Dale Matson
Why in the world would a man in his 70th year
want to return to the track after leaving it behind 20 years ago? As any
“runner” (and for me, I have to put that concept in quotes) knows, the legs
need to be trained to run fast. Track interval training is one of the best ways
to do this. Some folks use quarter mile intervals while most distance runners
use longer intervals such as a mile. But is that really what I am after? No, I
want to increase my average pace by working
on my maximum pace. What I mean by an average pace is my “cruising speed” on
long runs and average pace hiking in the mountains.
Perhaps the most precipitous decline for me and others as
they approach their 70’s is the onset of what I would call “rigamortis of the legs”.
Two things led me to the epiphany about this malady. Folks would pass me on the
Eaton Trail and exclaim, “Hi Dale, I didn't know you were into speed walking.”
The second thing was watching the shadow of a bent over old man moving at a
rather awkward gait. I have seen this again and again with my older friends who
remain competitive in their respective age groups. The legs just don't seem to
move nearly as fast. We look at each other and say, “What happened?”
I think there are a number of factors including the decline
of VO2max with aging and loss of skeletal muscle strength. There is also a
decrease in heart stroke volume. My current VO2 max is good and consistent with
my age of 69 at about 40, which seems rather low compared to elite athletes who
regularly perform above 65 for a VO2 max.
Another factor is form and running efficiency. This is
something that can be lost even when one continues running into the senior
years. Speed work forces one into a better, more erect posture and increases running
economy.
There is also a certain unwillingness to suffer the
discomfort of a higher average heart rate and running by yourself allows for this
kind of unhelpful pampering. Once you work up to a higher heart rate the pain
of staying there seems less than the pain of getting there. My current maximum
heart rate is not much above my old average long run heart rate. I simply have
to stop being such a slacker.
Movescount download data from Suunto Ambit
By running on a track, I can also evaluate to what extent “cardiac
creep” factors in at a given pace over a measured distance without wondering
how much elevation changes contributed to the heart rate climb. I was
pleasantly surprised to find that at a one-mile distance, my heart rate climbed
initially but did not increase significantly throughout the rest of the mile.
Minimal Cardiac Creep
My weekly tempo runs
were not improving my average pace in a 10K distance. When something isn't
working, it’s time to change the way things are done. What is my goal? I would
like to get back to one-mile intervals at a 10:00 minute per mile pace for 6
miles. I believe in goal setting, the goal should be realistic and achievable. When the form has returned, the goal will be met.
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