2020 running plan, 50 y/o starting from scratch. Add .5 miles per day?

So by the end of the year you’ll be at 182 miles per day!

Stay hard!

Sounds like a recipe for disaster. Do a little more research to understand why beginner plans are what they are. Then follow a beginner plan.

Day 1.

.5 miles in 5:09

10:18/mi pace

Next update tomorrow!

Jdjdj wrote:

I'm 50 and haven't run much in the last decade. If I start today with a 1/2 mile jog, and add .5 miles every day, when do I crash and burn?

I currently lift 3 days per week. 5'6" and 155 pounds. Former military and HS wrestling/boxing background so I'm not entirely new to fitness. Plan is to just jog and keep HR low.

If I do this, I would be up to a 15 mile run on January 30th. Thoughts?

My thought is that you won't make it. What I would suggest, and have helped people do, is to find something like a four or five kilometer loop (or out and back). Then what you do is alternate running and walking segments. You keep doing that until you can comfortably run the entire thing. Then you keep running just that distance for a couple of weeks so you can build up some durability.

Then I'd think about adding distance. The rule is generally 10% increase per WEEK, but of course depending on how well you're built for running and how good your mechanics are, you may be able to go more.

I was in a similar situation last year (but 49). I did 15-20 minutes at 10:00 pace for the whole month of January, both to ease into the work, and to build a habit. I wouldn't increase by a half-mile per day, like you, just because it seems a bit much and unnecessary. But if you don't get hurt in the meantime, I also don't see the downside if that's what it takes to get you motivated.

What is your goal?

Da Jagoff wrote:

So by the end of the year you’ll be at 182 miles per day!

Stay hard!

... 13 days later you will have run a new World Record in 24 hour racing.

Keep it up. You can do it!

No. I'd say add .25 every third day.

It all adds up, and you don't want it to equal shin splints, or worse. If you are totally from scratch, make that every 4th day. The hurrieder you go the farther you will fall back.

Jdjdj wrote:

I'm 50 and haven't run much in the last decade. If I start today with a 1/2 mile jog, and add .5 miles every day, when do I crash and burn?

I currently lift 3 days per week. 5'6" and 155 pounds. Former military and HS wrestling/boxing background so I'm not entirely new to fitness. Plan is to just jog and keep HR low.

If I do this, I would be up to a 15 mile run on January 30th. Thoughts?

Stupid plan. Progression is not linear. You’ll learn by spring.

So you've designed your training plan to guarantee that you will crash and burn? Dumb idea. Good luck with that.

Jdjdj wrote:

I'm 50 and haven't run much in the last decade. If I start today with a 1/2 mile jog, and add .5 miles every day, when do I crash and burn?

I currently lift 3 days per week. 5'6" and 155 pounds. Former military and HS wrestling/boxing background so I'm not entirely new to fitness. Plan is to just jog and keep HR low.

If I do this, I would be up to a 15 mile run on January 30th. Thoughts?

You won't make it past 10-15 days. The body needs a day to recover/rebuild from a hard bout of exercise, sometimes longer when you're over 50.

I'd suggest that you go out for a couple of miles, alternating running and walking. Take the next day off. Then, repeat this hard day easy (off) day routine until you can run 2 miles nonstop. Then, increase your distance. Once you're up to 4 miles nonstop, you can replace the off day with an easy 1.5-2 mile run/walk. Then, make one of your 4 mile runs a 6 mile run once a week. If you look at beginner's training plans, they look something like this, although most will bump up the mileage on the run days a bit faster while keep the off day until your run day is over 6 miles.

Your approach would put a lot of stress on ligaments and tendons that grow much slower than muscle. Your form would start breaking down as your mileage increased and you would get injured.

Dude that will not work, that's just not how the body works. Would you lift and say have half a pound ever day you lift?

Weeks1-2: 2 min jog, 1 min walk alternate for 30 min every other day

3-4: 3M slow jog 5x during the week

5-6: keep the 3M runs, add a "long" run on Sat of 5-6M

For the next 3 mo you don't need to do anything more than slowly add a few miles AS YOU FEEL more fit.

Around the 4 mo mark you can start doing hill reps/ fatleks stuff like that.

Pick up Pete Magill's 5K book and start with the 12 or 16 week plan to run your best 5k. You'll achieve improved fitness in the process.

After you've run your first 5k, build on that accomplishment and continue to improve your fitness.

I predict that you will crash and burn after about ten days or so.

Good Luck!

You may want to rethink your strategy. A little too aggressive.

Day 2.

I mile in 9:41

Phone says average pace 9:44

Thanks for all the comments. I agree that the plan is not the smartest. Part of why I am attempting it is because my both of my D1 running children are home for break and they are betting against me (like all other smart posters in this thread). It is just a fun thing to get me out the door and see how it goes.

I have a high degree of confidence I will be able to get to 5 miles on Jan 10th.

I say it is 50/50 that I get to 10 miles on Jan 20th.

I give myself only a 5% chance of getting to 15 miles on January 30th.

This challenge is only for the month of January. I will walk some of the mileage whenever necessary. My main injury concern would be the return of PF which I had for over a year in my early 40s and that sucked. If I feel it coming back (or really have any injury symptoms at all) I will abort the challenge without hesitation. Thanks for all of the input!

Next update tomorrow!

Someone needs to stick this thread on the main page for the year.

I started back running at 54 after a long layoff and would recommend the run/walk method with the goal of sustained running for 30 mins, 5-7 days a week. This is good for basic fitness. (If you want to progress further, read what I wrote

below)

Then as others have said, focus on 2-3 key days where you are running 45 mins to 1 hr. that will morph into your speed work and LR day.

Then the LR day, increase by 1 mile/ 10 mins every two weeks to where your long run is at least 1:30- 2Hrs.

I followed this type of plan and am 60 yo now, running 40-50 MPW and lifting weights 3 times a week too, and am running pretty well injury free ( with a few short injuries over the last 6 years).

Also, the lighter you can get (body fat wise), will help your running and help negate impact forces on the joints.

I have found that a LR every week, and a V02 max workout of 8-12 X400 @ 2mile - 5K pace with 1 min jog rest keeps me fit and is enough to avoid injury and race 5K-10K pretty well, and even do ok at a half Marathon.

I have also done some short hill workouts like 8-10 X 30 seconds @ 5k effort, or just a hilly 1 hr. run, or long intervals like 1200s @ 10k- Half Marathon pace with 1-2 min jog rest,-as a third key workout, but have to watch it as to not go into the injury zone.

Sometimes I'll just alt. these type workouts with the 400s every other week, without a third workout in the mix. This is less risky on the old body and gives me a variety of paces to work at.

I'm not as fast as the other runners on the boards, but enjoy competing still and usually can place in my age group. Just listen to your body and back off or take off if you need to. Staying away from the edge is the best way to still run well and remain injury free, IMO. Good luck! :)

"My 2 D1 running children. " Sure buddy. Throw away the rest of your eggnog.

I picked up running again 8 months ago, after some 8 years of total break from the sport. Started with Lydiard's advice to run 15-30 minutes every day, then add the minutes (not miles!) by the feeling. Now running 75 mpw, still building up. Longest runs are 13-14 miles. I'm 45.

So to your question.... you stay at it for 2 weeks max.