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Aging & Performance

Age-Adjusted Training Plans

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Most training plans suggest an incremental buildup in mileage and intensity as you close in on your target race. This is particularly important for a longer distance, such as a half or full marathon. These training plans generally assume an average recovery period, incorporating a hard-easy regimen of workouts. Also good!

The problem with standard training plans is runners come in all shapes and sizes with varying running and fitness backgrounds, as well as having unique injury and other physical issues to address, not to mention the ebb and flow of daily living. Bottom line, the proposed schedule for a particular runner may not neatly fit the timeline prescribed for a target race.

Also, and this is the topic of this post, runners are different ages. Everything above pertains to master runners. In addition, there are cumulative effects of aging to factor in. Let’s look at that.

First we should define what age we’re talking about. Research shows that after age 30 measurable declines are seen in VO2max, muscle strength and quality, and what Tim Nokes in Lore of Running calls the “capacity to absorb landing forces” due to wear and tear on tendons and joints. According to Nokes, a key variable is how long a person has been training at an intense level. For example, a 50-year old who started running seriously at 35 may now be faster and more resilient than a high school classmate who won the state cross-country title and has kept training and racing.

Bundling all of this together, runners over 50 and certainly those in their 60’s and beyond need to build in more recovery than most training plans allow for. Recovery can be in the form of lower intensity running but ideally some activity besides running two or three days a week.   Active recovery in the water, on a bike or elliptical is generally much better than taking a day off from physical activity.

Such age adjustment may contradict a training plan that calls for 50 miles in six days for a particular week. However, just as there are age-grade tables that compare athletes’ times at different ages, training plans can likewise be viewed through an age lens. For example, a 60-year old runner may observe that running more than four days a week leaves him/her stiff and not refreshed for a solid training effort. The plan then needs to be scaled to accommodate this. Since there are no widely-accepted tables for doing this, at least that I am aware of, each runner needs to assess what’s working, what’s not, and then determine needed changes. As with all things, it’s important to keep your eye on the prize, in this case to build toward an enjoyable and successful target race or level of running.

Ed Whitlock – Last Lap

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Ed Whitlock died on March 12 at the age of 86.   In running circles Ed Whitlock was an icon, an enigma, and someone who defied the aging process. He set world records at various distances after turning 70. Five months before his death he ran a 3:56 marathon in Toronto. Physiological tests indicated the highest VO2 Max of anyone measured at his age and his muscle retention astounding. He was a rail at 110 pounds, carrying no extra baggage.

I had dinner with Ed and Bill Dixon a few years back at the Stockadeathon. Ed was a pretty understated and unassuming guy. Had a twinkle in his eye and clearly enjoyed being around the races. He didn’t like to train and was known for his endless laps around a local cemetery. He didn’t listen to music – just ground it out. Maybe he experienced a runners high in the races – he certainly did not in training. Ed did nothing but run – no weights, stretching, or cross-training.

Ed died from prostate cancer that had apparently spread to his bones. He didn’t say anything publically about it, which is why it caught most everyone by surprise. Surely Ed knew something was wrong, but had he been diagnosed, it’s unlikely he would have undergone treatment. Ed lived by the basics and chemo and hormones would not have been his cup of tea.

While I certainly marveled, along with everyone else, about Ed’s longevity and accomplishments, there was little about his training I could relate to. My premise is, and has been, that we can’t just run to succeed in later years. I advocate strength and flexibility training, running equivalents, and a break from constant running. And I still think for 99% of us that is necessary. Perhaps Ed did a disservice to some by suggesting, indirectly if not directly by his own example, that this work was superfluous. Ed had a certain body type and constitution that allowed for his particular regimen. But if that works for 1 out of 100, it won’t for the other 99 of us. As we age, we hopefully continue to have the fire to drive ourselves to do our best. For me, the full complement of training is both enjoyable and necessary to do that.

So we celebrate Ed Whitlock’s life as a pioneer who showed aging is relative and need not be as progressive as once thought. Ed, it was great to read about the records you broke. But I view you as an Experiment of One, and in some respects you were probably one-of-a-kind. You found what worked for you and followed your passion. Perhaps that is your lasting legacy. Certainly that is all any of us can ask of ourselves.

