Oldies? How many Klm per week --

[Bazza1234]

are you running??

Just curious - and wondering how many K per week my older friends here are running??

[sgee80 Graduate]

I graduated C25K in June and now run between 10 and 15K a week. I'm 60

[baronblaze]

The trouble with being over 60 is i seem to get injury after injury which takes a lot longer to heal then when you are younger. I had my first run three days ago after 6 weeks out with hip and buttock pain - now i've pulled my hamstring. I would like to run a lot more tham the 12 to 18k a week when fit but i always seem to be running with an injury or aches and pains. I envy you Bazza being able to run the distances you do.

[Bazza1234 Graduate in reply to baronblaze]

Hmm - I have to say that I never have had anything that I could remotely call an "injury" - but then again , I am very conservative with my running and mostly take it fairly easy. However - i am possibly overdoing it a bit - as evidenced by "tiredness' over the past few days. I am not intending to continue doing these 30-35 klm weeks after I have this HM out of the way - I think 10K will be my longest from then on.

[Hidden in reply to baronblaze]

I have recently joined the C25K community at 61 and due to graduate soon. Like Bazza I have avoided injury. I put my good fortune down to my genes in part but I do cross train. I prefer to be a jack of all trades rather than master of none and avoiding injury has, I believe, come about from not overworking bits of my body at any one time by doing different activities. I walk lots, cycle a little, adore the rowing machine, can't get enough yoga and pretty rubbish at pilates.

I am really quite fearful of getting old and immobile having seen some of my contemporaries already on the couch for good. I do try to listen to my body and respond appropriately before a niggle becomes a problem.

As for distance - I envisage 10-15k a week, like Ullyrunner, to be optimum believing that the temptation to put my body under greater duress would be reckless. Although I have progressed through the programme and built endurance to the point where I can run 10k in one go I feel it would be foolish to do this regularly at the moment. My "training" now is moving in a different direction and improving running by working on increasing speed ever so slightly in small bursts over short distances. So, for me, mixing it up has been a key factor in enjoying injury free activity.

[Ullyrunner Graduate]

I regularly do 10-15k a week and usually do run /walk on a 60sec/30sec ratio. It's enough to keep me happy and I don't really aspire to longer distances. I intersperse this with Pilates, Tai Chi, walking and swimming.

I am 61 by the way.

[mfamilias Graduate]

What is your definition of "older"? I'm 16 (+30). At 15 k per week, I now run more than I ever did than I was "younger", and nothing else matters (as the song says).

[rich_wolves Graduate]

Well I'm 50 , nearly 51 and I prefer to have more rest days purely because the muscles in my legs ache so much, and a longer rest does them the world of good

[Mummytotwo Graduate]

I'm just the right side of 40 and I run about 24km a week. However, I have had a thigh strain so building back up and only expect to do 18km this week.

[Zev1963 Graduate]

I'm 52 ( as my user name suggests )

Before starting C25K in September last year I had not run since school, and at school only grudgingly. I had however been cycling fairly regularly up until the op to remove half of my left lung in Jan 2014. I began my recovery after the op by walking every day. In August I noticed the C25K program and decided to give it a go.

After graduating C25K I increased my running time by 10% per week. Ran every other day, each run the same duration.

On Christmas 2014 morning I ran my first 10km.

By March I was running 10km on week days and a 14km run at the weekend.

Then ankle injury struck at the end of March, limiting me to one 5km run per week for quite a while.

I've gradually built back up, and have learnt that my overall weekly distance is more important than my distance for an individual run. For example, I can now manage 18km for a single run, but I then don't feel like running again for the rest of the week.

If however I limit my runs to 5 or 6 km then I can happily run 5 or 6 times per week.

My intention is to continue running 5km most days of the week, and slotting in a progressively longer run at the weekend. But until my stamina is built up a little more I will stick to the 5 to 6 km runs.

I think my big mistake was to do too little while recovering from the ankle injury in March. I was right to limit my running as I did to rest the ankle, but I should have found some other activity to try to maintain my overall fitness, which I now realise dropped considerably.

