Getting Better at Running When You're Older

CMNVA

MegaMooseEsq wrote: »

spiriteagle99 wrote: »

Sounds like you had a good run. Not looking at your watch is a good way to run without pressure. Doing a little fartlek (speed play) is also fun and can help you develop speed without pushing yourself so hard you get injured. Running fast to the next mailbox or the stop sign makes the time pass quickly.

I hope you keep running over the winter. It would be too bad to have to start over after making so much progress. With the right gear, running in the cold is fun. Hat, gloves, light jacket or vest and you can run down to about 15 degrees.

Heh, I don't know about where you or @CMNVA live, but it was 12 degrees where I live yesterday morning and I barely managed to drag myself out to run. I know a lot of folks have encouraged winter running, and it certainly would be badass to pull it off (and not lose the progress), but if 15 is the worst you can imagine, I envy you. I'm not convinced I'm going to make it through the winter either.

I'm in VA! Pretty moderate temps. When I did C25K last winter, i didn't start until October and finished up in January. I think the coldest I went out in was about 20-something degrees. It was tough, didn't enjoy it. The other thing about cold temps is that for some reason, my nose runs like crazy!!

Thehardmakesitworthit

Everyone has had such good words ! I will just share that my running has improved greatly due to the strength developed with my heavy lifting and lunges. I am not a fast runner generally, but I can feel how strong my lower back, glutes and thigh muscles are working well! I am convinced to train both simultaneously. Cant stop wont stop! Have so much fun!

Orphia

Sounds like you've started to improve already!

I started running 2 years ago, aged 48 and 20 kg heavier, with a 500 metre run. Using a converter, it was at a 11:16 per mile pace. I was huffing and puffing and my lungs felt like they were bleeding.

Your story is so familiar.

I started C25K two days later, and completed it in 10 weeks. Been obsessed with running since that first day.

I recently ran my first marathon, averaging the same pace above for the full 42.2 km, at a conversational pace (in just under 5 hours).

Speed is relative. If you keep running at a pace that feels like you can run forever, you can do amazing things with your amazing body. You'll speed up when you run to feel good.

Love reading this thread. Yep, slow down and enjoy the runner's Zen Mode.

CMNVA

Orphia wrote: »

Sounds like you've started to improve already!

I started running 2 years ago, aged 48 and 20 kg heavier, with a 500 metre run. Using a converter, it was at a 11:16 per mile pace. I was huffing and puffing and my lungs felt like they were bleeding.

Your story is so familiar.

I started C25K two days later, and completed it in 10 weeks. Been obsessed with running since that first day.

I recently ran my first marathon, averaging the same pace above for the full 42.2 km, at a conversational pace (in just under 5 hours).

Speed is relative. If you keep running at a pace that feels like you can run forever, you can do amazing things with your amazing body. You'll speed up when you run to feel good.

Love reading this thread. Yep, slow down and enjoy the runner's Zen Mode.

Thanks for your thoughts! I've read many of your posts here on MFP and you are truly inspiring!

etruscansunited

Here is a different perspective.
A 5km or a marathon or an App's strength programme might not suit your body type and current strength and conditioning level.

From what you have told us, with very limited information, I recognise many features that let me speculate that you could be well suited to being a middle distance runner!

There's so much presumption about fitting into one of a few limited categories of "runners" or training, but overlooked is actually assessing the person - shape; musculature; aerobic capacity; strength weaknesses ....
Always going for other people's goals and expectations will trap you.

It seems to me that, if I may venture a few generalised, criticisms of our American cousins: you are too fixated on slotting into other's programmes; too limited in running format expectations; and as a nation, with only a few internationally competitive exceptions in the last decades, hopeless at recognising, training, valuing and enjoying middle distance running. Possibly because there's little money in it. Possibly it is too limited to high school competition.
In a nation of how many hundreds of millions, there's a lot of unrecognised natural middle distance runners in the USA.

If (a big IF) you were naturally disposed to MD running, then your aerobic training takes on a new dimension.
You would not have to press for a fast 5km time. You could just enjoy any aerobic running - any length and find a natural pace. It will get better over time. No fixed programme will guarantee the optimum for you but that does not matter if your goal is fitness and functional strength for MD running.
For that, in your current situation, first you would be working on aerobic fitness as an entire cardiovascular energy system; plus foundation strength for you.
Later, much later, advance to anaerobic training in small doses but only with expert guidance personalised for you (not following some App, blog, post or any guru or dogma).
Although other posts have good sugestions on strength exercises, they can only be general possibilities until you are actually asssessed, preferably by a running coach also expert in relevant Strength (assessment then tailoring programme) (or a strength coach who is actually experienced in at least MD running).
The above could save a lot of money over time but more importantly save you from years of injury or misplaced ambitions.

So, please consider the possibility that you are a natural born middle distance runner. This is not Un-American activity.

scorpio516

DX2JX2 wrote: »

CMNVA wrote: »

Thanks for the input. Not sure if it matters but my cadence has been measured at about 158 pretty consistently. I am somewhat long legged and that may be my problem with the stride.

158 is a bit too slow for a running gait, regardless of your speed or leg length. Shorten your strides and try to get yourself to at least the mid-160's if you can. It might feel awkward at first but you'll be amazed at how much easier it feels on your knees and legs.

I'm pretty consistently 157-158 spm. Have been for the last 25 years.
IMHO the cadence studies are hogwash. They didn't study what was best, but what top athletes do. It wasn't a study of cause and effect, but just what people do.

spiriteagle99

MegaMooseEsq wrote: »

spiriteagle99 wrote: »

Sounds like you had a good run. Not looking at your watch is a good way to run without pressure. Doing a little fartlek (speed play) is also fun and can help you develop speed without pushing yourself so hard you get injured. Running fast to the next mailbox or the stop sign makes the time pass quickly.

I hope you keep running over the winter. It would be too bad to have to start over after making so much progress. With the right gear, running in the cold is fun. Hat, gloves, light jacket or vest and you can run down to about 15 degrees.

Heh, I don't know about where you or @CMNVA live, but it was 12 degrees where I live yesterday morning and I barely managed to drag myself out to run. I know a lot of folks have encouraged winter running, and it certainly would be badass to pull it off (and not lose the progress), but if 15 is the worst you can imagine, I envy you. I'm not convinced I'm going to make it through the winter either.

I have online friends who live in Canada, MI, MA etc. who regularly run in much colder temperatures. I live in PA and do all my runs in the afternoon, so most of my winter runs are in the 30s. I used to do TM if the temperature was below freezing, until I signed up for a March HM. Temperature at start time was 17 degrees and I had never run in that kind of cold. I survived just fine, but I decided that I needed to get more experience in diverse conditions. You never know what race day will be like. So last year I did some runs in the low 20s in the clothes I described above. I don't have gear for anything colder than that, and it happens so seldom where I live I am not likely to go out and buy anything. Someone who runs in colder weather would need to get more warm gear. But they would still be able to run in winter. There is no such thing as too cold, just inappropriate gear.