Too old to start running again?

[jimbolina]

This...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004CFBMRY...ng=UTF8&btkr=1

[zap]

Go to a running store and get fitted for excellent shoes. Note pavement better than concrete, dirt better than pavement but mind surface imperfections such as roots.

Start walking lots and jog up a hill or two.

Jog more then start running up hills.

Start running but maybe take care going down hills.

Take at least two weeks before you progress to the next step. Listen to your body very carefully.

Remember, cycling is better.

[wallymann]

Originally Posted by jpw

The nature of the surfaces you will run on will be important. Stay off the hard stuff. Any beaches in St. Louis?

to reduce the effects and potential damage of running impact on your musculoskeletal system, consider adapting your gait to incorporate a mid/fore-foot strike -- heel-strikes are just back for the knees and body in general. changing your running-gait takes time + committment.

[oldguy00]

In case no one has said it, start slow.......

I train for Ironman now, and running really beats up the body.
When folks say start slow, really do that. Even if you are out there and feel great, keep it short and slow at first or you'll pay for it in soreness and injuries quickly.
If you have access to one, maybe start on a treadmill, less pounding.
Buy a cheap garmin running watch to keep your pace in check.
I have good health benefits here in Canada, and have found that massage therapy does wonders for keeping my legs able to run.

Cheers

[oldpotatoe]

I ran for a long time, about 10 years. Part of the Jim Fixx, long, slow running generation. Loved to run. Early morning, Ft Story hiking path, winter, snowing, not really cold..silence, beautiful...PLUS shoes, shorts, shirt, maybe a hat..go run. I ran everywhere from HongKong to Thailand to Korea, Japan, east coast, west coast, Gulf coast, Spain, Italy......flight deck of a CV(5 times around was 1 mile)..7 marathons, very satisfying....

BUT achilles tendonitis...so no mas..but I really loved to run. Simplicity, quiet, easier...

[daker13]

Running does seem to beat you up if you don't do it much. I've had friends try to go for a jog after many years of not running, and they've been pretty hammered afterwards. But it gets better.

I have many of the same priorities (time-wise) and for me, three miles is plenty. I've tried to build up but I just get bored. I'll go for the occasional jog, rarely more than 2x a week, and not at all in the summer. My wife has been running more and has surpassed me. I'm a few years younger than you.

If you follow Angry's advice and go to a running store, I really recommend Hokas. No one shoe works for everyone, but I like them a lot--very different from the shoes I was familiar with. Also, try the runner's knot--it made a big difference for my wife, and is more comfortable for me as well.

I hear you about cycling and the time commitments. A lot of days I really don't have the time to put on kit and ride for 2 hours, and a casual ride just doesn't give me the endorphins or the calorie burn of a 3 mile run.

[Fixed]

Running is for those who do not own a bike
Old saying also do not stand when you can sit ,do not walk if you ride ,do not run if you can walk
Cheers

[John H.]

This is a timely post because I just started running again about 2 weeks ago.

I used to run- a lot. I was a college cross country and track runner. But that was in the 80's. Probably ran 80-100+ miles per week from about 1981 to 1987. Then ran consistently but less as I tried to become a triathlete for 3 years.
Then I went down the rabbit hole of cycling and racing. As my cycling progressed I ran less and less. Usually offseason. But that eventually went by the wayside.

Fast forward to this summer- I am now 56 years old.

I realized that my former strength in running helped my cycling. I had a different kind of leg strength back then- And I don't have that now. Ability to push hard all the way through the quads and hip flexors like you get when running uphill. Muscle and joint durability. All of that was gone.

My plan to get back into running is modest. I want to build up to maybe 35-45 minutes of good running at a good pace with good form and resistance to injury. Maybe 3x per week. 4x tops.

I started with 10 minutes alternating 1 min run (if you want to call it that) and 1 min walk. Adding small amounts every session and running on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Today I will do 19 minutes of the 1 on/1 off.
I was quite sore after every session so far- Everything is coming back to life. I can feel it in my groin from pushing through the stride and also the recovering phase of the leg. Calves too- They have not been pushed like this in a long time.
I would say that I am getting pretty much zero aerobic benefits at this time. This is because my aerobic level is already high- And my specific leg fitness is quite low. At some point in time I will get aerobic benefits- but right now I have to build my muscles, tendons and movement patterns.

