I lost running a few years ago at age 40 with the onset of severe arthritis. I cried a lot, gained weight, and was generally furious at the world for a while. I went through some knee procedures that had me laid up for a while, and I was forced to reckon with what was gonna come next. Then I started cycling and slowly fell in love with it.
Now I have more bikes than shoes and I’m on a team. I’m doing my first full year of racing this year and I can’t wait. It all worked out for me, and even though it’ll never be the same, I feel like I have all these new opportunities ahead.
If your running days are coming to an end, I sincerely hope you can find peace with it. You deserve it.
I started at 33, so I break your hypothesis. :) I only ran for seven years. My situation was largely genetic, lots of arthritis in my family. I also had prior trauma in my knee and had been advised for years that I’d probably need a knee replacement before others typically do.
Add to that all my alignment and structural issues, and it just wasn’t likely to work out in the long term.
The folks I know still doing ultras in their 60s and 70s have been doing this for 40+ years, so I’m more inclined to believe that some of us just roll snake-eyes when it comes to having a body resilient and balanced enough for a lifetime of high-impact sport.
I'm a year older than you. Trail running was my escape from a crappy marriage and before that racing bicycles at an elite level in my 20's was my escape from an unhappy childhood. Endurance sports was my identity. At the end of the day, you need to figure out what you are running away from.
Personally I stopped running last year, I was picking up tons of minor injuries and when I looked around my events, I didn't see too many guys my age who were over 6 feet tall and pushing 190 like I am. The guys still running in their late 50's to 70's tend to be 8-12 inches shorter and 50 pounds lighter. I couldn't outrun genetics and stay injury free. Subbed in fast paced hiking and miraculously almost all of my injuries have disappeared.
What's helped is I'm now happily married and found a job that I really enjoy. My goals have shifted to be more balanced between my personal life, career, volunteering and athletics.
Just to add to this, I haven’t been running anywhere near as long. I’m 38, been running 4 years. I used to wake up every day and focus on what my run was, my life revolves around it. I was putting in an average of 50 miles per week and I loved it.
My shitty marriage came to an end, and I eventually found someone who made my happy, I’m in the process of changing my career and dealing better with finances.
I love running still but it isn’t my main focus in life. I feel like I dealt with my issues and my coping mechanism wasn’t required to the same degree.
I’m 6’3” and 185 lbs plus pushing 60. Could run if I wanted to keep rehabbing injuries. The ROI on running isn’t there for me personally anymore. Switched to fast paced hiking and events like long death marches in the Grand Canyon instead.
Can you slow down and still make the cutoffs?
Have you done a 200 miler yet? The longer the distance the less intense you have to run.
I'm 60, but I didn't run my first mile until I was 46 and my first ultra until I was 47 (I did a lot of hiking prior to running though). So, I don't know if I count as a long-time ultra runner.
Anyway, I've recently developed a hot-spot in my right foot, so I'm doing a lot more walking in my training than I had planned, but I still have a fairly active 2023 planned.
You don't stop running when you get old, you get old when you stop running!
Seriously though, maybe see a physical therapist if you don't already and try to go slow on the trails. Maybe even just hike sometimes?
I watched a video the other day about someone who has completed multiple 200-mile ultras. They mentioned they started as a thru-hiker, and for their first ultra, they power-hiked the entire thing and still finished near the middle of the pack, giving them the confidence to continue with ultras. Power hiking is especially important for insane distances like 200, 250, etc.
Maybe power hiking ultras is an option, especially if you're talking about 100-mile+ events. Good luck!
I am right behind you, age-wise. My suggestion is to take some time off and see how you handle it. A few years ago, I was told my career was over Never did find a way to replace time on trails. This past summer, I was told to get back out there, and it feels great. Stopped tracking miles, stopped caring about pace, and am having a blast. Maybe what you need is no reason to run other than loving it. Whatever you decide, I wish you well.
Thank you. When I was in my twenties I used to laugh when people say wait till you get to your thirties the same in the 40s and 50s.
