50+ Masters Training and Racing Open Forum

Maybe you don’t speak for all women. You would have to be a crusty old boomer to dismiss others feelings because you “see nothing wrong”. no wonder you guys let sexual predators off and ruined the world with your selfishness

Okay, let's put this thread back on track...

Is anyone running the USATF Masters Half Marathon in Syracuse next Sunday (4/16)? I was hoping they had pace groups (I haven't raced a 1/2 in three years and have a goal time I want to hit), but I checks and they discontinued them a few years back.

I think I can do this solo (I have run a 'few' races - haha!), but I have found it easier for all parties when folks work together to try and achieve a common goal.

TIA

I've played baseball all my life (high school, pro, city league, tourneys) and have never heard it being called "masters baseball." The annual World Series in Phoenix with various age groups calls it MSBL. Men's Senior Baseball League and NABA calls it National Adult Baseball League.

NDJY nice to see you post!

Posting a half day early

Goal sub 6 at the Hayward Classic May 7 4 weeks out

Registered for 800,mile and 3000 . Noticed am M65 with a seed time of 11:30 for the 3000. That is close to what I could probably do so keeping my options open;)

Monday, Tuesday treadmill zone 2

15x2minutes R 1 minute walk some calf tightness which kept me at the low end of zone 2.

Wednesday mile efforts barefoot in the sand about 8 minutes at mile effort

3 x 1:40 uphill part of loop at mile effort. Recovery jog back to start in 2:20

-3 minutes rest-

Mile effort for one loop in 2:54. Loop PR! HR climbed to 165(162+ is mile race HR).

Thursday treadmill zone 1 5x2 R1minute walk recovery

Friday sand barefoot zone 3 slower than LT for 30 minutes including 5 loops at 3:50 vs 2:54 all out.

Saturday, Sunday walk ez bike

Onward!

I’ve been away a bit. I’ve become an infrequent visitor the last few years. I think I last posted a year-end wrap up for 2022. Injuries had settled down and I was doing well. OF COURSE that would not last! I have to laugh since the inevitable happened and I re-developed hip and tibial injuries. What I like about this thread is the overwhelming theme of renewal and recovery from some pretty serious injuries and illnesses. Some of the fastest masters in the world post here. What is sometimes lost is some of these same people have been busted up and broken down. They found a way to get back to top form. That’s inspiring and it is important for those of us facing down the nasty’s that threaten not only our running health, but our lives.

I moderated some of the very earliest internet forums. I was shocked at the depravity and meanness anonymity brings out in some folks. Controlling that meanness was not difficult, but those same controls choked off participation. It’s a difficult balance.

I’d like to suggest a trial of only allowing registered users to post on this thread. I KNOW FOR A FACT there are tons and tons of gifted master’s athletes out there that shy away from posting here because even here it gets ugly and off track at times.

Since I’d also like to see a focus on training and racing, I’ll get on topic:

I’ve very slowly worked my way back from hip problems that developed last June and bedeviled me into Jan of this year. As far as I can tell, last year when I retired, I focused solely on shuffling along trying to emulate Ed Whitlock and rack up tons of minutes. I failed to pay attention to my form and gait. “Shuffling” created an imbalance in both hips. In short, I was running too slowly.

As soon as I figured this out, I overcompensated and did too much fast stuff, leading to the tibial injuries around my ankle. NOW, I think I’m finding the right pace somewhere between too slow and too fast and continue to build my minutes of running up. I had used Maffetone for a bit but I found it slowed me down so much that it affected my form, re-irritating my hips. My opinion is Maffetone can be challenging for people in their 60’s (I’m 64).

Anyway, I’m now at 32 minutes a day 6 days a week and making progress. Shout out to those fighting AND overcoming injury and illness!

Have a good ‘ern!

Greetings, fellow 50+ers! Happy Easter to those celebrating.

As predicted, this was a down week week for me with only single digit mileage to report. We went to visit the grandkids which kept me busy running around after them (not included in weekly mileage) for several days. I did sneak in a run on Monday when they were at pre-school. Upon returning home, I got in some running with friends on Thursday. Unfortunately I awoke Friday with extreme soreness in my right hip and upper right quad. It was improved yesterday and today, but I am wary of running on it at this time. Maybe tomorrow. By the end of this week, we will be starting a three week adventure traveling around the world. I will bring my running shoes, but I do not expect to get much running done. Lots of walking though! Oh well, it seems this may be a good time for a break anyway.

