When did you realize you were done racing competitively?

Senior year of college. I got last in my heat at the Olympic Trials. Didn't bother to cool down.

I think it comes down to passion for the process.

For me, at some point "real" training (every week doing track workouts, tempo runs, long runs, etc.) began to feel like a chore. I started thinking more about the trade-offs (i.e. missing a night out with friends so I could get up early to run, being too tired from training to go with friends, etc.).

I also started to feel like the guy who stayed at the party for too long. Specifically, I noticed in my early 30s (32/33) that all the guys I used to train with were gone, and I was running with a group that was 7 or 8 years younger than me. To me that was the universe giving me a hint that it was time to spend my time focusing on other things.

I still run almost every day because I love the activity, health benefits, and being outside. But, I don't have any desire to get after it training hard anymore. At my age especially (37), it is so difficult to coordinate any group that it would require me to go it alone or find a group 10 years younger and still chasing PRs. I'd rather do things my own way and spend my spare time with my wife, reading a book, etc. That's life.

Because I still run so consistently, my times have actually not slowed that much. The ROI on my training is much higher now.

I guess in this case, it’s good to think about runners like Shalane, who just won the nyc marathon at the age of 36...9 years after winning an Olympic medal on the track.

Age 43 ... I was still setting some distance PRs at 40, and was still close to those at 42. But somewhere before I turned 44, the wheels fell off and 8:00 pace suddenly became difficult to maintain. No big deal ... I had a good 30 year run before it ended.

I didn't want it bad anymore. I wanted other things more. Priorities.

Doesn't mean you stop running. Just re-arrange priorities to maximize your potential where it's greatest. Darwinian, really.

I was a D3 talent who held on at a major D1 program. Almost every day was like a race, because I didn't have the talent level of most of my teammates. I ended up getting hurt quite a bit in college as well, since I didn't let myself recover like I needed to. I was always just on the outside looking in when it came to making the travel teams. My coach kept me around because I "kept the talented guys honest" and was well respected by my teammates for my work ethic. Despite never making a travel squad and being hurt a lot, I still loved it.

After college, I got a job and starting coaching high school track. I kept training on my own or with the guys I coached (fortunate to have a couple future of D1 kids on my roster). I started training with a group at age 29 and started hitting PR's again. However, about a year later, I hurt my IT band. When I realized that it would be several months before I could train again (pretty much wiping out that season), I began to question how much more my body could take.

May coaching career was also,doing really well and I found much more satisfaction in helping the kids reach new heights than I ever felt in hitting new PR's myself. I got to the point where Imhad done as much as I could do myself. I didn't want to go through another rehab and gradual buildup when the reward just wasn't as important as it used to be. I then realized that I was ready to just be a coach and hobby jogger.

Looking back, I don't regret it. If I had stuck it out a couple more years, I may have gotten another PR or two, but the improvements would have been marginal and I would have made any big leaps. I also had other things going on in my life that I felt were more important. A few times over the years, I thought about gearing up again to race (especially as I got closer to 40). However, when I got that urge, I would read Running with the Buffalos and realize that I didn't miss it as much as I thought.

To the OP, whether you decide to give it up or keep going, examine the reason why you would decide one way or another. If you want to keep going, is it because you feel you have nothing to fill the void? If you decide to stop, will you regret it down the road? Good luck in your deicision. I hope you make the best one for you and your family.

[quote]LeverageandROI wrote:

I think it comes down to passion for the process.

+1

I raced for 20 years to low sub-elite standard, then at 33 moved house/job to an area not quite so well set up for nice training runs and company. It took about 2 weeks to realize that my enjoyable situation was what was keeping me going all that time (performances had plateau'd anyway) and I knew I was done. No regrets at all. Many more important things in life at that time. I have continued to run because I love it (I am 60) and I live in a great running area. I believe backing off has allowed me to be almost injury free my whole life.

Funny how I thought I was a running obsessive....until I saw others especially in the older ranks. To this day, I still don't get why some Masters are freakishly into their workouts.

After a marathon and half-marathon. I did PR in each but did not run the times I had trained for. It took six months for my legs to recover from each hard race. That was enough to convince me to learn to just run and forget the special training. What helped me let the dreams go was not running with watch. I haven’t warn a watch at all since, even when not running—10 years and counting.

theJeff wrote:

You don't quit competing because you get old.

You get old because you quit competing.

At least, that is what I keep telling myself.

But those injuries do mount up.

ITB syndrome is just a tight hamstring on a cambered, hard surface with a weak glute on that leg . Hamstring stretching, hip and glute strengthening. Run on grass.

I was sub elite level over 800m, never tried hard enough (so I thought). One day I was in a race against an Olympic medalist and he burned us off. I then disheartened got a job that required Saturday attendance and so I drifted from the sport, still jogged. Then got back into the sport 3-4 years ago, I had regrets that I never ran faster over 1500m. I tried getting in 800m shape first and my hamstrings just can't handle the pace. So I switched to 1500m-3k didn't work either, tried 5k, too far. And the body is always sore. Does anybody here just wake up sore, especially in the Achilles?

Through the years I've gotten to know a number of national class track athletes, and almost universally they all talk about when they can quit running with a gleam in their eye. You can tell that the stress of trying to make some money, avoiding injury, putting "real life" on hold really takes it toll. They all want to quit, to be able to gain 5 lbs without stress.

Then I see all my friend who would do anything to have that level of talent and opportunity to make a stab at it in the sport. I guess the grass is always greener.

NotPC wrote:

Through the years I've gotten to know a number of national class track athletes, and almost universally they all talk about when they can quit running with a gleam in their eye. You can tell that the stress of trying to make some money, avoiding injury, putting "real life" on hold really takes it toll. They all want to quit, to be able to gain 5 lbs without stress.

Then I see all my friend who would do anything to have that level of talent and opportunity to make a stab at it in the sport. I guess the grass is always greener.

I'm so thankful I was never an elite, or even a sub-elite. I was just a sorta- fast hobby jogger who loved the sport. I doubt I'd have loved it as much if I'd reached elite status. Running never has felt like a job to me, and I'm so glad for that. Running was and is a joy.