Getting Faster With Age

by Whitney Heins

Can you get faster as a masters runner? Yes! Yes, you can but you must pay attention to the “little things” to stay healthy & strong. These little actions can help counteract the natural declines in tissue elasticity, muscle mass, & mobility.

They are things all smart runners do but are more important than ever when running over 40+.

Here are some tips to help you get faster with age (& stay healthy!)

• Never skip the warm-up. Take 5 minutes to do some dynamic stretching and about 10 minutes of easy running before picking up the pace.
• Run easy on easy days. Be sure you amplify your recovery by running at a conversational pace for about 80 percent of your weekly running volume.
• Do quality over quantity. That other 20 percent should be faster running. If you don’t use your speed, you will lose it. Run strides, hills, tempos, intervals, race pace, etc. Be open to cross-training on recovery days for less stress on your body.
• Strength train. Twice a week on high-intensity run days, lift heavy weights that you can only lift a few reps. Incorporate plyometrics, core, and mobility work into your strength training.
• Fuel well. Be sure to eat around your runs, upping your protein, collagen, calcium, and vitamins C and D.
• Wear the right shoes. Keep track of your running shoe mileage (most wear out between 300-500 miles) & wear recovery shoes like OOFOs when not running.
• Take regular rest days. This is when your body can fully recover & rest. Do yoga, foam roll, stretch, or just chill.
• SLEEP! Aim to get at least 7 hours a night to allow your body to build back up from the damage you did that day.
  Have a support team. Have a PT, massage therapist, doctor, etc. who works with runners for maintenance and to call if you have any pains pop up.
• CELEBRATE! Running is hard work - even for young whippersnappers! So, celebrate how awesome you are!