The Gift of Injury

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Going through some papers, I came across this piece I wrote 21 years ago, about midway through my running career. I am not sure what I did with this and if anyone else ever read it, but it reminded me how critical a juncture this was. The injury was patellar tendinitis, reportedly the 5th most common running injury. I did not run for over three months. But upon returning, I did so progressively with a commitment to avoid this going forward. Thus began my consistent use and tracking of running equivalents, mostly water running and Stairmaster and by incorporating REQs an adherence to daily workouts. It also marked the start of taping my knees with Leukotape right below the kneecap to take pressure off the patella tendon. The physical therapist used this during rehab and I just kept doing it. I buy Leukotape in bulk and don’t leave home without it. I tried the Cho-Pat, but find tape works much better. Also at this time, I began a regimen of weight exercises for my legs and knees four to five times a week. Specifically for the knees I use the quad machine, but rather than isotonic (up and down) reps I choose a weight that I can hold straight out with each leg for a count of 10, lower it slowly, then do the other leg. I call these isometric “holds” and do 10 to 15 per leg. Over time, this has built the quads above my knee, helping to keep the patella tracked.

There can be a silver lining in the cloud of injury, and I certainly found that with this bout of patellar tendonitis. Along with ITB syndrome and patellofemoral pain (runner’s knee), sore knees comprise three of the top five running injuries. So it behooves us to strengthen this vital part of our kinetic chain!

The Gift of Injury
(From November 22, 1995 – Thanksgiving Day)

I have been running for 18 years, typically 1,800 to 2,000 miles a year, five to six days a week. Fortunate to avoid a major injury, I have rarely been off my feet for more than a week. It’s been a large part of my life. In fact, I have wondered (without much interest in finding out!) what life without running would be like.

So, I was not elated to hear my doctor prescribe a likely two-month layoff to recover from persistent knee pain. And even that might not do it. It was not good news. But I had been dealing with this for over a year and it was affecting training, race times, and my enthusiasm for running. Running was still a tonic—something to look forward to and organize the day around, a way to stay fit, a social link, and stress releaser. The timing of this was bad. I was heading into a busy work cycle and was several pounds above normal weight. So with some trepidation, I agreed to the prescription of rest from running and rehab.

That evening, I thought about how to constructively approach this. There was a lot I could do: swim, pool running, bike, lift weights, some StairMaster – anything limiting direct pounding on the knee. But none of these seemed to be the elixir to replace a brisk seven to 10 mile run.

First, I decided it was a good opportunity to really learn to swim. I had been working on my stroke off and on during the past year, but it was still a mess. And lingering memories of nearly drowning as a kid kept me from relaxing and exerting myself in the water. It was time to get beyond that!  Second, I vowed to work out every day. Because of work that meant early morning workouts. Third, I knew it would be tough to keep from gaining weight. But instead of aiming to hold steady, I challenged myself to lose the extra weight, so when I was ready to run again, I would tread lightly.

So how has it gone these past two months? Swimming, surprisingly and pleasantly, is coming around with the help of a swim video, lifeguard tips, a pull buoy, and consistent training – at least four times a week. To vary the workout, I even started doing flip turns (my first were a real joke!) I discovered that as with running, going faster has benefits. With swimming, it leads to a sensation of gliding through the water and with proper rotation and reach, better stroke efficiency and reduced drag. My times are approaching 30 minutes for a mile (I figure about a 7:00 minute/mile running pace equivalent), which for “real” swimmers is not great shakes. But it’s all relative. A year ago, 40 minutes for a mile was a dream. Most notable though I’ve begun to look forward to the pool workouts, which with water running last about an hour. I’m not sure why this is, but swimming typically leaves me more refreshed than running. I’ve stuck to the schedule and have missed only one day since going on this program. On non-swimming days, I find a combination of StairMaster, stationary bike, weights, and stretching works well.

The extra weight went away, at least in part due to the early-to-early schedule. Late night cravings for pretzels, etc., have been largely displaced by early bedtimes. Also, I cannot eat thinking I will work it off doing a long run the next day. The fact is these activities do not burn calories the way running does. So I am more aware of what I eat throughout the day.

I do miss running! Especially the racing, although this is gratefully the off-season. I have no doubt that when I return, the fire will burn again. However, I think this pause has shown me I’ve been “chained” (I had to run!) to running, and I feel those shackles have been loosed. As with gaining a new friend while old ones are away, running will now compete with swimming for my time. It’s a dilemma I never expected but welcome.

So what I thought was going to be a hardship has turned out to be a gift. It answered the question of what life would be without running. As for all you injured runners, maybe I’ll see you at the pool!

The Inside Game

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Tom Derderian, coach of the Greater Boston Track Club and fellow 60+ runner with a 2:19 marathon PR, summed it up pretty well when he said after a USATF-New England Grand Prix race last year, “I know what to do, I just can’t do it” Granted, Tom’s standards are high. However reconciling memories of past times with current reality proves a challenge as we age.

