Thanks Marge

It's mildly undulating most of the way but no real hills at all. Best bit is the finish running round the track in the Olympic Stadium. It's very well organised and the field is not too big so I'd definitely recommend it.

Good luck with the half-marathon!

Feeling quietly chuffed having knocked 9 mins off my PB at the Munich Marathon last weekend.

I'm 55, I've been running for 25+ years but only started entering races in 2006. Before that I used to just run for myself to stay fit and feel good really and I was always busy with other sports. I broke most of my PBs in 2009 (half marathon, 10K, 5 miles etc.) and my marathon PB earlier this year. Of course it is a bit easier not having times from years ago to compete with! But I still knocked half an hour off my half marathon time between 2006 and 2009. I reckon I can go faster still particularly for the marathon - never really cracked that yet.

At the moment I'm on the way back from a (non-running related) back injury which kept me from any serious training for 12 weeks. So I'm quite a bit slower at the moment. This is about the toughest test I've had to face yet.

Of course you expect to improve for the first few years but it isn't as if I only took up running a few years ago - I just stepped up my training.

I think the thing that improved me most was introducing interval training - I do various Billat intervals on the treadmill a couple of times a week. Before that I used to run virtually everything at roughly the same pace. Short or medium intervals at a faster pace will definitely bring your overall long run pace up.

You become a bit more injury prone as you get older but I think a lot of people are showing that age related decline is relatively slow and can be offset by improvements in other areas. I'm not planning on slowing down for a good while yet! I'm not particularly fast just the good side of average I suppose. When I do start to slow I might switch to Ultras for a new challenge, if my legs allow me.

Jonathan

Hi Louise 

Any thing is possible for older runners who have just started at a late age, it just takes a little more time. At first PB s are very easy to come by, and even for runners who have done fantastic times in their youth, with the age graded performance, you can still improve on what you where doing 25 years ago.

I started running about 5 years ago at the age of 47. At first it was easy to get PB s but soon got a lot harder. then after a race one day I got talking to a guy who had done it all in his youth, and had just got back in to running. He explained to me that he had set goals that he wanted to achieve. He said I quote “ you know when you are a good runner and not a jogger when you can run 3k in under 10 min 5k in under 17 min 10k in under 36 min 5 mile in under 28 min 10 mile in under 60 min half marathon in under 1h 20 min and marathon in under 3 hours. “ Tall order I know. But he was 55 at the time and I was 50. From that day on I had my goals, if he could do it so could I. I had my first success new years day 2009 with a 10k in 35:55

I am still trying with the rest had a 10:10 for 3k a 28:10 for 5 mile and a 3:00:48 for the marathon . I am 52 and still having a go at under 3 hours for the Mablethorpe marathon Oct 3^rd . Once I have cracked the marathon I am going to concentrate on the shorter distances. As my coach had said to me many times it’s a different animal the marathon. Takes a different approach , and then he would quote to me what John Clark one of Lincolnshire’s best runner in the 80s said “ the dam ruining of many good runner the marathon”

Alas my coach Mick Hall died this year, suddenly on the way to a race meeting the way he would have wanted to go I think. Well one last thing for you to think about, another of Mick’s athletes’

Daphnia Ellmore set the female 60 world record for 10k at Woodhall spar just a few weeks after he died. 

Same he wasn’t there to see it but he always new she could do it. And because he believed she believed. And that’s all you need the belief in yourself

Just an update, finished the Burton 10 mile race in 1:11:53 which I am really pleased as my target was 1:15, I just was in a gnats wisker of improving on my age grading and I would probably have done so if I didn't have a conversation with a runner at the 9 mile mark before I overtook him, but never mind it's social event as well as being competitive. I came in the first 35% of the field (59th) which was good as this was part of the Burton Summer League event and the majority of the 185 strong field was club runners. 

Two weeks rest now from races and then back to the 10k's, might now have a chance of getting back to some routine training.

Thanks Daniel/Marge, I find encoragement like that goes a long way and it is really appreciated. As I mentioned in the Cov thread I managed 1:39:38 in blistering heat which was my target time but I did not better my best age grading but that's ok there are other opportunities to have a crack at that.

I have been invited by the running club to be part of their team for a 10 mile race on Sunday which I have signed up initially against my better judgement as it is only a week on from the half marathon, but with some lighter training days and two rest days instead of one I think I am ready for the race on Sunday. As this is what I call a runners race, which is mainly club runners and small field I am looking at coming in the first 50% with a time around 1:15.

I'm then going for a complete rest on racing for 2 weeks when I go back to 10k races.

you should have a like button like facebook so we can like derek's post.. hehe Thats some mean sessions you have going its probably what i should be doing to improve.

I'm 50 and still on the upward PB curve after only taking up running 15 months ago with a current age grading of 72.66% for a 10k race. This might be surpassed tomorrow with my first half marathon with the main concern being the heat. I ran solo a couple of weeks ago a measured 13.1 miles mainly on the flat in 1:41 which ranked third in my age grading.

This week has been taper week reducing my overall mileage from 43 miles to 33 miles including the race distance with a killer trackwork on monday of 20 x 300m runs with 1 minute rest inbetween and a hill session on thursday of 4 x 400m on a 1:12 hill interspersed with a couple of easy runs on wednesday and friday.

Total rest today, having a barbie, where are those prawns?

As I have engaged more and more with GRG and enjoyed 'analysing' my running, age-grading ticks my box - to the extent I have stated a goal to get to 65% on my grades within 6 months.  Last run was 63%ish over 4 and a bit mlles - can't wait to have a crack at 6 miles.

Yes - we are very keen on age-grading at GRG as you can probably guess.  Personally, its kept me going for years trying to maintain or even increase my percentage.  I know that my PBs will probably be short-lived but if I try and hang on to the same age grading I will be happy.