Older Runner Guy wrote:
I realized that marathons were beating the crap out of my body by age 20. For most people, it appears to take 30-40 more years to reach the same conclusion. In my case, running plenty of miles, plus sprint training, post-60, without arthritis or needless aches and pains.
Absolutely. I'm only in my 40s, have run a dozen marathons, and am seriously questioning how many more I want to do. Even in the absence of any physical problems like arthritis, how long do you want to keep putting your body through that? Even if I still could train for and race marathons at 60, I can't imagine still WANTING to.
With each passing year, the idea of becoming a 5k "specialist" (ha!) has increasing appeal. Limited weekly mileage, no need for long runs, no excessive recovery time, seriously reduced injury/overuse risk, and you can race one every week.