifestyle there is no reason you shouldn't feel great for a very long time.
I'm 36. I quit running for a three year stretch in my early 20s, but I've basically run every day since I was 15. I did a lot of 100-125 mile weeks in my 20s and early 30s. I can still run 100 mpw (and do).
What is different? My hip arthritis comes and goes more (mostly comes, not goes), and I take any extra recovery day more often. Anything that requires top end speed like 200s hobbles me up for days. My average training pace is still about the same, but I take some days really slowly now. The biggest thing I've noticed is a rapid decline in my LT pace. It's also a lot harder to get motivated to race with kids, mortgage, wife, aging parents....basically, stuff I didn't have to worry about in my 20s. I still have time to train, but it's hard to "get up" to go do a race. I also drink more beer than I should because I'm not as worried about racing and being fit.
try-ath-uh-leet wrote:
fisky wrote:At 67, here's what I've found.
Injuries are a constant problem. They come more often and leave slower.
Healing takes longer, whether it's a paper cut or a hamstring pull.
Warm ups are a pain. I warm up like an old man... 12 minute mile pace and even that hurts with every step... not exaggerating... it hurts with every freaking step!!!@ It goes away after 15 minutes and some dynamic drills.
The above problems make it harder to stay motivated.
The emotional ups and downs of life are less pronounced. You don't laugh as much or cry as much. It's hormone related, but somewhat within your control. You just have to fight the urge to just zombie out at times and force yourself to do fun things.
Sleep seems about the same. I still need 8 hours.
Cold weather hurts... as in physical pain. I ran all winter in Omaha in 10-20 degree weather in my youth, but now when the temp drops below 40, I'm miserable. I'm even cold indoors in winter!
One bright side. Largely due to being a lifetime runner, I never noticed aging until after age 58. Sure, my times were slower, but I didn't notice anything else being different due to my age.
This is a good summary. I'm 58, and for the most part I "feel" like my early 30's, mentally and physically. Slower? Sure. Sex drive less? Yup. Can I play a rousing game of basketball? Nope. But the wisdom and perspective that come what age have value. The take away for me is that if you stay fit, there's a good chance - a very good chance - that your quality of life will stay high.
Early 60s. When I hit 60, I took much pride in my fitness and drive and feeling like I was beating the age thing. But early 60's seemed physically tough. I've given up on racing although I still look sometimes at my agemates times and know (well think) I could still do well if I was motivated. But I am not. Healthwise I think I do better not racing. If I have a race I can't help but train to hard for my age and risk injury.
The biggest change for me is philosophical. You start to wonder about the legacy you will leave. You want to make sure your life has some meaning and positive impact on others.
In the 50s you still think you will live forever, no so in the 60s. If there is something of value that you haven't done yet, you better get to it.
70. I've been running since I was 23.
I've learned to adjust. Gone are the 70-75 mile weeks and racing 20-25 times a year.
I run for minutes instead instead of miles. An hour is still an hour. Someone starts talking about slow pace and I tell them to get on going.
I run every other day. Days in between are either an easy walk with the dog or totally off.
I don't train with younger runners.
55 and don't read about runners my age because they have problems i just don't have
i'm just slow
i never was good so not a big deal
i think i'm young then see an old man in a passing widow
you know you are old the day so see a hot chick with her mom and you realize the mom is to hot and young for you
Great question, seriously. For me, as a 60-something, I noticed an almost imperceptible tiredness back in my early 40s - couldn't quite put my finger on it then. Over the years, that innate tiredness became quite pronounced; I could overcome it by pushing through, but w/ age I often succumb and forgo that run; however, I do still log the miles now that I'm retired. I get lots of stuff done during the day, and am religious about hitting the weights (heavy w/ low reps), and agree w/ the others about diet - nutrition catches up w/ you. But, I hike, run, work on projects, drink my share of beer, and enjoy growing old.
THIS, exactly, I just turned 50 in March and could write this exact same scenario.
50 yr/old wrote:
My qualifications - I'm 50, still run some, try for 4 - 5 days per week. I've put on a few since college days (160 - > 185), coach HS so I get to compare myself to HS aged kids fitness / training everyday.
Quick summary-
My joints ache, mostly knees.
It is often hard to get loose, the feeling you have after a good set of hill repeats or a mountain run comes far more often, even after only medium-hard workouts.
My range of motion is gone, especially moving outside of a linear plane (straight ahead)
Little aches, strains, tightness just seem to pop up. You'll be running fine and all of a sudden some little muscle will let you know it there
A good day off rejuvenates me and I most always have a good run/practice the next day.
I'm in bed the same amount of time but seem to sleep much lighter and wake far more often than ever before.
I will know what old feels like some time this year when my kid beats me in a 5k. I predicted it would happen in the spring of 2016 but my coaching has been too good.
I am getting older and always sore and SHE is getting faster and trains like a beast.
Yeah my 14 yo daughter has beat me at 5k the last two years. But she quit cross and I dropped her in a race last week. I know how that sounds. The desire to win doesn't go away with age.
11 yo daughter has run a 6:30 mile a couple times and just may start beating me as early as next year.
I quit running for 25 years so am just loving getting back in shape.
This is truth, Tomorrow you could wake up dead.
