For you guys that love running do you ever wonder what’s in store for us down the road? I do.
I’m 41 and have been running seriously now for 6 years. Intervals, tempo , long runs and races up to the Half distance (NO MARATHONS!!) Before that I ran casually on and off for many years. I’m over 6’1 and anywhere from 190 to 180 (when race fit) so not the lightest guy out pounding the pavement. Never any running related injuries BUT have noticed crackling and popping from time to time in the knees (when going up stairs) and slight pain in the left ankle joint that comes and goes. Try to turnover my runners every 4 months and run on soft surfaces when i can but still…
I have read (seen) how ‘beat up’ many of the veterans of the 1970’s running boom have become. Have seen some of these guys (now in their 50’s and 60’s)walking around with gimpy knees and hunchedbacks. Needless to say they are no longer able to run.
Curious, how many older guys on the forum here feeling great (physically) after years of pounding the pavement?
I started doing tris in 2005, and do more long distance races, which means more running, and though I was fine the first 4 years, just in the past 6 months, I’ve seen the onset of Plantar Fasciitis, which perplexes me as I haven’t really changed anything. Is it that my joins/ligaments are just not happy about all the pounding at age 45? Who knows.
Yes, I read that awhile back. Interesting stuff. I imagine that people addicted to running are like smokers. You have a feeling that down the road you may have to ‘pay the Piper’ but in the meantime you just can’t help yourself. I come to this sport from an elite-level hockey backround and over my career as a player witnessed the physical toll (some of it longterm) the game dished out on teamates and opponents alike and I was lucky enough to leave the game utterly unscathed so here’s hoping:)
Running and racing for 30 years and never felt better! I’ve had 2 knee surgeries (meniscus), but they were not caused by running, but other stupid stuff I did. The reason I mention that is that I stayed awake during both surgeries, and the doc showed my the various parts of the inside of my knee on the monitor. I was amazed as he showed me no unusual signs of wear or arthritis in either of them. Since then, I have raced very well, and am still going strong. Contrary to what many here say, I think it adds years of pleasurable life, IF YOU DO A REASONABLE PLAN! I will never do the 100 day run in a row,etc, as it is just not healthy or smart, IMO. Cross training (triathlon) actually helped very much in my durability, as well as becoming the sport I absolutely fell in love with. I just wish it was around when I was younger. I might have been fast
Train smart, recover well, and take an off-season. You’ll be racing when I’m in my grave.
I read a study that showed running helped blood circulate to the knees and actually help them remain active longer. I suspect the problems with older runners are more old injury related than running related. I don’t have any fear that I won’t be running 30 years from now.
I often think that running is bad for you, but every time I stop running, all of my joints and muscles hurt worse.
I think the answer is that, yes, excessive running (which is what I do) isn’t the best thing for you. But neither is no running. 10 miles a week would probably go a long way toward maintaing a healthy life into the later years (I’m not saying that from any position of authority).
the longterm physical effects of running are generally beneficial, not inimical… I’ve been running since 1975 (and they haven’t caught me yet), 49 now, and still going. Some 60+ marathons, 13 ultras, and uncounted other races. Of course there are a number of injuries/problems that have to be managed, neuromas, chronic calf/achilles pain, etc: but as long as I keep on top of the remedial exercises and stretching, it’s fine. Feeling great ? no, but still moving forward, and feeling a lot better than when I don’t run…
Tim Noakes has formulated the 10 laws of running injuries, see online at http://health.iafrica.com/...running/injuries.htm
In particular no. 4, “Virtually all true running injuries are entirely curable”.
also in number 10, “there is evidence that with age, runners show fewer musculoskeletal problems,
and develop them at a slower rate, than do non-runners!”
LOL…me too! I took a month off from running awhile back and I I swear had more aches and pains getting up in the morning than after doing a hard speed session.
Hey , I’m not questioning the long term health benefits of this sport. I believe there are many. I am just wondering (keeping fingers crossed) if I will be able to still be doing it reasonable well at 60 should I choose to. It’s just that I keep seeing this 60 yearold guy at the gym who was consumed by the sport back in the 70’s (2:30ish marathon times i believe). He is a highly respected running coach (locally) and he literaly can barely walk upright now. His body is decimated. He loves the sport and loves coaching but at times I think he questions the price one might have to pay down the road. But hey…that is his personal experience and who knows what training protocols he was following ‘back in the day’.
I’m 41 as well. I wouldn’t say I’m feeling great but I’m feeling pretty good. Still able to knock off high mileage, still able to run a pretty fast 5k from time time and knocking off marathon PRs (though I didn’t start running marathons until later).
