s.......w......i......m......

Uh, you gave up running because you have a bad back but you are doing crossfit. Something does not compute.

---

--------------------------------------------------------

Hi,

I go light with Crossfit and really good form. The repetitive motion of running is what gets to my back. I can still trail run for up to an hour, so may start doing Xterra's again.

Just keep going!

---

David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.

/\ /\ /\ /\...this. And find your way to a pool...

---

"Good genes are not a requirement, just the obsession to beat ones brains out daily"...the Griz

Do some serious tempo work on the bike all year long. I don't let my fitness fall off as much in the winter because it is so hard to get it back! 2x20 at about 85% of FTP a few times a week.

Ultra's................Seriously. Swim to keep hr up and core. Most Ultra's can be completed walking/running. 15 min mile is a good pace.

If you can do the repetitions of cross fit arguably with higher force per rep but can't for running, perhaps you don't have proper spinal/bone alignment and your gait is off. Perhaps you need to do a lot of core strengthening exercises on one leg at a time which will force your spine into the proper alignment. Watch the top runners in the world and they are 100% symmetrical. Watch any marathon from 3 hours onwards and lots of swaying and twisting and hunching. Where is your head relative to your body...is it rolling around on your neck....it is a really heavy weight. If you can run "a bit" then eventually you can "run a lot" assuming that you're not slightly alignment on each stride. I've coached a few guys in 60-69 to really strong IM finishes, but both have pretty good symmetry while running. Not always the fastest guys out there, but age graded, they are awesome and could handle decent running workloads, but they had better overall run form than many younger guys who will not be able to run when they get to that age.

I'm 61.

Two things have helped my running:

1. Taking Galloway walk breaks on my long runs to help protect my joints.
2. Losing 25lbs.

Mark

8 hrs sleep on average every night.

Limit training to 15 hrs a week, bumping that up to 20 max building to full distance tris.

Swim a lot, bike a lot, run less.

Well balanced diet with limited red meat, no soft drinks, no junk/fried/fatty foods.

It works for me.

Hi everyone,

I am loving this advice! Feel free to keep it coming.

Thanks!

*Citation required

No doubt.

63 yrs old here. Haven't done a tri for three years. My back is fine but I've more or less given up running except for with my dog on the nature trails. Still bike regularly and swim moderately. For aerobic you can't beat x-country skiing if you live in a northern clime. For indoor replace the tread mill with an elliptical. I'm thinking about trying cross fit btw.

I hope you enjoy Crossfit. I really have enjoyed it. I come from a power lifting background. I had to leave my ego at the door because everyone was stronger than I was and I really wanted to just concentrate on some fitness. I've kept the weight on the lighter side and with good form. It has actually helped me heal a few injuries, e.g. chronic sore shoulder from multiple separations from bike crashes.

I can offer my N=1 experience:

Chronic patella tendinosis in my left knee and degenerative Achilles tendinosis in both legs (tore my left Achilles in 2010 and was laid up for nine months). Also starting to develop some arthritis in my left hip. My orthopedic surgeon tried to talk me into giving up running completely after I tore my Achilles. At the minimum he got me to agree to give up any sports that require sudden changes of direction, starts or stops or jumping, i.e., basketball, tennis, softball, etc.

Started doing the Galloway thing when I was rehabbing the Achilles. Can't run more than about four to five miles without walk breaks or I'm too sore to run for two-three days. Taking the walk breaks lets me run four days per week.

Mark

I agree totally on the Galloway method. I'm a 66M and slowly improved my running fitness with this method. No injuries so far. At this point, no "run walk" for my 5K runs, but I incorporate it into my 10K runs.

+2

Really?
For me 5 hours seem to be enough. I hate to stay in bed when I'm awake ... why waste time?

---

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time like tears in rain.