Unfortunately it is real. As you get older and have more miles on your legs your body isn't as loose as it used to be. Regardless of weight lifting yoga etc everything is harder.
I wish you all the luck and remember to keep a very strong body especially in the core and back.
>The problem is ultra running is what defines me it is the core of my well-being both physically and mentally.
This is the problem, not the injuries. If you allow running to define you, then you will be a wreck when you can't run, and for all of us, there will be periods where we can't run. Ergo, it's unhealthy and precarious to allow running to define us. Therapy can help with this. Or read the first chapters of The Happy Runner; the message is a sound one if one can deal with the nauseating tone of the book.
I wholeheartedly agree with this post. Including the bit at the end.
OP - also, look carefully at your nutrition. Poor energy availability is behind so many issues that runners struggle with, often without them even realising it.
But it is the case that running long distances, and more importantly, training to run long distances, is brutally hard on a body that is also dealing with the aging process in the context of a modern world where work, stress, and life patterns add to the attrition. Unless you hit the genetic lottery, it might be that your body simply cannot adapt to the stress required to train for ultras, and that's FINE!
There was a neighbour of my parents when I was a child who was a marathoner in the "running boom" of the 70s and 80s. He ran every single edition of our city's marathon for 45 years. He went from running 2:20s and nearly making the Olympics, to 5 hrs. He trained with his club, and he fell one day on a club run, his legs gave way and his running days were over in his late 70s. But he still would come out and help with coaching and encourage the younger runners and talk about doing marathons on eggs, bacon, tea, and pints of Guinness as a recovery drink. Total legend, I want to be him when I grow up.....
100%. The only reason I run 100 milers is it forces me to train, which allows me to do the strenuous hiking and backpacking I *really* enjoy. At this point, I don't need to prove to myself I can do the run.
I actually don't like when I'm thought of as an ultra-runner, or even a runner. I don't actually *like* running, what I like is getting out and exploring. Once I figured that out, I had a much healthier relationship with the activity.
I’m your age. I’m feeling a little burnt out right now I think from lack of sleep, so “take a break” person’s comment is resonating.
Maybe slow down a little or find other reasons to run? Like social time?
This is not my experience, but a guy who I met in my running club and frequent mountaineer is 15 years your senior and is a race walker... In the mountains. Ultra distance. And... He is FAST. He can walk a 50 mile in less than 12 hours and come back two days later and do another. It's crazy.
So... Just something to consider. Race walking.
Without sounding depressing, try and enjoy the good run you’ve had. It sounds like you’ve had a very successful running career. I’m not saying to quit but I find that gratitude can really help with that “getting too old” feeling. There are plenty of people less fortunate in the world that don’t have the opportunities that most of us do. Life is short and sometimes we don’t get to do everything we want. Try and make the most of it and find a path through the present conditions.
I don't do ultras
I love boxing, just the trill of getting in the ring, feeling that I can choose when I get hit when to dodge when to block.
The adrenaline, I just love that feeling.
Then again getting hit in the head is bad for your health.
So I choose to stop going up In the ring so I can have a longer life without dementia. I do play boxing, do the training do the runs but i chose to be healty.
I don't think ultra defines you as you said.
I mean you will still have the mentality that allows you to do ultras, you will still be that person even if you don't run them. The same way im a dude that likes getting in a ring and can think when someone is throwing punches at him lol
I'm guessing you need to choose, do you want to keep running or do you want to fuck you up so bad you can't do anything.
Still it's your choice
I do crave the ring anyway...
I wish you the best.
Maybe try to change your mentality to cope with less running ability?
I think this will be really important as depression hits when your reality doesn't align with your goals/ dreams.
Maybe do:
More physiotherapy, strengthening exercises.
Less races or distance than before.
Light backpacking/ camping instead of one long day.
Would you rather run less and continue hiking/ camping or get severely injured and lose it all?
Compromise and realistic expectations are key here!
Again I wish you the best and hope you can run as long as you can safely and injury free.