Sun: off

Mon: 49’ CR; body wt ex

Tue-Wed: off

Thu: 47’ running (3); 16 oz curls

Fri-Sat: off

Best to most!

You go, Rtype: “Anyway, I’m now at 32 minutes a day 6 days a week and making progress. Shout out to those fighting AND overcoming injury and illness!”

I’m also 64 and rummaging about for answers to my running prowess having vanished. While I think my issues result from weakened ankles and weaker hips/glutes from falls, the thought has finally entered my brain that I may need to fully retire to fully address my physiological tumult. But, I am running . . . and muttering about it.
M: 5.5M @ 11:07 pace easy

T: 10M @ 11:18 pace easy

W: 7M w/10(:30on/:30 off) + 4(:20 hills/walk back)

Th: 9M @ 10:23 pace hilly, hilly

F: 5.5M @ 11:15 pace easy

Sat: 3M w/u - very hilly out/back 5k @ 8:45 pace - 3M c/d - 1st in age; heh) waaay too many high school runners. Fun to watch them learning how to race.
enjoy the week

MS#16, speaking as someone who wishes he could be 64 again, I would say that those mid-60s years are where you really notice the performance drop off. I think it's a point in the aging process where strength drops off more quickly and it's tough to hold off, even with good weight training. I was running on Wednesday with a 76yr old team mate, and we were talking about how we both ran near 7:00/mi pace for 5k last weekend, but when I was 60 and he was 63, we battled it out in a local road 8k and ran just under 6:00/mi pace. The race effort still feels the same, but age takes its toll. My team mate said as long as he can still get out there, he's going to keep racing no matter how slow he gets.

Slowly getting back to a bit of fitness after my 5 months with a catheter and a month off post surgery (Jan.13th).

A bit of knee pain and swelling slowed running progress.

M. 1.6 k walk 16 min the 1.6 k jog in 10 mins then a 50 min kayak session. Finished off with a 15 min spin on the bike.

T. 1 hr 55 min mtb ride. Pretty slow, riding about 3 kph slower than old pace

W. On the trail alongside the water channel an 8 k run in 51 min. Inc 6 x 800 m easy accelerations with 200 m walk/jog between. Aim is just to stop me from plodding along slowly. The pace was pretty slow, on flat sections hitting about 5.30 km pace.

Thursday is my babysitting duties with 3 yo grandson. Got out for an hour of hiking through the forest afterwards.

F. 53 min kayaking in windy conditions. Later did a 20 min spin to check my old Merida MTB was still functioning.

S. 1 hr 53 min mtb ride in pretty brutal conditions wet and windy.

S. 10 k run in 1 hr 8 min. Consisted off slow shuffle k then steadier k to warm-up. 6 k working up and down loose footing hilly trails 7 decent hills then gradually accelerating on smoother trails/forestry roads for 2k. 5.45 and 5.25.

Really slow but the endurance is building.

Greetings!

OGII, thanks for sharing your memories. Here is some info from 64+

This week was preparing for the first race this season. 10K on the Formula-1 car racing
circuit in Sochi.

The previous 5 days the weather was really demotivating: only 50F, pouring rain, wind. But when I got up this morning my first words were the name of an old good Hollywood movie:
“Somebody up there likes me”. Clear skies, sun, almost no wind. So, the weather was ideal, the course was flat and fast (no tight turns). The only unpleasant thing was lack of marks per km. As I do not wear any gadgets except for a trivial stopwatch, was unable to monitor the pace, and ran just by feel only. Was very much surprised when between 5 and 8 km two guys I was running with told me that we were on the 3:48/km pace.

Finally, the result was 38:03. First in the 60+ category (105 of 1100+ overall), but was also
faster than 54-59 and 50-54 winners.

So, the main lesson learned for me is that cross-fit works. Since late Oct. ’22 I was mainly
working on an elliptical and then doing skiing. Treadmill was added in mid. Feb. when the injuries were more or less healed. Tried to stay between 6 and 7 hours per week (for all "surrogate" training collectively). Running outdoors was resumed in mid March for 2-3 times per week only. Nevertheless, dropped more than 1 min at 10K vs. my autumn ’22 peak.

Happy and injury-free running to all!

wow. fantastic race. Congratulations.

