…
I’ll have the opposite problem. I’m not getting faster but from 53 to now (55) I’ve ran some of fastest times in years and have better endurance.
My problem is Little One is 6 and sometime, her external activities will take priority over mine, so time will become a factor for me.
I occasionally run with a family friend from my hometown, he’s an extremely good marathon runner. He’s 73 now but two years ago knocked out a 1hr40 HM. He’s living proof that whilst you might not get faster with age, you can slow the drop off rate.
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A guy in my running club is late 60s, maybe 67 or 68. He is running 19 minutes for 5km. We have an age-adjusted league which he always wins, his adjusted 5km times are something crazy like 14 minutes. I don’t know his secret but he looks to have this really efficient running style, he kind of glides along. There’s not much meat on him. And he says he only started running in his 50s.
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There’s a bloke in our running club who is in M65 and did a 39:31 10K last year. Also managed a 19:42 parkrun this year.
Brilliant running and I get the impression he started late or came back to it.
Obviously got an excellent cardio system.
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Yep, my old running club has a few of these as well. There’s a group of them between 60-80, they’re always coming back with UK AG medals and posting time in the low 90%s of AG adjusted. Two of them (husband and wife) are doing two virtual races every single week since lockdown. they’ve not missed one, and they’re all speedy races - 400m to about 8km. They seem to be amazingly resilient. I think the chpa is in V70 and posted a 3.47 km the other day. It’s insane!
Another mate is V50 closing in on V55 and still true PBing. Sub 35 10ks, sub 17 5ks etc,
I think if you have the genes and you look after yourself then there’s plenty of life left!
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Very much like you Amanda. I’m 54 and find that I have a lot more stamina and endurance than I did 10 years ago. However, my running has badly declined. I don’t feel like I run smoothly anymore and I’m trying everything to get that feeling back. Cycling and swimming have improved though. Not sure I’ll do many more full distance tris though. It’s taking me longer to recover after events like these, but enjoy the training.
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i go through waves of enthusiasm when i can put several months of good training and reasonable results together and then several years when i can’t…
I am in the same Cat as Mike Trees who was trying to become the first 50+ to run under 30 for 10k…he got down to 31 plus some change…
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My PBs aren’t that great as I only got into running in my mid 30s so not that far to fall.
Haven’t done a standalone marathon yet so at least 1 PB to come if i manage to actually get one done
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Snap on the marathon.
37:56 10k in an Olympic tri is way way gone 12 years or so…
But hey we’re all getting faster on here… right?
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I’m 52 and still slowly improving on the bike and swimming…benefit of taking up the sport at a later age (45) and being slow to start with.
Running is different for me, with a fair few ops on my knees making mileage difficult to be consistent with. My main challenge is getting to the start line not too badly crocked.
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I have a few years yet til 50, but seem to be at least holding steady, but am still determined to improve.
Couple of inspirations over here, at my beer 5k, the woman who sometimes wins is 62, with a 21:nn I think, only started running 7 years ago, I see her out running occasionally, so so smooth. She was close to winning World masters athlete or something.
And then my latest running nemisis, has just turned 50, again only running 7 years, now knocking on the sub2:40 marathon door, ran 33:48 the other week for a 10k. He also knocks out a 40k long run pretty much every weekend. He said in the pub on Saturday that Collagen was the only supplement he takes, half the club went out the next day and bought some. Apparently there is some that is more a more common brand here aimed at beauty (skin) than the ones aimed at bones, he didn’t let that part until the next day 
Still we may now be the club with the smoothest skin…
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Great thread!’ Good advice from previous posters, good read that Joe Friel’s Fit at 50.
I hit 50 in January, I’m a happy back-of-packer’ , did 1st IM 10 yrs ago, after finding tri about 20 yrs ago.
I try to essentially stay injury free & have some consistency. Coming from teenage years of track sprinting/hurdles & rugby, my weaknesses are lower leg ligaments & tendons.
Rest & afternoon naps are ‘‘nature’s medicine’’ for me. After a good hard ride/run session I find it beneficial to grab a snooze, often with legs elevated & even sometimes wearing some skins tights.
I don’t do any ‘prehab’ exercise or Pilates, but suspect I would probably benefit from both & would not make things any worse.
These older folk are inspirational & have caught my eye …
Sister Madonna Buder
Lew Hollander
Lew has these ‘rules’ … some useful common sense I like 1,4,7,8, although I don’t do 3 
- USE IT OR LOSE IT.
- Go hard, live long.
- Go anaerobic every day.
- Eat well, fruits and vegetables with abundant supplements
- Set your plans well in advance and have achievable goals.
- Have a stress free relationship.
- Keep socially active and interested in life and it’s challenges.
- There are no fat old people so watch your calorie intake.
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9 days until I am officially “in the club”
My bucket list race is Wester States - 100 mile ultra
These guys are pretty inspirational and I might not be too far off their age by the time I get in!!
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All good stuff. The problem is though, there is a world of difference in being 50 ( 55 in my case) and being retired like a lot of the older athletes that get held up.
You still have a lot of work left to do at 50, unless you’re lucky, and for me, 55 is that horrible mid point where if you put your mind to it, you can still pull a decent result out of the bag, even against mid 30s folks ( not pointy end) but it’s also that point where it’s so easy to say, screw it, I’m just gonna cruise and phone it in.
Maybe that’s just me? But I’m struggling with that right now. I can still go hard if if need to but TBH, it’s a monumental fucking effort.
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It was hard to go fast at 20, it’s the same now.
Your doing great with all that has happened, stick at it and do what makes you happy!
The only pressure we feel comes from within us, and to beat the other near pensioners on here.
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The only pressure we feel comes from within us, and to beat the other near pensioners on here.
So true
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I officially join the club today, I’ve never been any good so not expecting any major decline.
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HBD Buddy!! 
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HBD… welcome to the club where the only thing you need to be fast at is finding the nearest toilet.
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Happy birthday
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