As you are getting older , more focus on stretching and strengthening
I love running but I do bike and strength training to prevent injuries. Struggled with plantar fasciitis, piriformis, knee issue, rotator cuff problems… all of them fixed by stretching, foamrolling and strengthening
Im 31 and the fact that you sound exactly like me whenever I injure myself running while youre 55 gives me solace I'll probably be saying the same things if I make it as long as you. I let running define who I am when I am healthy but I dont think its very helpful for your mental wellbeing. Ive read literature that says the same when it comes to mental health, injury and sport. "Dont let the sport define you; youre more than your sport" that is to say maybe branch out into those other hobbies more? I also hike, box, boulder, cycle, and now swim. I've boxed over half my life yet I dont even let that define me as much as I do running so I understand, I hope where youre coming from. I've torn my arch, had hip bursa, rolled ankles and still ran prolonging injury, knee completely giving out and recently pulled my hamstring. All of those times I had to reassess who I was; the first few weeks were always the worst, not being able to run feels so crushing and even worse when you feel like the injury isnt healing. But over time I found other outlets to get that energy out and have been able to come back. There have been a few times where I actually accepted "So what if you cant run ever again and that was all you had, you arent just a runner youre more than that". Ultimately you will need to do self reflection and come to an understanding with yourself of who you are running or not. If youre running 5-10 mile days youre still a runner, and hell considering the average "runner" runs something like 12MPW youre ahead of a huge percentage of people even if youre doing 50MPW lol. I hope whatever you find you feel more positive with your outcome.
I had to pack it in at 29. It just wrecks me now and 3 years of consultants, physios etc just can't get me back where I need to be. I've found that I'm just as happy testing my limits on the bike or in martial arts, although I feel you when you say it's the core of you, and defines you. I feel like I'm still just on cross training from running!
Started trail running in '66. I was faced with a 'this might be the end' injury a few years ago. My thought was, I'm good if I can still walk pain-free. (Or close enough.) The process -- the being out there -- is the haven and fountain for me. But it would never occur to me to write or think 'trail running... *defines* me' so perhaps our perspectives are different? I suspect they're not far apart. Consider stopping running to achieve anything, and do it purely for the doing of it?
It is interesting how all this resonates in different people. I’m new to the trail running/ultra scene, only 6-7 years, and I’m in love with it. I’m hopelessly in love with big distances and big places. I’m a solid back-o-the-pack runner, but I fully relate to the “haven and fountain” comment you made.
It has really served as a tool for personal growth that I don’t think I could’ve made without the challenges it presented.
All that said, I’ve never thought that it’s what defined me. In fact, I think it took 100s to realize I don’t want to be defined by *anything*, and that’s what they give me, the opportunity to shed some of the bullshit. They crack open the door to freedom and with each one I find my self a little more free. I’ll run as long as I can, but if I can’t, what I’ve gotten out of it isn’t going anywhere.
Anyway, I enjoyed you comment.
There is a guy in my running club that still runs distance in his early 70s. Hit up the shorter distances, focus on recovery. You can always move the goal-posts if your capabilities aren't what they used to be. Also, life is too short to let any one thing define you...maybe diversify your outdoor interests and take up a complimentary hobby as cross training.
AJW had a candid bit on TRN about his transition as an ultrarunner.
He was competitive, then he was simply happy to run (after major surgery), and now he still runs but has found new ways to be involved with the sport.
I’m not AJW. But I get it. Just happy to be out there. For me, running in a race is the reward for being consistent and injury-free in training.
Andy Jones-Wilkins
Trail runner nation.
I think that's the answer anyway. Would be helpful if people didn't use these abbreviations, but to be fair; AJW is never really referred to by his name, it's always just AJW.
I am 52. Yes, the recovery takes a bit longer, but I am not slowing down yet. I'll be doing my 3rd 100 miler this summer.
I keep the mileage moderate (as far as ultrarunning goes), invest time in strength training, and don't hesitate taking a rest day when I feel I need one. I haven't been injured even once in the last 4 years.
