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What's Your Secret?
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Why a thread entitled: What's Your Secret?

Because lately I've been asking other 55 and over triathletes that question, and how they train in general. The thing is, I haven't gotten much useful info. Everything from "Don't ask us, we're a bunch of alcoholics," to "I just train the distance while my wife follows me in the car." Or "I just run, bike and swim a few times a week." These methods aren't going to get you over the next steep hill or raise your red line.

Not much useful information is available on the 55 and over triathlete. I'd like to dedicate a thread to just that: training, avoiding and caring for injuries in that particular population. Of course, anyone can chime in, and I would hope that you do.

So you're not a 25 year old rippling tiger. You're 55 or older, a tiger that's a little longer in the tooth. A little bit more ruddy. How do you train to get over that next hill? What's your indispensable run workout? Favorite core exercise? How do you manage those nagging shoulder twinges in the pool? How much time do you really need between 'hard' runs? Maybe it used to be 2 days and now it's a little longer; maybe you're newish to the sport.

Who am I? I'm a 59 year old podiatrist and have been doing sprint and Olympic distance triathlons for 30 years. I was certified as a USAT level I trainer in 2006 and used to put on a kids Tri as a cystic fibrosis fundraiser. Before kids races were popular, back when people thought I was crazy for doing so (except the kids and their parents who loved it). I was Director, Section of Podiatric Surgery, Department of Orthopedics at a local hospital on Long Island, NY, from 2002-2012. And a while back I used to do an online triathlon column called: Ask the Tri-Pod.

Looking forward to your replies.

Dr Jay
http://www.Tri-Pod.net
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Re: What's Your Secret? Calf pain [aikiman44] [ In reply to ]
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First thing: chronic calf issues. For years I looked for answers.
My take: it's not metabolic, it's not the shoes, it's not your technique (unless you're running with very poor economy). It's the calf muscles and how they function. They work eccentrically when you run. Meaning they lengthen as they contract. Like lowering a dumbbell during a biceps curl. We don't train for this, so the calf muscles suffer damage.

The answer? Eccentric heel exercises. These are the only exercises that train your calf muscles to work as they do during running. They will condition the muscles and achilles tendons.
I call them 'Up one two, down on ones.'

Stand on the edge of a step and hold on. Let your heels hang over the edge and raise up on the toes of both feet. Take the weight off your left toes and lower you right heel for two seconds.
Push yourself up on your toes again with both feet, lower your right heel again for two seconds. Repeat 5-10 times with each leg.
Here's the key part: repeat again, this time with the knee bent.
So: Up on two feet, down on one 5-10 times each. Repeat with the knee bent.

Go slowly, be careful, don't do these if you have pain. A basic wall stretch feels pretty good after these. Three times a week is plenty; incorporate them into your core training.
Here's a link with lots of detail:

http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/...lles-tendinitis.html

Dr Jay
http://www.Tri-Pod.net
Last edited by: aikiman44: Dec 14, 13 14:25
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Re: What's Your Secret? Calf pain [aikiman44] [ In reply to ]
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I turned 55 last week which means eligibility for the Seniors games! Woo Hoo!
For chronic calf muscle strains I got some Graston massage [deep tissue mass.], it works to break up some scar tissue and now I'm running mostly pain free.
For cycling training I ride to work
For swimming [which is my weakness] I'm going to hire a coach next year, gonna be expensive but I'm tired of having the worst swim time in my AG

res, non verba
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Re: What's Your Secret? Calf pain [RoYe] [ In reply to ]
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Deep tissue massage is the best. I tell you, I don't get enough of it.
As swimming is so technique-dependent, a good coach is a must if you want to make significant improvement. Other than small changes, it's very difficult to do so on your own.

Dr Jay
http://www.Tri-Pod.net
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Re: What's Your Secret? [aikiman44] [ In reply to ]
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For me 55 was a very good year. As an old geezer at the local sprint tri I put a bike split in the top 10% OA in a field of about 400. My secret that year was to ride a lot and not swim or run that much. :-)
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Re: What's Your Secret? [aikiman44] [ In reply to ]
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Easy week every 3rd week, follow BarryP's running advise, run 5 minutes then stop to stretch, made a commitment many years ago to stay active until they plant me, chocolate milk.

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Re: What's Your Secret? [aikiman44] [ In reply to ]
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I'm going into my last year in men's 65-69, and I'm still trying to figure it out...
I've dropped 8 points in my USAT ranking score since 2009. Since turning 65, the drop off has been drastic. (Much more so, it seems, than most of my peers.)

.

Remember Luddites are people too...
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Re: What's Your Secret? [cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]
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cerveloguy wrote:
For me 55 was a very good year. As an old geezer at the local sprint tri I put a bike split in the top 10% OA in a field of about 400. My secret that year was to ride a lot and not swim or run that much. :-)

That's great to hear. It goes to show you the effectiveness of keying on one leg.

Dr Jay
http://www.Tri-Pod.net
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Re: What's Your Secret? [bhc] [ In reply to ]
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bhc wrote:
Easy week every 3rd week, follow BarryP's running advise, run 5 minutes then stop to stretch, made a commitment many years ago to stay active until they plant me, chocolate milk.


