Don't tell me that increasing your mileage when getting back into shape isn't key especially for old guy 40 plus

It all depends on whether the shape you're getting back into is about running really far or not.

"Aerobic" has nothing to do with any of it... you don't need a high o2 rate running long, and you don't develop one. You may think so because of other factors like weight loss, but no.

The thing most key for an "old guy 40 plus" to back into shape is staying injury free for substantial blocks of time. Whatever that takes is what you have to do.

My experience for what it is worth. I'm 46, run all but 2 or 3 days each month, average around 75km a week, but sometimes closer to 100, when work and family permit it. I do calisthenics in the park (pushups, dips, leg raises, squats, etc — mixed in with laps — I work on muscle endurance) on easy days (most days). My workouts are hill sprints, stairs or long hill repeats (500—1000m), usually once or twice a week. My longer runs are 90—120 minutes, though this week I already did 3 runs of 90 minutes, trying to get volume up.

I haven't had even a minor injury in four years. When I feel something off, I just run slower.

By standards here I'm big and lumbering and slow at 6 foot, 175—180, but I'm built heavy (I was a nose guard in high school) and would have to run 100+ a week and stop eating to get much lighter.

KAV wrote:

I'd say if anyone is really interested in finding out on how to deal with training/racing as you get old have a go at Fast Over 50 by Joe Friel who I am sure you know. who he is...

Volume doesnt help you that much as you get old as you are losing a bit of aerobic capacity every year, like a clockwork, and then there is the elephant in the room - risk of injury. Intensity on the other hand does.... but hey what does he know....

I know Joe and a long time ago ran for his team when he had a running store. I've read many of his articles but haven't read his books but he's well respected.

that's a long base build up........ wrote:

When I was 49, I spent the whole year running as many miles as I could. Ended up with a little over 3,000.

When I was 50, my only concern was speed and keeping my legs fresh. Raced 37 times and ran faster than I had in 5 years. Ended up averaging around 35 miles/week. There was only one race I ran both years and ran 1:30 faster for 5k.

A lot of guys say, "hey, I cut my mileage and see what happened, I got faster", but based on your handle I assume you think that the long base build up made it possible to do harder workouts the next year and then you progressed?

For the people who have been able to handle more miles as they get older without getting injured, is there something you do specifically that you feel has helped you do that? Core workouts, replace shoes more often, rest days, foam rolling, etc.? I would love to get my miles up, by my body seems to breakdown as I get higher.

- Nunky

Ca$hclay wrote:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQCU36pkH7c

Fact, you need miles to handle sessions. You can't just venture outside outside after running 20 mpw with 3 sessions a week and expect to kill it. Yes, some people can pull a Rodger Bannister, but most of us need some sort of volume. OP is not saying go on a mega miles a week binge, but you need to do a respectable amount. Most pros aren't doing 30 mpw ,so l can't believe some of the responses. You have to run a reasonable amount of miles to achieve success, and he is taking about doing that in slow increments, like adding a mile or so to each of his runs(7-10 or so mpw) he is also doing workouts.

I'm quite a ways from 50, so can't speak from the experience of some of the other posters on here. But I am doing more miles than I used to, and having more fun and feeling better doing it. These are the three things that work for me.

Replace shoes sooner. As soon as I start feeling something (it's usually in the knees or the calves) I think about getting a new pair. For some shoes this is only around 300 miles, others get 4 to 500 still.

All non-workout runs done via HR. Makes it super easy to keep cruising around and the body just feels fresh afterwards. For me, this is mid 130s. At the highest. I often spend a good portion of the early part of the run plodding in the 120s. It's nice on the joints.

No schedule. I used to get tied up into a workout on Tuesday or Wednesday and a long run (sometimes with workout mixed in) during the weekend. Now I just do the run I feel up for regardless of the day. Sometimes 3 easy days go by before a workout or long day, but sometimes 7 or more days go by with all easy running. Short workouts on Sunday and long runs on Tuesday happen, and it's totally fine. Today I did a moderate tempo run. Yesterday included a few strides. But I had to look, the last fast day before that was Thursday the week before.

Oh, a fourth. I do the lunge matrix sequence before every run. And a couple times a week I'll get the bands out and do some sideways walks and other stuff for the hips.

Nunky 96907408 wrote:

For the people who have been able to handle more miles as they get older without getting injured, is there something you do specifically that you feel has helped you do that? Core workouts, replace shoes more often, rest days, foam rolling, etc.? I would love to get my miles up, by my body seems to breakdown as I get higher.

- Nunky

This is probably why there is no hard and fast program, where one size fits all. Each of us has to figure our own way, but that said I think you can see what others are doing and go from there. So good question!

I do core workouts or SAM for my hips, but not as consistently as I should these days. A few times a month over the past year or two, compared to 2X week for nearly a decade. I do feel better when I do those.

Shoe replacement, not really. 500 miles for my workhorse trainers, light trainers 300-400 miles. I generally run in 3 pairs over a week, rotating more or less the heavier trainiers and running the light trainers for workouts (usually 2X a week).

I plan on 2 rest days a month, but just had 1 in July and 3 in August.