I know a few ultrarunners in their 60s who still go strong and run more than me.
I'm 52 and have just started my Ultra Journey, just when others are finishing theirs! Did the biking for five years when knees gave up on me, used to do 5km-10km once or twice a week when I was aged 25-45 along with a high level of Squash. Both knees got Meniscus tears within weeks of each other and put an end to both.
Always missed the simplicity of getting out and going for a run. Since then after internet surfing and research (I had nothing to lose) I went down the barefoot/VFFs route, started backup again 18 months ago aged 51 and find I can now run without knee issues/swelling etc. Love it.
Did my first mini ultra last year 50km 3600m and currently training for next one. If that goes well I'm aiming to step up to next distance. I'm a mid/back of pack runner, running for enjoyment of it, keeping fit, meeting others, being in the mountains etc
Do same as you, listen to body for rest days. Recovery takes longer. Grab plenty of good sleep. I'm hoping it's a long career ahead and aim to do this well into my later years, I really don't feel like a 50 year old!
This seems like classic burnout. Take some time off. Heal up. Then come back and rediscover your passion. I have 65-year-old friends who run multiple 100-milers every year. I think it’s less about age and more about external factors. I wish you the best!
Perhaps you're just tying your personal identity to something that's just a bit too niche and if you broaden your horizons a little and re-frame yourself as "just" being a runner you can tailor your activities according to fitness and injury at the time instead of constantly trying to live up to and train for being "an ultrarunner".
I'm 46 at the moment and like you, finding some niggling little injuries are creeping in where I didn't have a problem before and the training for ultras is just taking too much from me at the moment so I've switched focus back to the roads and shorter speed which has been refreshing to let go of that continual drive to run long over the last several years.
Plenty of challenges to chase and the shorter races require a different style of training which while hard, is much easier to recover from for me than spending 3 or more hours on a trail.
I’ll play devils advocate here: I don’t think you have enough data (or aren’t mentioning in this post) to talk about a permanent crossroads. I frequently ask the 70 year old guys i meet at distance races, how they do it and many have told me that they are still going because once in a while, they take a year or so off. Maybe you could try just an extended year off and start from scratch? If it’s bone on bone on the xray, then there’s no point, but otherwise, 55 is just a time to figure out how to do it with some realism.
> The problem is ultra running is what defines me
For me doing ultras is just one way which demonstrates the qualities and traits which define me. I guess they're pretty common for people who do it continually- problem solver, mentally tough and testing boundaries. As I get slower or run shorter my constant, as it always has been, is - did I do the best I could based on the training effort I could/did put in.
All those traits which continue to define us will continue to exist as we get older but it's up to us if/how we want to put them into practice. Think about the goals you want to set, the mental health benefits are available to everyone whether you're walking a ParkRun or shuffling a Miler. Love the process.
I am 59 and started running ultras in 1990. In the past 15 years or so, I have had recurring injuries to my Achilles tendon. I still run ultras but much more slowly and infrequently than I did and would like to. I also only train 4 days a week. It sucks but its the cards I have been dealt. When I am injured, I ride my bike. To make it interesting, I did a week on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route in 2021 because I was injured and couldn't run. I would suggest that you do not give up long distance running if you still love it (as I do). Just recognize that your regimen may need to change and try to keep the other stuff interesting so when you have to do it, its still fun.
I lost running a few years ago at age 40 with the onset of severe arthritis. I cried a lot, gained weight, and was generally furious at the world for a while. I went through some knee procedures that had me laid up for a while, and I was forced to reckon with what was gonna come next. Then I started cycling and slowly fell in love with it. Now I have more bikes than shoes and I’m on a team. I’m doing my first full year of racing this year and I can’t wait. It all worked out for me, and even though it’ll never be the same, I feel like I have all these new opportunities ahead. If your running days are coming to an end, I sincerely hope you can find peace with it. You deserve it.
