This young woman is very thin and built to run. She is trying to break 3 hours for the marathon (still hasn’t beaten my 3:08:55 PR, though). They (her husband was 7th American at New York, 31st overall) regularly run 70-85 miles a week. This is not uncommon milage in my circle of running friends, but it certainly is for older folks. Plus, it takes me longer!
Funny you should say that. When I first “met” these young people online (have since met many times in person and went to their MN wedding last year) I got in a big fight with them. They were VERY arrogant and thought I was “slow”. I told them something like “I was running 300 mile months before you were BORN!”
In other news, as I was driving to work I was thinking that if this forum was “Survivor” I would be voted off the island for all the cr@p I’ve been eating lately. Tis the season and all that. I’m not gaining weight, but still…
Also, I was totally sabotaged by the Ragdoll cat this morning. He crawled under the covers just as it was getting to be time for me to get up in the cold dark and do my 6 mile run. He was warm and purring and I was tired. I shut off the alarm. I did have to get up for a mile (actually did 2) to keep the stupid streak going, but I now am 1.7 miles short of the 1500 for the year. Tomorrow… I don’t feel guilty. I needed the rest.
I hear ya on the neck and shoulders. I just about killed myself playing acoustic guitar one day. I had just learned the opening riff from the Allman Brothers One Way Out and sat in one position for too long hunched over an acoustic guitar, not paying any attention to the increasing stiffness in my neck. Ended up with an inflamed something or other that pinched a nerve at the C5 vertebra and send unbearable pain shooting down my chest and arm for days. Pain so bad that I went to the emergency room on a Saturday night thinking I might be having a heart attack. I was so relieved when they said my heart was fine that I neglected to get anything for the pain and proceeded stand up (the only position I could bear) in the hall all night, leaning against a wall, until I fell asleep and fell down, which woke me up and started the whole miserable cycle over. I was at my doctors at 8 am Monday morning where the nurse practicitioner saw me holding my arm overhead and said “C5 vertebrae!” and gave me Percocet for the pain and steroids for the inflamation. Needless to say, I now pay close attention to stiffness in the neck and shoulders!
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The pulling exercises, working towards chin-ups, have really helped me. I think that poor activation of the muscles in the upper back contribute to shoulder and neck issues in the same way that poor activation of the hips contribute to knee issues. Actually using the muscles in my upper back has helped my posture, especially in pulling the shoulders down and back instead of shrugging them up to my ears
I had gotten to the point where it was hard to turn around and look behind me to back the car down the driveway. Ah, the fun of being a geezer! So, doing upper spine thoracic mobility drills in my warmup every day has really helped with that. I just switched to this one and am lovin’ it:
This one’s great too … and the perfect thing throughout the day when you feel your shoulders getting a little tight from hunching over a desk (or a piano or a guitar!)
<p>The youngsters always know it all, whether it’s running or strength training or whatever. Running 3000 miles a year and grinding down knee cartilage or back squatting heavy barbells and blowing out lumbar discs. It’s all the same mentality and, at 27, they can’t see how it could be smart to do it any other way.</p>
<p>Here’s a funny Mike Boyle article on the four stages in the progression from a young to an old strength coach, with a turning point at the second or third surgery from weight lifting injuries:</p>
<p>The good news is that smarter training seems to be taking hold across the board. It is certainly a trend in athletic strength and conditioning training. And, most of the stuff I casually read about running training emphasizes the need for allocating mileage judiciously and recovery and not just pounding out miles day after day after day. </p>
<p>The key is Dan John’s quip: “The goal is to keep the goal the goal…” It’s one thing if the goal is to win marathons or powerlifting competitions. You probably can’t compete at high levels in either sport without hurting yourself. It’s very different if the goal is to use running or weight lifting as a tool to achieve heath and fitness, where it would be counterproductive to hurt yourself.</p>
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<p>I’ve been eating like a horse lately. I’m probably up, on average, from 1800 -1900 calories a day to 2000 -2200. Makes sense because that’s probably about where I would need to be for weight stabilty and I haven’t been putting on weight. But, it’s all part of learning what weight maintenance requires.</p>
Logistics this Fall has made it far easier to workout regularly. It’s
basically good family scheduling. The Spring scheduling is looking
horrendous right now but I am working on a technology fix to maintain
my workouts. Having a lot of job flexibility makes life easier.
This is what I call elite.
Running lets you get away with that.
I think that you don’t have to be as careful with diet over 5 miles
per day - at least as far as weight is concerned.
I noticed less fat on my chest this morning and a thinner waist (a bit
more of a V look). I really need to get back to weight-lifting. I was
planning on using the Smith Machine yesterday but two guys were working
out on it. The downsides of the Smith Machine - you usually can’t have
a bunch of people using it, it takes up a lot of space, and it is an
expensive piece of machinary. I have been doing a bit on free weights
at home but it is only a bit. Part of the problem is that they cold
weather is here and I don’t like to workout in the basement as it’s
pretty cold down there now. I can do my stretch and floorwork upstairs
(but no jumping).