Ok week for me on comeback trail

M 45:00

Tu 1:25 with strides

W 1:00 + 1:00 x-t

Th 1:50 with a half-mile or so near the end at marathon pace

F 1:20 + 1:00 x-t

Sa 55:00 with strides + 30:00 x-t

Su 1:45 + 30:00 x-t -- very beautiful Easter Sunday here

no major calf setbacks. Aiming for gradual, ideally linear, progress

have a great week,

Dave

I think I'll enter here June 3rd 800m

I did enter an 800m April 21, but only averaging 16 miles a week will be tough to put two 70s together.

Trying to find a May California open meet for another race. Not sure if the Striders meet has been updated yet.

Golden West will be running a Sub 4 Mile attempt for open/high school and masters athletes in addition to an open 1500 for open and masters athletes.

I used to be a regular poster on this thread. Unfortunately, the presence of a certain ubiquitous poster made it extremely uncomfortable. So I have decided to take a break from this thread.

I am still running, and even racing. But I won't share that with people here because that one poster is so offensive.

Orient, great running, congrats.

Fun week from my side:

Mo first time on the track this year, 5x100m in 15s w slow walk back, 3x50m accels (felt slow), 2x150m in 24s (stay cautious)

Tu off (busy with unplanned stuff)

We 7.5 miles steady in the hills, uphill up to low tempo intensity

Th 5 miles recovery, ouch

Fr 30 min drills and jumps uphill, 6x60m flat

Sa 6x800m with 400m jog from 3:15min cut down to 3:05min, 3x200m w slow walk back in 35s (very slight uphill)

Su 7 miles recocery, i.e. as slow as 10min per mile

Bet the unfriendly anonymous poster wimpfs would be super polite to me if we meet in real life.

BR

I have been quiet for some time and now asking for some advice.

In February I was getting in good shape, but foolishly strained a hamstring badly while playing tennis. The court was slippery and I overextended my leg and felt a crack in the hamstring. The doctor said that it was only torn, apparently not too badly and recommended rest. After a few days in crutches and two months of cross training I got back into running.
Now my hamstring feels fine. but I have a persistent feeling of tiredness and weakness in the glutes of the injured leg. Basically, I can run fine up to threshold pace, but every time I try strides of hills or a faster pace it feels like my glutes are extremely tired and I can barely lift my leg. My mileage is currently half of what it used to be and this happens also after taking a day or two off. A couple of times I felt "normal" and this was after "warming up" for about 6 miles before attempting any fast pace running.

Anybody has experienced anything similar? How did you solve it? I am doing strengthening and plyometrics but it does not seem to make much of a difference.

Crossfit or cross training?

Needs more context, like weekly mileage, specific workouts, PBs, overall diet, weight, etc.

I am only 44 and it took me 14 years to BQ, it was my weight.

Hi mid D guy,

If the hammy feels tired, weak or even pulled, then I would do no fast running on flat ground at all. I would go to my hill and do drills and jumps uphill. Of course only drills and jumps whithout any discomfort in the hammy. Whatever exercises this might be. I would do as much and as many to get rubber legs. All other runs as limited to feel fine. Never ever run if pain comes up. Just stop and walk home. After several months training for rubber legs, I woult start with slow and short (30-50m) uphill runs, if feeling strong and safe during the drills and jumps uphill. Stretching the hammies after each workout/run, actually every day. Build up the speed uphill until I could fully sprint (only uphill). Never, I would do fast sprints on flat ground without having prepared with uphill sprints for months (assuming the strength was really gone) and daily stretching. If feeling safe during sprinting uphill, then I would add quicker running on flat ground such as floating 100m runs/strides/buildups. If after a couple of months feel safe during e.g. 10x100m <=90%), then I would start short sprints on flat ground. First with running start, then after a while as accelerations as well. Keep the distance short (<=60m). After several months of short sprints and accels (and this is the critical period for the hammy, if not prepared properly), then I would add with speed endurance 1. This is where I am. Doing short sprints/accels and speed endurance 1 for "beginner". Hope to do the full mid d spectrum incl. MaxV, SE1, SE2 and the typical other md related workouts during the summer. Around or after 50 it takes so much time to get the muscles ready to digest this full speed spectrum and cover some miles each week lincluding tempos, intervals, etc). I never stop my weekly drills and jumps uphill because this is injury prevention and can be done instead of an easy run and it is nice to mix things up.

Hope to comvey some optimism.

BR