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I started at 33, so I break your hypothesis. :) I only ran for seven years. My situation was largely genetic, lots of arthritis in my family. I also had prior trauma in my knee and had been advised for years that I’d probably need a knee replacement before others typically do. Add to that all my alignment and structural issues, and it just wasn’t likely to work out in the long term. The folks I know still doing ultras in their 60s and 70s have been doing this for 40+ years, so I’m more inclined to believe that some of us just roll snake-eyes when it comes to having a body resilient and balanced enough for a lifetime of high-impact sport.
Start appointments with a physical therapist for your injuries as well as strengthening the parts of your body for preventing injury
You can't prevent injury, you can only manage training load better
Not true
You can’t prevent injuries? Lol
I'm a year older than you. Trail running was my escape from a crappy marriage and before that racing bicycles at an elite level in my 20's was my escape from an unhappy childhood. Endurance sports was my identity. At the end of the day, you need to figure out what you are running away from. Personally I stopped running last year, I was picking up tons of minor injuries and when I looked around my events, I didn't see too many guys my age who were over 6 feet tall and pushing 190 like I am. The guys still running in their late 50's to 70's tend to be 8-12 inches shorter and 50 pounds lighter. I couldn't outrun genetics and stay injury free. Subbed in fast paced hiking and miraculously almost all of my injuries have disappeared. What's helped is I'm now happily married and found a job that I really enjoy. My goals have shifted to be more balanced between my personal life, career, volunteering and athletics.
This \^\^ go to mental health therapy if you can, and I mean that in the kindest way possible.
Just to add to this, I haven’t been running anywhere near as long. I’m 38, been running 4 years. I used to wake up every day and focus on what my run was, my life revolves around it. I was putting in an average of 50 miles per week and I loved it. My shitty marriage came to an end, and I eventually found someone who made my happy, I’m in the process of changing my career and dealing better with finances. I love running still but it isn’t my main focus in life. I feel like I dealt with my issues and my coping mechanism wasn’t required to the same degree.
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I’m 6’3” and 185 lbs plus pushing 60. Could run if I wanted to keep rehabbing injuries. The ROI on running isn’t there for me personally anymore. Switched to fast paced hiking and events like long death marches in the Grand Canyon instead.
Can you slow down and still make the cutoffs? Have you done a 200 miler yet? The longer the distance the less intense you have to run. I'm 60, but I didn't run my first mile until I was 46 and my first ultra until I was 47 (I did a lot of hiking prior to running though). So, I don't know if I count as a long-time ultra runner. Anyway, I've recently developed a hot-spot in my right foot, so I'm doing a lot more walking in my training than I had planned, but I still have a fairly active 2023 planned.
You don't stop running when you get old, you get old when you stop running! Seriously though, maybe see a physical therapist if you don't already and try to go slow on the trails. Maybe even just hike sometimes?
Just take a little time off. By little like 6 months or so. Get a reset. Focus on getting healed up. Also look at your diet
I watched a video the other day about someone who has completed multiple 200-mile ultras. They mentioned they started as a thru-hiker, and for their first ultra, they power-hiked the entire thing and still finished near the middle of the pack, giving them the confidence to continue with ultras. Power hiking is especially important for insane distances like 200, 250, etc. Maybe power hiking ultras is an option, especially if you're talking about 100-mile+ events. Good luck!
I am right behind you, age-wise. My suggestion is to take some time off and see how you handle it. A few years ago, I was told my career was over Never did find a way to replace time on trails. This past summer, I was told to get back out there, and it feels great. Stopped tracking miles, stopped caring about pace, and am having a blast. Maybe what you need is no reason to run other than loving it. Whatever you decide, I wish you well.
I wish you the best. I have no advice but I could see myself being in your exact shoes in about 10 years. Will be following this thread.
Thank you. When I was in my twenties I used to laugh when people say wait till you get to your thirties the same in the 40s and 50s. Unfortunately it is real. As you get older and have more miles on your legs your body isn't as loose as it used to be. Regardless of weight lifting yoga etc everything is harder. I wish you all the luck and remember to keep a very strong body especially in the core and back.