When Father (or Mother) Time starts visiting varies significantly among runners. Debilitating injuries interfere with our mechanics. Maladies such as knee arthritis or worn cartilage make sustained training problematic. And the longer we have run, the more likely overall wear and tear. There are as many training plans and life circumstances as there are runners. But the questions remain: Why do we slow down? And what can we do to delay the onset?

To answer the first question, it’s critical to probe what is really going on in our bodies as we age. First, muscle strength is critical to performance. And assuming no change in training regimen other than aging, a study of active men aged 15 to 83 by Taylor Lexell showed both a change from Type II (fast twitch) to Type I muscle fibers and an overall decrease in the number of motor fibers as we age. In automotive terms, we scale down from 8-cylinders to six, or even four with each piston a bit smaller. No wonder climbing hills becomes more of a challenge! With fewer muscle fibers available to recruit, it’s akin to trying to field a competitive 50s or 60s team as the cohort shrinks!

There are also biomechanical changes in our aging muscles. The fundamental unit of muscle is called a sarcomere, within which reside two protein filaments, actin and myosin. Without getting too technical, when our muscles contract, actin and myosin slide across each other. This is called the “sliding-filament theory.” To this end, landmark research being done by Mark Miller, professor of Kinesiology at UMass Amherst, is looking at how age affects myosin actin cross-bridge kinetics. Dr. Miller describes the four levels of muscular function: whole body, whole muscle, single muscle fiber, and molecular. We certainly know about the first two – we run forward and use our leg muscles (e.g., hamstrings and quads) to do this. But the real action is inside, first with long, cylindrical bundled sarcomere cells and finally with the myosin and actin. It’s here where Miller is finding things work less well as we age. The actin and myosin slide, but not like they used to. Things get a bit sticky. So when Tom sees the finish line but his kick isn’t there, his actin-myosin bridge may not be cooperating. Not exactly what any of us want to be thinking about at that stage of a race!

To be honest, all of this is rather depressing! What do we have to look forward to?

If we’re going to keep running, we do have to come to grips with this. But it’s not necessary to accept the dramatic decline the age-grade tables suggest. Let’s recall those tables are based on actual performances. So if we can develop strategies that are above average, we may find ourselves moving up in age-grade %. What might those strategies be? I have found five:

1. Modify training that allows for continued hard efforts. The athlete used to running 50-60 miles a week and 6-7 days, may need to scale back to 35-40 miles over 4-5 days with two or three of those days quality, including speed or a race, long runs, and hills.

2. Work out aerobically every day if possible. It’s the “Use-It-Or-Lose-It” principle playing out. That means finding other cross-training outlets. Deep water running is great, as is StairMaster, cycling, and the various elliptical options.

3. Stay limber. A previous blog post gets into specifics about range of motion. The hard truth is we become less tensile as we age, and it’s critical to offset that with stretching, foam rolling, yoga, and jumping & skipping drills. In particular, please see my post on eccentric heel dips.

4. Hit the weights! There’s nothing like an all around weight program to slow muscle loss. And for those who have not partaken, to build it! Our vulnerable running parts — hips, legs, knees, and feet — are protected by strong quads, hamstrings, calves, and upper and lower back muscles.

5. Stay in awe and enjoy the ride! The human body is a truly amazing instrument and sticking with a training program in spite of declines in performance is a powerful statement to ourselves and others – we’re still vital and have things to do!

Perhaps you’ve seen the Pixar movie, “Inside Out, ” which depicts how our experiences and memories affect emotions. Similarly, we have muscle memory that gives us the confidence to enter a race and push ourselves. In the long run, if the effort is the same, that supersedes the results. We’re out there – attacking, not dreading, the hills and doing our best!

Finding Balance

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It’s hard to describe, but you know when you have it and feel it. Your day moves along well. You think clearly. Say the right things. There’s spring in your step and you look forward to whatever happens. You see the lighter side and don’t take things personally. In short, you are balanced!

I retired in October 2014. After working in finance, accounting, and nonprofit management for 38 years I just didn’t have the same energy to pour into work. Not getting any younger, there were other things to do. I spent the next year becoming a certified trainer and USATF run coach, focused on my own training, and worked part-time at a local running store. All this was fun, new, invigorating, educational, and a challenge. But it turned out to be a sabbatical, as a year later I returned to my job, for good reasons – the people, role, and mission. 

I was sure in the interim I had learned something about balance and would do a better job of pacing myself. And for certain stay very engaged in running-related things. Good intentions! However, upon returning I quickly inherited a backlog of projects as well as new things coming in the door. Within several months, it was back to feeling behind, rushed, and drawn into the crisis of the day. Not a sustainable path. But I hadn’t returned simply to retire again in six months. There were things to do and knew I could do them. 

