Anyone else completely injured decades later from running high mileage (100+ mpw) in college?

Yes!!!!!! Excessive high mileage can cause injury and or lifelong aches and pains. This is called "Wear and Tear". If you stressed your body for a long period of time there will be wear and tear, it's unavoidable. You can however still enjoy running if you're smart about it. Cross-training is an absolute must. You can still satisfy that competitive burn and the feeling of a great workout by incorporating other forms of exercise and the combination thereof. Go run 3-4 miles at a manageable yet challenging effort and then jump on a spin bike for 15-20 minutes riding at a brisk effort. You can also incorporate some core work in between intervals on the bike. Rowing is another great workout that can get your heart rate up. The key idea is that you don't need to run 50-60 miles a week at 40+ years old. Knees, ankles, hips, and back will breakdown, not to mention those nagging lower leg muscle strains.

You're not 20-30 years old anymore, accept the fact that you're older and can't push your body the way you use to.

I ran high miles on high carb in college. I was in worse shape than you are now when I was 30. Gut was ruined and arthritis everywhere. Now, in my 60s, I can run as much as I want with zero pain or injury, never even a sniffle anymore when I used to get seriously ill every flu season. 100% carnivore diet now.

"It's the inflammation, stupid!"

BUTTHOLE SURFER wrote:

Yes!!!!!! Excessive high mileage can cause injury and or lifelong aches and pains. This is called "Wear and Tear". If you stressed your body for a long period of time there will be wear and tear, it's unavoidable.

WHERE is the proof of this? Or is it just made made up? Injuries are the wear and tear, not mileage.

I am 38, I was not high mileage but did a lot of circuit training and steeplechase in college. I did about 60-70 miles a week from 10th grade till senior year of college. Now my left knee hurts after a single run and I have struggled with plantar fasciitis for 8 years

Not just high mileage but intense running.

I ran mostly 50-60 mile weeks.

But it was hard training and the intervals were fast.

I was a miler.

Achilles issues.

I kept running off an on but the injuries linger to today, almost 50.

No, stopping didn’t cause the injuries.

The running did.

The good masters runners seem to be the guys that weren’t great runners in their twenties.

The top runners in their twenties are mostly broken later on.

YMMV wrote:

I ran high miles on high carb in college. I was in worse shape than you are now when I was 30. Gut was ruined and arthritis everywhere. Now, in my 60s, I can run as much as I want with zero pain or injury, never even a sniffle anymore when I used to get seriously ill every flu season. 100% carnivore diet now.

"It's the inflammation, stupid!"

Don’t b*tch when you have a heart attack.

What is your height/weight?

the High Mileage Story's Injury wrote:

I ran for a high mileage team for 4 years.

We did 90 - 100 mpw during cross country season, and 120+ for sections of summer training.

I'm on the backend of my 30s:

- I can't walk without both achillis making loud popping sounds

- My knees are shot

- My foot gets injured within a few weeks anytime I try to take up running 3-4 miles a day

I'm hoping things don't keep getting worse.

I'm wondering if this is normal? I guess it beats getting CTE from the college football.

Nope I'm still at 8 years later and I feel no worse for the wear. I think the workouts are harder on the body. The only difference between now compared to early 20s in the speed as gone some. I do have teammates who have had injuries that lasted although I think some of that is from not taking care of them and rehabbing.

I also think it helps me that I am generally on the smaller side compared to my college teammates. I'm 5-9 or 10 and only 130-35lbs. Most of the guys who have had injuries were over 6ft. But most of the guys are still running recreationally fine although a couple older than me are still at but have had surgeries. The only injuries I've had from running were imbalance issues, no bone or tendon/ligament issues since college.

Running high milage for many years will reduce elasticity. That's why the best age groupers often started running late in life or to extensive breaks. You only have so many years at the top. Also since you have been running a lot your cardiovascular system is most likely getting back in place much quicker than your muscles etc

Ran about 40 per week in high school. 60 per week in college with a lot of speed work. About 5000 miles per year for nearly a decade after with marathon training. Injury free during most of this time. By 40 was running only once or twice a week because of knee issues and biking the other days. Now in late 50s and competing in Triathalons. A couple of years ago went to a PT who specializes in athletes. PT has me doing stretching and exercises that help fix imbalances that built up from all the running I did early in life. Now running 3 times a week and biking the other days. Spend 4 hours a week with stretching and exercises but able to walk and run mostly pain free. Go see a good PT and get a routine for you. and Get a chiropractor that does art (active relief treatment) to help with any acute pain.

seriously just take up weight lifting

I agree - I think it was the hard intervals in spikes that created the lower leg problems for me. Once all the calf micro-tears started piling up and calcifying, the calves and achilles have not been the same.