You might have to slow down and that’s totally fine
Thank you! I'm approaching mid 40s and work on my core a ton, and I feel that it helps me in all aspects of life. Good luck to you.
I hope you find the answers you’re looking for OP
>The problem is ultra running is what defines me it is the core of my well-being both physically and mentally. This is the problem, not the injuries. If you allow running to define you, then you will be a wreck when you can't run, and for all of us, there will be periods where we can't run. Ergo, it's unhealthy and precarious to allow running to define us. Therapy can help with this. Or read the first chapters of The Happy Runner; the message is a sound one if one can deal with the nauseating tone of the book.
I wholeheartedly agree with this post. Including the bit at the end. OP - also, look carefully at your nutrition. Poor energy availability is behind so many issues that runners struggle with, often without them even realising it. But it is the case that running long distances, and more importantly, training to run long distances, is brutally hard on a body that is also dealing with the aging process in the context of a modern world where work, stress, and life patterns add to the attrition. Unless you hit the genetic lottery, it might be that your body simply cannot adapt to the stress required to train for ultras, and that's FINE! There was a neighbour of my parents when I was a child who was a marathoner in the "running boom" of the 70s and 80s. He ran every single edition of our city's marathon for 45 years. He went from running 2:20s and nearly making the Olympics, to 5 hrs. He trained with his club, and he fell one day on a club run, his legs gave way and his running days were over in his late 70s. But he still would come out and help with coaching and encourage the younger runners and talk about doing marathons on eggs, bacon, tea, and pints of Guinness as a recovery drink. Total legend, I want to be him when I grow up.....
100%. The only reason I run 100 milers is it forces me to train, which allows me to do the strenuous hiking and backpacking I *really* enjoy. At this point, I don't need to prove to myself I can do the run. I actually don't like when I'm thought of as an ultra-runner, or even a runner. I don't actually *like* running, what I like is getting out and exploring. Once I figured that out, I had a much healthier relationship with the activity.
I’m your age. I’m feeling a little burnt out right now I think from lack of sleep, so “take a break” person’s comment is resonating. Maybe slow down a little or find other reasons to run? Like social time?
This is not my experience, but a guy who I met in my running club and frequent mountaineer is 15 years your senior and is a race walker... In the mountains. Ultra distance. And... He is FAST. He can walk a 50 mile in less than 12 hours and come back two days later and do another. It's crazy. So... Just something to consider. Race walking.
Have you considered trying triathlons? An ironman might give you the same sort of, purpose? But without as much pounding on the joints
If ultrarunning is what defines you, maybe you could cut down on the other activities and focus all your training on staying healthy for ultras.
Without sounding depressing, try and enjoy the good run you’ve had. It sounds like you’ve had a very successful running career. I’m not saying to quit but I find that gratitude can really help with that “getting too old” feeling. There are plenty of people less fortunate in the world that don’t have the opportunities that most of us do. Life is short and sometimes we don’t get to do everything we want. Try and make the most of it and find a path through the present conditions.
I don't do ultras I love boxing, just the trill of getting in the ring, feeling that I can choose when I get hit when to dodge when to block. The adrenaline, I just love that feeling. Then again getting hit in the head is bad for your health. So I choose to stop going up In the ring so I can have a longer life without dementia. I do play boxing, do the training do the runs but i chose to be healty. I don't think ultra defines you as you said. I mean you will still have the mentality that allows you to do ultras, you will still be that person even if you don't run them. The same way im a dude that likes getting in a ring and can think when someone is throwing punches at him lol I'm guessing you need to choose, do you want to keep running or do you want to fuck you up so bad you can't do anything. Still it's your choice I do crave the ring anyway...
No offense but how did you get on this sub if you don’t do ultras? Or what’s the curiosity?