Everyone hits this wall. If we are at all driven, and most people I know are, there is always more to do than time to do it. So what to do? For me, I am finding six things crucial: 

1. Protect, with a passion, space to run and train. For those of us with running in our DNA, there is nothing like a run on the river with the sun rising! It helps to keep things in perspective throughout the day.

2. Sufficient rest and eating habits. For me, this means an early-to-early routine and planning ahead for meals. I have always been a morning runner so getting to bed before I’m exhausted is the first step towards a solid a.m. workout.

3. Pour enthusiasm and creativity into what I do, be that work, training, or volunteer and social activities. At the end of day, I need to feel I moved things forward, with some element of grace and unique contribution.

4. Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize! The time management experts say there is never enough time to do the wrong things. They are right!

5. Plan ahead for post-work activities – meet friends, go to a show or ball game, bike along the river, read, write, contemplate.

6. Dedicate time for run coaching, writing, and research. This was the intent of Run Strategies and getting back to it is crucial. I’ve been running nearly 40 years and have learned some things along the way. It’s fulfilling to give back. In particular, the area of aging and performance – my own and others — intrigues me. Having let the RS blog go dormant is a clear sign of imbalance. With this post, I’m reengaged! 

That’s my list – yours will be different. Perhaps you’ll find it useful to create one. It’s helped me focus on what’s important – a key step to regaining balance. The reality is balance is an elusive, never static goal. If we’re there one day, it can be gone the next. So what to do? For me, it’s checking my list!

The Art of Recovery

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Like many, for years I ran with the mindset that faster was better. If you want to race fast, you’ve got to train fast – an extension of the no pain, no gain philosophy. For me, that worked pretty well. Have never been a high mileage runner – more than 40 MPW on five days a week seemed to invite injury. But most of it was pretty fast paced – usually between just 45 and 60 seconds/mile slower than 10K race pace.

I‘ve been racing for 38 years and thankfully spent very little time on the DL – until three years ago. For the first 35 years, I was out of action an average of about 2-3 weeks a year. I attributed this, in part, to taking the approach of not running through injuries. If something cropped up, I hit the pool and Stairmaster until things felt solid. And then it was immediately back to the fast-paced stuff. The two exceptions were a 3-month outage due to a torn piriformis (which I hadn’t even known existed!) and a two-month layoff due to patella tendonitis, for which 15 years later I still preventively tape.

So along I went on my merry way. Averaged 1,930 miles from 2008 to 2011. And was half convinced I could ward off Father Time. Then things started to happen! Calf pulls and hip strains became ongoing occurrences keeping me off the roads for weeks at a time. Though I dutifully pool ran and StairMastered and kept up with strength training, my average mileage between 2012 and 2014 dipped to 1,287/year – a 33% drop. And my race times reflected that. I realized that to achieve my best times, even age-graded, required more than 25 mpw of running. How could I get back to 40 mpw without nagging injuries? Though a creature of habit, I was willing to try something new.

In his book, Build Your Running Body, Pete Magill, a California-based coach and national caliber masters runner, talks about the importance of recovery from races, hard workouts (which by his description was most of mine!) and other stresses. Coach and author Greg McMillan suggests running these at a 7-hour (yes hour!) marathon pace, a shade faster than walking.  Yikes – who of us is going to road test that? Kenyans are known to run 9 min/mi recovery runs, though this may be their second run of the day. So there’s a spectrum of possibilities but the midrange for recreational runners seems to fall in the 2-3 minutes/mile slower-than-10K race pace, something I considered snail’s pace!

I decided several months ago to test out this recovery stuff. I planned out a training schedule that gradually built me back to 40 mpw. I have now been there for three weeks. I am running five to six days a week but two of the days are strictly recovery runs, generally shorter — 5 to 6 miles, at 2:15 – 2:30 per mile slower than my target 10K pace. This has not been easy to do. I’ve had to hold back while focusing to retain my normal cadence and bounce. But I now find myself looking forward to these runs, largely because they leave me feeling looser the day after or the day before a tough effort. I’ve even allowed this “snailing” to creep into my long runs, where I have moved from targeting ~75 seconds over 10K pace to 90+. Rather than feeling washed, I’m more invigorated after these runs. The side benefit is that when I do hard efforts, there is no excuse to keep from digging deep. I’m not saving anything for tomorrow’s run.

Not enough time has passed to see the effect on race times. But so far I’m optimistic the higher mileage and more focused hard workouts will show results. We are all an Experiment of One. I’ll have a lab report after the fall races!