Runners ... XC to now ...

4leighbee
4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
How many of you have broken - or are trying to beat your XC 5K PR later in life? I could use some encouragement that it's possible ... trying this year (age 43) and a little intimidated by the younger version of myself, lol!! I figure this is my time to do it, if I'm going to.

Would love to hear stories, ideas.

Replies

  • SteveTries
    SteveTries Posts: 723 Member
    I'm going to try and beat my XC 16km PR on Sunday. I'm 40.....but I only started running 3 years ago so it might not count :D
  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
    Totally counts ... woooo!! Good luck!
  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
    Had a killer run today ... one mile repeats! Feeling confident!
  • arussell134
    arussell134 Posts: 463 Member
    I've been running races for about 15 years and always considered myself a "slower" runner (about 10+ min miles). Last year after losing weight, I was able to improve my running time drastically. In the last few months, I've PR'd two distances - 5k in 26:24 and half marathon just last week of 2:06:41. I know I can improve on both of these times and am currently using Hal Higdon's Advanced 5K training program in hopes of running a sub-25 min 5K. I am pretty confident I'll do it, since the 26 minute 5k I ran included about a mile of hills! :)

    BTW - I'm 36 and am running wayyyy better than I was in my 20's! It can be done!!
  • jsickman12
    jsickman12 Posts: 139 Member
    The younger version of myself could run circles around the current version, and that would just be the warm up. I am working to get back to the top, altough breaking my 5k PR is a lofty goal, I am shooting to break 18 minutes again, that will be victory enough, and I am far from that right now, but it shall be so.
  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
    arussell - thanks for the encouragement. It sounds like your goals and mine are similar. Can't wait to hear that you smashed that 25:00 mark.

    Jsickman, yes, I hear you. 18:00 - wow - good for you! So impressive. Yeah, my HS PR is 21:43 - I have a long way to go! I think we have focus and determination going for us now that we're older, though - don't you think?
  • berenisevee
    berenisevee Posts: 11 Member
    The last time I ran a xc race was my sophomore year in hs my pr was 23:21. I'm still a runner now being a freshman in college,but I haven't competed. Sometimes I wonder how if I kept training what time I would've achieved my senior year.
  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
    Good question. When I look back on my junior and senior year, I was so on track junior year - light and fast and focused. Then I got a boyfriend and plans to attend college senior year, and my racing suffered. I did alright, but my PR is junior year. And I ran XC at Virginia Tech - for two weeks. I can point to the hill that I quit on as all the other women left me in the dust. Very dramatic, lol - and I'm not a quitter. But you know, we go through these places in our lives when it all clicks - and other times when the running might simply sustain us but it doesn't set us on fire. You are so young - (and geez I sound old, which DOES NOT please me) - you'll probably swerve in and out of times when running really clicks, if you keep it up. A hint: it's a lot cheaper than therapy, so stay with it for that reason alone. :)
  • berenisevee
    berenisevee Posts: 11 Member
    I honestly believe that once a person is a runner at a certain point in their life they will always be a runner! When I tell people I love running they say it's boring, but it just feels so great to run! (:
  • brendo204
    brendo204 Posts: 1,225 Member
    U r on the right track with the repeats. Sprints , Repeats and hills u will bring your time down no probs. Age is just a number! u can do it!!
  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
    yep - 100% agree. And if you don't like it, I say - please stop running and find something else. :) I will say that there were about 6-8 years in there when the kids were little that I was a runner in my head and my heart, but it was just too much. I couldn't make all the puzzle pieces fit. My time is now! xo
  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
    thanks brendo!
  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
    lgutches wrote: »
    My time is now! xo

    That was maybe a bit over the top, lol ...
  • berenisevee
    berenisevee Posts: 11 Member
    Haha no it's fine! I just find it so exciting talking to someone about running! Lol there's never a wrong time to pick running up again! (:
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