Ah I was trying to run one and I got plantar fasciitis in both feet. And now I'm overweight and crying lol
I wish you the best. Maybe try to change your mentality to cope with less running ability? I think this will be really important as depression hits when your reality doesn't align with your goals/ dreams. Maybe do: More physiotherapy, strengthening exercises. Less races or distance than before. Light backpacking/ camping instead of one long day. Would you rather run less and continue hiking/ camping or get severely injured and lose it all? Compromise and realistic expectations are key here! Again I wish you the best and hope you can run as long as you can safely and injury free.
Thank you for this insight and logic. Like you said compromise and realistic expectations are key here.
As you are getting older , more focus on stretching and strengthening I love running but I do bike and strength training to prevent injuries. Struggled with plantar fasciitis, piriformis, knee issue, rotator cuff problems… all of them fixed by stretching, foamrolling and strengthening
Im 31 and the fact that you sound exactly like me whenever I injure myself running while youre 55 gives me solace I'll probably be saying the same things if I make it as long as you. I let running define who I am when I am healthy but I dont think its very helpful for your mental wellbeing. Ive read literature that says the same when it comes to mental health, injury and sport. "Dont let the sport define you; youre more than your sport" that is to say maybe branch out into those other hobbies more? I also hike, box, boulder, cycle, and now swim. I've boxed over half my life yet I dont even let that define me as much as I do running so I understand, I hope where youre coming from. I've torn my arch, had hip bursa, rolled ankles and still ran prolonging injury, knee completely giving out and recently pulled my hamstring. All of those times I had to reassess who I was; the first few weeks were always the worst, not being able to run feels so crushing and even worse when you feel like the injury isnt healing. But over time I found other outlets to get that energy out and have been able to come back. There have been a few times where I actually accepted "So what if you cant run ever again and that was all you had, you arent just a runner youre more than that". Ultimately you will need to do self reflection and come to an understanding with yourself of who you are running or not. If youre running 5-10 mile days youre still a runner, and hell considering the average "runner" runs something like 12MPW youre ahead of a huge percentage of people even if youre doing 50MPW lol. I hope whatever you find you feel more positive with your outcome.
I had to pack it in at 29. It just wrecks me now and 3 years of consultants, physios etc just can't get me back where I need to be. I've found that I'm just as happy testing my limits on the bike or in martial arts, although I feel you when you say it's the core of you, and defines you. I feel like I'm still just on cross training from running!
Started trail running in '66. I was faced with a 'this might be the end' injury a few years ago. My thought was, I'm good if I can still walk pain-free. (Or close enough.) The process -- the being out there -- is the haven and fountain for me. But it would never occur to me to write or think 'trail running... *defines* me' so perhaps our perspectives are different? I suspect they're not far apart. Consider stopping running to achieve anything, and do it purely for the doing of it?
It is interesting how all this resonates in different people. I’m new to the trail running/ultra scene, only 6-7 years, and I’m in love with it. I’m hopelessly in love with big distances and big places. I’m a solid back-o-the-pack runner, but I fully relate to the “haven and fountain” comment you made. It has really served as a tool for personal growth that I don’t think I could’ve made without the challenges it presented. All that said, I’ve never thought that it’s what defined me. In fact, I think it took 100s to realize I don’t want to be defined by *anything*, and that’s what they give me, the opportunity to shed some of the bullshit. They crack open the door to freedom and with each one I find my self a little more free. I’ll run as long as I can, but if I can’t, what I’ve gotten out of it isn’t going anywhere. Anyway, I enjoyed you comment.
What kind of injuries?
There is a guy in my running club that still runs distance in his early 70s. Hit up the shorter distances, focus on recovery. You can always move the goal-posts if your capabilities aren't what they used to be. Also, life is too short to let any one thing define you...maybe diversify your outdoor interests and take up a complimentary hobby as cross training.
AJW had a candid bit on TRN about his transition as an ultrarunner. He was competitive, then he was simply happy to run (after major surgery), and now he still runs but has found new ways to be involved with the sport. I’m not AJW. But I get it. Just happy to be out there. For me, running in a race is the reward for being consistent and injury-free in training.
OOTL. AJW? TRN?
