masterstrack.com

Ok, see if this fits. The older I get, the better I get at the piano, guitar, reading, listening, providing, participating, parenting, coaching, instructing, and for the most part, enjoying life. So why is it that my body's rebellion to a sustained workout regimen is heading south when all other aspects are moving in the opposite direction?

Any and all comments welcomed and appreciated-!!

Mark

Mark,

Many questions to ask before that can be answered. What event(s)? Age? Years of experience?
I can answer from personal experience that after 35 years in track that my 50 year old body just cannot do the work that it could in years past. I was pretty close to my PR's until 40 then the decline began. I think speed can be maintained more than endurance.

I'm 43m and training for a position for the sheriff's department on their version of SWAT as a tactical medic. I have to do a required number of sit-up's, push-up's, and run a mile in a half under 18 minutes. I have all those squashed with my best 1.5 right at 10 minutes. I want to get that time down another minute and destroy my competition. I can't seem to shave that last minute!!! I'll walk a lap at a brisk pace after stretching, and then my 400's look something like this; 1:40,1:45,1:45,1:45,1:35,1:30. If my left calf allows, I'll walk a lap, sprint 100, walk 100, sprint 80, walk 80, sprint 60 etc. down to an all out 40. Funny thing is, my 40 (yard) time is faster now (on fresh legs) @ 4.77 than it was when I was 18 @ 4.85. I have a strained calf muscle that I'm RICE'n for an hour a day so I swim for the cardio and weight train for the anerobics on the days my calf is rebelling. If I can get the calf under control, I'd love to up it a notch and do some competing again!!! I get a dull pain in my calf running the 400's that I can usually walk off, but the post sprinting effect is just dreadful!!!!!!

I made it 50 years without ever having a hamstring problem....now I've had one that's lasted over a year! I think it's God's way of keeping us humble!

At 43, with 37 years of racing under my belt, I am a much better runner than I was when I was 23 or 33. I'm not faster, but I compete better, practice my events better and enjoy it more. For Masters athletes better isn't always the same thing as swifter, higher or stronger.

The list of possibilities is pages long and includes all aspects of your existence. In general our performance declines w/ age because our physiologic functions lose efficiency. However, a very high level of performance is possible but is contingent on other aspects, including items such as general health, nutrition, correct training, recuperation, etc., etc. Study your life and experiment a little, but most of all, don't take yourself too seriously. Have fun! You never know when it is when you won't be able to compete or even run ever again!