Has any runner, specifically masters become tired of running?

730 miles! Are you Dean Karnazes?

I am 65 and have been running for 50 years now. I was a modestly talented mid-distance runner in high school and college. I have been blessed with nothing more that a few short-term running injuries over the years. For most of my adult life I drifted around at the 30-45 mpw level due to work and family commitments. I have continued to race 5Ks, 10Ks, track, XC and the occasional 1/2 marathon on roughly a monthly basis throughout that time. My times didn't slow much from my mid-20s to mid-40s. Times slowed from 50 to 60, and now, in my mid-60s I am another increment slower still. However, I have always loved the energy and excitement of racing and seeing how hard I could push myself. It takes a certain amount of realism and humility to accept that your best efforts are going to produce a lesser result with each passing year, but I still love getting out the door almost every morning and the energy of toeing the start line of a race. Energy levels for training definitely are far more of a struggle now and the old body seems to resist high intensity efforts much more. But I still think about my favorite running quote from Juma Inkangaa, "The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare."

The enthusiasm comes and goes. I roll in long cycles of 3 - 4 years. I was into it from age 48 - 51, then backed off. Now a few years later, I've gone into the half marathon for this first time and the fun is back

Also when I was young, I was super pumped about running the mile from 9th grade to junior year of college indoors. Suddenly, outdoors I could barely get myself to finish a race, I'd had it. I hung up racing from age 21 - 24. The had a great cycle from age 25 - 32.

Don't sweat it too much. Take a break. Run 12 miles a week. You'll know when you feel like it again.

I started running seriously in my early 30s, quickly became a very good marathoner (3 times under 2:48), then got injured and never got back to anywhere near that level. 25 years later I still love running, even though I'm way, way slower than I used to be. I quit running marathons because I can't seem to train at that level without getting hurt, but I still run regularly when not injured and race up to the half-marathon, my favorite race. I can only manage a bit over 1:40 for the half-marathon now but that's still very competitive in my age group, at least locally. I think the secret to not burning out is to keep it in perspective. Even when I was good I didn't take it too seriously--I worked running around the rest of my life, not the other way around. Keep in mind that this is supposed to be fun--it's not a job!

So glad to know I am not the only one who wonders this! I am a 48 year old female, been running since the age of 16. Started running competitively during my senior year of high school. Ran with a club team in college, and improved gradually over the years, improving to just under 18 minutes for 5K, 36:42 for 10K. Slowed after the birth of my 2 kids, but the fire and desire was still there. Had a bad case of plantar fasciitis in 2009, and while I got over it, the desire to compete was gone. Now I only run the roads 3-4 days a week, no intensity. But, I have supplemented with swimming (4000 yds/week), pool running, and pilates 2 x a week, and I have to say I feel the most "balanced" in terms of my overall conditioning. My flexibility is back (can touch my toes), my sciatica is much improved and I noticed that my stride has come back (it had been shortening over the years). Wile I miss the glory days, I am happy that I can still stay pretty active, and I think this new routine will ultimately enable me to keep running longer, if I choose to.

I am 60 and I have run for 39 years and compete in shorter distances of 5-10K. I also have been competitively Cycling in USCF masters for about 30 years.

I think that the mix helps. I will concentrate on running in part of the season and focus on cycling in segments around some favorite events.

To be at/near the top of masters cycling requires nearly full focus and as always a bit of luck. I have managed to run weekly during the buildup of the cycling season. There is no substitute for sustained intensity in training for successful results in cycling. The trauma to the joints is less for a given amount of effort. Exclusively training high mileage or intense intervals for running seems to bring with it more trauma and possibly injuries.

I think that mixing it up helps keep it fresh and compliments each discipline.

I was not a runner in HS or college, but post-college had lots of fun running for about 30 years, with little in the way of injuries. Two years ago, at the age of 54, I had a flurry of health issues, resulting in several surgeries (melanoma, heart and knee) and in my efforts to get back into shape, I encountered plantar fasciitis for the first time.

