9 Things Smart Runners Over 50 Shouldn't Be Doing In Their Training

[@ym6722]

For the first time in my life I am training properly for my first marathon. This is my third attempt because so many of the above factors I did. I have been doing a Galloway plan and making sure I am not doing too much or too little, doing strength training and cross train, focused on nutrition and hydration and resting and running slow. I know I will not be fast since I did no speed training this time, but I will finish strong barring any unforeseen circumstances. My goal was to get to the start line injury free. I am 3 weeks away and have one more. long run tomorrow. I know I can do this. Oh, I am 63! I did not even start running until I was 43. I just love it!

[@progrunner3094]

Congratulations! Stay healthy and keep running!😊

[@petercini2022]

In my 50s I rarely skipped a day, never had pain and ran hard in workouts. Did 50-100 mpw. In two years I matched my first race in college.

[@faulypi]

I started running at fifty. I absolutely smoke my younger self. Still hitting PRs five years later.

[@jtrenchard1974]

Same (2 years ago) :)

[@fecat93]

They say you get 10 years of PRs. I started running in my 30s and I probably didn't get quite a decade, but it was mostly true.

[@jimoconnor8597]

Appreciate this information...61.5 years old now, started running at 55. I run 45-65mpw in 5 running days depending on the race block I am in. 1 day for cross training and 1 full rest day. I have implemented Dicharry's rehab, mobility and performance sessions plus spent years building my aerobic base. At 61, I ran PR's of 3:08-marathon, a 19:28-5K, 1:03-15K, 1:29-13.1. I am targeting a sub 3 hour marathon try this year as well. Being consistent (I have probably missed 10 planned runs in 5 years), getting educated about running/prehab/strength (Jay Dicharry's, Running Rewired, J Daniel's, Hansons, plus numerous other books) and changing my nutrition have been my keys to years of mostly injury free successful running.

[@troylachance3753]

You're a machine - holy cow! At 56, I'm itching to hit a 20 minute 5K, but have only hit 20:52 so far. Congrats!

[@jimoconnor8597]

@@troylachance3753 TY. Stay consistent and you will get there for sure! Having the big aerobic base made it possible. I ran that PR without running any speedwork in the prior 3 months. I ran 2 marathons in 4 weeks and knew I was just super fit. Good luck!!!

[@troylachance3753]

@@jimoconnor8597 Yeah, that's what I recently learned - my aerobic base is simply not there. A 20:52 5K for me means all out at 170 HR nearly the entire race. I recently learned about MAF and I think (just after 3 weeks) it's going to work for me (improved VO2 by 1 point in just 3 weeks). And then by 61, I'll be able to "think" about a 1:03 15K! :-)

[@ianjames3078]

Started last yr at 52…….i hope to follow your inspirational journey! 💪👏👏👏

[@jimoconnor8597]

@@ianjames3078 You can do it! I'm just a regular guy who was not really an athlete growing up. Just played a few sports casually to have fun. Good luck!!!!!

[@iamspartacus3114]

Well done. All this was spot on. I have been running for 38 years and am now 70. I do all the things you recommend and have done for years. Maybe not as fast now, as when I started but can still mix it in the age group as well as the ones below. Hardly ever injured and when I am it is because I 'forgot', for a short while, one or other of the things you point out.

[@Scaw]

I'd very much like to return to the days when I could be classed as just "over 50". I'm 86 now and enjoy the weekly 5km parkrun with a 30 minute session on a treadmill a few days later. The total weekly time spent running is therefore only about 1¼ hours. Would a little more result in faster running? I could easily do it if it would.

[@Nicksonian]

This is BRILLIANT. Who says that you can’t teach an old runner new strategies?

[@sidorsky]

I thank you folks from the bottom of my 70 year old heart!! With this kind of encouragement (which admittedly comes from the mouths of relative babes (where did you acquire such insight and authority)), I'll write you again 20 years from now. My prayer is that you come to realize the benefit that your efforts have created in this world!! Well done!!

