After 40 years of continuous cycling and 25 years of running until 2012 when I had a back fusion I was told no more running forever. I saw a sports medicine Doc about 6 weeks ago who said a fused back should be as strong as pre surgery and allowed me to start running again. I am curious as to whether any other geezers (I'm 77) have started running and what you went through. This reminds me of when I started cycling in my 30's and went thru a lot of pain and suffering as the muscles developed the necessary strength to ride competitively. I am now up to about 8 mi runs with about 600 feet of climbing on trails until my running legs come back. I ran this AM and sit here with pain in the calves and one upper hamstring. It is good pain as it is a sign these muscles are adapting.
I decided to add running to cycling as there are quite a few races with upper age classes. Cycling races for people over 50 are essentially nonexistent in SoCal except for State and National championships.

I used to run marathons and ultras and then quit. Just resumed and it sucks. I ride a lot. We'll see if I stick with it. I just don't enjoy running like I used to.

“I am now up to about 8 mi runs with about 600 feet of climbing on trails until my running legs come back.”

Just curious what distances you’d expect to run after your running legs come back! 8 mile runs after 6 weeks seems amazing to me, unless I’m missing something. I run all winter (5 miles max/run) and feel lucky to be doing that at 71, never-mind 77!

According to many of the running authors if you are doing 10K races you should do one 16 - 20 mi run per week. I won't do that but expect my current 150 mi weeks on the bike can substitute. I'll try to reach 13 -14 mi which should let me run half marathons.

0 to 8 miles in 6 weeks seems like a very fast progression. I'm jealous. Good for you. I'm trying again and this time hope to do it injury free up to 8 miles. I can focus a little more after my spring classics. It is hard for me to squeeze riding running and weights into the week.

That's my problem as I can't recover as fast as the old days. I don't want to lose cycling strengths so it looks like 3 days cycling, 1 day weights and treadmill and one outdoor run.

I'm a bit junior to you guys at just 59 years old this coming Feb. But I'm a lifelong (since my teens) runner, cyclist, and swimmer. I am on an artificial hip (left), and an aching knee (right) that desperately needs 'something.' After the hip replacement the doc said "don't run on it." Yet I do...but only once, maybe twice per week. MUCH much less than I ran prior to the replacement. Only 3-6 miles at a time. Maybe 10 miles per week max. But, like me, at your age you've given yourself the lifelong benefits of a lifestyle of fitness. I know how hard it is to give something up, like running. Definitely DON'T STOP. But, from a cardiovascular standpoint, you've already achieved the lifelong benefits. There's really nothing more you can improve on. As psychological therapy...well, I need to keep doing it. But my musculoskeletal system has had too much of a 190 lbs body pounding the road running long miles. So, my suggestion is do run enough to keep you stable 'mentally,' and to increase other activities to make up the indifference. Good luck.


Dan

For most of my adult life, my exercise time was, by priority, martial arts, bicycling, then running. Running was just cross-training, though I did a couple of 5K's 10+ years ago. As I got older into my mid-40's, martial arts diminished, and I cycled more, up to 75 miles/week at my peak.

A new marriage, a long, bike un-friendly commute, and late-in-life kid means time is at a premium. Now I run more than anything, and a couple times a week seems plenty. It's always harder, more intense than cycling, but after a couple of years I'm used to it. My cardio is great, my joints don't mind it too much. I want to get out on the bike more on nice days, but if I don't that's ok, too.

If you're already running 8 miles a session and do just one ride at a moderate pace for recovery- you're doing awesome!

This. Love me some classic humble bragging
In the grand scheme of things how different should one feel at 69 as opposed to 77 btw?