Burning the candle at both ends?

[Runsome]

It’s been a good few days with a new Parkrun PB sneaking into the high 25’s with a 25.54 and my first 10 mile run. The question is where do I go, shorter and faster which won’t improve much more at the age of 54 or longer and slower ? Or can I keep mixing it up?

[Whatsapp Half Marathon]

Well done. Just keep mixing it up and doing what feels right for you. Long runs and speed work compliment each other, so enjoy the cake and eat it too!!

[Runsome Marathon in reply to Whatsapp]

Sounds like a plan, perhaps your right both is better 😀

[misswobble Marathon]

Mix it up. At 54 you can go quicker if you want. I like to go long though. Going longer does get you fitter and stronger, so you can turn on a burst of speed if reqd 👍😃🏃‍♂️

The last time I ran flat out fast I tripped up and ended up in casualty ☺️ So i’m Being a bit careful now 😁

[Runsome Marathon in reply to misswobble]

Hi misswobble. yes mixing it up sounds ok. I like the burst of speed bit. It’s been hard getting my Pb into the 25’s and I don’t think there’s much more in the tank what with struggling to run for a minute in June. Careful sounds best its no fun ending up in hospital hope your ok now?

[MutleyShuffle Half Marathon]

Well done Runsome, I would say keep doing what you're doing, it obviously agrees with you! If you are happy to keep increasing your distance, chances are your speed will carry on improving too - at what age that stops I have no idea, I guess it's different for everyone. I'm 54 too and I like to think I have a few more years' improvement before it all plateaus out! 😊

[Runsome Marathon in reply to MutleyShuffle]

Hi MutleyShuffle. Oh yes I think I will carry on as is mixing it up and stretching my distances. hopefully I’m not going to the scrapyard any time soon but chasing that 5k Pb is getting real hard. But I guess that’s why it’s so pleasing when the PB’s come along. No one said it would be easy. But it is enjoyable 😀

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon in reply to Runsome]

I've found mixing it up to be absolutely the way to go for me both by increasing the distance on some of my runs and by how I approach parkrun 😁

I think we're quite similar in that our parkrun times came down pretty rapidly. I got to sub26:30 about 5 months after starting couch25k and would probably have carried on pushing if injury hadn't stopped me! I realised pretty early on that I didn't want to run flat out at parkrun every week though - I do not find it a pleasant experience 🤢

So I set myself various challenges each week. Sometimes it might be to run without getting out of breath or run each km a bit faster than the last or make sure my last km is the fastest etc I enjoy this so much that I actually need someone to give me a bit of a kick up the arse to make me actually try, at some point in the near future, to get close to my PB 😂

[Runsome Marathon in reply to pianoteacher]

Hi pianoteacher you certainly do mix it up your and your right that your PR times came down rapidly I remember you overtaking me on a number of occasions. Then as you say you started to run in a more enjoyable way that’s why I’m questioning my ability to keep pushing for faster 5k times as I’m sure I’m near the top of my peak time. So I may mix it up more and look to the HM distance. I will have to see how it goes 😀

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon in reply to Runsome]

You possibly are at the limit of how fast you can go at the moment but that doesn't mean you can't or won't get faster. For me it's about finding an enjoyable and sustainable way to run.

I've been told again this morning by a very speedy member of my running group that I'm capable of sub25 and possibly even faster. I would love that but tbh in the grand scheme of things it's not that fast (there are plenty of women my age and older who can run low 20s and some sub20) so I'm not going to kill myself for it!

The benefits of running no matter what the speed are so great that for me enjoying it is top priority x

[roseabi Ultramarathon]

I don't think it's true that you can't improve your speed at 54 - or much older for that matter!

It depends really upon how much further you want to go. If you're working at marathon or ultramarathon paces your 5K might take a hit, but mixing up 10-milers and 5Ks is fine for keeping the speed up. And how about trying some track distances, even?

[Runsome Marathon]

Hi roseabi I agree that it’s not all over at 54 I’m just saying it’s taking a lot more to get the 5k time gains but that’s just me . I’m thinking of a half after pianoteacher asked.Im Not sure what track distances are? 😀

[Whatsapp Half Marathon in reply to Runsome]

100m/200m/400m/800m relating to a running track.

