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Too old for serious running? (Read 177 times)

jturnerr


    Hi everyone.

     

    Just wanted some feedback as, to be honest I don't  know anyone who takes running gas seriously as me and it would be nice to here thoughts from people who may have some experience with these issues.

     

    As some background, whilst I'm far pro even semi pro, I used to be what I would call pretty handy as a fun runner. At one point I was running close to 80Miles as week and have done Sub 35 10K in the past. My last training year was 2019 where I went sub 78 for half marathon and was still in the 34's for a 10K, even though I was more running 60MPW at the time.

     

    Then dreaded covid hit, at time same time as middle age. I was 36 in 2019 and 38 now. I still ran during covid but whilst every race was cancelled, the foot was taken off the gas - I'm not doing 14/16 milers every weekend for the fun of it!

     

    As 2021 and relaxation's with Covid hit, I was ready to get back in the game and start taking it seriously again. I know everything apparently really slows down after 40 so I would at least try to get a PB in the bank before inevitable decline. A bit of disaster hit as I needed a hernia operation before my local half Marothon not so long ago. I had the operation and by the time I could start training again, the race was 5 weeks away. I hit training hard and came out with a respectable just under 87 minutes on quite a hilly course.

     

    I'm now training for my local 10K, I'm not expecting sub 35's but in the 37's or so would be nice. But since the half Marathon I have  had no luck at all. My legs always feel like lead, I can't tempo run anywhere near 6:00 a mile anymore (more 6:20!) and most runs are coming it at more like 8:00 a mile than my usual 7:30 for the slower days. My quads just seem to ache all of the time even if I have days off. I feel like I'm running 80 miles pw week when I'm often running more like 40.

     

    Reasons for this:

     

    My weight has sky rocketed, I always used to be 11 stone dead. In 2020 it randomly started going up even when I was running close to 60 MPW, every week I got on the scales I started putting on a pound or 2. I'm now 12.6 stone - 1.5 stone more than my race weight! I have put on weight in off seasons before but usually it just falls off when I started training again, now it just seems to not budge - I'm barely drinking and am eating well, I really don't know how I can shift it

     

    Age - now 38 rather than 36!

     

    Mental focus - I don't know if, as I know I will never hot any PB's with my weight I have just mentally fallen out of the game, I always used to push myself to the brink I now don't know if I just don't have the mindset anymore

     

    Legs feel like lead - as above I just always feel over trained, even if I have 3 days off. My quads as I sit here ache, I stretch and foam roller them but nothing happens. I cannot do recovery runs anywhere near my old pace, I just don't "feel" in the zone anymore. I feel like I would expect a 60 year old to feel

     

     

     

    Next year I'll be 39, I really want to have one last scrap to get a PB, but with the weight and general mindset issues I really cannot see this happening

     

    Questions are - has anyone else gone through issues with weight/general slowdown before 40 - if so is there any cure? I don't want to give in now but I feel unless I can solve the issues now I am doomed for 2022 - I really need to fix the root problem's otherwise I'm going nowhere. Alternatively part of me thinks I should give this in as a bad idea and move on - as Rocky Balboa once said - Eventually, times knocks everybody out!

     

    Any feedback would be appreciated


    SMART Approach

      Your comments below likely mean you ramped up too fast and are overtrained. Did you ease back into training? You have to scale back and build some base with 90% of miles easy for 3-4 months. Get your body back. For next 2-3 weeks all runs should be painfully easy to recover and absorb your training. You are still young and will bounce back. You just need more patience and structure in your approach.

       

       

       

       

      I had the operation and by the time I could start training again, the race was 5 weeks away. I hit training hard and came out with a respectable just under 87 minutes on quite a hilly course.

      I'm now training for my local 10K, I'm not expecting sub 35's but in the 37's or so would be nice. But since the half Marathon I have had no luck at all. My legs always feel like lead...

      Run Coach. Recovery Coach. Founder of SMART Approach Training, Coaching & Recovery

      Structured Marathon Adaptive Recovery Training

      Safe Muscle Activation Recovery Technique

      www.smartapproachtraining.com

      CanadianMeg


      #RunEveryDay

        Get over yourself. There are a huge number of runners on this board who are over 40 and still running great times, still hitting PRs. I think you need to relax. Running has a real mental component to it and you are not doing yourself any favours by obsessing about hitting 40 and being too old. Listen to Tchuck and allow yourself some recovery. Think about why you run and find your love of running again because focussing on small details is making you crazy. Runners run and not every run should be a serious one. Good luck!

        Half Fanatic #9292. 

