Over 60s training.

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Comments

  • I have no claim for any fast times. As JJ knows have only been doing any form of serious running since one year ago. So far am finding it hard to get much faster at 64 but then don't do anywhere near the mileage of Else or JJ. Briefly, my pb for 10k is a slow 57.43s. so would appreciate advice on how to substantially improve on that. I suppose its highly likely I need to do a lot more mileage per week(only 15 to 20 right now). Can't make longer strides my height is only 5ft.6in.
  • Lincoln Imp
    Try and up your training to alternate days, 40 mins each session and an hour at the weekend. Just good steady running for a month or more.
    Slowly increase one session every two weeks by 10 mins. until they are all 50mins. and the weekend is 1hr.10.
    Then in one session each week add two 10min. sections at a fast pace (10k speed) at a slightly increased stride length.

    After 4 weeks in another of the steady sessions add in 5x 200m sprints.

    You just keep this steady, slow build up going, one increase at a time and don't go for the next increase until you are comfortable with what you are doing. It is the fast sessions that will help your 10k time.
    If you get tired just miss a day. At our age it isn't important. Recovery is a vital part of the buildup.

    Flexibility of muscles, ligaments etc. is important in running fast and flexibility decreases with age. 10 mins of gentle leg muscle stretching every day will reverse that process and improve performance.

    This is just a broad outline. You can vary it to suit your own needs. Just listen to your legs. If you feel you can do a bit more then do so - but only a small increase at a time. If you feel like it's too much then rest.

    If you follow this sort of routine I suspect you will be down to much nearer 50mins. by late autumn.
    JJ
  • And LI, there's hundreds out there who are decades younger than us who would give their eye teeth to do 57mins. You ot nothing to worry about.
    JJ
  • JJ
    Many many thanks for the big info/advice.
    The place I do my running is away from traffic and a lot of the undesirables(!). A lake which when circumnavigated is exactly 3 miles so the tendency is either a 3 or 6mile run. But as you say, should be easy enough to adjust distances related to the runtimes you recommend.
    Shall printout your message and try to stick to your methods and then its up to me to see that nowt puts me off(like bad weather etc).
    If I can get it down to 50 minutes then I'll be absolutely chuffed!
  • Lincoln Imp.
    One more point. Put in a race every few weeks if you can. It's something to train for and adds something different. You also automatically race faster than you train.
    JJ
  • Johnny J. From your previous marathon time, your subsequent improvement in speed, and your obvious commitment. I feel sure that you would be capable of 3 hours 50 mins. And having read your sensible and informed advice to L.I. I would be surprised if you suffered much in the way of injury.
    I note that you do your long run usually on a Sunday. At my best I did the same but in the last ten weeks before the marathon, I decreased the number of long runs to one every 10 days. The longer recovery enabled me to gradually build up to three or four 20 mile long runs in the last two months before tapering. I realise this would mean doing a long run midweek which may not be possible for you if you are working full time.
    If you are not a club member I would strongly advise you to consider it. I find that training with younger runners is highly beneficial, as their easy paced runs often mean quite a hard workout for me.
    All the best, Elce.
  • Elce.
    Another one for the melting pot. Sounds sensible. Two heads are obviously better than one.
    You are right about joining a club. I need the extra incentive if I'm to get any faster.
    JJ
  • cealceal ✭✭✭
    I have read with interest this over 60's thread. I ran quite respectable times about 17 years ago and then did not run competitively till 18 months ago. I am DETERMINED to get my times back to where they were. So far my fastest and only half marathon is 2 hours against 1:39 in the past. I am now 62 and am including speed sessions on the treadmill and I think that they are paying off. I will not know until I run my next half on sunday at Castle Ashby. This is an undulating course so I might not be ready to knock too many minutes off!! I need to include hills in my training sessions. I find that 30 miles a week is my maximum at present, but they are getting easier and recovery is much quicker.

    What I would like is information on races which include prizes hence recognition for the over 60's. I won first in my age group at Lake Verwyny and this made a huge difference to my attitude. I live in the Northampton area so obviously do not want to travel miles and miles! Any suggestions would be gratefully received.
  • cealceal ✭✭✭
    Hi JJ thanks for your input. Yes I will post my result on the Mature runners thread.

    Where can I find a list for the year of pure Vets events. Is there on on this web site. If there is I have failed to find it! Or perhaps I am being particularly stupid. that is probably the most likley cenario!
  • C.
    Click on EVENTS at the top of the page and do a search.
    There's also a Vets national organisation (Veterans A.C.?) that runs a lot of events. Try an internet search for their website.
    JJ
  • Hi Cecilia.........
    Nice to see another name on this thread.
    As JJ would concur theres something about being in our age group which gives us a different challenge on races.If one hasn't run competatively before or had a long lapse since any racing at all then all the more incentive to(as they say in U.S.)start over!
    JJ has given me a boost with his over 60s advice so I am more determined to do better. I started last year with my first 10k at 57m.43s. Now I am 64 hoping to better that this coming year.
    There must be loads of other over 60s out there who could contribute to this thread. Or are there???
  • Lincoln Imp.
    Good morning. Ran the Tunbridge Wells 1/2m on Sunday in 1hr. 49. on a tough course which was sort of OK. I need more speed training but, to emphasise a point, my legs are still stiff this morning (Tues.) and will cope with only a steady run.
    I wonder if the shortage of Over 60s is something to do with lack of access to technology?
    How's the training going?
    JJ