[@Burps___]

Wonderful tips all, thank you. Devlin's tip #2 "cutting the rest" reverberated with me. I can run my intervals with younger peers, but I get crushed overall when they jog, for instance, 1 minute recoveries between each interval. If I make my rest 2 minutes instead oif only 1, and if I walk it instead of jog it, I can complete all my actual intervals at proper speed and feel good about the workout. I see the wisdom in what Devlin teaches.

[@zaneclone]

The one thing I'd suggest for us 50+ gang- listen to your body- you've known each other a long time now- and be honest with yourself. Sometimes it tells us things we don't want to hear- but hey- that's life. Make the sensible decisions which enable you to continue to run with a smile on your face...

[@JohnHarrerHorses]

Great advice

[@patriciacopping1521]

I started running at 73 - am now 81. Was a swimmer and cyclist but gave them up because of changed circumstances. Recently decided to add swimming as a criss training session and was surprised how exhausted i became even though cut one of my 3 runs - so back to 3 runs and only 1 swim and 2 strength sessions. 5km time dropped back to 33 from 35 as soon as i gave up extra swim session

[@Nicksonian]

For decades, I ignored strength training, and I never achieved my running goals and often got frustrated by injuries. Today, I feel better from resistance training than running. I still love to run, but the power I gain from resistance training is a huge benefit to everything, not just running.

[@AB-ot8oy]

Why these men pointing their dirty shoes to the lady.

[@fecat93]

What strength training do you do? I find it is extremely boring and not focused. I do yoga, but for strength the closest I get is some occasional pull up attempts and cross-training swimming/biking.

[@71spud]

Please cover expectations for runners that started running in their 50’s… and don’t have any expectations or baseline from a younger self. I know the strategy for training will be the same…. But what should be our expectations for improvement / goals?

[@Burps___]

I second this solid suggestion from 71spud about proper goal-setting for mature recreational runners. I am awful at setting goals as a mature runner...should I set them as a percentage of my youthful self, should I set them based on some metric of runners my age, or should I set them purely based on looking at myself (paces and times) currently? I get frustrated and often just don't set them at all.

[@daniekotze5124]

I am in the same boat. After doing a bit of running in my early 20's, I only started running again at the age of 54 (I'm 61now). Although I am very conscience about my pace/time and milage, I am by no means a competitive runner. I don't plan to train for podium finishes, but just to enjoy the outdoors and pacing myself against myself. PS, I do trail running although most of my "training" is done on the road for practical reasons.

[@jtrenchard1974]

Thanks for the tips. I have not been cooling down properly. I have not been doing strength training. I can do the cool down easily, I just feel like I am a slave to my watch and the data so I keep going until I hit the stop button.... gotta stop doing that! I am looking forward to reading the strength training plan - thank you :)

[@jans724]

I appreciate this stuff very much! Over 50 and have knee arthtitis meaning I've had to cut down from 5 times/ week to twice / week and also less k. This channel is great!

[@1701Howdy]

Great points, though there are a lot of medical studies that show running with minimal pain (sub 3 on the painometer) and the pain does not increase in the following days is not detrimental to getting back into running after an injury as long as it is done gradually

[@seng9190]

Mine of great information. Thanks

[@travisfinucane]

I'm only 50, but I'm feeling #1 for real. I ran a 10 miler last weekend and got 1:20, I looked up my times when I last ran that race, and I had run 1:07 12 years ago. I don't see how that was even possible. The problem is, I am, and was only ever, a recreational runner, so feel like I left something on the table even when I was my fastest.

[@runninonempty820]

I don't think that there is anything that I can do or not do to stop pain from happening. That is the number one thing that slows me down. If I rested until there was no pain, then I would never run. Arthritis and plantar fasciitis.