When I managed the 18km runs I thought that my fitness had not dropped much, but the fact that I needed so many days recovery afterwards tells me that actually it had dropped a lot. Before the injury I would have only needed one day rest.

[AncientMum Graduate in reply to Zev1963]

I couldn't agree more with your diagnosis of too little exercise whilst recovering from an ankle injury. I really wish I'd explored other ways of maintaining my aerobic fitness whilst I was recovering from my broken ankle.

[Curlygurly2 Graduate]

I'm 55 and average about 22K per week. I run 3 or 4 times per week, every other day unless I have something else to do. I probably do 1 x intervals, a couple of 5Ks and something else like a longer run (11K is my longest so far) or hill work.

[Caradora2]

I am in my mid 60's more active than 30 years ago I do a mixture of exercise very wary of injury, and have now graduated for the 4th time from C25k. 🙌😃I know how much stronger I am since the first C25k and I love running outside but also use the treadmill in the winter actually the distance doesn't interest me I try to speed up gradually and just enjoy being out there!

This forum is fab btw and wasn't around 4 years ago.

[Realfoodieclub Graduate]

I'm 49 and I do approx 15km run/walk running and approx 10 -15 slower walk/hike depending how busy my other half is.

[mcgurranhouse Graduate]

Depends on what you class as "older" Bazza

[Bazza1234 Graduate]

I just knew this would happen -- all the young ones would turn up and take over the thread!!! ( Young ones being defined as <60!! )

Earlier this year , I was doing a 4 day per week "programme" - but I did the required runs every second day - so my running week had 8 days. It seemed to work well for me then - I am now doing 4 days per week -( also longer distances/times on my feet rather than faster runs) - but am now wondering whether I should revert to past efforts. Trouble is I do parkrun every week on Saturday - and now go to a "social" running club on Sundays. hence two runs in two days. The social groups runs aren't fast ( maybe a bit faster than I would like to do ) but they do tend to be long - up to 12 klms ( but it is possible to cut them short ) and they follow the parkruns , which aren't always "hard" but can be!

[Zev1963 Graduate in reply to Bazza1234]

ooooo I'm young thanks Bazza. All relative I suppose ^^

[ridingstar Graduate in reply to Bazza1234]

Me young you have made my day, lol

[AncientMum Graduate in reply to Bazza1234]

Ah bless you Bazza, I'm a youngster

[WhenIm64]

I am 63. It took me 25 weeks to complete the C25K, some off for holidays, some repeats after holidays and a few weeks off as I pulled a muscle underneath my foot. Only a month after graduating I have pulled a muscle in my hip and am waiting for it to stop hurting before I run again. It is very frustrating as I was enjoying being so much fitter. When I get back to it I will just run 3 times a week, maybe only for 20 minutes. I was running 2 x for 30 minutes and 1 x 5k, but maybe I wasn't yet fit enough.

[agedsnailspace Graduate]

Ok, so I meet your definition of a youngster, but only just! I'm 58. I ran my first hm last year and have taken to the longer distances (must be a family thing - my older sister runs Ultras). I run most every day nowadays - but am very careful to mix up the run types and do include really slow recovery runs (keeping my hr right down) as I find this uses completely different muscles. I have run over 100 miles every month except January - 98 then) and often much more so I probably average 40-50 km per week. I do try to do 1 10 mile+ run a week if I can find the time. I guess I have been lucky injury wise as other than the odd twinge now and then, I've not had any problems. I'm not fast and I do make sure I don't push things too much (apart from on parkrun now and then!) - have to try to catch big sis somehow!

[Shireen59 Graduate]

Hi Bazza I started running in June and now do between 15 and 20 Klm's per week

[Hidden]

Hi bazza, I am a normal 67 year old. At present running approx 40 kms a week. Only run in the morning, start about 5 am. Like getting the tracks and paths to myself. II am type 2 diabetic and had a heart attack 5 years ago. I suppose I am doing it to stay alive. But I reallyenjoy it. Will keep on going as long as I can. Keep posting I read them all.

[Bazza1234 Graduate in reply to Hidden]

WOW - you are doing really well then!! 40K per week!!! Are you running every day - or 5 days per week or so??