I missed the REI Capilene sale; still looking for the stuff as I could
workout in the basement with that stuff on.
I’ve settled into winter mode in the basement. Running pants. A short sleeve tech t with a long sleeve quarter-zip tech shirt over it. When I get warmed up, the long sleeve comes off. When, I get hot, I turn the box fan on. I would absolutely roast trying to workout with Capiline or PowerDry base layer. Even the lightweight stuff I have gets hot out walking on a cold day. Long sleeve tech t with the sleeves pushed up is OK, but really a bit too hot towards the end of a workout.
<p>Hi All! Back at the gym after a brief break due to exhaustion, cold and illness. Worked hard on the bike and did some weights. Am finding my motivation is waning even though we head to Mexico at the end of January. SO nice to be back online and recharge with all of you!</p>
<p>Ha, ha: When you get to be my age, you learn to appreciate lots of things that are less than optimal! :)</p>
<p>Also, I believe that the drug companies have done an effective job of moving the goal posts on blood pressure, for obvious reasons. Blood pressure medication is a big seller. I think that anyone in their 50s or 60s with average blood pressure of 120/80 shouldn’t be losing much sleep worrying about their blood pressure.</p>
<p>Good to hear from you! We missed your workout reports. I think the winter weather has everyone struggling, a little bit, to keep the motivation up.</p>
<p>Back from the doctor today, the good news is nothing really bad seems to be going on. The doctor wants me to do some foot strengthening exercises for a couple of weeks before returning to running, to see if that helps, and if not, come back for a closer look. Also, he said my toe would not be completely healed for another couple of months. Stupid toe.</p>
<p>The problem with definining a standard below the average for an age group is that you give a lot of people a “problem” even though they are more or less average for their age group.</p>
<p>5.25 miles, 9:10 pace. Didn’t feel like a great run but it’s in the spreadsheet now. Also got on the Smith Machine and did a bit of freeweights.</p>
<p>For years and years (starting in my teens) my blood pressure was 125/75 and it was considered just fine. It’s now around 105/70. I don’t feel like I exercise more, or eat better than I did then, but something must have changed in the last few years.</p>
Well, I finally got back in the saddle with a workout this evening. New Rules of Lifting for Abs. I was definitely the tortoise, not the hare, moving thru this workout at a slow, deliberate pace with generous rest breaks between sets. Took 65 minutes and felt difficult. Actually, the exercises were all solid, but I saw high heart rates (max = 85%) which is up there for a weight lifting workout. And I was definitely breathing hard. Probably some lingering effects of the cold and being a little out of shape after four days off.
Three sets of unassisted chinups: 5 reps, 4 reps, 4 reps. Those continue to feel stronger each time. The 1 1/4 squats (down > a quarter way up > back down > all the way up) are still just brutal. Six reps per set with two 35 lb DBs at my shoulders.
Good to get a little exercise. I was starting to feel like a slug.
<p>Saw an interesting sight on the drive home in the dark today. Three guys (I’m assuming that they were guys) running three abreast on the road with headlights, orange vests and tape on their shoulders and chests. It looked a bit odd seeing three lights and reflective strips bouncing around in midair until I got close enough to see what they were.</p>
<p>They were very visible to drivers and the opposite of ninja pedestrians.</p>
<p>If I’m gong to be out anywhere near nightfall, I always make sure to wear significant amounts of reflective material. At the very least, I’ll throw on the 3M reflective wrist and ankle cuffs that the Road ID people make:</p>
<p>These things are totally unobtrusive to wear (about like tennis sweat bands), are highly reflective, visible from 360 degrees, and constantly moving with the feet and arms. </p>
<p>I have the reflective Brooks vest and two jackets with large areas of reflective material. The only problem is that I don’t particularly like walking/running after dark! There’s no need in the summer and in the winter it’s too damn cold!</p>
<p>However, the average person becomes less active, less muscular, and more fat as s/he ages. So is the increase in the average blood pressure really due to age, or due to changes in activity, muscle mass, and body fat commonly associated with age (but not necessarily true for everyone, particularly those who maintain a high level exercise even as they get older)?</p>
<p>Defining a standard below the average does “give a lot of people a ‘problem’ even though they are more of less average for their age group”, but does anyone posting here think that this is really inappropriate for standards for good health relating to body fat percentage, waist/height ratio, or other indicators of whether someone is obese, since the average person in the US is not in the healthy range?</p>
<p>I don’t worry as much about being visible in the early morning, although much of my stuff has a lot of reflective areas, because traffic is very light and people seem more aware. Evening rush hour is a different story. Everyone is on a cellphone and in a rush to get home and not watching for me!</p>