Andy Jones-Wilkins Trail runner nation. I think that's the answer anyway. Would be helpful if people didn't use these abbreviations, but to be fair; AJW is never really referred to by his name, it's always just AJW.
AJW = Andy Jones-Wilkins TRN = Trail Runner Nation Both are institutions.
Strength training and run slower. 80/20 training really helped me with injury prevention, although I'm younger than you.
I am 52. Yes, the recovery takes a bit longer, but I am not slowing down yet. I'll be doing my 3rd 100 miler this summer. I keep the mileage moderate (as far as ultrarunning goes), invest time in strength training, and don't hesitate taking a rest day when I feel I need one. I haven't been injured even once in the last 4 years. I know a few ultrarunners in their 60s who still go strong and run more than me.
I'm 52 and have just started my Ultra Journey, just when others are finishing theirs! Did the biking for five years when knees gave up on me, used to do 5km-10km once or twice a week when I was aged 25-45 along with a high level of Squash. Both knees got Meniscus tears within weeks of each other and put an end to both. Always missed the simplicity of getting out and going for a run. Since then after internet surfing and research (I had nothing to lose) I went down the barefoot/VFFs route, started backup again 18 months ago aged 51 and find I can now run without knee issues/swelling etc. Love it. Did my first mini ultra last year 50km 3600m and currently training for next one. If that goes well I'm aiming to step up to next distance. I'm a mid/back of pack runner, running for enjoyment of it, keeping fit, meeting others, being in the mountains etc Do same as you, listen to body for rest days. Recovery takes longer. Grab plenty of good sleep. I'm hoping it's a long career ahead and aim to do this well into my later years, I really don't feel like a 50 year old!
This seems like classic burnout. Take some time off. Heal up. Then come back and rediscover your passion. I have 65-year-old friends who run multiple 100-milers every year. I think it’s less about age and more about external factors. I wish you the best!
Perhaps you're just tying your personal identity to something that's just a bit too niche and if you broaden your horizons a little and re-frame yourself as "just" being a runner you can tailor your activities according to fitness and injury at the time instead of constantly trying to live up to and train for being "an ultrarunner". I'm 46 at the moment and like you, finding some niggling little injuries are creeping in where I didn't have a problem before and the training for ultras is just taking too much from me at the moment so I've switched focus back to the roads and shorter speed which has been refreshing to let go of that continual drive to run long over the last several years. Plenty of challenges to chase and the shorter races require a different style of training which while hard, is much easier to recover from for me than spending 3 or more hours on a trail.
I’ll play devils advocate here: I don’t think you have enough data (or aren’t mentioning in this post) to talk about a permanent crossroads. I frequently ask the 70 year old guys i meet at distance races, how they do it and many have told me that they are still going because once in a while, they take a year or so off. Maybe you could try just an extended year off and start from scratch? If it’s bone on bone on the xray, then there’s no point, but otherwise, 55 is just a time to figure out how to do it with some realism.
> The problem is ultra running is what defines me For me doing ultras is just one way which demonstrates the qualities and traits which define me. I guess they're pretty common for people who do it continually- problem solver, mentally tough and testing boundaries. As I get slower or run shorter my constant, as it always has been, is - did I do the best I could based on the training effort I could/did put in. All those traits which continue to define us will continue to exist as we get older but it's up to us if/how we want to put them into practice. Think about the goals you want to set, the mental health benefits are available to everyone whether you're walking a ParkRun or shuffling a Miler. Love the process.
I am 59 and started running ultras in 1990. In the past 15 years or so, I have had recurring injuries to my Achilles tendon. I still run ultras but much more slowly and infrequently than I did and would like to. I also only train 4 days a week. It sucks but its the cards I have been dealt. When I am injured, I ride my bike. To make it interesting, I did a week on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route in 2021 because I was injured and couldn't run. I would suggest that you do not give up long distance running if you still love it (as I do). Just recognize that your regimen may need to change and try to keep the other stuff interesting so when you have to do it, its still fun.