Conundrum wrote:
try-ath-uh-leet wrote:This is a good summary. I'm 58, and for the most part I "feel" like my early 30's, mentally and physically. Slower? Sure. Sex drive less? Yup. Can I play a rousing game of basketball? Nope. But the wisdom and perspective that come what age have value. The take away for me is that if you stay fit, there's a good chance - a very good chance - that your quality of life will stay high.
Early 60s. When I hit 60, I took much pride in my fitness and drive and feeling like I was beating the age thing. But early 60's seemed physically tough. I've given up on racing although I still look sometimes at my agemates times and know (well think) I could still do well if I was motivated. But I am not. Healthwise I think I do better not racing. If I have a race I can't help but train to hard for my age and risk injury.
The biggest change for me is philosophical. You start to wonder about the legacy you will leave. You want to make sure your life has some meaning and positive impact on others.
In the 50s you still think you will live forever, no so in the 60s. If there is something of value that you haven't done yet, you better get to it.
I had a very, very long layoff from running. I quit when I was 21, due to injury, and took it up again when I was 35. Between the ages of 35 and 42, I did pretty well, but at one point, my aging knee gave out. So now I'm a 48 year old plodding trail runner/hiker. Sure, I'd rather be competitive, but things could be a lot worse. I missed my 30th high school reunion, but I saw the photos, and almost everyone has tripled in size.
When you get to your 30s and 40s and beyond, whatever you do, stay active.
gettingolder wrote:
This is a legitimate question and one I'm surprised more young guys don't ask.
I'm in my 20s, but I've always wondered how I'll feel in every day life and in running when I'm in my 30s, 40s, and 50s. So I'll pose the question to those of you who are in those age ranges - what does getting older "feel" like? Do you notice your energy levels dropping? Does running become that much harder? Do you really require less sleep?
I'm 84. It's 1 a.m. I would like to answer your question but I can't find my glasses. (Great existential question: How do you find your glasses when you're not wearing them?) Oh wait, I am wearing them. What was the question again? Oh yes: the one never-fail test is awakening at 1 a.m. To go to the bathroom and instead logging on here.
Oops. Gotta go.
First you'll notice that your previous tempo pace is your new race pace, then that your previous easy pace is your new tempo pace, then that your previous easy pace is your new race pace, then that you run progressively slower and slower than you ever used to run at any point in time. Aging sucks, but it beats the alternative.
I'm 51... rowed crew in college, track in high school, started running marathons about ten years ago... PRed in Chicago last fall @ 3:03 so here's what if noticed so far...
Its hard to maintain strength, particularly in supporting muscles, unless you do some sort of strength training - running isn't enough. One benefit I find it easier to be lighter than 10 years ago since I'm actually shrinking.
Injuries sneak up on you. loss of strength, flexibility etc happen slowly, cause slight changes to your form as you compensate and then every so often you end up with one of the common injuries. Among my friends it seems that you become particularly vulnerable to tight calves & the knock on effect of Plantar, Achilles etc.
I agree about the loss of VO2 max but find for the longer distances I have been able to offset the effects with strength training, flexibility and weigh loss... 5K & 10K no doubt don't have the juice I had. It has been interesting running with my high school aged son. We have the same VDOT and he crushes me 10K and below and I crush him anything longer on similar weekly millage. Hope this helps!
The first thing I noticed was that recovery started taking longer. I used to do 3 hard workouts a week. Now I do 1.
Joint pain. When I run much longer than an hour, my knees and hips ache for the next 24-48 hours.
It takes more and more attention to diet to maintain the same weight. Also, I've added cross training to aid in both injury prevention and weight maintenance. I can't run for 2 hours a day anymore, but I can run for an hour and cycle for an hour. I fear that soon I'll be down to eating nothing but celery sticks just to maintain my weight. I really miss the freedom of being able to eat whatever I wanted without gaining an ounce.
It takes forever to get warmed up. I don't really run the first 2 miles of each run, I shuffle
them. Then things loosen up and I
actually start to feel like I'm running.
The numbers on my watch move a lot faster
now.
The good news is that, as bad as it's gotten, I look and feel a lot better than my inactive friends. All the effort to stay lean and active is worth it.
Not really old yet but the signs are there...
The main impact is general aches, pains and soreness. Its imperceptible at first but it just hurts a little more. Ignoring super fast stuff (perhaps 1500m pace and below) my capabilities haven't diminished significantly but it doesn't come as easily as it did. Those good days where it feels like you were born to do it happen very rarely now!
I've found that I after a break I can return to a decent level of fitness more quickly than before (say to 90%) but the haul to 95% plus is longer now. Performance levels have flattened out somewhat and, worse, it difficult to predict how well a race will go and whether you'll have a good day or not.
Rather than aiming to peak I've come to accept that the good days are in the lap of the gods so am happy to take any good performance, any time anywhere. Rather than training for a specific goal I train to maximise my chances of something good happening!
Longer recovery times, more aches and pains, more attention to diet to stay lean, more strength training to prevent injuries, and slower race times.
I've kept a fairly detailed record of my races, and looking at my times through the years is like watching my gradual death. At some point my old marathon race pace became my 5k race pace. Now I can't race a flat out mile at my old marathon pace.
Just staying lean and injury free takes A LOT more work than it used to. I lift weights 3 times a week and cycle 3-4 times a week to help keep injuries at bay, and my waistline down. The days of being able to do nothing but run are over.
Want some good news? I look better and have more energy and fewer health issues than any of my friends my age. Also, racing still feels the same as ever, just my times are way slower.
Totally worth all the effort.