For me it was about age 58. Prior to that I was an every day runner. I could run interval 400s at 80 and tempo miles at 6:00.
For me it was about age 58. Prior to that I was an every day runner. I could run interval 400s at 80 and tempo miles at 6:00.
brofest2015 wrote:
All training really is, is breaking down your muscles and building them back up with recovery.
No it isn't, you're thinking of weightlifting.
many factors wrote:You don't stop running because you get old. You get old because you stop running.
Touche'. Thanks for that.
As I grow older, I do more and more of my training up hill. That choice prevents my performances from going down hill. I even came in first for my age group (over 70) in a national championship hill race.
At age 76 next week, I find that I am running 40 percent slower than I did as a youth but improving steadily against my age group. In trail races, I look forward to the up hills and dread the down hills where I am no longer nimble enough to maintain speed.
At age 40 I really started going down hills hard ( eccentric contraction )
46 and fast wrote:
brofest2015 wrote:All training really is, is breaking down your muscles and building them back up with recovery.
No it isn't, you're thinking of weightlifting.
No, running is a form of weight lifting.
55. I've been tremendously fortunate over the years, but the tweaks and twinges that were minor nuisances at best have begun to morph into something more problematic.
Age 40. In a Masters One Mile track race. Pulled hamstring insertion after a too fast first lap. Ce which was a big mistake. Major damage as it took over two years to settle down. Could never get previous fitness back.
[quote]T-Rex wrote:
. (should be) Finished race which was a big mistake.
different for everyone wrote:
It goes downhill when you get lazy. That can be any age, young or old. Really fast runners become really slow runners. Which is another reason why people shouldn't be so obsessed with this thing they call 'talent'.
Completely agree. I got lazy around 28 after spending a decade running 100+ MPW and lost the fire. After 30+ I was happy to just run 3-6 miles a couple times a week.
Comet59 wrote:
55. I've been tremendously fortunate over the years, but the tweaks and twinges that were minor nuisances at best have begun to morph into something more problematic.
Not there yet, but I have seen this many times. Running times will plateau around your mid-late thirties, but if you train smart and stay away from injuries (easier said than done when you are 40+), you can hang on there for another 10-15 years without losing too much ground, especially on longer distances. The fifities seems to be the point where times and injury rates shoot up dramatically for pretty much all master runners I know.
[quote]brofest2015 wrote:
54
Plain and simple, I could contend in races over 5 - 10K up to age 44. At which point I became a dad, stopped getting proper sleep, and no longer could contend.
Aging and running is different for different people. Some people's PRs will take a dive by their mid-30s. Some will keep going strong into their 40s. You begin to lose faster fibers (intermediate and fast-twitch) in your mid-20s, up to 1% per year, although high-intensity training can slow that down. VO2max starts dropping by your 40s and declines precipitously after 50. Your testosterone won't decline much, but your HGH will. Your connective tissue becomes weaker and more brittle--more than 53 million Americans age 50-and-over suffer from osteoporosis or osteopenia (low bone density). And your nervous system, which regulates all muscle fiber recruitment, definitely runs like an old computer in need of a reboot.
Aging is real. And its effect on running is real. Your performance doesn't decline because you're lazy--although it certainly will decline in those who are lazy in their training. And it doesn't decline because of your family and career, although those who train less because of their commitment to either of the former will certainly get slower. It declines because our bodies simply can't function as well at age 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, or 90 (or 100!) as they did at age 20.
But here's the thing: The best way to slow that performance decline is to keep training, making sure to include high-intensity work and some weight training and/or plyometrics. No one can promise you PRs in your mid-30s or 40s, but you can proceed knowing this: Not training will leave you much worse off than training. And you just might surprise yourself with what you're able to accomplish--and surprise yourself again with how happy you'll be with a performance that you might have considered mediocre at best a couple decades earlier.
Now, as for me, I was lucky enough to run well all through my 40s, actually up to pretty much the moment I turned 50. But right on the other side of 50, I got hit with two quick injuries. I thought I'd stepped into a pothole, but it turned out I'd stepped off a cliff. And I'm still in free-fall. Other masters athletes maintain well through their 50s. Some do extraordinary things in their 60s and 70s. But none of us ever run like we were 20 again.
I was still running sub-15 minute 5Ks up until 3 months before I turned 50. When I was out on a run, I felt ageless, like the clock had stopped, like I'd time-traveled back to the early 1980s when I'd joyfully log 90-100 miles per week. And then, in the middle of my run, my shoelace would come untied, and I'd have to find a bench or tree stump or large rock to prop up my foot while I tied it, because reaching down for it was no longer a possibility (not without pulling a hammy or straining some other muscle). That was age reminding me that the clock is always running.
Running is a journey without a fixed destination. So just settle in and enjoy it, wherever it takes you.
Pete knows. I'll add that if you look at the Age Grade Calculator, you will see the reality of decline for even the very best. There is no stopping it.
Some stay ahead of the curve for a while, but everyone loses the battle with age. Muscles and tendons get less elastic. Joint cushion breaks down. These things mean that you must take more rest, therefore less hard workouts. Then you get an injury and can never get back because you can't just bust out a few months of hard training to get back in shape. Each injury is a step down, that you will never rise up again. So try hard to prevent injuries, but you'll still get slower.
And, yeah, when you have a wife, kids, a career, a house, etc. running just takes a backseat sometimes and you make choices like going to your kids game instead of your usual run. If you are really dedicated, you go out at 9pm after they go to bed, but it is not the same kind of workout anymore. To some extent, you have to be even more dedicated to be consistent.
But you get used to the slow down and you make new goals each year and it can still be tons of fun.
Pete, you're an outlier of course, but your words of wisdom are appreciated, and great mantras. I particularly think of "integrity of the stride" when things are getting rough in a race. Good luck with those setbacks. I'll bet this isn't the end of the road for you!
30
I was never injured prior to the fall before I turned 30. Then my SI joint went, my hammies hurt, my pelvis was popping something fierce every time I moved, and my groin hurt. Then I found out I have a torn hip labrum secondary to degenerative joint disease and/or other connective tissue and arthritis problems. Haven't honed in on the exact diagnosis, but my body is way shittier than it should be at this age and it's not just from running.
Ghost of Igloi wrote:
For me it was about age 58. Prior to that I was an every day runner. I could run interval 400s at 80 and tempo miles at 6:00.
What kind of times were you running for different distances, 5K, 10K, HM, Marathon?
I'm 30 and the and thing that is holding me back is my back.
Also, this may seem like a dumb question because I mentioned my back, but how long can I expect to be able to squat what I do? I do reps at 225 and I've been able to do this for many years. When am I going to find myself not able to do this?
weightsq wrote:
I'm 30 and the and thing that is holding me back is my back.
Also, this may seem like a dumb question because I mentioned my back, but how long can I expect to be able to squat what I do? I do reps at 225 and I've been able to do this for many years. When am I going to find myself not able to do this?
Why have you been doing 225 for years? Something is wrong with your training if you've been at the same weight for years.
SoCal Pete wrote:
I was still running sub-15 minute 5Ks up until 3 months before I turned 50. .
Pete you're freaking me out.
I'm 48 and haven't slowed at all - just ran 17:15 for 5k, which is only 30 seconds slower than what I ran in high school.
I am indeed starting to feel I am immortal. Although I know I'm not. Sort of.
But the thought that it could all go pear shaped quickly is scary.
I'm only running 40-50 mpw, increasing intensity, lifting and so far staying injury free - hoping to ride this thing forever. #nomarathons