No Quit in Me QUITS

My mind says go but my body says no. The arthritis and the leg pain will not let me get any speed or distance. My interval training last night got as far as 8 laps around the Healthtrax track. My legs got heavier with each lap and the effort to move was so bad that I had to stop.

I could walk the 5 mile Mattapoisett course and come in last, but I do not want to end my running days that way.

I know that I gave it my best. It was a great running career with 21 Marathons and countless other races. So at age 77 its time to say goodbye to Road Racing.

Trophy training 2010 begins

Two of my old friends are back. Mister Arthritis and symptoms of Peripheral Artery Disease. Strenuous exercise like Racewalking causes my calves to really hurt but I'm working through it. Arthritis is attacking my hamstrings. How fast I will be able to Racewalk is my big racing question.

Friday the 21st of May was a bright sun shiny day so I walked the Mattapoisett 5 mile course at a 20 minute mile pace. Total time was 1 hour and 40 minutes. My legs hurt at a level 2 on a scale of 10. Now that I know I can go the distance, speed training and stamina are my training goals.

I'm hoping that my vascular doctor will give me something that will minimize the leg pain and I will be able to train to have a respectable race finish time on the 4th of July.

TRIPLE HERNIA OPERATION SIDELINES TRAINING

I was just taking it easy waiting to begin hard training for the summer races when I noticed a protrusion in my groin area. I contacted hernia doctor James Hermenegildo in Fall River Massachusetts who told me I had 3 hernia's. The triple hernia operation was performed on the 12th of January 2010.

Post operation instructions were not to lift more than 25 pounds or do any strenuous
exercise for 3 weeks. When I saw the doctor on the 25th of January he said the swelling and getting back to normal would take about a month.

I plan to start my training for the Mattapoisett 5 mile July 4th 2010 road race on the 1st of March. I might even Racewalk the 5K Father's Day road race in June depending how I feel.

I'm currently watching what I eat and slow walking just enough to keep my body weight in check.

Got my trophy 2009

As I look back on this past year I see a lot of work done. Times when the body said "Stay home", and the mind saying "How bad do you want it"?

To me Racewalking is not as pleasant as running and many times I had to motivate myself to go out and train. The pull of getting another finisher trophy and not breaking the string of 6 consective over the age of 70 finishes was strong enough to overcome any excuse to put off training.

My friend Randy and I did Intervals on the track, up hill runs and a couple of 5 milers to ready ourselves for Mattapoisett. We completed the Fathers day 5k as a training run. Randy did an 11 minute mile pace while I maintained a 14 minute mile pace.

Mr flue visited Randy on the 3rd of July and I had to run the Mattapoisett 5 miler without my training partner. I finished with a 14 minute 13 second mile pace. A total time of 1 hour 11 minutes and 3 seconds. Good enough to place 989 out of 1026 finishers.

I got my 7th finishers trophy which I proudy added to my collection. Remarkably I was the only returning aged 70 and over entry from last year. I finished 4th out of this years 5 entrants.

Now back to body building and keeping fit so as to Racewalk Mattapoisett in 2010.

Training to race

Looking forward to July 4th. Finishing the race and getting my trophy is my goal. Talked to my family and no one even my grandson wants the trophies when I go belly up, but I still want to keep my string alive since I have been getting a finisher trophy since I became 70.
Along the way I convinced my friend who at 40 plus never ran before, to run the 5 mile race with me. We have been working together this month of April and he is showing great progress. We enrolled in the 5K Fathers day road race in Fairhaven for a tune up to the July 5 miler. We are doing intervals on the track and hill training and he is pushing me as he gets into running and I'm trying to stay with him Racewalking. It's a lot of fun but I miss running.

Marking time

Next race is Mattapoisett on July 4th, 2009. Decided not to push it. I wanted to train to go as fast as I could but common sense says to cool it. Just be glad that I can walk with my new hip. Not that many days left on this planet so I best enjoy.

Body building and cardio work outs will keep me in shape to take up Racewalking training again in April 2009.

DAVE MCGOVERN WITH THE ANSWER

HOW FAST IS FAST TO A 75 YEAR OLD RACEWALKER. I had a left hip replacement and the doctor said I should not run anymore. I have run 21 marathons and countless shorter races. My first attempt was in a 5 mile race where I Racewalked with the runners. Total time 1hour 7minutes 52seconds. Average 13Min 34seconds per mile pace.
Norman,

Congratulations on your successes so far! Are you sitting down? The listed American record for 75-79 year old men for 5k is 30:57.45. I believe Jack Bray just broke that, bringing the record under 30:00 of 9:41 per mile. (Records aren't kept for 5 miles, but I would imagine the record would be in the range of 10:00 miles.) The technique has a lot to do with it, although Jack Starr (the listed record holder) and Jack Bray are both very, very fit.

So that's what a 75+ year old American CAN do. Shows yo uwhat the possibilities are and gives you something to shoot for!

ok

Dave McGovern