Now at 56 I am struggling to find the fun factor. It doesn't help that I am 15 lbs. heavier and take longer to recover, but going from being able to run a half marathon at an 8:00 pace to struggling through three miles at a 9:00 pace takes a lot of the joy out of it.

Trails help, but until I am in better shape they require more of my fitness.

The hard part is convincing my body that it is better to run slowly and recover faster than to use too much effort to run what I still consider to be a ridiculously slow pace, only to have very little energy left for the rest of the day.

Running used to be my fun outlet and I believe that when I get in better shape it will be fun again, but for now it feels unnatural and difficult. I want it to be fun, but shuffling is not fun and neither is pushing hard only to run at what seems like a faster shuffle.

Hiking and biking have filled some of the hole, but they are not the same as running.

uninspired at 56 wrote: Now at 56 I am struggling to find the fun factor. Hiking and biking have filled some of the hole, but they are not the same as running.

I am 76 and have been running for 65 years or so, with rare injuries and steadily increasing success relative to my age group. As a youth I ran 5 miles on a hilly course in 27:30 and finished in the crowd. Two weeks ago I came within 27 seconds of a post 70 course record I set at 71 on a New England championship 10 mile trail race course.

I think the secret of my longevity is generally avoiding marathons and whenever possible doing cross country skiing, which I enjoy as much as I enjoy running though I am less competitive at skiing. The skating method keeps my aerobic conditioning through winters without impact on my knees or achilles. I also benefit from the advice of a Dr. Grace in Long Island who told me how to do Achilles stretches asymmetrically (down only). It totally eliminated all Achilles problems.

Not to be corny, but I find the anecdotes of others here to be pretty heartwarming. Folks are not where they were or where they want to be, but they still find a way to make there way in a sport that they love. Rock on my fellow mature runners.

I stopped racing two years ago. It funny because I was planning on cleaning up in the 60 bracket but then some recurrent but minor nagging injuries took some of the fun out of training. I still ran but haven't raced.

Truthfully, I don't miss it. Every now and then I start to train just to see what's left in the tank. But, whenever I have a good training run, I feel sore for a few days and lose interest again.

Mostly I just run for fun.

I can't stop running, it's what I do.

I've been running 41 years, starting at age 15. I was a very good HS runner, had an up and down college career and ran very well post-collegiately. When I do race nowadays, I generally place well.

I eventually realized that we all run for different reasons and for me, it's my way of dealing with stress. It makes my day better when I can get away and just breathe.

I still compete in xc and thus will suck it up and race and run workouts during that season (and sometimes over the summer), but the rest of the time, I just simply run. Although I've had some injuries over the years, it hasn't stopped me for long. I simply enjoy it. If I were chasing times, or wins, I think it would be harder to stay with it as I inevitably get slower.

I may still be terrified of the track (and it's all too apparent confirmation that I'm slower), but the benefits to getting out there almost every day make it easy to stay motivated. I almost always feel better when I run (or if I've been hurt, hike or aqua-jog).

I have my days but for the most part, daily running and training for the next race is just part of life. This is year number 42 of year round running. I really haven't accepted slowing down yet; I'm going down swinging!

I was able to run injury free for most of those 42 years. But the past few years there have been all sorts of setbacks. Everything from the heels, calves, hamstrings, hips, back... If you follow the 50's thread you know I'm almost always complaining about something going wrong. It's seems to be a challenge to just walk down the steps in the morning; Half the battle is getting to the starting line healthy.

I've told myself the past few years the time to step away is when I can't break 17:00 for a 5k anymore. I almost broke 16 as a 50 year old but struggled to get under 17:00 last year going just 16:46. I'll be 56 in three weeks. Feeling pretty good these days so I'm still hopeful.

So after 548 lifetime races I still believe I haven't run my best race yet...Maybe this year? I think a key to my longevity was staying away from marathons when I was younger. I have two friends I trained with back in the day. Both were 2:18 guys and neither one can run today due to serious arthritis issues in the knees. Seems to be some sort of correlation.

