Thread: Running 10Km in less than an hour

Originally Posted by Leatherstockiings

Have you guys tried trail running? I took up trail running several years ago. I found it much easier on joints than running on pavement and much more interesting.

I think pavement is the worst choice of running surface. Especially concrete pavement.

Trail running is far more fun, but not nessecery easier. Where are live trail running is synonymous with mountain running!

Originally Posted by Birnando

At the age of 46 I do a 10K in just under 40 mins, a half marathon in about 1:30 and the full monthy in about 3:15.

Those are certainly impressive numbers. I know when I was 21 I could do 10km in under 50 minutes.
Doing it under 40 like you is dang impressive.

For now I just want to stay below 60 and keep running once or twice per week. And not necessarily 10k every time, but more than 5. Esp in winter, just to keep my muscles into shape and also (pretty important to me ) to keep the fat away. For me, 10 k runs really help to keep the fat away from my butt and upper legs, which is where it tends to gather. Ideally, I stay just below 75 kilos.

Birnando's numbers are more than impressing. I am 40 yo and my personal records are 10km at 50mins, half marathon at 1:55 and full marathon -which I have ran once- at 4:30.
Unfortunately I don't have enough free time to train as much as I would like and over the last year I run only 20-30km per week.

That's a good time. Our standard BFT (basic Fitness Test) for the Australian army included a 5k run, and my fastest at that was 20:59; not all that fast. I used to like 8k cross country; and cross country generally rather than running on a road. After ten years in the army and a torn ACL, plus channels worn in my knees with bone rubbing on bone I can't ruin anymore, but I actually dream about running through a forest at times.

I think I'm still pretty fit for 51, but I really miss being REALLY fit (and young). Keep it up. At 36 you're only JUST past your peak, you can get as fit as you want at that age I reckon, but look after your knees. Running, generally, can really wreck your joints, and there's better exercise one can do. I'm in to bouldering lately, too late really, but it's great full body functional exercise. Mixing that with weights gives a good mix of loud bearing and functional exercise for me.

I see a lot of people my age just walking, and while walking is OK, I think one needs MORE weight bearing exercise (as in weight bearing on limbs) as one gets older to strengthen bone, tendons and build muscle. I think trying to BUILD muscle as one ages is as important as when one is young, and some people just walk and run and don't maintain muscle mass.

When i moved to Mount Torrens I was 35, which was one year after leaving the army and about two years after tearing my ACL. I started a thing where I'd walk up to the top of Mt Torrens and run back home, timing myself each time. I got it down to 20:51. If I stand at my gate and say to you, while pointing up to the top of the mount, "Get there and back in 20:51" you'd think I was mad. I challenge each of my daughter's boy friends to do it and many others. No-one has done it yet, mainly because they don't try (some try and cheat and cut across fields only to 'get bogged'). Having these bench marks is a really good way of testing fitness.

At the moment a benchmark of mine is chinups on a door frame. Tonight I did three, which is pretty good considering the width of a common door frame. I can do about 15 on a chin up bar but a door frame make sit much harder.

Nice post, Bruno, I find it very motivational...

Originally Posted by Birnando

...At the age of 46 I do a 10K in just under 40 mins, a half marathon in about 1:30 and the full monthy in about 3:15.

That's really fast. I look at that like two 20 minute 5ks back to back...You must be really hammering through the first 5k. What time can you do a 5k in?

Originally Posted by Bruno

...to keep the fat away. For me, 10 k runs really help to keep the fat away from my butt and upper legs, which is where it tends to gather. Ideally, I stay just below 75 kilos.

I think losing fat is more about diet. I was 79 about a year ago and am now about 71. I still want to lose more fat; I want to be really lean for climbing. I find cycling your calories is a good idea, somedays I hardly eat at all. I also try to eat no bread, pasta or rice. I try to eat just meat, eggs and fruit and vegetables. However, SWMBO dictates the diet. Beer is my shortfall. I generally drink 3 to 4 beers a night. I find my two hours of Tuesday night bouldering leaves me burning calories throughout Tuesday night (at least it feels like it). The two hours bouldering on a Saturday is normally followed by a LOT of food. Monday nights and Thursday nights after weights at lunch time I also eat a lot. The rest of the time I try not to eat much. I don't eat breakfast anymore and almost always split my lunch into two, one either at 1030 and one at 1430 OR just after the workout (on a workout day) with a low calorie protein shake. I always have a low calorie protein shake after exercise or sardines or herrings.

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

That's really fast. I look at that like two 20 minute 5ks back to back...You must be really hammering through the first 5k. What time can you do a 5k in?

I am not really all that fast on a 5k. I'm more about distance(time spent) than speed.
The thing is, my routine is basically this:
4 times a week I do ten miles(16Km) and one day a week I'll do a longer run. About 25-35k depending on time available and how good I feel that day.
The sixth run of the week is an interval session where I'll do an hour of slow running with 4-5 two minute sprints about half way thru.

In my log program my fastest time on 5K is 19.05, but that was part of a 10 mile run.

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

I think trying to BUILD muscle as one ages is as important as when one is young, and some people just walk and run and don't maintain muscle .

I agree with you for the importance of maintaining muscles, especially as we grow up, but I find very boring being in indoor gym or at home, weightlifting. Every single year I promise myself that I will keep a long term muscle building program, but after the third week, I quite. I can't find a strong motivation. Any ideas?

On the other hand, I really enjoy running on the streets or track (during working days) or even better on mountain trails on weekends.

Originally Posted by harrygr

I agree with you for the importance of maintaining muscles, especially as we grow up, but I find very boring being in indoor gym or at home, weightlifting. Every single year I promise myself that I will keep a long term muscle building program, but after the third week, I quite. I can't find a strong motivation. Any ideas?

On the other hand, I really enjoy running on the streets or track (during working days) or even better on mountain trails on weekends.

Yeah, it can be boring, but i keep my weights workouts down to less than 40 minutes; normally they're only 30 - 35. That's why i like indoor bouldering; it's a MUCH better workout than weight lifting, esp if you do a lot of 'campussing' and traversing. With bouldering, it's like every 'set' is to failure, i.e. you try a 'problem' (route) and you actually fall off the wall each time you try it...

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

I think losing fat is more about diet. .

It is, partly. But I find that with 2 times per week a medium distance run really helps to keep the fat burn going.
I once read that the hormonal effect of a good run can last up to 3 days.