42 year old beginner – will I fall apart?

    Posted In: Masters Track & Field

        • Member
          Barry on May 30, 2009 at 4:03 pm #15804

          In high school I showed promise as a sprinter but I never pursued it. I don’t even remember my time and I only had one officially timed race where I got a very bad start then started gaining on everyone but finished in the middle of the pack. I was better than that. I’m about 40 pounds heavier (a bit overweight) and 20-something years older now. Arm strength is about the same just from chores and genes (I can barely curl a 50lb dumbbell once). I’ve had plantar fasciitis in my left foot for about 10 months. It still hurts for a few minutes when I wake up the day after I walk about 4-5 miles or when I walk 2-3 miles two days in a row. I rarely run fast for anything but I’ve been walking a few miles about twice a week for exercise. When I do run semi-fast, it still feels right, so I want to time myself in the 100 meters.

          So, lets say I walk 1/2 mile, stretch, then try running 100 meters as fast as I can. Can a 42 year old in my condition survive that without injury? Any predictions on how fast I’ll be?

        • Participant
          Matt Norquist on May 30, 2009 at 11:46 pm #84178

          No way to predict a time, but I’d say you’d probably be fine and wouldn’t hurt yourself.

        • Participant
          Mccabe on May 31, 2009 at 12:04 am #84181

          I would suggest loosing weight before trying sprinting, its taxing on the body regardless.

        • Member
          Winning22 on May 31, 2009 at 12:55 am #84182

          im good at predicting times 12.72

        • Participant
          flow on May 31, 2009 at 2:48 am #84186

          14.18 …letz make a pole or bet or something : )
          if you want to run fast you should give it some time. sure, run all out and time yourself, but after that
          try something like: first time a slow jog, than a short build up, about 30 meters not maxing out.
          the second session you try a longer build up and when you had a few sessions with a 100m long build up an feel comfy you can try an all out dash again. youll see after a few sessions only (like twice a week the above) you will be considerably faster and it will feel much nicer : )

        • Participant
          Eric Broadbent on June 1, 2009 at 9:33 am #84292

          16.13

        • Member
          Barry on June 1, 2009 at 10:46 am #84294

          I measured a 100 meter length of sidewalk near a field where not many people walk. I put a black plastic bag on the ground so I’d know where to stop then I walked to the starting line and started stretching. I read about sprinters getting hamstring injuries so I wasn’t going to skimp on the stretching. A few high kicks, a few toe touches (give or take a foot), then I raised my leg behind my body and let my foot catch on a bar behind me. Then I tried raising my leg to get it off.

          I’m giving my hamstring a couple of days to recover then I’ll try again, but I’ll leave out that bar part.

        • Member
          Barry on June 3, 2009 at 7:19 am #84367

          It’s pouring now so the sidewalk will be wet, and there’s a chance of rain every day this week. I wish I knew of a free indoor track in New York City.

        • Member
          Barry on June 11, 2009 at 12:40 pm #84716

          I had a chance to time myself during rush hour near an off-ramp. I didn’t want everyone wondering why some guy is running so fast and I wasn’t sure what it would feel like so I purposly didn’t start too fast and I just ran kind of regular fast without pushing myself. 21 seconds. Thighs didn’t get overly tight and I didn’t get too out of breath so I’m more confident now and I’ll try harder next time. Nobody pay your bets – this didn’t count.

        • Member
          Winning22 on March 23, 2010 at 6:20 am #96298

          dude did you run yet.

        • Member
          Barry on March 23, 2010 at 9:11 am #96304

          dude did you run yet.

          Jeez…you say you’re gonna do something and people think you’ll do it within a year. No, not yet. I’m not as psyched about it as I was last summer, but maybe I’ll try this spring.

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