Veteran runner lost his mojo

I'm 64, and have been running for nearly 40 years. I was never that good (10k PB of 37m, Half mara PB of 1h 21m) but in the last couple of years my running has fallen off a cliff. For example, only two years ago I was pacing the sub 20m group at parkrun - now I can hardly get under 23m for 5k. I ran a 10k the other day and was pleased to run under 8min miles. I know this is all relative and might seem fast to some, but it's relative to my experience ...

My main problem is that I find I have to stop about every quarter or half mile - not because I'm out of breath, nor because my legs hurt, but because I seem to have run out of energy. Then I start up again but soon I have to stop. In the 10k the other day I only stopped once (after about a mile) but on training runs I stop all the time (which makes my training partner a bit crazy!)

So, assuming I don't have an underlying health issue (I have been diagnosed in the past with B12 deficiency but recent blood tests suggest that's ok and I take supplements) how can I get my mojo back? It may just be a confidence issue, related to my having to accept that my athletic decline is inevitable and irreversible. But some kind of attitude readjustment might work ....

Thanks for reading.
Edward

Comments

  • Edward
    have you had a test for hypothyroidism - your symptoms sound exactly like mine from a few years back and I eventually went to see my doctor when after a continual decline over several months I literally had to stop running within a 1/4 mile of my front door one morning. 

    I am quite a bit older than you at 75 but gradual increases in doses of levothyroxine got my thyroid levels back to a point where I could function again howbeit not at the performance levels from before.
    My parkrun time went down from 22:20 at 70+ to 27:00 (although the AG didn't fare so badly!!) but at least I could run again.

    Pop in to the Over 60's Training thread if you want a chat....... :)
  • Thanks Torque. I have an appointment on Thursday so I'll mention that.
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