A Former Ofsaa Champ's Insights

[journeyman]

Sept 2, 2009 15:24:19 GMT -5 spaff said:

You old guys just need to move up to ultras....that's where it's at

Not to take this thread in yet another direction, but this is something that I have wondered about for a while and haven't asked, but here goes...

Oldster seems to have aged gracefully runningwise compared to most in the 5k-21k range and I expect that there are many masters runners out there who are curious as to why/how?...

Is it because he could have been even better as an open runner, but never reached his full potential (in all due respect) or is it something else? One theory that I have and would like to hear about from Steve, or others, is the role of strength training in masters runners and success in slowing the decline in performance.

I bet it is because he runs every day, and has ever since, well, he started, nearly. I think part of the issue with masters running is not so much what you do in your 40s, but what you do in your 30s. Maybe a lot of masters runners don't do much in their late 30s, and then when they make a comeback, some time has been lost, and the body doesn't quite remember how it works. I am no expert, having not reached such a dignified age yet, but I am definitely not running as much as I was, and even as I contemplate (every time I get out for a decent long run, like today) a return to "real" training (as opposed to 30-40mpw that keeps me in the loop for easy runs with my university guys), I know the longer I leave it, the harder it will be to come back. Life gets in the way. I'm not saying Oldster has no life (!), I'm just saying he's probably done a better job of keeping the necessary amount of regular running in his life.

Another thought, related, is that as you get older, it is harder to do workouts. Also, the fewer miles you run, the harder it is to do workouts (in the long run, not just on a week-to-week basis). So if you don't do as much easy running, the workouts won't work either.

[oldster]

Thanks, Journeyman. I do like to imagine that I've had a life outside of running! However, as I say, I really love the training process, even though I'm under no illusions about how fast I'm running. In fact, the longer I'm still able to get out there in a semi-serious way, the more I value it. Given how hard I've pushed my body over the years, I know that some really intractable injury problem could strike any year now, so I try to really enjoy the good stretches of training and racing.

Here's another factor: I've done all my training since age 17 basically alone. I'm able to get out for 60-90mins everyday in part because I've never had to rely on a training group or partner to help me get my ass in gear (not that I don't really enjoy having some company now and then).

[Bomba]

I ma with Oldster...you have to really love...not like, but love the process. I know in my case my best years were either 1) running the wrong event or 2) spent recovering from a car accident. But it wasn't til i make my umpteenth comeback in my early 30's that i realized what could have been in a perfect world. But having said that i have no regrets and learned many more things with what i did in my 30s and appreciated it much more than I ever did in my 20s.

...and to add to oldester\s comment about running my himself a lot......I ended up being forced to create a lot of stuff on my own in HS (no club coach in the town where i lived (hence my lack of a Jr, early successful collegian times and why I improved so drasticaly in my first 2 yrs at SFU). This sort of independence was a hindrance in regards to knowing techincal training, but it definitely made me see the sport from a more independent point of view and also in finding out how things worked. To do any sort of trainign i was forced into finding out training ideas and that continued my curious nature of training methodologies later in life (if u have seen my running library you'll know it's even gotten a little out of hand.....)

[nscoach67]

Bomba - I bet you have all the Dellinger books, and the "Competitive Runner's Training Book" is on your bedside table. I'm guessing Lydriard's "Running to the Top" is there. How about "Real Running" by Marti Liquori. That it goes without saying you have Daniels book, and Bowerman and Freeman, and that you even have a copy of Galloway's book (and if you don't I have an extra copy laying around).

[Bomba]

...hmmm.......NSC.....you would be correct on all of the above (although no ' running to the top', but 'running the lydiard way' instead, although i have an absolue gem in a TNF News training book by Lydiard that is nowhere to be found), but no galloway (I love the 'real running' book though...no fooling around there).....but the most influential would be:

1) Harry Wilson's 'running my way'...an all time classic and one of the books quoted as one of the 5 main training books by Nic Bideau
2) Joe Vigil 'road to the top'....ask lofranco about that one as he just got a copy....
3) Ron Daws (both 'self made olympian' and 'running your best') anytime a 'schmuck' becomes an Olympian u have to find out about that person's character...
4) Lydiard...
5) OAR....a good article by Vin Lananna that he gacv at some NCAC conference a few yrs back is classic and in it he uses OAR as one of his 3 essential books for training (mixed in with daniels and another physiology book)..u can find the article at malmo's homepage: 2008olympictrialsakatommyleonard.shutterfly.com/
6) Gary Walton's 'beyond winning', which is a colection of essays on 6 great coaches that Vigil liked (so i bought it) egs john wooden, percy cerutty (although i have to replace it as i lost it on an airplaine)
7) dellinger's ' book mentiond is a classic that I go through n a semi regular basis....i actually saw a copy in a used book store recently for 5 bucks (what has the wld come too)
8) 'real running' is awesome....i find anything written by parker to be very enjoyable......gets down to the nitty gritty of what it really takes as opposed to some theoretical mumbo jumbo...


...I find that Daniels is a fine book, but really repeats what the others have above...and much more mundane/basic, but then again it's designed for the masses while soemthing like Vigil is designed for elites (sorry oldster, but it's tough to compete with the others mentioned above), although his VDOT charts are helpful

[skuja]

What about the Coe-Martin book then, he asked, smirking slightly?

[Bomba]

....oh that one...i used it to start a campfire a few yrs back....

[skuja]

Sept 7, 2009 16:17:30 GMT -5 Bomba said:

....oh that one...i used it to start a campfire a few yrs back....

I should say though, that your #1 is also my #1.