What does getting old "feel" like?

I'll turn 60 next month. For me, it's an accumulation of injuries. Right now I'm battling issues that started with an injury in college. And in order to keep running, I have to stop making the stupid mistakes.

I do feel weaker now so have started lifting again (squat, bench press and stiff legged deadlift).

When I was 50, I was doing great in terms of running. I did my all time best in a 1 hour run and in a 50k. I had a heart attack at 55. The result of that (and the 2 year decline that preceded it) was that I no longer could run 16 miles in 2 hours. 14 however was still manageable.

Sex is still good - generally twice a week or so but occasionally consecutive days.

I'm probably happier now than I have been for years, maybe ever just because of family life, success at work, improved perspective on life and being married to a fantastic wife for almost 30 years.

Any signs before the heart attack?

Fifty.

Pure physical: injured more easily, slower to heal and flexibility/range of motion never quite return to normal. I also know my limits better, so I rarely get sick.

Competitive spirit: I care less about winning. Not just because I can't, but because it doesn't seem to be so important anymore. I feel much more triumphant if one of my kids does something well than I ever could (now) over a personal athletic accomplishment.

It still feels great to be in shape, which I am very occasionally -- usually when I have an unusually light load at work for an extended period.

Stress kills, and the only way I can truly avoid it is to work less, so there's a good chance that I'll cut way back (maybe to 20 hours/week) starting at 55. Aging means having more money if you play your cards right. Use it to live well.

It's the build up of injuries from 20+ years of running that gets you. It feels like when you are younger and injured but most of the time.

Then getting married you sit in a lot more and you are not going to watch a film without having a snack.

That said I can still go for a run if I want just not do hard training and mentally am much happier than when I was younger. I was having a good time but it was all superficial.

I'm almost 38, so I can tell you only what the beginning feels like.

Being tired.

I turned 60 2 months ago. I have not been running seriously now for about 18 years, no real injuries, just body refuses to cooperate. but I think that's just me.

I set my running PBs in my late 30s, early 40s, though that was more related to running a bit smarter than I did when I was younger.

I am now a fairly hardcore road cyclist for the past 7 years. Did Triathlon for 3 years but the running was a chore the whole time, which was frustrating as it had been so natural for me, then I got asthma, so that was that.

I know quite a few elite runners around my age, who have taken up road cycling, less impact and wear. We don't see a lot of people who were running well in their 20's still hammering out there in their 60s.

I must have good genes, because I can still do fairly hard training on the bike, but I take naps now, which I never did.

These days, Strava is my competition.

agip wrote:

I'm upper 40s...

I'd say DON'T DO MARATHONS and your chances of feeling good into yoru 50s goes up by a lot. Why rip and tear you muscles like that? It's not necessary.

I strongly agree. Marathon training reduces your range of motion, increases injuries, and places your immune system in a chronic state of stress. You can probably get away with that under age 50, but an impaired immune system has been linked to a lot of major diseases of seniors. In my circle of age 55 and up friends, nearly half of the serious distance runners have major illnesses. In my circle of track friends of the same age, none have major illness. It's a small sample, but still, it's another possible reason to avoid marathon training as you get old.

I just don't agree with this "young legs" idea.

I raced in high-school; I raced in English club competition for about 20 years, track, x-country and road racing; came to the U.S. at about 38 and won a lot of local 5ks; and have carried on to current age, 58.

I have competed in the National Masters several times, and my age graded times are better than my peak years, and at distances from 1500m to 10k.

I was never a big mileage runner, but was always a high intensity trainer (probably a bit two much).

I've also found no real drop off in heart-rate over the last 12 years or so (didn't wear a monitor often before that). It was 170+ then and the same now. I think it's probably because I've always maintained intensity, particularly some sprinting - 3 or 4 flat out 50-60m before a track session, and then often 4 x 100m afterward (can still shade 15 sec with a rolling start on a good day).

I'm 42. In my mid 30s I had time for a pretty serious regimen (running 13x/week consistently, about 80mpw). At that time I ran high 16s, mid 34s, 4:40 for the mile, and while I didn't do any serious sprinting I hand-timed myself around 13 just messing around on the track.

Two things have happened since -- because I have a family, there isn't as much time to train. I get in 1 run a day when everyone is asleep. So I'm down to singles with 2 track workouts and a long (~2hr run). My mile times are as good (actually slightly better than) my earlier efforts on the age tables, but my 5k times have really taken a hit from my reduced mileage. I'm about 5 flat/low to mid 18s now.

The other thing I've noticed is that I have much less raw speed. I can barely break 15 in an all out sprint now even though I can hit 33 or so for reps on the track.

old man and the sea wrote:

A new one wrote:

Lifelong runner here. Age 48. Had major heart attack this year, so went from being fit enough to win age group in small road races to celebrating the fact I am alive and can run at all. Getting older means increased risk of chronic disease which can trump all the other aging issues mentioned in this thread.

Runners are pretty aware of their bodies. Did you have any signs before the heart attack.

Had lost some weight and picked up my training. Was feeling good until about a week before. Warning sign was indigestion in the days before. Unstable plaque ruptured and caused 100% blockage just like that. When you are young and don't have classic risk factors like me you might not have many warning signs. On the subject of this thread, this hasn't stopped me from running but it certainly impacted how fast and far I can run.

