How Often To Run For Older Runners

Welcome to The Running Week awesome Runner! 🏃🏻‍♂️ Matteo Here!

In today’s edition:

1. How Often To Run For Older Runners

2. Sub 1.17h challenge update*

*Since many new runners are signing up for this newsletter (thanks everyone!) I'm getting a lot of questions about what the sub 1.17 challenge is. At the end of this email you’ll find the FAQ about this challenge!

Rest In Peace Champion

I’m shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the devastating loss of Kelvin Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana.

The thoughts of everyone at the TheRunningWeek are with Kelvin’s and Gervais’ family, friends, teammates and the Kenyan nation.

An incredible athlete leaving an incredible legacy, we will miss him dearly.

We have lost a true great for our sport.

Rest in pace Kelvin.

Matteo.

Here are the winners of the last giveaway

Yesterday, on my Instagram profile, I drew the 5 winners for the mug giveaway! You can find the winners in my Instagram’s Story (the story expires tonight) – Here’s my profile to see the story, if you miss the IG story don’t worry, I have already contacted all the winners on Instagram!

Congratulations to all participants!

Keep reading TheRunningWeek to find out when I'll be doing the next giveaways!

Feel free to reach me by replying to this email if you have a some idea for the next giveaway or if you are company and you want sponsor it!

How Often To Run For Older Runners

You know, one of the most common questions I get asked from older runner is, "How often should I run?"

So, let's lace up and dive into the nitty-gritty of how often you should be hitting the pavement.

Here's my simple guide to running for older runners!

If you found this helpful, feel free to forward this email to your friends, colleagues and family!

Intensity

How hard are you pushing during your runs?

It's easy to fall into the trap of sprinting out the gate, but trust me, that's a recipe for disaster, especially as you age. That's why I'm a believer in low heart rate training.

By keeping your heart rate in check, you not only build your aerobic capacity but also reduce the risk of those dreaded injuries sneaking up on you.

Here’s a cool article about running intensity.

Duration

Now, let's talk about time versus distance.

I'm all about quality over quantity, so forget about obsessing over miles.

Instead, aim for a minimum of ~30 minutes per run, with the sweet spot falling between 30 to 45 minutes. This timeframe ensures you reap the benefits without overtaxing your body.

And when it comes to those long runs, anything beyond two hours might not give you much more bang for your buck unless you're eyeing a specific event.

Frequency

How often should you hit the road?

Well, it all boils down to your goals.

If you're simply running to stay in shape, 2-3 times a week for 30-60 minutes each session at an easy pace should suffice.

But if you're gunning for gains in aerobic capacity or training for an event, I suggested, bump it up to 3-5 times a week, including a longer run to really test your mettle.

Rest and Recovery

Ah, the unsung heroes of running — rest days.

As we mature like fine wine, our bodies need a bit more TLC. That means incorporating one or two rest days per week or, at the very least, scaling back your mileage every 3-4 week for a recovery week.

Trust me, your joints will thank you, and you'll be able to keep crushing those miles well into your golden years.

Read also why rest and recovery is essential for athletes.

Summary

It's all about finding that delicate balance between pushing yourself and giving your body the rest it deserves.

So, whether you're a casual jogger or a seasoned marathoner, remember to listen to your body and adjust your routine accordingly!

Here’s you can find a past article I written with my best tips for older runners!

Until next time, happy runs!

Trivia Question: “Run for fun” What the hell kind of fun is that?’ is a quote from which 1990 film about time travel?

Find the answer at the end of this email.

Sub 1.17h challenge update

Last week's training block was ~87km:

• Monday: AM 30min TEMPO Run + PM Gym

• Tuesday: 60min Easy

• Wednesday: 60min Easy

• Thursday: AM Morning Ride 27km + PM Gym

• Friday: 4*(5min Z3 + 5min Z2)

• Saturday: 50min Easy Treadmill

• Sunday: Long Run 20km

• Total training time: 08:54:18

Happy with how last week's training went! I feel better and better and these mixed threshold and low intensity sessions are greatly improving my aerobic fitness level.

I have another 2 weeks of aerobic training in which I will try to maintain a weekly mileage of 80/85km (plus gym sessions) then I will do a week of de-load and then the second block will begin in which I will work on speed!

Thanks for being here and supporting my workouts!

Frequently Asked Questions About The Challenge

• What is sub 1.17h challenge?

Last year, when I just started writing this newsletter I created the sub 1.20 challenge and it consisted of documenting my training session week by week to complete a Half Marathon sub 1.20h (my old PB was around ~1.24h)

After a few months of training in October 2023 I completed that challenge by running a Half Marathon in 01:17:37!

Now you will have already understood what the sub 1.17 challenge consists of!

In the "Sub 1.17 challenge" section I am documenting my training sessions which I hope will make me run an Half Marathon under 1.17h!

• When will you try to complete this challenge?

I will make my first attempt to complete this challenge in May/June.

• Do you have a coach?

Last year I was followed by a coach, from 2024 I decided to create my own training plan.

• Where I can see more details about your training session?

I upload all my session on my Strava profile.

• Other questions?

Feel free to reach me simply replying to this email, I always reply to everyone!

Just for Laughs 😂

Trivia Answer:

Latest Editions

• How To Run Strides And Why They Make You Faster (Link)

• What Happens To Your Body If You Run 30 Minutes Every Day (Link)

• How I’d Learn to Run (If I Could Start Over) (Link)

• My Top 10 Tips To Become A Better Runner (Link)

• ASICS Novablast 4 Review (Link)

And at this link you can find all issues I written in the past!

Thanks for reading to the end. If you enjoy the Running Week I would appreciate it if you take the time to help me spread the word by forwarding it to a friend or colleague! Or share the following link on your socials: https://therunningweek.beehiiv.com/

From your running friend that's it for today! I hope you enjoyed it!

I’m incredibly grateful for this little newsletter and community of The Running Week. Thank you.

PS. Let's connect on Strava, here’s my profile

Matteo, your best-running friend.