I'm reluctant to post something potentially negative on this wonderfully positive forum, but I'd appreciate any advice folk can offer,
I'm 78, and I've always been a runner (3-hr marathon 30 years ago, could run 10k 5 years ago). A little over a decade ago I went down with a form of leukaemia, since when chemo, illness and injury have periodically knocked me back to newbie level. As a result, I've done C25k 4 times, but last time (last year) I found I could only complete the last few weeks by pushing myself really hard - like the occasional "hard" training sessions I used to do among the "easy" ones. My Fitbit tells me that when I do this my heart rate goes well above the top of my age-related maximum range.
Since then I've usually been unable to sustain the motivation to try that hard 3 times a week, and I know that a trainer would say I need to put more time in on "easy" runs. The result is that I rarely do 5k without walking some of it, and I've even had to reduce my running pace to slower than my natural pace to avoid blowing up after 10 minutes or so. I've found that my 5k walking time is now only a minute or 2 slower than my all-running time, and the fastest way I can do 5k is mixed walking and jogging, rather like C25K Week 4 but kept up for 5k.
I suspect it's time to stop pushing myself, and settle for the mixed jog/walk option, accepting that it will eventually become all walking. I'm not inclined to cut back on the distance or frequency. Any better ideas?
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Altair2
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Many congratulations on all your past running achievements and keeping going to this age, you are an inspiration to us all.It is hard to accept slowing down or changing activities as we get older, maybe see it as a new challenge. Walking longer distances with friends enjoying the chats and scenery rather than being disappointed in not being able to maintain the running speed you strive for. A word of warning though, I bet you’re so fit and fast nobody could walk at your pace.
You mentioned age related heart rate - if this is the 220-age formula often used by sports equipment you’ll find that many of us on here ignore this completely and just look at what our actual maximum HR is. I have mine set at 190, I’m 59, I’ve run much higher than this at the start of c25k and luckily didn’t explode. I like to run about a minute/km slower now to keep average HR in mid 150s for running .
As you will know by now, we all have just one life and it’s up to us to decide how far to push ourselves and the things which are worth striving for. I hope you can happily settle at your new pace whether it is run, walk/run or walk. Whatever you decide be happy. 🤗
That’s inspirational and I hope you can need running for a while yet. Slow running is a big thing you know and enables us to keep running for longer, the intervals mean your heart rate comes down between runs, we tried jeffing (run/walk intervals) and my 5 k was evenly paced.
I seem to recall that IannodaTruffe wrote a long and informative piece on aging and running - about 9 months ago, I think. Maybe someone will have the link? It had material that was relevant to many of us - including those of us who are relative ‘oldie newbies’ to running.
Whatever route you now take, Altair2 - be it running, niko niko, jogging, walking, jeffing, or a rich and varied mixture - try to do so happily, in the knowledge of your amazing past achievements but focused fully on your enjoyment now.
Maybe it would be good to set yourself new goals, a project and devise a new training plan? Eg Test different jeffing ratios - freestyle or systematically or both. See it as experimentation, tracking your observations, … perhaps even posting here so that we can all learn from your experiences. (That would be brilliant!)
Do some ratios feel better than others? Do some work better for certain types of runs (longer endurance or shorter intervals)? What might your overall training plan look like? How might you design one, incorporating strength work, etc? Test it; adapt it; test again. Have some sessions where your challenge is to run as slowly as possible? The following week, try to beat it.
Oldfloss mentioned shaking things up. It’s a great way forward (for all of us). So another idea (or a complement to the previous one) could be to try things you’d not done before or might have thought ‘not for me’. Meditation? Rowing? The point would be that it would be a fresh thing to learn as a skill, to learn about as an approach and to research. (I know I have completely surprised myself this way, and that itself is a gem.)
Have fun doing this. Play. Laugh at the slip ups (inevitable) and absurd moments (ditto) and your own immediate reactions (‘this is sh**!’). Zoe Williams writes a semi-serious, semi-comedic column called ‘Fit in my 40s’ (in the Guardian and online). What might your ‘Fit at 78+’ look like?
Go you...on all levels...but, I don't feel this is a negative post..I think it is quite the opposite..
Looking at where you are...what came before and what comes after. That is positive thinking.
My feelings, as a 71 year old are....Time to shake things up. Embrace the slow and enjoy it.
I have always advocated slow and steady always.. until by ignoring my own advice, I came a cropper.
Now...After repeating C25K, which took me from Decenber until April...again I am running by my own mantra .
Try to lose the words fast, or faster...replace with, slow, steady, relaxed and enjoyable.
Stop pushing. Listen to your body. Do that 5K but at a pace that will become your happy pace.
Do it, to your own life pattern.
Walk a little if need be , speed up on a downhill, if you feel like it and simply let it evolve.
You need to ensure some core strength and stamina work is included on some of the , all important rest days too.
