So, I ran cross country in high school. I kept up jogging casually for a few more years, but eventually got out of the habit and, other than a couple brief abortive attempts, didn't run for at least 15 years before I started up on the treadmill a year ago.
I was going through some old high school papers tonight, and discovered that while most of my CC times (5K - mixed roads and trails) were the 24-25 minutes I remembered, my PR was a 22:28. I can't fathom going that fast now. Then again, I'm creeping up on 30 minutes now, and I'm still 50+ pounds overweight, so maybe I can get back there?
Just wondering if other folks have "comeback" stories to inspire me...
I ran track till my sophomore year, and didn't run for another 33 years.
No comeback story here. But I have a "never been there" story.
Didn't run a step until I was 38, having lost 40+lbs just prior to starting. Couldn't go 50 feet without
feeling like I was going to keel over.
But I haven't stopped for the last 14 years, got hubby involved (he also lost 40lbs and BQ'd
on his first try) and now together we travel the world doing marathons (or at least we are working
on it).
I ran a 5K PR of 25:27 the week before my Ireland marathon, he ran a 21:00 minute PR.
Nope not all that fast but not bad for 50+ folks who never raced until their 40's.
You can do this!!
Are we there, yet?
I had only a four year break, but when I came back I was blowing away my HS PBs after two months.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
Now that is inspirational! Though the Mooathon was pretty inspirational too!
I ran xc, but it was more like run club. So no break, just started later in life.
I ran track in high school. My best 800/1600m times were 2:02/4:38. I did not race anything longer than 1600m in high school, so I don't know what my 5K time would have been. I ran occasionally in my 20s, but did not run for almost 10 years between age 30 and 39. When I got back to running, it was very hard for me to run 2 miles at a 9 minute pace. A few months later, I ran a 10K at an 8:44 pace.
I have now been running for 2 1/2 years and my PRs have plummeted. I have lost 25 pounds, but I should lose another 15-20. I don't have the same mile speed I had in high school, but all my times have improved dramatically. My PRs since age 40 are:
Mile: 5:27
5K: 20:02
HM: 1:32:39
2013 goals: 800m: 2:20 | mile: 4:59 | 5k: 18:59 | 10k: 39:59 | HM: 1:32 | Marathon: 3:20
Six year gap for me. I was a very average runner, barely made top 7 my senior year. I was running in the 19:?? for 3 mile. Stopped cold turkey after my last senior race but it only took me about 5 months to eclipse those performances once I resumed running. I was rail-thin in high school and weighted around 135 lbs after college. I weigh 138 now.
Youth Has No Age. ~ Picasso / 1st road race: Charleston Distance Run 15 Miler - 1974 / profile
It's more an indication of how slow my HS times were. I was still running faster at 46 than I had in HS.
Antipodean
I ran at middle school and high school, but was always semi-competitive (never quite got into the training enough to do my 'talent' justice). Then I went to university and just stopped. After I graduated I stopped and started running so many times, never really making it a habit, but I did do a handful of races from my early 20s through to when I was 38 and living in China. I met a Canadian woman there who inspired me to run with her regularly and it turned me around. I have run ever since and after moving back to New Zealand at the age of 40 in 2008, started racing regularly. At first I had quite a few injuries, but have got on top of them with pilates and better shoes/form. In the past year I have finally managed to get the consistency I lacked before and increased my mileage above 20 miles/week for the first time. I ran my first half a month ago and feel fantastic. I am even thinking about running a full in a couple of years.
Yay, running saved me.
Julie
"It's not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves."
~ Sir Edmund Hillary
It could be done.
I started when I was 6 years old . Cross-country skier first till 14, ran track/cross country and latter mostly road till I was 30.
I was a pretty decent runner (ran 14:47 5000 meters on a track when 17 for example) , but when I stopped running competitively at 30 I really stopped.
Did not run for 25 years, got older, gained some weight (about 45 lbs.)
Signed up for a half marathon on the spur of the moment in 2009 and ran it without any training.
I was not happy with the result and my declining health so I started running again.
I won't break any PRs, but I've lost enough weight to feel healthy and I run regularly again.
I'm 59 (today) and I'm in a better shape than when I was 40 or 50 and I'm sure I'll be in a better shape in my sixties than I was in my forties.
Slow and steady never wins anything.
elevenses
I ran track in middle and high school (93-97) and quit running in college. My school was so small it didn't have a track team, so I didn't keep up with the running. I started running again last summer after moving back to my hometown. I stayed active throughout my adult life, so I didn't really start from the couch and I wasn't overweight, but doing distance was a big change from my younger days. I ran sprints and middle distance when I was younger. I've really enjoyed running again. Now that I'm a year in, I've gone back to the track for some speed work, and that's brought back a bit of nostalgia. I'm in better shape in my mid 30's than I was at 18 which is pretty cool.
I ran cross country through 10th grade.
Then, I took +/- 12 years off, until I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes at age 29.
Since then, I've been active. I ran to be active for the first 6 years.
Over the last 5 years, I started racing.
Over the last 5 years, I also learned how to swim, and I bought a bike.
Now, I've completed 2 Ironmans.
Most importantly, though, I've committed myself to be active for the rest of my life.
The races don't matter. My health does matter.
Life Goals:
#1: Do what I can do
#2: Enjoy life
Barking Mad To Run
So, I ran cross country in high school. I kept up jogging casually for a few more years, but eventually got out of the habit and, other than a couple brief abortive attempts, didn't run for at least 15 years before I started up on the treadmill a year ago. I was going through some old high school papers tonight, and discovered that while most of my CC times (5K - mixed roads and trails) were the 24-25 minutes I remembered, my PR was a 22:28. I can't fathom going that fast now. Then again, I'm creeping up on 30 minutes now, and I'm still 50+ pounds overweight, so maybe I can get back there? Just wondering if other folks have "comeback" stories to inspire me...
I ran cross-country in high school. Then joined the Air Force and, except for my annual PT Test of running 1.5 miles once a year, I didn't become a regular runner until I was 29 years old. And never stopped after that. 2013 is my 30-year runiversary.
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Theodore Roosevelt
Healed Hammy
I tried out for XC team in 11th grade and made it (well they took everyone) and was 5th on the JV team with 19x times on the 3 mile course.
Next year as a senior I was 1st or 2nd on varsity, running sub 17x and made All County. Stress fracture in foot sidelined me for States
No running in college till I ran a Marathon with my dad in 1982. Finished 4:20 on none (zero) training (ahh to be young).
Hung up the shoes and ran less than 100 miles over the next 30 years.
Got back into the game 16 months ago at 52 and ran my next marathon in January 2013. Current times are no where near what I was capable of, and my body clearly hurts a lot more now but my health is vastly improved. Hopefully will continue to run recreationally for the next 10+ years. If my body can take it, perhaps I can someday recapture some of the magic that was in my legs before.