Learn to increase time or distance first, then add speedwork to improve pace.
Runners are always more likely to succeed when they focus on progress and improvement. Setting personal goals will inspire your training and help your motivation.Goal-setting, and progress toward those goals, can mean many things, including running longer, running faster, and running more often.
Your goals can also be metric-free, such as wanting to run in new and exciting locations, running with friends and family or joining a run group, or incorporating cross-training or run/walk into your practice.That’s why Runner’s World created How to Run Strong at 50+. With guidance from our hosts—Deena Kastor, Knox Robinson, and Chris Twiggs—you’ll learn how to keep your running fresh and exciting instead of the same boring routine over and over. There are some important guidelines that will help you, such as trying to go farther before going faster and incorporating intervals into your runs to build fatigue resistance.What You’ll LearnIn How to Run Strong at 50+: How to Progress, our hosts will teach you:How to continue progressing as a runner at any age—without increasing injury riskWhy building distance and consistency should come before adding speedHow to choose a race plan that works for you and your goalsWhen and how to safely introduce speed work as an older runnerWatch VideoGo DeeperFind Your GoalNot every masters runner is the same, which means everyone has different goals. Runner’s World has a plan for everyone, whether you just want to maintain your overall fitness or run a new personal best half marathon for your age bracket.Our experts and coaches encourage you to pick a goal from our full collection of training plans. Even if it is not geared specifically for someone over 50, utilize the tips from this program to make any adaptations to support your progress and success.Increase Distance or Time Running?Whatever training plan you choose, most runners first start with the idea that they want to “run more.” However, “more” can refer to a couple of things, including time, distance, and speed. So, if you want to run “more,” which of those three things should be your primary focus?In general, most coaches recommend your first goal should be to focus on “time on feet” or distance, not speed. That’s because you are less likely to get injured by running easy for longer than if you push yourself to go faster before you are ready.Be aware, too, that a long-held running guideline has been the “10 Percent Rule.” Ten percent refers to only increasing your distance or duration per week by 10 percent. So, for example, if you currently run 12 miles, you should only increase your distance next week by a mile and a half. Over time this will build up to a level you can sustain.Train for a RaceSome runners love nothing more than the challenge, the crowd, and the rewards—medals, T-shirts, competitiveness—of a race. If you want to compete—maybe you hope to run a bucket list event, such as a marathon, then we have the plans you need no matter at what level you are starting.Before you start a race training plan, first focus on your base training. This way you can start your race training with less likelihood of getting injured, and you will have built up a consistent run schedule.Eventually, Start Adding SpeedThe first way all runners should add speed is with unstructured intervals. As you become a consistent runner, you can do this with workouts like fartleks and strides.Those intervals will eventually become more metric-focused, especially on a training plan. Runner’s World, for example, includes ladder drills, repeats, and a variety of other interval workouts on its plans. You can also add these workouts to your own training schedule when you want to challenge yourself or just want to spice up one of your neighborhood runs.The Progress Metrics You NeedThe more consistently you run, you will notice it just doesn’t feel as hard as it used to. You might find yourself not breathing as heavily or noticing that you cover a distance faster than you used to. That’s great! That’s progress. Those two observations reflect a couple of scientific metrics that coaches and runners use to track their improvements.Improved VO2 MaxVO2 max measures how much oxygen you can take in and utilize during exercise. The better your VO2 max level, the easier exercise—even intense exercise—feels.VO2 max naturally declines as you age, but it is possible to improve it with a mix of low-intensity exercises, such as easy runs and walking, and, you guessed it, high-intensity training like runs with intervals.You will reap longevity benefits from strides and intervals, too. There is a proven link between a high VO2 max and lower rates of cardiovascular disease.Improved Lactate ThresholdYou’ve likely heard of “bonking,” or “the wall.” This is the moment when a runner, often during a long race such as a marathon, feels like they just can’t go on any longer. This feeling isn’t just psychological. When you exercise intensely, lactate accumulates in your blood and the harder you work out, the more quickly it forms. This occurs when your body moves from “aerobic” exercise to anaerobic. Anaerobic means you can’t get enough oxygen to your muscles and organs to meet the demands of your movement.When this happens, you either have to slow down or stop.Interval exercise can help improve your lactate threshold, which means you will be less likely to hit the wall and, as with VO2 max, hard efforts will feel easier.To improve this metric, you will want to challenge your lactate threshold with, you guessed it, “threshold runs.”Threshold runs are not the same as intervals, which are typically short. A threshold run is the most intense pace you can hold for about an hour. It feels like an 8 on the RPE scale, it hits around an 8.Depending on how long you’ve been running—and racing—a threshold run can be equivalent to a 10K pace or, for very experienced runners, a half marathon.To start finding your threshold pace, go for quarter- or half-mile repeats. Push to a level 8 on the RPE scale. Eventually, lengthen those distances to mile- or two-mile repeats.
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Run Strong at 50+: Injury PreventionUse strength training plus warmups and cooldowns to reduce injury risk.
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Run Strong at 50+: RecoveryPlan recovery time, rebuild key muscles, and prioritize sleep for performance gains.
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Run Strong at 50+: Benefits of RunningExplore the mental, physical, emotional, and social benefits of consistent running.
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Run Strong at 50+: Getting StartedBuild a strong base, choose the right gear, and pick a plan that fits your goals.
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How to Run Strong at 50+: Unlock Your Best Running Years YetDeena Kastor is the 2004 Olympic bronze medalist in the marathon, and held the American record in the marathon from 2003 to 2022 with a time of 2:19:36. She has won two World Marathon Majors (Chicago and London) and is a seven-star finisher.
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