Sitting at a desk for 25 years wasn't helpful either.

Get a standing desk, today. Try to maintain your range of motion and athleticism. Exercise every day. I do a lot better when I'm running every day and adding lifting, cycling, swimming, etc. Some days it might be a 10 minute run, just to loosen up.

Good luck.

ElCap wrote:

YMMV wrote:

I ran high miles on high carb in college. I was in worse shape than you are now when I was 30. Gut was ruined and arthritis everywhere. Now, in my 60s, I can run as much as I want with zero pain or injury, never even a sniffle anymore when I used to get seriously ill every flu season. 100% carnivore diet now.

"It's the inflammation, stupid!"

Don’t b*tch when you have a heart attack.

Meat doesn't cause heart attacks. Even the pharma-driven agencies like AHA had to back off from those ridiculous claims.

My CAC score is zero, bloodwork is perfect and my recurrent serious A-fib was reversed after being plagued for a decade in my 40s and 50s as a "plant-based" high-carb sucka.

The biggest hurdle is to have the discipline and desire to get off the sugar-go-round that high-carb runners are addicted to. Skinnyfat cereal-and-ice-cream shovelers (as I was) with bad guts and achy knees will go to their graves rather than exclusively eat the proper human diet of meat, fish and eggs.

I ran high mileage, high intensity at a D1 school in the 90s. We were always burnt out and never rested. The few who survived without injury continued running in their 20s including me. I never stopped into my mid thirties. Then I ran ONE marathon and could never run again. I have tried everything. Now I'm in my early 40s and I walk and lift. If I dare to jog, I get crippled lower back instability and can't even walk straight for 3-4 days. I've had MRIs and they can't find anything.

Contrast this with my teammate. He stopped running and partied throughout his 20s. In his early 30s, he gradually started running again. He's fine and running great and I'm the cripple.

the High Mileage Story's Injury wrote:

I ran for a high mileage team for 4 years.

We did 90 - 100 mpw during cross country season, and 120+ for sections of summer training.

I'm on the backend of my 30s:

- I can't walk without both achillis making loud popping sounds

- My knees are shot

- My foot gets injured within a few weeks anytime I try to take up running 3-4 miles a day

I'm hoping things don't keep getting worse.

I'm wondering if this is normal? I guess it beats getting CTE from the college football.

My training in college was very similar except that I ran a bit more in season. Most athletes on the team ran less, so I was often free to back off the pace when I needed to. I'm in the front half of my 30s and my body is great. I went back to base training upon all my races being cancelled and am doing ocassional 15-17 mid week runs, which I haven't done since grad school/before I started working and hitting paces I haven't in a long time. I think I might pr this year if I can ever get in any races.

To answer your questions, your story is not normal and you should seek out medical analysis to solve your issues, especially with your feet. It almost sounds like you could have a diet problem - that or you're just starting out way too hard.

bhuity wrote:

I ran high mileage, high intensity at a D1 school in the 90s. We were always burnt out and never rested. The few who survived without injury continued running in their 20s including me. I never stopped into my mid thirties. Then I ran ONE marathon and could never run again. I have tried everything. Now I'm in my early 40s and I walk and lift. If I dare to jog, I get crippled lower back instability and can't even walk straight for 3-4 days. I've had MRIs and they can't find anything.

Contrast this with my teammate. He stopped running and partied throughout his 20s. In his early 30s, he gradually started running again. He's fine and running great and I'm the cripple.

I have heard both sides of this over and over again. A good example is Pete Magill (used to post here) who quit in his twenties and partied for a good while before returning as a master and set many American AG records and is still running well in his 50s.

It's in the hole wrote:

Tiger concurs.

https://www.thescore.com/pga/news/1972751/tiger-running-pretty-much-destroyed-my-body-and-my-knees

Isn't tiger the one who used to do his runs in combat boots because he though he was a special forces guy?

you sad, sorry, deranged old fogie..

Consider that you likely have poor running biomechanics. I did about 20 yrs of 80 to 100s and regular 140 peaks and everything is just fine. Of course I'm a biomechanist with good form.