        Game Admin for RA Running Game 2023.

        zoom-zoom


        rectumdamnnearkilledem

          I set most of my PRs at 41 and was on the age group or OA podium at every race I entered (5k, olympic and sprint duathlons, gravel bike races) -- the same year I started having cancer symptoms. I expect that I would have continued to at least maintain those times, had rogue cells not F'd things up for me.

           

          38...pffft.

          Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

          remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

               ~ Sarah Kay

            You don't say for how long you trained hard but at some point the PRs *will* become much harder (and eventually impossible) to come by and it can make it hard to stay motivated for some people. That said, I ran all my "adult" PRs either at age 34, or from 38-44. And the one I set at 44 was 5k, which should have been one of the hardest to keep improving at beyond 40.

            Runners run

            John Wood


              Eventually you will get old enough to no longer PR, but  you are a long way from that age. My 5K and 10K PRs were just a few months back this July. I’m 66.

              Mikkey


              Mmmm Bop

                When I saw the thread title I thought you must be over 60yo!

                 

                Focus on getting down to 11st again and I’m pretty sure you’ll get back to 10k PR shape. And also consider marathons because if you’re up for 80 mile weeks then you should do well at that distance. 👍

                5k - 17:53 (4/19)   10k - 37:53 (11/18)   Half - 1:23:18 (4/19)   Full - 2:50:43 (4/19)

                jturnerr


                  Thanks for the feedback everyone.

                   

                  From this forum I'm thinking its probably just me then, I was expecting lots of replies saying that it got harden for them in their late 30's.

                   

                  Someone mentioned over training, maybe it's more that than anything, plus the extra 1.5 st I'm carting about,

                   

                  In response to Mikey Mike, I think a lot of it could be motivation. I was almost certainly at my biological peak I think (not including altitude training!) - My 10K record went from 36 , 35:30, 35:10, 34:50 over 4 years of hard training, generally conditions of the day (wind, heat) mattered much more than my performance by then. I really did just naturally stagnate around the late 34's, same in half Marathons around the 1:17's.  As someone with no athletic background this had to happen, but yeah it was much easier to go out everyday when you seem to get PB's every time you race like when you start!

                  jturnerr


                    I set most of my PRs at 41 and was on the age group or OA podium at every race I entered (5k, olympic and sprint duathlons, gravel bike races) -- the same year I started having cancer symptoms. I expect that I would have continued to at least maintain those times, had rogue cells not F'd things up for me.

                     

                    38...pffft.

                     

                    Sorry to hear about that mate, hope you are all fixed up now.

                    CalBears


                      Not sure what the real question is? Are you asking if you are going to PR until you hit 98 yo? Of course not. Are you asking if with age you are getting slower? Of course you are! (of course if all the components - like training load was the same every year) So, what was the question again?

                       

                      Come on! Enjoy running. Go for Masters (40+ age) awards, compete at your Age Group - just pick up a reasonably big event - NYC, Boston, Chicago, etc...) - there are plenty competitive (non-monetary) incentives out there. Stop whining...

                      paces PRs - 5K - 5:48  /  10K - 6:05  /  HM - 6:14  /  FM - 6:26 per mile

                      Fredford66


                      Waltons ThreadLord

                        I didn't start running until I was in my late 40's so I cannot speak to what happens during one's 30's.  For the past 6 years I've been setting new PR's, though I know the curve of training benefits will flatten out while the curve of getting older won't, and some day the two will intersect.  Even then, there's still age grading to see how older me compares with younger me.

                         

                        As to the topic title, nobody is ever too old for serious running unless you use "serious" in an ageist sense to imply that you can only be "serious" if you're young & fast.  There's good reason for age group results in race - so you can be serious about racing people your age.

                        5k 23:48.45 (3/22); 4M 31:26 (2/22); 5M 38:55 (11/23); 10k 49:24 (10/22); 
                        10M 1:29:33 (2/24); Half 1:48:32 (10/22); Marathon 4:29:58 (11/23)

                        Upcoming races: RunAPalooza (Asbury Park) HM, 4/6; Clinton Country Run 15k, 4/27

                         

                        Gator eye


                          OMG 38 years of age! My God man sit down in that rocker, your to old to run you’ll wreck your knees

                            As you get older you have to start setting different goals.   As an example, I'm 69 and no way I'll ever run a PB again because most of mine were set when I was in my 40's an one in my 50's.    But you have to think in terms of age group goals or a new PB based on our current age group and such.   Or slow down and go for a marathon.

                             

                            One of my best races ever was when I was 64 and finished 11th overall in a 45 mile race and beat my age group by over 1hr 30 mins (but my pace was around 12:40 per mile).   My point is, as you age and change, you have to adjust your goals and expectations.   There are plenty of great challenges regardless of your age.

                            Champions are made when no one is watching

                            Teresadfp


                            One day at a time

                              Hey, John, good to see you!