Recovery for older runners

I try to elevate my feet and legs after a hard run. Even 10 minutes seems to help.

Drink water, lay off the artificial drinks and booze

Try to get at least 8 hours of bed rest at night and go to bed at the same time

Make easy runs real easy

Calisthenics to improve my overall strength, agility, strengthen my ankles, etc.

I'm in my mid-30s, so I'm dealing with similar issues. Here's what I do differently:

1) Longer cool-down! Even after my "easy" runs, I'll make sure I jog at a very very very easy pace for at least 400m.

2) Drink water first! - before I even start stretching, I chug 2-3 cups of water

3) Eating - I take half a cup of whole milk with some nuts and maybe a banana right after I'm done with the water, so at most 10 minutes after I'm done running

4) Stretch while eating - I really take my time to stretch, like a minimum of 10 minutes of slow stretching

5) Cold shower - after I'm done with my actual shower, I spray cold water on my knees, hamstrings and calves for about 5-10 minutes

6) Put on compression calf socks for 2-3 hours

7) Continue stretching lightly throughout the day, and chugging water

I'm never sore the next day, although I do feel glycogen depleted and weak in my legs following a hard day.

Nutrition: vitamin C + vitamin B complex.

Recovery: stay active instead of bed rest.

Pretty much like any age. I know a 56 guy who does 2-3 hours of strength training per day (2-3 times per day, one hour each time). He doesn't train for anything, has no personal life and has plenty of time.

He recovers very well. May be the genetics, but how much?

All of this sounds like an awful lot of effort and sacrifice to still run slower than you used to.

I'm 49 and the foam roller is my friend. Easy days are really easy, and I do body weight exercises, especially for quads and hamstrings to avoid knee issues. If you are really tuckered out, substitute a recovery run with the elliptical.

I am 66 and a high 19s-low 20s 5K guy. I got myself a Garmin 235 with heart rate function for Christmas last year (I trained 20 years ago with a heart monitor but hated the chest strap). I found that even though I was running around 10:00/mi on my easy days I still was running too hard based on HR for good recovery. Apparently I run inefficiently at that pace and still had a heart rate only marginally lower than at mid-7s workout pace. I now have gone to brisk walking (~14:30/mi pace) for 60-90 minutes on my recovery days. With walking recovery days I am more consistently back to 3 workouts a week of one short intervals, one long intervals and one tempo/long tempo. Easier easy days allow for higher quality workout days for me.

I like to get into the pool after a hard run for about 20 minutes of very easy swimming. That helps a lot. Also making sure to eat protein and carbs and hydrate pretty soon after any hard workout.

formerD1 wrote:

I'm in my mid-30s, so I'm dealing with similar issues. Here's what I do differently.

Mid 30's? Thanks for the chuckle!

If you need 60g of whey and gatorade it means you are low on calories. Eat more real food. I'm not going to go to much into why you do not need that much protein and how drinking that after a workout may impact your ability to rehydrate and reload the glycogen into your muscles. Do your own research.Also, if you are not recovering from workouts, it's because you are running too hard. Slow down.

fisky wrote:

For me, the biggest limitation on my training as a result of advanced age is recovery time. (Injury is a close second, but that's a topic for another time.)

Does anyone have any tips on how to speed recovery so us older runners can squeeze more quality workouts into our training?

After a workout, I mix about 60g of whey protein with about a half liter of Gatorade. It helps me get through the rest of the day without a nap. Whether it actually helps recovery is a subjective yes for me, so I'll keep on doing it.

going in a different direction on this reply

Last marathon cycle I dumped the 7 day week and went to a 9 day micro cycle putting 2 recovery days between each hard session. Day 9 was an off day. I was able to increase my monthly mileage and stay fresh with fewer off days. My easy days are very relaxed with the soccer mom crowd and my hard days I max out. And an ice bath after the long run.

old mid-D wrote:

I am 66 and a high 19s-low 20s 5K guy. I got myself a Garmin 235 with heart rate function for Christmas last year (I trained 20 years ago with a heart monitor but hated the chest strap). I found that even though I was running around 10:00/mi on my easy days I still was running too hard based on HR for good recovery. Apparently I run inefficiently at that pace and still had a heart rate only marginally lower than at mid-7s workout pace. I now have gone to brisk walking (~14:30/mi pace) for 60-90 minutes on my recovery days. With walking recovery days I am more consistently back to 3 workouts a week of one short intervals, one long intervals and one tempo/long tempo. Easier easy days allow for higher quality workout days for me.

Very interesting. I had my first hard day of the year on Tuesday (5x800 at current 5k pace) after mostly aerobic work this spring, and yesterday's 'easy' 6 miler at just under 10 (ok let's call it 10) was anything but easy with HR in upper range of zone 3. Granted it was a little hilly, but if I didn't have to get back for a soccer game, walking was looking pretty attractive. And maybe I should have.

protein lol wrote:

If you need 60g of whey and gatorade it means you are low on calories....

That's a guess. I checked the container and it might be more like 40g some days and 60g on others. The part about not getting enough calories made me laugh.

I understand that a high protein mix might slow the ability to rehydrate, but "slow" is a relative term. I just drink another 20oz Gatorade on the drive home so that should dilute the mix a bit.

Some good ideas here.

More sleep.

Not a big fan of straight Gatorade; I dilute it to 2 parts water to one part Gatorade.

I recommend ice baths as soon as possible after a workout.

I also chuckled at the mid 30 YO chiming in. All a matter of perspective I guess.

- Running 6 days a week. One workout, one long run, other 4 days are easy.

- Swimming once a week for about 30 min. (The day after the long run.)

- Very easy on easy days. (1+ min slower than MP.)

- Lifting twice a week. Some core works 4 times a week.

- foam rolling, active stretching, icing and compression sleeves.

- 30 min massage one 3-4 weeks.

- Chocolate soy milk for recovery drink. Tart cherry juice on the day of long run.

- Electric stimulation with heating pad 2-3 times a week.

I am 51. I ran 65-70mpw from January to April with a 2 min marathon PB at the end of April. (I am hoping to cut another 2 min by December on a similar schedule.)

Really depends on what older is in your case.

I didn't experience "older' until age 40. It took me 5 years to figure out that recovery was something other than what I thought it was.

Slower paces on my easy days

Total days off

Using the HRM to dictate paces. Not by feel. Because I didn't really know how I felt. I thought I did, but turns out I didn't.

One hard day a week. A race or time trial or tempo run or intervals. Each week I had to choose.

+1 to more sleep

http://www.fastcompany.com/3057465/how-to-be-a-success-at-everything/why-six-hours-of-sleep-is-as-bad-as-none-at-all

This guy has you beat. He's 27.

"How a lifetime of running changes you"

http://www.vox.com/2016/3/25/11290566/running-lifetime

+1 again to more sleep

Nine hours a night is sometimes not enough. I try to get in an hour-long nap.

.. Back Story: Ryan Vail [NYC 2013 2:13:23], Runners World, March 2014, page 18.