So I say do it- If you don't move, you can't move. Just have modest goals and be consistent. Also- Go to a running shoe store and get some good shoes for your size and the terrain that you will run on.
Don't get minimalist shoes- Save that for if you get advanced with this. Too easy to get hurt.

[kppolich]

Walk first or spend some considerable time on your feet for a few weeks if you don't already.

DO NOT start with minimalist shoes and if you eventually get there don't go out and try to rip a 10 miler your first time.

Walk/Jog for 20 mins for a week or so and then gradually move to all jog/run for 20-30 minutes.

Small step to ensure you don't hurt yourself getting started and it stays enjoyable. No shame in Run/Walk intervals by an means.

[C40_guy]

Originally Posted by daker13

I have many of the same priorities (time-wise) and for me, three miles is plenty. I've tried to build up but I just get bored.

If you follow Angry's advice and go to a running store, I really recommend Hokas. No one shoe works for everyone, but I like them a lot

I get wicked bored on the treadmill. Zwift helps.

I get somewhat bored running on the road. A good playlist helps.

I *never* get bored running on trails. Good trails help. Fortunately, I live next door to 1100 acres of gorgeous singletrack.

And with regard to shoes...go to a *good* running store on a weekday. Talk with someone who will evaluate your gait and ask about your running habits/plans. Try on a couple of different brands. Don't go too light, as others have said. Take a couple of pairs home and run with each for a couple of weeks. Most good shoe stores (and brands) will take shoes back within 90 days.

I tried the Hokas. They felt wonderful in the store, on their treadmill. In the wild, they felt like I had pillows tied to my feet. Granted, this was five years ago and Hoka has brought out a lot of lighter shoes since...

[cgates66]

Before you do anything, read "Running Fast and Injury Free" by Gordon Pirie, specifically the sections on stride and shoes. He claims to have run ~100K MILES in his life, and was an Olympic 5K silver medalist.

Getting your stride right is the most important thing for injury prevention: run "softly", don't worry about breathing a lot, and remember you are running, not walking. It's a different motion, and one you aren't used to, most likely.

Shoes with a stacked heel are poison for most, unless you have specific medical issues. Shoes that impair your foot are poison for most, unless you have specific medical issues. Nearly 100% of the mainstream brands are garbage from this point of view.

Running softly means, mostly, landing with a mid-foot or forefoot strike, under your center of gravity. Shoes with a stacked heel don't permit your foot to fall naturally in a natural stride, shortening the "impact" phase and increasing the g-loading going to your meniscus, which is just wha you don't want. Running properly takes more effort than stilting yourself forward with an overstride, heel strike out in front of you - something virtually required by most so-called running shoes.

If you watch elite marathoners, they tend to heel strike, but they do so softly by sinking into their stride - this is efficient, but hard and your body has to be built right for it. And they still have their stride balanced under them.

As a previous poster said, Hokas are good. I run in Altras: zero-drop, but good cushioning to protect your foot from concrete and asphalt.

Again, running with a good stride takes work - but it's faster and safer than doing it improperly. I'm heavy - 210+ - and have never had knee problems. But I've always had a balanced stride, with a forefoot strike. And I've run almost exclusively in no-drop shoes. No-drop does not mean minimalist, by the way - the no-cushion shoes are great for trails but require tremendous strength of foot and calf to wear correctly on pavement, otherwise you will hurt yourself.

As others have also said, actively seek uneven surfaces - so long as your shoes allow foot mobility - which lowers impact and minimizes repetitive stress. Wearing an orthotic-equivalent Nike Air Max or New Balance foot prison will not allow your foot to work on terrain beyond gravel. If you want to run on a treadmill, Woodways are nice if you can find one, and the Peloton Tread is actually pretty good (kind of a budget Woodway).

And that's enough about running in a cycling forum.

Oh, one useful thing about running for cycling: I have trouble really cranking my heart rate on a bike, I'm "leg limited" in some respects, but running...you can work that cardio.