[@fecat93]

Genetics are a female dog in heat! So far my muscular-skeletal genetics are good except for a foot stress fracture about a decade ago. My endocrinological genetics however aren't so good.

[@bobbyk9939]

53 year old, 6 ft 205lbs. Been running since my teen years but also lifting weights just as long. A hybrid back in the 90s but didn’t know by the term hybrid. I still run 40-45 miles per week and lift weights 3-4 times a week and no injuries to my legs due to my body adapting to the constant mileages every year for a guy that weighs over 200lbs. I did a lot of leg workouts during early years and have paid off from preventing injuries. I have a body fat percentage of about 15-16% and still ripped for my age when compared to many of my peers. I still out run 90% of my fellow running peers at the last Half Marathon coming in 10th out of 1,549 runners (50-54 age bracket) at the San Diego Rock N Roll.

[@potblack7951]

I’m 56…excellent video..picked up a few things here..thank you👍…ye might lose a little credibility due the fact that none of ye yerselves are over 50 and are not ‘walking in my shoes’ but..ye certainly do seem to understand over 50,s running👍

[@neilbeni7744]

I honestly can't see a caveman cooling down after being chased by a bear.. lol.😂

[@ianjames3078]

The caveman was dead before 50!

[@robws007]

The "don't race your younger self" applies to people who are lifelong runners. However, some of us started, or at least rebooted, our running careers later in life where it's entirely possible to be running PBs in training and competition.

[@IwasBraveFor2WholeSeconds]

I'm 57 and my long covid slows me drastically and sciatica in my right left leg just refuses to run in pace with its sibling...

[@Stevenwalks]

There is an increasing complexity in coaching information today, yet obesity rates continue to rise, suggesting that this approach is not yielding the desired results. A similar trend is visible in cycling, where excessive data tracking and analysis have made participation seem overly complicated. The more we focus on measurement and optimization, the more people disengage. The primary goal should be to encourage more people to be active, but the way running is often presented makes it appear unnecessarily difficult to get started.

[@lpeters2777]

You're not wrong. However, good points were made here and can easily be broken down to a handful of common sense points. My take is that this is intended for those who likely have a decent amount of experience and don't want to slow down, thereby potentially becoming unproductive and frustrated.

[@thomaspowell6028]

Yeah I agree. Everything seems so technical

[@JohnHarrerHorses]

I would love too hear a roundtable discussion with runners who are actually "over-50". 😉

[@CoachParry]

3 post graduate sport science degrees and over 30 years combined experience of coaching runners over 50 on the sofa in this video must count for something, right? 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@JohnHarrerHorses]

@ no offense meant. I’m 70. It’s different from my POV.

[@eagle63-94]

je rajouterais dans le titre "les coureurs expérimentés de plus de 50 ans", car il ne faut pas décourager les personnes qui débutent dans la course à pied. Il faut que les débutants prennent du plaisir dans ce sport et voir les changements positifs de leur physionomie. Après, seulement, se pencher sur la qualité des sorties (je n'aime pas le terme "entrainement" cela me fait pense aux Clubs, où il faut toujours être performant). Trop de coureurs affichent leurs stats (sur Strava), se comparent et vont vers une surenchère de sport au détriment de la santé au final, car blessure au bout ou dégout moral.

[@wmp3346]

Just got a plantar fasciitis flare up

[@chriscrook7865]

At 50 pain is my friend. Through pain is growth....

[@dyranhaas]

Ahhh, those who are not over 50 giving advice… this is obviously for beginners which is fine but those who have been running, racing Ironmans and or marathons know better than these hacks.

[@fecat93]

Brutal comment! I'm 53 and have 75+ marys/ultras including 5 IMs. I am interested in the cool down and strength training suggestions. Never done either through 20 years of running. Does it hurt they aren't our age, probably, but I find I have more in common with other adult-onset athletes than those who competed sports in high school and college. I'm guessing these coaches aren't those people. I would do anything to allow me to run for the next 20+ years.