You don't have to stop you don't have to forgo your running goals...simply accept things change, but sometimes that change can turn out to be really exciting.
Snails rock and, they get to the most unexpected places x
You’re so inspirational! I’m ‘only’ 40 so don’t have much practical advice but a jog/walk mix sounds like a great way to stay active without over-exerting yourself, I wouldn’t see that as negative at all!
I think as we age and slow down it’s actually an opportunity. Did we truly enjoy the speed sessions or just the numbers we could produce? If it’s the latter then we are only going to be disappointed at some stage.
I’m not yet 50… I hate the speed work… I’m embracing the slow as it gives me joy. I’m learning to run/walk with a purpose. I fancy these ultra things… nice long all day run walk, interesting aid stations with coke, cake, pizza, chilli noodles etc… out on the trail enjoying life at its best.
For me, it’s all a no brainier…. I love being out there exercising, so whatever it takes to keep doing that is fine by me. When I cannot run 10m I’ll still want to get out and cover 10 miles… and I will be smiling, even when I think of the days I could do it in half the time and with a quarter of the effort.
Well done for getting on to c25k after all the health issues you have dealt with. You are an inspiration to us all. I have seen lots of advice that the 220 formula does not apply to runners, but I cannot give advice that you should ignore it.
Running at a comfortable pace is all that is required to keep you fit and healthy so don’t worry if it’s slower than your walking pace. Also, there is no shame in run/walking. In fact Jeff Galloway promotes it and calls it jeffing. I use it often, especially if it is windy.
As Grannyhugs says, there are no rules . You can run or walk or even skip, just keep on doing what makes you feel good.
Thanks for all your supportive replies, full of food for thought. I’m a bit overwhelmed by the time and care you have all put into them.
After mulling things over for a few hours, perhaps the comment that sums me up best is “Did we truly enjoy the speed sessions or just the numbers we could produce? If it’s the latter then we are only going to be disappointed at some stage.” I’ve reached the disappointment stage!
The gist of all the replies is broadly that I should do whatever makes me happy. Your comments have made me realise that it is my competitive streak that is causing me angst, even though for years now I have only been competing against my own limitations. (That said, I have to laugh at myself – recognising that I had to think beyond running, I set myself the goal of walking (or running) 1000 miles this year. Currently, I’m just a little off target, so I have another 3 months or so of competing against myself on that challenge!)
So I shall stop pushing myself, and set out on my “runs” with the intention of walking unless I feel the urge to break into a jog from time to time. I’ll keep on with strength training on a few rest days each week, and walking with my partner whenever the chance arises.
That sounds like the perfect plan, at 65 we still like to look at the numbers every so often and see if we can beat ourselves but are slow runners and know it’ll get slower as time goes on, one thing I think is every day I run keeps me better balanced and with less chance of falling as i get older, walking is fine too, it’s the sitting that ages us. Enjoy whatever you do
I think you are amazing to be doing what you are doing. Ultimately I think you have to listen to your body - sometimes it allows you to progress, and other times it tells you to be cautious. You will have a lot of fitness and strength from your past but it’s bound to decline with age, notwithstanding the additional impact of the particular health issues and treatment you have had. There’s no shame in run/walking or even just walking. As someone who has just had a hip replaced, I know I need to embrace what I can do, and not agonise over what I can’t do. Slowing down, changing routines etc is not giving up.
I think you're doing great. As a 61 year old post cancer treatment runner I know exactly where you're coming from. It just knocks you for six doesn't it? They kept stressing to me at the hospital about finding your new normal, I think that's a kind way of saying you won't be able to do what you did before although they don't actually spell it out do they?...
I've been following a plan to run my upcoming HM continuously I.E. no walking breaks, but with 4 weeks to go I have had to accept that just isn't going to happen. Yes, I've got slower and slower too, and lost motivation.
Some people do well on pushing themselves hard, but frankly we are no longer 20 years old...
You don't have to settle for run/walk, or all walking, it's not either/or.. see how you feel on the day and go with that. I know it's hard when others are posting their achievements but we are still here, still plodding along after brutal treatment. The important thing, to my mind anyway, is to enjoy what you are doing, and enjoy your surroundings. Sometimes I enjoy a walk more than a run, you see things from a different perspective.
A final post from me on this topic! I walk/jogged for 5k this morning, with no set goal apart from making it back home. I resisted the temptation to look at my watch (I'll leave it at home next time) or my Fitbit, and I just enjoyed the exercise (more than I expected). Thanks for helping me down this road.
Hi Altarnun, I've just recently rejoined the group chat and was interested in your message.I started c25k exactly 3 years ago aged 75, so I'm now 78. Run 3 times a week and vary every run.
Did the London Virtual 10k a few months ago, and last Fri the GNR5k with my son and 2 grand sons. So 3 generations, I was the oldest runner in the race, and one grandson was the winner.
I've slowed down and enjoy it more. Hopefully I'll be running at age 90 with my kids, so that is my target.
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