How Does Age Factor Into A Training Plan

Audio Transcript

Danny:Today’s question comes from Tom.

Tom: Are there marathon training plans that are set up according to age? I’m 59.

Danny:The quick answer would be yes and no.

We use your age, along with a lot of other variables and factors of your history, to developand set up a training program, unique in custom and individual to you; your strengths and weaknesses.

Age is just another factor we consider when developing a training program for you. It’s not that people who come to Runners Connect, aged 51 to 60, getthe same training program.

No, because that would be the same as giving you a template, and giving you all the same things, without considering a lot of other factors.

But even with age, there’s a difference.

For instance, age can be separated in two different things; your chronological age and your training age.

Your chronological age is how old you are. Tom, the questioner, is 59 years old.

Your training age is how many years you’ve been running or been physically active. And that’s more of a factor I would take into consideration than how old you are, although both are important, obviously.

For example, by the time I turn 59, I would have been running for almost 40 years. My body and the miles on my tires, would be a lot more worn down, so to speak.

In Tom’s case, he’s turning 59 and he’s only been running for 10 years.

You know, you look at a lot of the top masters and the world records in the master’s age group in track and field and road racing.

These are obviously gifted athletes and runners, but most of them were not runners in their previous athletic development.

They may have played some other sport, may have been a cyclist or something else, but the wear and tear that your body takes in, over the course of a lifetime of running, kind of wears you down as you get older.

That’s one of the factors we would look at, more sothan your actual age, but more so your training age. There are aspects of your chronological age, your actual age, that we would factor in.

Obviously, no matter how many miles you have on your feet, getting older will slow you down.The recovery process is going to take longer, and the ability to gain fitness and adapt to training will take a lot more time.

Things like power, balance, and coordination are some of things that get neglected as we age and get older.

As for me, I’m only 34 but I can already tell a difference in those kinds of things, from when I was 24.

As we age, those things kind of fall off. If you don’t use it, you lose it.

So, some of our strength training routines, and some of the training that you’ll see in our training programs at Runners Connect, along with your actual running, might differ for someone who’s turning 59, compared to someone who’s turning 29. This might happen even though they’re training for the same event and the same time goal.

As you age, more emphasis will be on the strength training, and the ability for your body to be stronger and more durable.

That’s a great question, one that a lot of people will ask and have questions on.

For those of you listening that want to have your question answered by one of the Runners Connect coaches, head over to runnersconnect.net/daily, and click the record button to send your question over.

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Thanks and have a great day.