Every 4th week an easy week is old but solid advice. I think an easy week with some ART/deep tissue massage would be ideal!
I also advise stretching after an easy few minutes running.
That's my commitment, too. Reinforced by seeing guys in their 70's at the finish line who look great.

Dr Jay
http://www.Tri-Pod.net
Last edited by: aikiman44: Dec 14, 13 18:01
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Re: What's Your Secret? [tdstegner] [ In reply to ]
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tdstegner wrote:
I'm going into my last year in men's 65-69, and I'm still trying to figure it out...
I've dropped 8 points in my USAT ranking score since 2009. Since turning 65, the drop off has been drastic. (Much more so, it seems, than most of my peers.)

.

You, sir, are my role model!

Any words of advice on longevity in the sport?

Dr Jay
http://www.Tri-Pod.net
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Re: What's Your Secret? [aikiman44] [ In reply to ]
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55 here this year. Great year and bad. 13 races, 10, top 10 Ag's, 5 podiums and 1 AG win. Races from 5k to IM. Struggled with Achilles tendonitis then Insertional Achilles tendonitis, still having issues with it. I was stupid and raced all summer despite the IAT. ART, deep tissue massage , Miofascial release and eccentric heel drops were my secrets to keep going. Spending this winter rehabbing and eccentric heel drops are the best remedy.

Interested in what others have to say. Started racing 4 years ago and have been getting faster and faster. Had I been healthy, who knows where this year would have ended. Looking forward to more years but I realize I need to train smarter and stay healthy so share your thoughts and tricks.
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Re: What's Your Secret? [triitagain] [ In reply to ]
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I'm 56. Three things. Consistent training. Low body weight. Really worked on getting lean this season. Third, believing I CAN do this, and do pretty good!
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Re: What's Your Secret? [aikiman44] [ In reply to ]
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I'm 59. I've run all of the World Marathon Majors. Always BQ in marathons. Done an Ironman. Doing 2 in '14.

Things I do:

  • I never mix explosion sports (basketball, racquetball, etc.) with endurance training. Our ligaments aren't ready for it. I have seen many endurance athletes injured doing explosion running or sports.
  • I never mix explosion running into my training. Doing 100's or 50's etc. will get your hurt. There is nothing bad about 'pick ups' within a run.
  • I train with a group of athletes, most of whom are decades younger than me. They don't factor in my age, so I don't either. We compete heads up. We train just as hard regardless of our age difference. I can outrun most of them anyway.
  • Stretching -- I don't. Never liked it. Never needed it.
  • Core exercises -- Yeah, I don't do much of that either, but wished I did.
  • Weight -- I am not heavy, but I always try to watch my weight. Gravity tends to be the nemesis. I enjoy food. The key for me is 'portion control'. It is OK not to be stuffed after a meal.
  • Training -- you have to be disciplined. I normally train from 4am to 6am during the week. Sat is a long run. Sun is a moderate length ride. I train every day. I take a day off when I feel I need it or the weather causes it.
  • My default training exercise is a 6 mile run.
  • Sleep -- I need it. Since I get up at 3:20 every morning, I go to bed between 8:30 and 9.



As to your recovery Qs.

  • I try to alternate intensity in training. One day hard. One day easy. Especially with the running.
  • I don't need much recovery. Normally 2 days after a marathon, I run easy, but I run. A week after a marathon, I train resume normal training. I did the same after the most recent IM.

Last edited by: CPA_PFS: Dec 15, 13 6:05
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Re: What's Your Secret? [aikiman44] [ In reply to ]
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60 years old
training bible for triathletes
mafatone running
if something starts really hurting in training i stop
rest days 1-2 per week
get family to race i have brother, grand-kids, adult children, wife
make every race a fun trip
be nice to everyone at races
encourage new people to start
diet
don't judge
don't listen to negitive talk
I do some of this and try to do all of this
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Re: What's Your Secret? [dennis] [ In reply to ]
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Great stuff guys.
My go to workouts:

Run: I like mile repeats, building up to 5 with 3 minute jogs in between (in season). I also build up to two 30 minute tempos with a 5 minute jog in between.
Bike: Six 3 minute repeats, as hard as I can do them, with 3 minute rests in between (in season).
Swim: I haven't been doing intervals, just crawl, back stroke, kick board and paddle work. I come from a swim background and require harder work on the bike and run. I find that the explosiveness of swim repeats also aggravates areas I need for the bike and run.
Off season: core work twice per week. In season: once a week.

I agree, mixing hard repeats with endurance work can be a recipe for injury at 'our age'.
BTW, what do we call 55 and over triathletes?

Dr Jay
http://www.Tri-Pod.net
Last edited by: aikiman44: Dec 15, 13 8:30
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Re: What's Your Secret? [aikiman44] [ In reply to ]
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You know that a drop of eight points in USAT ranking is bad. From 78, in 2009, down to just over 70, this year, is not a good thing. Part of my "secret" was shoulder surgery in 2010 that killed over seven months of swim training.
I'm hoping to get healthy in 2014 and 2015. I age up in 2015, that's probably my best chance of being successful again.

