Yep, exact reason why I quit “competing” many years ago and took up casual lifting. Even stopped following my college alma mater (and all ncaa and pro running) that I ran for 20 years ago after records lists started to get obliterated with the emergence of shoes. People will complain that I’m whining, but it’s hard to watch less-talented, less hard-working runners sit at the top of those lists because of tech.
In any case, I stopped running because I suddenly realized how silly it has become lately.
This is ridiculous and if you're really as old as you say you are, you need to read "No Country For Old Men" to help you understand that your inability to accept that life changes and that the most unstoppable things are progress and death.
I ran competitively when I was young, got hurt all the time, had to settle for being better than most people my age, kept getting injured, and had to learn to accept that running was something I loved and to accept whatever my body told me to accept as far as my limits. It seems like a lot of people can't handle that their lives never led them to Olympic glory, but if you love the sport, you'll still love it when you're 54 like me and stop comparing yourself to kids in high school or college. Those kids will also learn what it's like to have their bodies fall apart and age soon enough. You should either regain your love of the sport, which has always been something for all ages, or find something else that doesn't remind you of your glory days and how they passed you by.
Thanks for the “life lesson” but what I said isn’t ridiculous at all and I’m not comparing myself to anyone. Nor am I constantly trying to relive my “glory days” (whatever that means). Don’t take it personally that I no longer compete in the local summer 5k.
Thanks for the “life lesson” but what I said isn’t ridiculous at all and I’m not comparing myself to anyone. Nor am I constantly trying to relive my “glory days” (whatever that means).
Hfgjj wrote:
...it’s hard to watch less-talented, less hard-working runners...
Maybe use your time to read a dictionary or something
Thanks for the “life lesson” but what I said isn’t ridiculous at all and I’m not comparing myself to anyone. Nor am I constantly trying to relive my “glory days” (whatever that means).
Hfgjj wrote:
...it’s hard to watch less-talented, less hard-working runners...
Maybe use your time to read a dictionary or something
Making a simple observation isn’t making a comparison. Maybe you should get out the dictionary.
Oh, who cares what the other people at the event think. Life is short. It's your life. If you enjoy training and racing, do it. Don't be so ridiculous.
It wouldn't be ridiculous if you were 105. A race is a race. You're meant to try to beat people.
You said you love it and it brings joy to your life. Why would you give that up?
I'd rather someone try to beat me fair and square than to jog it in and give me the win.
Look at races like the London Marathon. The age range is massive. No one cares.
You hate the fact that you love it? Just be glad that you can run.
To anyone else in the same situation - set some goals for yourself. And enjoy it!!
Up to mid-50s used to frequently scrap with decent high-schoolers, sometimes winning, sometimes losing. Never felt weird, and I don't think the kids did (they were 18-year-olds off to college the next year, so it wasn't like I was drafting of 12-year-olds). We were just enjoying running and competing with whoever was near enough to compete with.
I do still train seriously, but only race about three times a year in fairly major events (one an age group track meet). If it's a road 5k though, I'm just running as hard as I can and still racing whoever's around (I did have a 40-something say "don't draft off me, bro" in a $$$ road race last year though).
I had a number of months out and also quit strava in the process and yep, I've lost a lot of motivation. No desire to run the local roads which I've been down 100 times before. Also too much traffic, too many people. I do some of my runs on a dead end road now in an industrial estate... just jogging up and down in peace. It's boring as hell but no one gets in the way.
Still want to run 17 min parkruns but I've capped mileage at 30 as I just don't have the interest to do more.