SoCal Pete wrote:
cl wrote:Sh1t doesn't start to happen at 50. That's what held everyone back all these years and that's what Sean doesn't believe in. Stupid Masters community tries to brainwash the youth with statements like that, "yeah, it was all good until I hit 38 and then sht started happening."... just to dwindle down the competitive pool.
Life is life.
Actually, Sean spent most of his 40s battling the sh#t that happens to masters runners, then had a long year-plus spell of uninterrupted training that allowed him to reach these age 50+ milestones. But he knows as well as anyone how hard it is to battle the injuries and longer recovery times that masters deal with--and which you, cl, apparently know so little about.
The vast majority of runners (especially men) see their performances start to fall off somewhere between age 35 and 40, regardless of whether they'd like to believe otherwise. It's Father Time, not a "stupid masters community" trying to "dwindle down the competitive pool" (are you for real?!) that comes into play. Those whose combination of luck in two arenas--physical running talent and genetic longevity--combined with smart training are able to keep posting good performances into their 40s. A few very lucky runners maintain those three factors (physical talent, longevity, smart training) at a higher level than most until 50. And right about then, give or take few years, most meet the "masters' cliff."
I know that cliff well. I fell off it myself, LOL! I ran 14:45 for 5000 three months before turning 50. But even then, I could feel my body beginning to break, and had for quite some time. Almost immediately after turning 50, a combination of injuries brought my training to a complete halt for months. I rallied back for a few good races right before I turned 51, but have spent the 4 years since dealing with one injury after another. And I'm not an isolated case. Same thing happened to Nolan Shaheed at about age 51/52. And to so many other masters runners who made it through their 40s, only to meet the masters' cliff.
Now, some runners persevere. Martin Rees has continued to post spectacular times into his early 60s. But again, the field of those posting performances that represent a high percentage of their all-time bests gets smaller and smaller with each decade.
What Sean has accomplished in the past month-plus, setting masters world records for the indoor mile (4:23), indoor 1500, indoor 3000, and now the outdoor 5000 is unprecedented for someone his age. Those of us who are his age (or older) recognize that. It's unbelievable.
No, old guys don't rule. But for now, Sean Wade rules among old guys.
There's a book called "Build Your Running Body" that you might find helpful.