Long may you run...

Dave

well, i'm by no means a master, i'm in high school. but running is becoming less and less enjoyable- i like doing it but i hate competing. i want to run marathons or triathlons and continue doing yoga and surfing, which i truly love but never have enough time to do because of running. competing stresses me out and i don't think i've been happy for a long time, except on my long runs (leading me to think it's just the competition i don't like and the pressure). i plan on taking a break from competetive high school running in my junior year and maybe try a 10k or a half marathon- and from then on who knows... life is too short to punish yourself by doing something everyday you don't love.

Not tired of it, just finished.

PR range:

sub 2:20 marathon

29 10K

sub 14 5K

4:05 mile

similar relative success past 40.

late 40s everything broke down: metabolism, muscles, joints.

Some MDs offered everything from testosterone to HGH; I refused.

Now: I can only jog up to 40 minutes(if lucky) 4 times a week. Even with that, there is pain or fatigue. And, it is largely uninspired as my willingness to train in discomfort is greatly related to racing.

I will never compete again because I am unwilling to further destroy my body or "do things" to re-create ability.

Do I miss some aspects of my youth and outlier ability? Of course. But, there are things I have and enjoy now that I never had as a competitive racer.

If you are suffering fatigue, which is how my downward spiral began, beware of the possible ensuing injuries.

There's nothing wrong with just taking some time off and away from the sport. Yeah, if you take a year or so away it will take a lot longer to get back in race shape than you want, but that's part of it.

Maybe in stead of quitting competitive racing you just do some easy stuff like trail races and such where you're walking and hiking and there's not much stress on hitting certain times. No track work, no hard tempos, none of that kinda training needed, virtually no pressure to perform, just finish.

Then there's just hiking, or cross fit, or cycling- heck do all three! You could volunteer coach at a HS. That keeps you tied into the sport, but you'd completely on the other end of it.

But of course you could just quit for a year or two and divorce yourself from the sport completely.

high schooler feeling this wrote:

well, i'm by no means a master, i'm in high school. but running is becoming less and less enjoyable- i like doing it but i hate competing. i want to run marathons or triathlons and continue doing yoga and surfing, which i truly love but never have enough time to do because of running. competing stresses me out and i don't think i've been happy for a long time, except on my long runs (leading me to think it's just the competition i don't like and the pressure). i plan on taking a break from competetive high school running in my junior year and maybe try a 10k or a half marathon- and from then on who knows... life is too short to punish yourself by doing something everyday you don't love.

1) That would be a foolish thing to do. You only have 4 yrs to compete in HS. You have the rest of your life to do that other stuff.

2) Embrace your teammates and the team aspect. You will not have that after you graduate. Don't bail on your teammates and be an insufferable self centered puss.

3) A HS sophomore saying they haven't been happy for for a "long time" is pretty funny.

I hit the 45-49 age group and am just about ready to give up marathons. I have done 16 over about a 10 year period. The last three have been complete bonks after running some decent upper 2:40s when I first hit masters. Keeping up with kids makes it hard to hammer out a 20 miler Saturday morning. Work schedule (lots of travel) has made it hard to keep up consistent mileage. PRs are gone and age group wins are of no interest to me. I still like going out and chasing the young guys around, but I do not have the same drive I had when my times were dropping and work/family was not an issue.

I have tried doing low mileage and shorter races, but my aerobic engine is just so much better when I am running a lot of miles. I may have one or two marathons left in me. Mostly so my kids will have a good memory of me running a half decent marathon. After that, I really wish there was some other physical activity for me to do, but I really do not like working out in the gym and classes are all too expensive.

>I also benefit from the advice of a Dr. Grace in Long Island who told me how to do Achilles stretches asymmetrically (down only).

gglider, could you please describe this a little more (are you referring to heel drops)? My achilles has been pestering me for two years straight. (Get it healed up... then it goes again...). Thanks.