Patience, Patience, Patience

Another Running Post, I'm afraid. Let's hope that I've not repeated myself too much Ha, ha. I’m an Inclusion coach, so I work with many different groups of people. I also deliver workshops to mainstream coaches, giving them some ideas on how to better engage with said groups. When coaching generally and certainly when working with people with Neurological or Mental Health conditions, I encourage young coaches to exercise patience. I think, all of us, appreciate the value of patience.

I just wish I could practice what I preach when it comes to my running.

Nothing like the look and feel of a new pair of trainers

The problem that I have, these days, is that, I sometimes must put up with the old chestnut of “Stephen is not getting any younger”. or similar from certain members of my family.

I’m sixty-five, not that sixty-five is considered old these days. There are probably hundreds of running clubs all over the UK with Senior runners my age and older. So, I can’t make any excuses. The problem I struggle with is getting make into shape after a long layoff. If I’ve had an injury, some sickness, or just been too busy or too bloody idle to get out and run, it takes me forever to get back into any kind of reasonable form.

I start off with all good intentions. I subscribe to the Phil Maffertone 180-formula

180-formula

180 minus a person’s chronological age, which is then adjusted to reflect their physiological age as indicated by fitness and health factors.  In my case 180 – 65 gives me a heart rate ceiling of 115 beats a minute. You can allow yourself an extra 5 beats per minute,


if you have been running for some years and are generally reasonably fit. So, I train at 120 bpm.  The rational for this system of training is that you are running at your maximum aerobic rate. So, as your fitness improves, your Aerobic efficiency improves. I just wish I could practice what I preach when it comes to my running.

I can confirm that this does work. When I first start back training, I am puffing and panting and must constantly stop and walk to keep my heart rate down to the desired level. However, after several weeks I find that I can run steadily keeping my heart rate on or just below the 120.

As my training progresses my lap times slowly start to come down, whilst keeping my heart rate 

My big problem though is Patience!  My life as a runner is like a giant game of Snakes & Ladders. As I get older, the Snakes seem longer as I slide down following injury or layoffs and the Ladders are higher taking increasingly longer to climb back up.

Dealing with setbacks. As an athlete you will inevitably get setbacks of one sort or another. As an older athlete or one with health issues you may get more than most.  

It is important to try to put these in perspective. Be mindful to what is important in your life. If you are injured and must rest up, then rest

The sooner you rest and heal properly, the sooner you will be out running again.

Swimming is good or the exercise bike or rower if you can’t put weight on your legs. There are many ways you can help keep your fitness level up whilst you heal and recover. 

The 180 formula works but it's so slooooow!

Once I’m warmed up and breathing ok, having to stop and walk to keep my heart rate down becomes increasingly frustrating.

So, of course, this is where I need to practice what I preach. I know that this way of training works for me. I know that with patience I WILL get back to a decent degree of running fitness. I just have to exercise, not just my body but also exercise a lot of.....

 Patience, patience, patience.

I have written a short e-book about my time running, both before and after my Heart Attack in 2010. It's available on Amazon if you'd like to check it out. I also have a new book out in July called "Too Old to Ultra" about my attempts at Ultra running.