Too Old to run (Read 591 times)

I started last fall right after I turned 65.  I did too much too soon and had to slow down.  But I did that, sloooowly increased my distances and I've done eight 5K races (the last 6 I've run the entire distance).

I had bursitis in my right hip about a year and a half ago which was healed and that hip started bothering a little after I started running.  I did some research and found  a couple of good exercises to do and that has got the hip soreness solved.

My right knee has suffered 2 traumas: one when I was 16 and one in my mid-fifties.  I did need a knee surgery to fix the last one.  I remembered some the PT exercises I did to get my knee working right after the knee surgery so I started doing those again and now the knee is feeling good.

This spring my left thigh started acting up with some mild muscle soreness.  I notice it the most when I first stand up after sleeping or sitting for a long period.  Once I start moving it feels fine.  There's a couple of pieces of advice posted here that I'm going to follow up on for that:  1)  get a roller and use it after I run.  2)  get a recommendation from my LRS for a PT who knows about aches and pains that runners experience and schedule an appointment.

It is a bit of a balancing act for older folks like me to run and keep everything feeling good, but it is achievable (and I am doing more now at this age than I ever imagined I could do).

Hang in there.  It's worth the effort.

Jean M.

 

Totally agree!!

ACHood:  awesome advice and strong support here.  Keep us posted.  I'm 53, female, and prefer trail running, still incorporate walk breaks during training and in races, and LOVE seeing 'older' runners flying by me on technical courses, but most gratifying for me is passing 30/40 yr olds, PRICELESS!!

Speaking of priceless, I'm 58, and yesterday I ran an 8-mile hill climb, 2000' feet of elevation gain, and BEAT a relay team comprised of 4 teenagers up the hill. Six years ago at the age of 52 I was 40 lbs over weight, completely out of shape and felt old. Today at 58 I'm probably in the best shape of my life and feel younger than I did at 52. It's been a lot of hard work and a few injuries to work through to get here, but so totally worth it. The road from old and fat to fit and feeling younger starts with the first step, and there's no quitting along the way. Just do it.

Nobody has mentioned Ed Whitlock yet!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Whitlock

I met Mike Fremont, age 91, who ran the Knoxville Half Marathon in 3:04. http://www.runnersworld.com/races/mike-fremont-91-finishes-knoxville-half-marathon-304

Too old? No, don't think so.......btw, he sure didn't LOOK 91.....didn't look even 71! Maybe he has found the fountain of youth and it is running coupled w/ a vegan diet.

Check out the age group results for the Honolulu Marathon.  Some guy in the 80-84 age group ran it in 4:00.02.

 

Once again, how old is too old?

I think I'll set that as a long range goal.  Check the sub-4 group in a couple of decades!

There's a whole freakin' user group here made up of people too old to run.  Bring your ID and check it out.

 

Gotta go.  It's 3:30; time for dinner.

Going on 7:30 ... yawn ...  night'all

There are plenty of older women runners in my running group who started their running career late in life yet still kick ass. Don't get discouraged. You can do it. Just take it slow and be patient. I guarantee you will improve. Every run might not be great, but try and learn something from it. Analyze the conditions and the environment to try and explain your poor performance. On a similar note, when you do have a good run, try and understand why you ran so well that day. To that effect, I highly recommend you keep a running diary so you can document your progress.

Good luck and keep on running. For inspiration, there is a runner in my group who started running in her 50's and has just completed running a marathon in all 50 states!