.

Remember Luddites are people too...
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Re: What's Your Secret? [dennis] [ In reply to ]
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dennis wrote:
60
make every race a fun trip

This is an excellent point by dennis. I like destination marathons and IMs. I have done some where I have traveled alone. Some where I traveled with my marathon or tri buddies. But now I have evolved to where I like to make them a vacation with my wife. We travel on Thurs or Fri ... I compete on Sat or Sun ... and we spend a week or more vacationing there. It works.
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Re: What's Your Secret? [aikiman44] [ In reply to ]
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aikiman44 wrote:
bhc wrote:
Easy week every 3rd week, follow BarryP's running advise, run 5 minutes then stop to stretch, made a commitment many years ago to stay active until they plant me, chocolate milk.


Every 4th week an easy week is old but solid advice. I think an easy week with some ART/deep tissue massage would be ideal!
.

I meant that to read as an easy week every 3rd week. Until I hit 60, every 4th week was enough, but now I get too many nagging injuries if I do more that 2 hard weeks in a row. Once I started a 2H-1E rotation, my times have come down. I credit it to being able to do quality workouts instead of running/biking on tired legs. It also keeps me fresher mentally, which is big at this point in life.

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Re: What's Your Secret? [aikiman44] [ In reply to ]
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56 YO here, My secret is that I have given myself permission to DNS/DNF or come in dead last. Somehow, my race anxiety has lessened and I have yet to DNF. Beforehand, I would get really worked up if I had a bad day.
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Re: What's Your Secret? [aikiman44] [ In reply to ]
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Excellent discussion. I'm 46 but I'm hoping I hit 55 some day, so I appreciate the insights.

One thing I have noticed with the athletes who stop in their late 30s or early 40s is that they cannot face the simple fact that they are getting older and slower and more fragile. Has coming to terms with this been difficult for any of you?

I know I used to always be motivated to train because I knew the training was going to make me faster and faster, but now it's just a matter of slowing down the decline. I'm pretty much O.K. with that, but I'm wondering if this has been much of an issue with anyone else.
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Re: What's Your Secret? [jlee565] [ In reply to ]
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It's amazing how that works: take some rest and a bit less training and have better times.
It's like that saying, train only as much as you need too and no more.

Taking the pressure off is good, too. At this point, who needs extra anxiety?

There was an older gent in a race, I'd say he was in his 70's. Someone asked him how he was doing and he replied, "I'm doing great, I'm going as fast as my legs will carry me."
I like that.

There are a lot of threads about injuries. Feel free to post up your aches and pains here, too. I'd say between us we've had it all.

Dr Jay
http://www.Tri-Pod.net
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Re: What's Your Secret? [aikiman44] [ In reply to ]
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56 y/o here. Competing in triathlon since 2001. Still love it.

There is much power in the consistent early morning (as in 4:00 or 4:15) workout.

A day off when I feel like it, maybe one every 4 or 5 weeks.

Intensity is needed, but must be balanced against chance of injury.

Over the last ten years or so, my swim is about the same (very poor), bike a little faster (nice!), run slower (no surprise).

I used a coach for about six years, though I no longer do. I learned a lot, and it was worth it.

Ben
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Re: What's Your Secret? [aikiman44] [ In reply to ]
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Some good points here. My single biggest training belief, at 61, is in periodization. I will only train hard in the key training stages for races, and do lots of easy training in the off-season just to keep a base. I've done only easy rides and runs since my last race in September. Not until February will I start some harder workouts. This formula has worked well for me for the last several years, and hopefully a few more to come!


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"No more hurting people - Peace"
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Re: What's Your Secret? [Desert Tortoise] [ In reply to ]
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At 46 I'm still getting faster every year but I didn't start until I was 35. I can see that happening for a least a few more years.

Two of my training partners are in their 50's now and they are almost as fast as I am on the bike. One of them kills me on the run while I can outswim them both. They aren't showing any signs of slowing down.

Maybe it's because we started triathlon later in life and don't have the same wear and tear the others got that started in their 20's

jaretj
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Re: What's Your Secret? [benhawn] [ In reply to ]
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benhawn wrote:
56 y/o here. Competing in triathlon since 2001. Still love it.

There is much power in the consistent early morning (as in 4:00 or 4:15) workout.

A day off when I feel like it, maybe one every 4 or 5 weeks.

Intensity is needed, but must be balanced against chance of injury.

Over the last ten years or so, my swim is about the same (very poor), bike a little faster (nice!), run slower (no surprise).

I used a coach for about six years, though I no longer do. I learned a lot, and it was worth it.

Ben

I was hoping you would chime in when I saw this thread. Maybe when I'm 56 and you're 67 I'll be fast enough to keep up with you on a run.

trav

____________________________________________________
"As for "xxxxxx"...what can I say? You sound like a dick. If you don't want to answer the question, just shut up." AllezPappa
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