How long can I keep improving? (it's all relative)

[turnturtle]

I ran my 16th Park Run today since starting Couch to 5K and achieved a new PB (Okay, all you spritely young things, you can stop reading now-I know it's turtley slow compared to you).  However, my supportive Ironman son pointed out that my Parkrun statistics show I am getting faster as I get older! More importantly, my age-graded score is steadily increasing. I now have a lurking ambition. I am saving my next Parkrun PB attempt until my 70th birthday in 3 months time (it just happens to be on a Saturday!)

[JaySeeSkinny Graduate]

That's one way of improving your statistics! You're still a darned sight faster than many of us and obviously getting faster all the time! There's hope for us yet😎 Thanks for the inspiration💐

[turnturtle Graduate in reply to JaySeeSkinny]

Thank YOU JSS! I do not have many people behind me when I finish, but there are more than there used to be!

[secan Graduate]

Turtles can easily live over 100 years, some even over 150 years... this means:

1. You are just entering your middle ages 😉 

2. You still have plenty of time to become faster and faster

By the way, 33:29 is a more than respectable time; I've seen runners in their 20s and early 30s running slower on an almost entirely flat course.

[turnturtle Graduate in reply to secan]

Oh Secan you say the nicest things! If I didn't have a supportive son already I'd offer to adopt you

[secan Graduate in reply to turnturtle]

I only say the truth; it's not my merit if the truth happens to be nice. 😉

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to turnturtle]

He is amazing isn't he?

[turnturtle Graduate in reply to Oldfloss]

Shall we kidnap him Oldfloss?

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to turnturtle]

Yes...lets....

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to secan]

You do know that I love you... ? But especially when you post age-inspirational things like this

I keep telling every one that 66 is the new 55!!!! Why will they not believe me?

[goonkeepgoing Graduate]

Brilliant!  You beat my AGP by 10% and I am quite pleased with mine so you should be delighted. To be improving in absolute terms too is cracking.  Well done ☺

[misswobble Graduate]

WEll done TT!   I read that somewhere and I recall feeling really pleased as I only started running at age nearly 57 and didn't want it to fizzle before it got going. That news gave me hope.

Great idea for the next Parkrun. You'll nail that PB, I know you will!

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

Love it...like fine wines.. we just get better and better with age.. we totally rock!!!!

[turnturtle Graduate in reply to Oldfloss]

I can't wait to post a pic of my celebratory 70th tattoo. It will make the DNR doctors in A and E think again when they see it on my  instep...

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to turnturtle]

Go you... clearly a woman after my own heart... glad I have found you!!!!

[poppypug Graduate]

Well done TT !

That is such an inspiration , fabulous !

Aye we're not bad us more mature ladies are we ? xxx

[turnturtle Graduate in reply to poppypug]

We was brung up on proper home cooked food. Not your convenience rubbish. AND we walked to school. And had free milk and orange juice and cod liver oil (yuk) but I reckon our generation has a better prognosis than the current one (sorry poppypug-I know you're not quite my generation, but you caught the tail end of our babyboomer benefits!)

[poppypug Graduate in reply to turnturtle]

Very true . I always walked to school . Old habits die hard, I'm still walking 5k to work every day . I love it , gives me a bit of head space .

Yes I had free milk too , a little 1/3 pint bottle I think it was xxx

[turnturtle Graduate in reply to poppypug]

And kept outside in crates in the playground so it would freeze in winter and expand and pop its little cardboard top off. Them were the days...

[poppypug Graduate in reply to turnturtle]

Ha ha , yes ! I remember at home when we got milk delivered to the doorstep, when it was freezing, the little silver tops would be about 3 inches from the bottle top .

Oh and the birds used to love to peck the tops !

My Mam always gave us Cod Liver Oil in the winter and we had a tablespoon of Malt Extract too, I used to really like that !

[turnturtle Graduate in reply to poppypug]

Poppypug could we both  book advance places in one of  Terry Wogan's  'homes for the bewildered'? We would have such a ball comparing memories

[poppypug Graduate in reply to turnturtle]

Ive already got mine booked ha ha

I used to chuckle at my Mam reminiscing about the good old  days and " I remember whens " but now I do EXACTLY the same.

Memories to treasure xxx

[turnturtle Graduate in reply to poppypug]

I remember when £20 was a good weekly wage!

[poppypug Graduate in reply to turnturtle]

My first weekly wage was £16 . £5 board , £5   Bus pass and a whole £6 to spend on myself . Ha ha ! xxx

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to poppypug]

Haliborange tablets me....

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to turnturtle]

In winter... they bought our milk in, and put it in the Top Class room, where they had a huge fireplace... with a fire ... and they placed the crates  a little way from the fire... the milk was warm by playtime...I did not like it then!!!!

[aliboo70]

Brilliant time TT ! Well done you!

I saw a new lady speed walking at our parkrun today doing a brilliant job and when I looked on the results she was in the 80-84 category! 😊

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Those age graded scores are very respectable and would leave many youngsters trailing in your age graded wake.

RESPECT, lady!!

[turnturtle Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thank you IT.  I must not get carried away. I was only 5th in my age group at Parkrun today but after July I will be in a whole new age group and out of range of those pesky 65 year olds.

[turnturtle Graduate]

My other half does not 'do' the internet. I just mentioned that I had done 33.29 today and his response was 'You've never done 30 yet have you? If you did less walking and more running you'd be a lot  faster' So that's the Jeff Galloway method written off then. I didn't tell him that my PB today was largely due to me running on major adrenaline after a 'domestic'. He is my secret weapon. He lights my touchpaper and off I go! Must remember to stage another row on the morning of July 23rd.

[heavyhorse Graduate in reply to turnturtle]

haha! I can understand that! I usually do my best house cleaning when my other half has angered me! He hasn't realised though as I expect he might annoy me more just to live in a tidier house! On the down side it doesn't happen too often so my house is not presentable to visitors 90% of the time... Might try your technique next time and ignore the house and aim for a Pb! Good run though!

[Eatcakeandrun]

Those are fantastic results - I hope I can manage those times when I reach my sixties and seventies! Big congratulations! 

[AvatheGardener Graduate]

Inspirational turnturtle 😀 Go you! 

[Curlygurly2 Graduate]

Wow, go you! Remind your old man of the story about the tortoise and the hare...I'm envious of your time...

[harveyemm Graduate]

Really great results. Keep going---you've inspired me today.

[AncientMum Graduate]

Fantastic result TT, no wonder you're so pleased with yourself. Apart from the extremely respectable time, it's good to see you're able to run at all. Prof Cough must know his stuff -those mathathon-standard lungs are doing brilliantly.

[turnturtle Graduate in reply to AncientMum]

Hadn't run for a week AM as I was following orders to rest and recuperate. But orders are made to be disobeyed!

[AncientMum Graduate in reply to turnturtle]

A woman after my own heart

[amateurwriter Graduate]

Don't put yourself down, you're doing fantastically well, and you're a lot quicker than me and I'm 24 so give yourself a massive pat on the back and be proud of all the hard work you are putting in to your running and hold your head up high with pride just think of how far you have come from your first run of c25k week 1, I hope to be running half as good as you are at that age then I will be more than happy

Take care,

Siobhan x

[turnturtle Graduate in reply to amateurwriter]

Thank you Siobhan! Hope we can meet up on a Parkrun one of these days.

[AndyD Graduate]

Way ya go!!! Well done!! There's hope for us 57 year old kids yet

[Realfoodieclub Graduate]

Great times and fantastic philosophy.  My next aim after HM is working on my 5km speed.  Your such an insiratiin to me and many more.