[dddd]

If you're already a lightweight cyclist, one should be up and running a few miles at a time in the 5-6mph (10-11minute miles) within a month or so without too much stress.

I'm about 60 and go through getting back into running every summer, to build up the lower legs for cx. I seldom run further than five miles as it's hilly here.
Usually I'm running the five miles at near 6mph within just 2-3 weeks, taking two days off for each run day.

Runner's high kicks in every so often, quite a rush, so might lead to over-doing the effort and possibly injury. This would be very bad, especially for someone over 55.

[mistermo]

Originally Posted by Louis

I turned 58 a while back, and haven't done any significant running since I played basketball in high-school. The last thirty years or so my main cardio exercise has been cycling, with a bit of rowing thrown in. (Although, since a KB Turkish Get Up takes a bit under one minute to do, when I'm doing 12 or more per side that's a fairly intensive routine for at least 20 minutes, with essentially no real breaks, which isn't too shabby.)

I've wanted to start running again for ages, but have always been terrified that I'd mess up my knees, which would affect cycling, which is way more important to me than running could ever be. However, since a good run can take so much less time than a bike ride and can be done in much worse conditions, I've always thought of it as a great way to get a good cardio workout in a relatively short period of time. Same thing as the rowing erg in terms of time-efficiency, but with the gym shut down I haven't been doing that the last few months, and no one knows when the gym will re-open.

I'm sure the right answer is that you're never too old to start running, but the older you get the more difficult it is to do it right. I'd walk, but I've found that it's nearly impossible to get my HR up doing that, so IMO it's barely effective as a cardio exercise.

What in your experience would be the safest way to start? Lots of walking to get my body ready, then shift over to running?

Any other thoughts?

TIA

I'm right here with you! I used to be an avid runner and stopped about 10yrs ago. I'm 57. Over the last few weeks, I've tried to start again and am having real difficulty. What was somewhat easy 10-15 yrs ago, is now very hard. I'm slow, frustratingly so, and I can't help but compare to my old distances and pace. I'm working to re-align my expectations.

So.... I've found that I must go waaaay shorter distances, and ramp up over a waaaay longer, to avoid injury. The first mile really hurts, and sucks, and is awful, then things start to get better, but I never achieve that state where I feel fluid and have a smooth gait. Feels klunky and laborious the entire time.

I agree with you that for the time allotted, running is better than cycling. I've (knock wood), never had knee/hip problems that so many others now have. I think weight loss really helps make it easier too. I've got to drop minimum 10, ideally 15-20 lbs.

And I think adding yoga or intense stretching regimen would help immensely, though I don't like yoga.

Bottom line: Go slow, don't compare to your "old" self, go slow, insert yoga/stretching, go slow, don't be tempted to increase distance quickly, go slow, find some good Hokas (shoes), and go slow.

[C40_guy]

Originally Posted by cgates66

And I've run almost exclusively in no-drop shoes. No-drop does not mean minimalist, by the way - the no-cushion shoes are great for trails but require tremendous strength of foot and calf to wear correctly on pavement, otherwise you will hurt yourself.

Four years ago I went barefoot 90% of the time in the house, and started wearing zero drop shoes out of the house. Even got a set of Lems to wear at work...

Last fall I tried zero drop running shoes for the first time. They just didn't work for me. So I'm back to low to moderate drop running shoes (Mizunos).

I did learn a lot about shoes and fitting and my feet. I learned that I'm not a 7 anymore. I'm up to an 8. Learned that while buying my Lems over the phone...and the guy was right. My feet grew some over the years. I also learned how much more comfortable a generous toe box is.

[flying]

I ran only in the years I did Triathlon

I no longer do tri or run. Running I know many folks love it & continue well into elderly years but....For me I will just say it was too damaging period.
(speaking just for myself )

Perhaps it depends on what kind of runner you are & your foot strikes but I believe it is over 2x body weight impact wise as shown below & I think this is what ultimately always hurt me.

I will say if you can run trails or better yet something like a golf course which I sometimes did... then it is much less damaging ....at least it was for me...rather than pavement/asphalt