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

MATTAPOISETT 5 MILE ROAD RACE 2008

The hard training paid off. I was hoping for a 1 hour 10 minute finish time and I finished in 1 hour 9 minutes 16 seconds official time. It took 1 minute 24 seconds to reach the start line so by my watch I finished START to FINISH 1 hour 7 minutes 52 seconds (A 13:34 mile pace).
What speed is expected of a 75 year old race walker is my next question. I am looking forward to racewalk Mattapoisett next July 4th 2009 if my body holds out. Meanwhile I am going back to body building and racewalk track work to increase my speed. I still have in my mind 12 minute miles.

Injury

I hate it when the body rebels. My left heel decided to have a bruise and it stopped my training for a week. I think it was a heel spur because it was so painful and it started after doing speed work with my super light speed walking shoes.




You can't be a bone head and rush back to your training plan. I know from past experience. I feel that it was a heel spur because I found I could walk on my heel with just a slight pain after one week. If it was an achilles tear I would be on the shelf for a month or more.


If you check my Exercise Log (www.shapelink.com/mydiary ) you will see how I eased back into a training schedule until I was able to go for broke again. I RaceWalked the 5miles of the Mattapoisett road race course on Wednesday May 28th and finished with a time of 1 hour 13 minutes with no pain or injury.




Did speed intervals Saturday May 31st at Healthtrax because it was raining. Training is coming along although I see my goal of 12 minute miles becoming just a dream but I will try to get as close as I can by giving 110% to my training schedule. Injury stay away from my door LOL. The 4th of July race day is around the corner.

TROPHY CHALLANGE

I'm in it for the trophy. The training, the pain, the no quit in me, is all for the trophy. It all started when I turned 70. The Mattapoisett Massachusetts 5 mile road race gives a finishers trophy to everyone 70 or more years of age.



I have run this race countless times since starting on July 4th, 1987. My fastest race time is 34 Minutes 45 seconds in 1990. I also used this 5 mile course for marathon training . Since it is a loop course I could get to my water bottle every 5 miles.



I started RaceWalking on the 2nd of January 2008. I used the indoor track at Healthtrax in North Dartmouth Massachusetts where 17 laps equals one mile. I worked myself up to 5 continuous miles. I averaged 8 to 12 miles of RaceWalking a week by the first week of April.



In the second week of April warm weather allowed me to go to the quarter mile track in Fairhaven Massachusetts. I Racewalked a continuous 6 miles and trained the rest of the week by doing speed drills.



On April 15th I challenged myself to RaceWalk the 5 mile Mattapoisette course. This was the first time I had to RaceWalk up and down hills and I was surprised how well my body adapted to the change. I averaged 16 minute miles and finished in 1 Hour 37 minutes.

My next challange was RaceWalking the half mile up hill and 1 mile down hill of the ring road at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. This training I am sure will make me stronger and faster. I hope to visit this training course many times before the 4th of July race.

Another training course is the 2 miles up and 2 miles back around east and west beach in New Bedford. This course is relatively flat and a good place for tempo training.

I am enthused with my RaceWalking so far. Now my objective is to gain strength and speed and be able to RaceWalk 2 continuous times around the 5 mile Mattapoiset course before Race day.



More training news to follow.

Getting Hip

On July 17th 2007 I had my left hip replaced. This event has change my life. The doctor said I should not run any more because I could complicate my hip replacement.



I have to my credit 21 Marathons and too many to count shorter races since I started running in 1985.

My Marathon site is http://www.webshots.com/ (TYPE IN SEARCH SPACE pogomail4you THIS WILL TAKE YOU TO MY PHOTOS)


I was 52 years old when I quit my job in a factory and joined the Massachusetts Army National Guard Active Guard Reserve (AGR) program. The factory as I suspected closed up shop and moved away two months later.



I already had eleven years active Army service and 10 years part time National Guard service. I had the grade of Staff Sergeant (E-6) but I had to take an administrative bust to the grade of Specialist 4th class (E-4) Battalion Clerk because that was the only position open in my Unit.



My biggest hurdle was passing the Physical Training Test. I was required to run 2 miles in 18 Minutes for my age group. That's 9 Minute miles. I was smoking two packs of cigarettes a day and was 173 pounds. Slightly overweight for my height of 5 feet 6 inches.




For the next 90 days I poured my body into heavy training. Gave up my smoking and watched what I ate. I passed the PT Test.


I enjoyed running and my Lieutenant entered me in a 10K (6.2 Miles) road race. The road racing bug bit me and my running career started.


I became a member of the Massachusetts Army National Guard Marathon Team and took home awards in my 55 year age bracket (see my web site).




After I retired from the Military I continued running and Joined the Greater New Bedford Track Club. (They take care of the water stop at the 5 mile mark of the Boston Marathon. Because of this, the club gets 10 time waved numbers that they raffle to club members. To get an official number for the Boston Marathon you have to meet age time requirements or belong to a sanctioned charity group).



In 1990 I officially qualified for Boston while running
the National Guard Marathon in Lincoln Nebraska
with a time of 3 hours and 34 minutes 20 seconds in
the 55/59 age group.





In 1993 I had a time waved number for Boston from my track club and I was looking to do a 20 mile run. I decided to run the Hyannis Marathon since I would not have to worry about traffic and they would have water on the course. I would just run it slow and get the miles in.




The Hyannis Maraton is a double loop course with a half marathon race and a full marathon. I knew the course because I had run it as a half marathon and a full marathon a couple of times. The people running the marathon were subject to traffic flow because they were by now spread out and traffic was was being let through.




As I reached the 16 mile marker I was all alone on a two lane road. An 87 year old lady who said I ran out in front of her ( I was always in front of her) came down the road and hit me with the front of her car and threw me against her grill. She was going about 20 miles an hour and she carried me about 10 yards when she stopped the car and I slid to the ground. Short story. She broke both my legs and four of my ribs.




I trained like crazy to come back and one year later I ran the Los Angeles Marathon. Not fast but in 4 hours 38 minutes and 14 seconds. I continued running races and started having calf problems. Seems I had blood flow to my legs problems. Unknown to me my stride had changed and I was eating up the cartilage in my left hip. This was causing the blood flow problem and causing my calf pain and diminishing run times.




My last road race was the 2007 Mattapoisett 5 miler on the 4th of July. They give out finisher trophies to anyone over 70 who finishes the race and I didn't want to break my string of getting a trophy for the last 4 years. I finished with a painful 1 Hour and 21 minute run. Averaging a 16 minute mile pace. The fastest my calves would let me go.




After my operation on the 17th of July 2007 I thought my days on the road were over. I asked the doctor about Race Walking and he said I could do that but I should not run. I sent for DVD's about Race Walking and began my training the 2nd of January 2008.




Since my operation my calf problems have greatly diminished and I am working to get my trophy from the Mattapoisett 5 mile Road Race on the 4th of July 2008 when I will be 75 years old.




My motto "IF IT'S TO BE IT'S UP TO ME" and when I'm hurting I say to myself "HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT"











Stories of my training to follow.