Run-Down Forums

[PeterJ]

Hi,

I turned 50 this year, 2 years ago I had to start with sports (according to my doctor). At this point I had the choice of getting a sumo wrestler (108 kg) or loose weight and start running. I started running to loose weight (not very clever with all that weight) and lost 20 kg up to now.
And let me add something to the quotation:
"You don't stop running because you grow old, you grow old because you stop running, if you start running, you will become 10 years younger".

This is how I feel today, and I am really upset that I didn't start 20 years ealier, because I am not too bad in running.
Last year I started extensive running training, with intervals, long runs etc. My favourite distance is 10k, but I am still slow (51:00), but compared to 2 years ago I am like a bat out of the hell. I realise, that speed is related to weight. I wonder now what I can achieve if I continue to reduce my fat, let's say another 10-15 kg? How is age related speed?

Regards

Peter
Munich, Germany

[graeme]

Congrats on the weight loss.

People obviously have less potential for speed as they get older, but that doesn't mean you can't increase your fitness at a much faster rate than you lose it from aging.

I've known people to run PR's in there late 50's and 60's, so getting faster now is totally realistic.

[Micah Ward]

We are all going to get slower as we get older. However, you can get an idea of how well you are still running by utilizing the WAVA tables. WAVA is the World Association of Veteran Athletes and you can get to a performance convertor on this website. Go to the links page and then go to the statistics and rankings page and then to the age group and masters t&f page. I like Howard Grubbs convertor. Enter your distance, time, age and sex and click on the age grade button. It gives you an approximation of how your current time compares to open times when your age is taken into consideration.

While we can't do anything about age we can improve our performance by loosing weight. (Look at who's talking here.) One of the rules of thumb I have heard is that you will improve your pace by 2 seconds for every pound you loose. Or about 4 seconds for each kilo. As I said, that is just a rule of thumb and it will vary for each individual.

Welcome to the forum Peter and let us know how you do.
Micah
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[patti - sue]

HI!

When I read comments about the age factor, it always brings me back to the day that I was running in the Twin Cities Marathon, where all runners over 40 all had their ages on their race numbers .... I was so inspired when I was consistantly passed by the 60 - 70 age groupers and a few 70 - 80's ....it became clear to me that in my early 40's .... I have a long time left to run!!!!!!

[Dan]

[Micah Ward]

I can't remember where I read that. According to that rule though if you loose 30 pounds you improve your pace by a minute. Maybe that isn't too extreme.

Welcome back Patti-Sue.
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[Dan]

Makes more sense when you get up to fairly extreme weight differences like 30 pounds. I doubt it's a linear scale, though.

Dan
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