I have been to several conventions for runners either at a marathon or the RRCA convention. Many of the speakers at these conventions were professional runners. Most were long distance runners but a few were track athletes in the sprints or short-distance.
The typical training program back then was after the season of track events and marathons was to rest for several weeks. Then there was a gradual buildup of running with slower pace and an increase in distance for a few more weeks. The next phase was the increase in exertion and speed to peak at the start of the next year’s season. Most professional athletes followed this program.
The one thing that was not highlighted or mentioned was the factor of age. The body continues to grow in various body parts until the approximate age of 25. Strength and speed seemed to increase as the athlete reached maturity. The rest was needed as the body continued to get stronger and faster.
But after the age of 35, it seemed many of the athletes after a rest period never improved or even reached the potential they had when they began the program. Watching professional track meets on television, it was noticed that the sprints and short distance were dominated by younger athletes up to the age of 30 – 35.
After that the longer distances had athletes that were in the early 40’s and still doing well. That is where the factor of age appeared. Looking at careers of pro athletes, their careers are not long.
Having experienced the age factor and watching other athletes as they got older, it seemed the standard program of rest, slow buildup, to speed for the season has an age factor that doesn’t follow that program.
I have watched younger athletes in high school and college follow the program and end up being slower and never improving. When you talk to the older athletes, they seem to think that if they train hard enough, they can return to that previous level of performance when they were younger. The mind still thinks the body is that young, fit body of youth and can reach that level again. The body has been pushed hard and after a number of years at that top level, it has worn out. The older athlete can still reach levels of good performance but will not reach the levels from younger years.
That is one reason the 5K and 10K races have age groups. If there were no age groups most of the runners after the age of 40 would never win a race. The one statement that used to irritate me was when a person complimented me on my race or strength event. “You really did well for your age.” That last “for your age” sort of took the shine off the performance. That includes, “You look good–for your age.” Why can’t the message just be, “You look good.”
My last bodybuilding meet was when I entered a Masters Over 40 Years bodybuilding contest at the age of 50. I thought I looked better than I did when I entered and won meets when I was in my 20s. I placed third in the contest and was beaten by two men in their 40s. Age was a factor in terms of placing higher. I looked good “for my age” but still fell short of what I looked like in my mid-20s.
In running I improved my times in 5K and 10K and marathon races in my early 40s. The longer distance seemed to help and since I had been running many years the early years were not that good anyway. In the beginning years of running a pace of 8 minutes per mile was good. Then more years of running and running muscles adapting to the strength needed for running improved. I eventually reached a level where a 6 minutes per mile was good.
I think that Besselink in his book Run Smart is best for older runners where the rest is built into training and you train year-round. Long rest periods as you age limit staying fast.