Rolling or massage 2X a month. Massage works better but I have to drive nearly an hour each way and it hurts like hell so I maybe get in 6-8 sessions a year.

Run on soft surfaces. If I could I'd do 80-90% on trails or gravel roads. But living near an urban area it's more like 50%. I still make an effort to make half of my running or more on softer surfaces. I do some trail running, less technical anymore, but still some rocks and cobbles. Slows me down but said to be good for the ankles and all.

2 easy recovery days a week, like 8:30 - 9:30 miles, for 45-60 minutes. And that's usually it for those days (no doubles).

doubles several times a week, even when I'm at moderate miles overall. Breaks up the effort and at the end I'm less tired doing 2X 30 to 40 minutes compared to 70-80 minutes continuously.

Keeping workout efforts fairly moderate. Leave the harder running to race day.

Two recovery months a year. Usually Dec-Jan and either late spring or early summer. Take off 5-7 days and then 3-4 weeks of mostly easy running, maybe a weekly set of pick ups to keep flexibility and economy.

This advice I like! Makes a lot of sense.

Nunky 96907408 wrote:

For the people who have been able to handle more miles as they get older without getting injured, is there something you do specifically that you feel has helped you do that? Core workouts, replace shoes more often, rest days, foam rolling, etc.? I would love to get my miles up, by my body seems to breakdown as I get higher.

- Nunky

I am 69 and will be 70 before the end of the year. I have been "running" about 50mpw on average this year. I ran 20:10 for an accurate road 5k earlier this year. Like Cavorty, I am more towards the fast twitch side of the distance spectrum (51 second 440 in college). There are several things I have done to stay healthy and keep my mileage up. I actually run 3 days a week. These runs usually are about 75 minutes and around 8 miles with one hard threshold effort, one moderate threshold effort, and one easy run. On the alternate days I walk 7 miles with an 80-150M stride each half mile, which takes me about an hour and 45 minutes. I figured out several years ago that even easy run pace was not giving me enough recovery between runs, but walking does, and is about the most running specific non-running exercise. I also do some light core and strength work a couple of days a week. Sundays I go by feel. Sometimes I run long, sometimes I get on my bike and sometimes I do nothing.

My philosophy is that threshold work is the most productive and least injury risky training for me. It builds capillaries and mitochondrial density which are the foundation of endurance fitness. I don't need any speed work beyond the strides for racing in the 5k to 10k range where nearly all of my racing is.

We each have different strengths and weaknesses and the key running well as you get older is to really listen to your body and figure out which pieces of the well-know training approaches work best with the limitations advancing age places on you.

Smoove wrote:

Dufus wrote:

Some of us aren't willing to break too bad, or go for surgery, so balance means something different.

Agree. I was reciting a bit of a cautionary tale, highlighting the potential cost of added volume, as much as anything.

After going all out for running for many years, I finally realized that life is short and all the injuries I got to shave a few seconds off my mile PR and dominate my age group were not worth it. At this age, with a job and a family, very high mileage was making me too stiff and tired and weak on the upper body as I did not really have time to do much beside a bit of basic stretching and core maintenance. I was probably pretty close to as good as a runner I could potentially be, but underperformed big time at other activities that are meaningful for me like playing soccer, tennis, swimming, rock climbing or hiking.

Now running is 3-4 times/week for a total of 30-40 miles; the other days I do other sports or hit the gym. I lost 30 seconds in my 5K time, but I am stronger all around and can play other sports without embarrassing myself. Totally worth it.

We are not talking hi miles, just 60 or 70 and you are almost there with 3 runs.

Get out of here wrote:

10 miles a week??? And you do workouts?? You need miles BRO!?.You need strength.

Not everyone is slow twitch. Mileage isn’t goi g to work for everyone, some people really do just respond better to low mileage and HIIT.

Very impressive times at the age of 60+. What are your life time PRs?

Its not like you get to choose, adding miles is all you can do in the beginning. You can't bust out workouts with an older cobweb body. Having said that, its also true higher intensity workouts would stave off your decline, maybe even temporarily improve, as you're declining if that makes any sense. It just comes down to if you don't use you lose it.

Turned 41 in April and just ran my best half marathon after increasing mileage from about 40-70 per week to 70 to 110 miles per week for 24 weeks.

For several years (started running in my late 20s), I could not run under 1:25. Last week, I ran 1:21:30 on same course as last year where I ran 1:25.

Several 100 mile weeks since April, almost all easy miles, Two weeks before the 1:21:30, ran a 5k race at a slower pace than the half due to fatigue from the higher mileage. Rested 3 days before the half (just a few easy miles each day) and felt like 6:15 pace was pretty easy.

Im no expert and obviously not very fast, but I think the higher mileage (mostly easy) has helped more than anything I've tried over the past 10 years. I guess nothing happens in a vacuum and I have done some repetition training over the years. I'm sure that helped too..

Nothing super.

If you believe in altitude conversions then 4:25, 15:15, 31:45, and 1:11 for above distances.

If you don't then 4:31, 15:34, 32:12, and 1:13

I've had the good fortune of aging healthy I guess (my friends in the 50+ forum say it's all genetics). Good diet. Live high train and race low, and I've zeroed in on a training system that works well for me.