  • JJ
    Good result for you on half-m. The only time I ever tried a half was in 1989 in a slow time of 2hr.1min. Prior to that however definately insufficient preparation as I had to hobble/walk the last 2 mile!
    Stiff legs after 2 days is not really bad.....mine was stiff for weeks after that last 6m trail run! But then it was the muscle injury I brought on myself with my careless running.
    Right now am slowly building up again.Next month will really go for it, more runs instead of too many gym sessions. Last night ran the local streets for first time in two years.
    Aye....you are probably right about the over 60s not being acquainted with computer technology. Also not every reader has a subscription with RW to qualify for using forums.
    BTW how do you cope with windy conditions. I find headwinds particularly offputting.
    L.Imp.
  • I have only just discovered this thread while playing around trying to get advice on a niggly knee. Nothing serious. I fell off a trailer load of bales some years ago and I think I suffer a bit of scar tissue problem. Anyway, I don't have time to read all the threads at the moment but am signing on as a 62 year old lady. I didn't start serious road running until I did the FLM when I was 57. Five years later I am still doing PBs at all distances. My 10M is 1.21 and my 10K is 48m. My best FLM is 4.25 but this year I am training on the sub 4 programme with a target of 4.15 and a dream of sub4. It may be a dream too far - but when you get to our age what else can you do but dream! I will be back to read this forum at my leisure. Thanks JJ for starting it.
  • Welcome. Nice to hear from you. Good times.
    I only drop by from time to time but there is a mature runners thread under 'General' if you want to find me. Warning, its far from mature!
    JJ
  • JJ beat me to it...I was going to say exactly the same first line! Anyway good to know we have a lady in our midst and a fast 60+ runner at that.Purrrrr.
    LI.
  • Did my longest training run ever this morning-18+ miles in about 3 hours. FLM preparation. Full details are on the Mature Runners thread.
    Hope everyone's weekend training/racing was as satisfying as mine.
    JJ
  • cealceal ✭✭✭
    It was good too see another female over 60's runner on this tread. Your times Pussy give me great encouragement as you are the same age as myself. How many miles do you run a week?

    I promised JJ I would post my time for the Daffodil Half at Castle Ashby yesterday. I had a good run, beautiful weather and scenery. It was an interesting course twists and turns and ups and downs, with a mile hill half way through and again at the end, not steep but it went on and on. I knocked 7 minutes off my previous time and came home in 1:54. so I was well pleased. it was a good day except when I lost my car before the start, which set up a bit of a panic with 5 minutes to go till the start!! But found it in the nick of time and sprinted (literally) down to the start about quarter of a mile away.

    I am impressed with your long run JJ, how do you feel today. I guess you took it fairly steadily.

    Do you all sleep well after a long run or a race. For me it is just the time I need to sleep well but in fact I do not, which leaves me feeling pretty rough the next day.

    I am going to change my name after this from Cecilia Morrison to Ceal, because I realize everyone else has a nickname. I will change it if I am able to work out how to!!
  • Welcome lady...you have our ceal of approval!
    JJ....this thread is a bit hit and miss,ain't it. Seems that thee and me keep coming back occasionally. Did a 4 mile run tonight with a couple of guys from our gym.Found the one mile hill climb rather testing but this sort of thing I guess should tend to help me being basically a 10k fan. Can't say the marathon is really for me......the thought of spending hours on long practice runs is daunting to say the least! Maybe feel different about it next year when drawing state pension.
  • cealceal ✭✭✭
    Hi lincoln imp I note your comments to JJ about not liking the thought of running a marathon or doing the training. I think that as one gets fitter the idea is not so horrendous. The more one runs and one is able to add distance comfortable a bit at a time the more able mentally one is able to look at longer distances as a friend. You may said who wants a friend like that ! I have never wanted to run a marathon, I have such respect for JJ and those who do run them. However, after the half on sunday, I felt so comfortable (except for the last mile hill) that a seed entered my head that I just might one day do a marathon. I know it is twice as far but I felt that perhaps, (mistakenly maybe) that if I ran a marathon at a minute a mile slower then it would be oK. I think that a 10k can be quite hard as one has to up the pace right from the start of the race. One cannot afford to spend 3 miles warming up!

    I was thinking of you today JJ, it is tuesday today, and I remember that your legs were still stiff this time last week. Well mine are more stiff today than they were yesterday! But I am off to Pilates where hopefull the exercises and the stretching will help.

    Re the imps remarks about there only being 3 or 4 of us on this site, there must be so many others out there that could join us. However, it was not until JJ told me where to find this thread. (I was on another thread at the time), that I found you both. Great comfort! But I do not think that the over 60's is very easy to find. I looked the other day for it, without a message from RWorld to get there straight away, and I couldn't find it at all. But maybe a senior moment prevented me from finding it. Me thinks that sometimes the legs work better then the brain!
  • cealceal ✭✭✭
    Hey, I have just got my results of the half on sunday at Castle Ashby off the computor and I have run it a minute faster than I thought. 1:53, defintately time for celebration!
  • I have never joined but I keep reading as it is one of my favourite threads. Keep them coming!
  • cealceal ✭✭✭
    Thanks JJ. I will seriously give it thought for next year. I did the sponsorship thing last Sept for a half. sent out letters 2 weeks before the race and received £1700, very quickly, so will have to wait till I am 65 before I ask again. Your sponsorship money raised was quite magnificent, well done. You must have been very proud of yourself. Yes I can see the acheivable time.

    I heartily agree with you about recovery and rest. I train only on 4 days a week, and will probably continue to do so. Perhaps raising the mileage on these days rather than adding another day to the programme. I also do my sprints and often my longer fast run (40mins) on the treadmill to save the pounding of the tarmac. I again agree with you that one has to have a LIFE besides running!
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