[Runsome Marathon in reply to Whatsapp]

Cheers👍

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to Runsome]

Cool! I reckon you'll enjoy a half marathon, lots of fun xx

[over61andstilltrying Half Marathon]

Hi Runsome, Congratulations on your PBs in both distance and Parkrun! 😊🍾🥂🎉🏅👏🏻👍☀️ 💥⚡️ 🏃🏻🤸‍♂️🏃🏻🤸‍♂️🏃🏻🤸‍♂️🍾 😊🥂🎉🏅👏🏻👍☀️ 💥⚡️ 🏃🏻🤸‍♂️🏃🏻🤸‍♂️🏃🏻🤸‍♂️ Two sets of these joyful images for your two PBs. Brilliant! Well done to you! Seems to me that you have just demonstrated that having your cake and eating it works in some instances. And all this from some one who only completed C25k last June! You are a super star! ⭐️

I just hadn't realised when I started running to add some variety to my exercise routine that running itself offers so much variety. As well as distance or time PBs, I really love to score a high 'grin factor' for a run. For me this is most likely away from cars and among lovely, new to me, scenery. Running along grinning is a real joy.

I continue to enjoy exploring the data that Parkrun provides. For our Parkrun in the male 50-54 category there have been 622 runners. Of these 29 runners have sub 20 minute PBs. The fastest speedy fellow has a time of 17:33 earning a 86.13% age grading!! Statistics are fun aren't they!?

All the very best with your onward running journey! 😊🏃🏻

[Runsome Marathon]

Hi 61andtrying Thanks for the colourful images and the congrats. I shall always asses the a run by the grin factor now. By the stats you quoted as my school report always said “must try harder”. But I’ll be grinning 😁 all the way having my cake 🍰 and eating it. Thanks for the encouragement 👍😀

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon]

Sounds like you're having a great time, especially if you're that new to running? Just keep enjoying new and varied challenges - I'm sure there's lots more out there, and lots more in you too No hope for me if it's all over at 54

[Runsome Marathon in reply to linda9389]

Hi linda9389 Thanks and yes I am enjoying the running ,It seems to be that the general consensus is to mix it up, variety being the spice of life and all that. Think I will give the HM a go and I really really wanted to do a super sprint tri sometime this summer but after my awful attempt at swimming on Sunday I may have to re think that one☹️ I know there’s plenty of stuff to do and never meant to in-fur that it’s all over for anyone over 54 it was just saying it’s getting hard for me chasing the Parkrun PB. All the best and keep on running RS 👍😀

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Runsome]

Haha! I definitely knew what you meant and I think pianoteacher summed up perfectly why it wouldn't be nice to chase a 5k PB week after week!

[Lordi Marathon]

These are great PB times! The trouble with 5-10k PB times is we will eventually hit a wall with that (simply by us getting older) but they are great fun in the first flush of our late in life running careers! Go for it! Going long for us oldies (I'm 56) holds more potential in my opinion, and is the reason I'm confident of being able to stretch and stretch my longest attempts from HM ->Marathon-> to hopefully Ultra marathon-> 12h and 24h timed events over the coming years...So I'm kinda taking any PBs that come along from generally becoming a fitter runner, but not focussing much on speed over the shorter events rather looking to endurance. I want to be fit enough to always be able to run a couple of half marathons a week at the drop of a hat and not have too much extra work to do to train for a marathon event. So mix it up, have fun with speedy short events and look to go longer later for more joggy PB times over 21-42km. Hope that makes sense!

[Runsome Marathon in reply to Lordi]

Thanks Lordi yes I think I will go longer mixing it with the fun 5k parkrun and not get hung up chasing the 5k Pb. I will do a few more 10k races as I’ve only done 2 and try to stretch it to the HM distance. I’m not sure I’m in your league with the HM, marathon and ultras but will have fun trying to step it up a bit keeping up the overall fitness and the legs moving. Cheers RS👍😀

[vikicats]

Excellent running! No reason you can’t get faster. Mix it up. Some long, slow chatty runs, some shorter, faster runs and some intervals and Hills will all help. You’ve got 6 years in me and thrashing me!

[Runsome Marathon in reply to vikicats]

Hi vikicats thanks and yesI will definitely start to mix it up a bit. Not sure I’ve got any spare breath to chat and run though but it’s nice to see people who can do both. Happy running 😀

[rickym68 Half Marathon]

I'm 50 and started c25k about 1 month before you. I agree with mixing it up, but would add join a club. It's good encouragement/fun and in my area they do about 12 runs hosted by other clubs for only £3 a go.

[Runsome Marathon in reply to rickym68]

Hi rickym68 that’s not a bad idea. I will have a look around see what’s local thanks 👍😀