[Hidden in reply to Bazza1234]

will try and keep this short. I run every second day so I suppose it works out to an 8 day week. somedays I run 15kms and others about 10 to 12 kms, no science involved just depends on how I feel. living in the central belt of Scotland in the countryside there are lots of tracks and cycle paths that I can run on. all of them mixed gradients. I prefer to run early in the morning (5am) I like the solitude of me/nature and music. in the winter when the ice or snow is too bad I retreat to the gym and the treadmill. with the treadmill the mileage goes up as it does seem easier.

I must say I admire your will in running a half marathon. before much more years go by I might just try that. I will take my inspiration from you and all the other bloggers on this forum, as I say please keep posting as I do enjoy reading all the post,, all the best for your half.

[Bazza1234 Graduate in reply to Hidden]

If you are already running 15ks, you can enter into a HM for next weekend!!

[lynnepaul Graduate]

I'm 68 and I average about 15k per week however I walk on my rest days so I cover about 35k per week in total.

[Rignold]

In my newfound 'youngster' category at 47, I am running 60-70km a week at the moment, but only because I am nearing the end of training for a marathon. Once I have got that out of the way I will not want to be running anything like that volume. Perhaps half that. 30-40k a week is quite adequate for me with a long run, 20-30 without. Even at my tender age, I find the sheer amount of energy used a bit draining, which means other training suffers, and it becomes the centre of focus all week.

[rmnsuk Graduate]

Im 58 and I do 25-30km per week. I'll probably up that a bit to train for a HM. Typically 1 long run and 2-3 assorted shorter ones, and hopefully at least 1 day in the gym doing weights. Things have been a bit hectic recently, but after my holiday it'll all calm down again I hope.

Injury free so far. I wear different shoes, obey the hard run/easy run and 10% rules, do stretching, and "rollering" if the aches are bad and just started lifting weights. But I also occasionally do rash things like double my longest run, do three attempts at a PB in a weekend (only 2nd one worked). But if I do get the wrong aches and such I will stop no matter what I'm doing and don't start again till I'm sure it's OK.

[Hungryhorse63]

Hi Bazza

Im 63 with COPD started running in July. Very slow but run on average 7-8 miles a week plus gym cardio twice a week.

[AdamB Graduate]

I'm low 60s and vary a lot. It depends what else is happening. I think my lowest has been about 5K and my highest 64, but I probably average about 25 a week. I try and get out 3/4 times a week. A typical week would be a 5K parkrun, a 7-10K, and a 10-16K

[misswobble Graduate]

Hi Baz I think 10 k as your week's longest run would be a good idea, once your planned HM is out of the way. Four times a week is a lot! I tried it and soon ran into trouble.

Your training for the HM is bound to make you tired. Once it's out of the way and the pressure is off you might find you can pick up where you left off and resume your schedule as before. If not, do the longest run of 10k and see how it goes

Take care

[04lyndy]

I'm 63 and began two years ago walking - fast walking and now jogging. I take part in 10K events and also go to the gym 2/3 times a week for Kettle classes - Interval training. Pilates and Core Body. I try to run 3 X 60 minutes each week. I generally ache every day but no injury apart from my ham string in right leg/glutes. I probably do to much but as I have Atherosclerosis and it's improved my BP and weight I will not stop or slow down until I have to

[Hidden]

I am 64 will be 65 in December I run 3 times a week of between 5 to 8 km each run so an average of 20 km per week although once a month I chuck in a 10 k plus run so those weeks I would be averaging about 24 km.

As long as I enjoy it that is all that matters to me.

[millwalki8 Graduate]

Aged 46 (for a few more weeks) and do 3 x 10K's per week (usually add a bit here and there) so about 35K a week.

[davelinks Graduate]

Sorry I'm a tad late with this Bazza..😕 I graduated in July and now run 15k a week, I'm 60.....

[susiewoo75 Graduate]

Hi Bazza

I'm 60 and try to run about three sessions of 5K each week. Always have two rest days and in between do yoga, swimming, biking or walking whatever the weather suits. Great to see how many other seniors are doing this. It's inspirational. There should be clubs in all areas for us! Take care and enjoy.