I think when you get older it becomes a matter of how well you took care of yourself. I know a number of guys who were pretty gung ho when they were younger. They ran through everything, tried to run through injuries, got in their high mileage week after week, month after month no matter how they were feeling. They ran hard, all the time. They raced every weekend if they could. Quite often this resulted in great performances. Quite often (and much more so as they got older) it resulted in weeks on the sidelines healing or just being run down.
The ones that were smart enough to back off, take downtime, have an actual planned, offseason are the ones who are still running well into their 50s
I’m mid-fifties. I’ve worked hard my entire life, having been brought up on the farm. After the usual high-school sports, I started running in the mid-seventies. From then till the end of the eighties, I trained about as hard as I could. During the nineties, I backed way off. Back at it hard once again.
Any chronic issues I currently have are the result of work, not tri-related abuse - although I honestly believe that my (relatively minor) shoulder problems are a function of my pushup obsession to beat all of the high speed US Army studs I was with in '89.
My elbows are farked because of the bar arm wrestling I did over the years.
How do all the guys/gals who didn’t run look? The runners who wer 30-40 in the 70’s are 60-70+ now. I’m sure some look good and some look bad. Just like some of the running veterans look good and some look bad - but I’d bet more of the runners are alive, look good, and are more active still than there age-matched non-runners…
You hear people all the time talk about running destroying your joints/knees…when the research actually says the opposite. Running delays degenerative arthrtitis/DJD/OA.
Running is good for you. Can you overdo it? Sure. You can overdo anything. I’d err on the side of running too much vs. not enough though.
Avoid hunchedbacks = Calcium (whole milk), vitamin C, and weight bearing exercises (like running!) to avoid the vertebral compression fractures/osteoporosis.
the longterm physical effects of running are generally beneficial,…
That is my understanding as well, unless you have mal-aligned joints, which of course could happen with degenerative changes as one ages. The sports that destroy lower extremity joints are ones like soccer and basketball that involve a lot of compressive and torsional loads.
I’ve been running 30+ years. I don’t think running is much different than any other activity. If you choose to live like a rock star for a while, you will likely end up paying for it later in life. Do you want to pace yourself so you’re closer to the front of the pack now or when you’re 65?
Several things that I’ve been doing for the past 25 years that I believe have helped increase my running longevity, although my legs definitely don’t feel like they did 25 years ago -becoming a triathlete, running on soft surfaces for nearly all of my training and rarely running on consecutive days since becoming a triathlete.
I actually read the book. Nothing really new in it and some fluff and a lot of personal opinion of the author, but provides a broad overview of long-term issues associated with running.
Although friends and family will tell you that running ‘will ruin your knees’ - I don’t believe there’s evidence of that in the studies I’ve seen. If you want to ruin your knees, become obese. In my day job I’ve worked with lots and lots of people with hip and knee replacements over the past 18+ years. Not a single runner in the bunch. Now, care to guess how many of those folks were overweight??? I’ll take my chances with the running.
Yes, those are all good points. I’ve been running since the late 60’s and now, at 59 I still do about 30+ per week. I rarely run: on consecutive days thanks to multi sports on concrete or even asphalt except in races on worn out shoes on too much speed work distances longer than 9 miles down hills without at least 1/2 mile warm up through leg strains or with leg injuries
I have been running competitively since 1984. I have been doing multisport since 1985. I have raced 55 marathons, 3 Iron-distance races, dozens of 1/2 IMs and marathons, and hundreds of shorter races. I train 5-7 days a week (usually 7), and often 2-3 workouts per day.
In 2003 I was hit by a kid in a pickup while winding down a ride. During the course of all the x-rays, scans, etc, an ortho doctor commented to me that I had the knees of a 20 year old. (I was 36 at the time).
Today I feel no different than ever and am even on track to take a run at a few race PRs. I am 40.
I will caveat that I am really noting over the last year or two that my recovery needs have increased and I don’t stack up so much intensity as I used to.
Perhaps I’m just one of those who are genetically gifted in the durability department. But I also think there is a lot to be said for consistency over the long haul. I did take a semi-break during my last year in the Marine Corps, with no racing and only about 20% of the training load…I experienced a few aches and pains when I picked up the volume again…but nothing lingering. It was just enough to convince me that I should strive to stay injury free and keep up the consistency, even if I shorten things up and reduce overall volume.
Just my experience. To be sure, I know plenty of 20+ year grizzled old Marines who have completely broken down their bodies from the years of physical punishment that is the life of an infantryman. Some people just aren’t durable, I suppose.
My first running started back in the early 70’s while in the Army. Back then we ran in combat boots not running shoes. I took up road racing in '82 and ran my first marathon the same year. Since then I have run 20+ marathons and 18 IMs. Still running with only one running related injury. Tore my calf muscle where it attaches behind the knee. That was back in '96. I’m now 58 and still have good healthy knees. Now if I could only get rid of the other aches and pains
