Older runners

I'm fifty-five. I spend a lot of time working on injury prevention. Instead of distance, why not pick another goal? I'm thinking a spartan or a tough mudder race. It also might not hurt to move to Canada. Winter training can pretty well eliminate the potential to overheat.

Get your Doctor's approval first! Show him/her, or tell, Couch to 5 K, I used Personal Running Training 8 weeks to 5 K. WITH YOUR DOCTOR'S OK, start week one day one, and go on from there. Did I mention discussing this with your Doctor? 61 years of age, over the last two years my average mile pace, over my 4.75 mile course, went from 15 minutes+ to my current 10:15. Includes a 1/4mile warm up walk and a 1/2 mile cool down walk. It is doable, start slow and continue. I mentioned a conversation with your Doctor, right?

61 yo female, never a runner. Just finished C25K and can now run 30+ minutes nonstop. I'm still slow, but I can do it and never did this before in my life. A lot depends on your overall fitness, strength, & endurance before starting. I started a thread a few months ago on older runners and got some very helpful and encouraging responses.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/35396418#Comment_35396418

KathyApplebaum wrote: »

Training when you're older is just like any other training, except you need to allow more time to recuperate.

Here's what I'd suggest...

• Run/walk no more than 4x per week. If you want to accelerate your progress, add some cross training like weights or biking. Be sure to have at least one rest day per week no matter what.
• Let's say you're walking 30 minutes now, with a few 30 second jogging intervals thrown in. Great! As long as you can say a 6-word sentence while you're jogging, you're doing it at the right pace. If not, slow down the jogging.
• When 30 seconds is easy, up it to 45 seconds. Then 60. Then 2 minutes, 3 minutes... you get the idea. Do NOT do this at a set interval -- listen to your body tell you when it's easy.
• Check with your doctor about speed work. If you get the okay, ONE day a week you can do your intervals at a faster pace, where you can say maybe 3 words before needing to breathe. (My coach encourages us to say "I hate you!" as we pass her. LOL) Don't do speed work more than one day a week -- you need time to build the muscles, including your heart.
• If things hurt, a foam roller is tough love, but it will become your new best friend. Go to a real running store and have them show you how to use one. (And then buy it from them so they stay in business to help you again.)
• If things still hurt, a soak in a hot bath is the best feeling in the world.
• If things still hurt, go see a doctor. Every time I have the fix has been simple and I wish I'd gone sooner.

I'm 52, and it took me about 8 months before I could run 30 minutes non-stop. After 15 months, I did a half-marathon non-stop. YMMV (see what I did there?) -- I've got younger friends who started at the same time who still can't run 30 minutes non-stop, and that's perfectly fine. They are out there 3x a week getting a great work out doing their run/walk intervals.

^^ I second this approach. I'm 58 and an active runner. In our online 50& age group forum we have a number of 55-75 yr old athletes who are very solid runners. As a group, we're VERY focused on injury prevention and making sure we have enough recovery days between higher intensity sessions.

If you get a doctor's clearance to do speed work, please do no more than 20% of your workouts as speed work. That includes things like tempo runs, intervals, fartleks, etc. If you're interested in learning more about issues facing endurance athletes over 50 years old, you might enjoy Joe Friel's "Fast After 50". It discusses strategies for runners, triathletes, swimmers, rowers to build and/or maintain speed as we move through our 50s, 60's, 70's and beyond. My goal is to mimic the gentleman I saw last year lined up for a triathlon start. Everyone's age is written in black marker on their right calf. His right calf said: M88

and http://www.b210k.com/