I'm 37. Work out 5-6 days a week. Run 20-40 miles a week. Lift 3-4 days a week. I don't get injured. My morning are stiffer than they used to be but that started in my late 20s. I out run, out ruck, and out lift 99% of my fellow soldiers who are 10-20 years younger.

Alan

I'm 71 and have been running and racing for 57 years. I've only been injured once, with PF. Things start going downhill after about 40 and the downhill really starts to accelerate after about age 65. Check out the age group results from any race and you'll see what I mean. Statistics show that the more serious loss is in speed so I work on speed a lot, more so now than ever. Also strength drops off quite a bit so I work out at my gym on weight machines and the BOSU ball. Recovery is a real puzzle. I'm still trying to figure that one out. I'd like to run daily but I can't do it if I'm concentrating on speed sessions. I'd say that about every other day is my limit, based on my current program. Fad diets are baloney. Eat normally. I'm tempted to try a minimalist approach, i.e. "race yourself into shape" whereby I would only run a few miles during the week but race every weekend. That might help with the recovery problem.

You nailed it! I'm also 67 and running since a soph in HS. Just can't stay injury free at this age. Hardly any speed work, just distance and Steady State (Now called tempos) stuff. If I can stay healthy for 4 consecutive months, I'm still able to knock off a 21:xx 5k, but those instances are getting fewer an farther between. Goal at this point is to always finish in the top 10-12% in any race I run. Motivation/desire/competitiveness still there, just that the old body can't take much of this stuff anymore.

It ain't so hard. If your running goals ain't happening once you're in your 40s, you just hop in the car, gas up, put some rockin' tunes on, put the pedal to the metal and MAKE your dreams into your reality.

Life is like a big bunch of ripe, sweet grapes dangling right in front of you, bro... brah... bru... bree, whatever it is. Ya gotta go for the gusto and grab them grapes.

Just make sure they don't have chip mats when you do it.

MRossi wrote:

It ain't so hard. If your running goals ain't happening once you're in your 40s, you just hop in the car, gas up, put some rockin' tunes on, put the pedal to the metal and MAKE your dreams into your reality.

Life is like a big bunch of ripe, sweet grapes dangling right in front of you, bro... brah... bru... bree, whatever it is. Ya gotta go for the gusto and grab them grapes.

Just make sure they don't have chip mats when you do it.

Try posting when you are sober next time.

Consistency in sucking your own dick has been the key Alan .

Congrats !

Why did you join the Army at such an advanced age when you still had so much to offer the world of athletics ?

Bravo !

Bravo !

Boston wrote:

51- I have no problems getting older, its been a hell of a ride so far and I ain't done yet.

I'm 10 years younger and that's how I feel.

Great thread! Long time lurker but never posted before. I have been enjoying this thread so much, I felt I should contribute.

I am 47 and am amazed that so many other older runners here have experiences similar to mine. I echo the main themes. The minuses: longer to recover; injuries come more easily, so you get paranoid about pushing yourself; weight gain comes more easily; first few minutes of the daily run hurt like heck all over but then that (usually) goes away.

But the plusses: you learn to REALLY appreciate a good run and are thankful to still be able to run at all; you look a thousand times better and are in obviously way better shape than other people your age and really up to about 10 years younger; and with age comes a more mellow perspective on running and life in general, which is nice. Running is still probably my source of pleasure in life other than my partner and I dread the day when I will not be able to run any more.

I never thought I was fast - never ran competitively - and maybe this is more a reflection on how out of shape others my age are, but I consistently finish right around the top 10% of my age group in the few organized races I do (which is not many - too much drama. crowds and $; I'd rather just knock out 10k or 13 miles on my own and be done with it). Except at my company's annual 5k, where I am always # 1 overall, literally by at least a couple of minutes (in a 5k!), and # 2 is usually a co-worker's kid half my age - easy to forget that most of the world is made up of slow non-runners who don't know what they are missing.

I didn't know there were so many of us olds here. Nice.

HR Max wrote:

I'm 71 and have been running and racing for 57 years....

...Statistics show that the more serious loss is in speed so I work on speed a lot, more so now than ever. Also strength drops off quite a bit so I work out at my gym on weight machines and the BOSU ball. Recovery is a real puzzle. I'm still trying to figure that one out. I'd like to run daily but I can't do it if I'm concentrating on speed sessions.

At 67, I can relate to this. I started lifting this year and started to attend a lifting class 3x/week about two months ago. I did this because I seemed to be losing raw speed. Is it helping? Not yet, but I expect it to pay dividends after 6 months or so.

I agree recovery is a puzzle, maybe the biggest puzzle of all. I can kill a workout if I go super easy for 3-4 days, but I can't maintain fitness only running twice a week.

As far as injuries go, I can't remember running without some injury. I'd probably have to go back 10 years to find a time I was injury free for longer than 6-9 months. Injuries just get a lot more frequent after 55.

I personally think the key is to quit distance running entirely and get in 2-3 intense workouts per week that are either intervals short tempos with some pure speed occasionally.