Is it aging, or reduced volume that's killing me?

I don't think it's age. I started running at about the same age you did and now at 52 I'm faster than ever. I've PRed 13 times so far this year in races from 2 miles up to the marathon.

What sort of speedwork are you doing? From your log it looks like all you're doing is shorter slow runs. The key to getting faster is a combination of long slow runs and short fast runs. Are you running the same route all the time? That can lead to getting stale and be a cause of not pushing yourself as hard.

I am blessed to train with some people who have actually become faster as they get into their 40's- its a great inspiration (and hope) for me. This sounds obvious but I think to get faster at the 5k distance, you need to train for 5ks. That includes a lot of track, tempo and interval work. In other words, stuff that is uncomforable and I think you have to be in the right frame of mind for that. A break won't do you any harm but what I do hear from my older running & tri buddies is that it is harder to come back, the older you are.

If you still want to bike, swim, strength train, then check out the FIRST program.

http://www.furman.edu/first/

Its 3 days/week running and there are some great track/speed workouts on there. Maybe try to hook up with a local running group too, that way track can be fun? My whole family goes to track on wednesday night for a group workout and we love it, there's no way I would push myself that hard on my own.

Thats my 2 cents

You sound like in are mentally in a downward spiral. When you get down on your self you will convince yourself you can't do it. Mental toughness is as important as your physical training, especially in long distances ,in my opinion any way. I'm no expert, but I have done several marathons & triathlons, I always seem to do my best when I don't put so much pressure on myself.

Also, when I started doing triathlons, and began swimming regularly, I found that my running improved almost immediately, perhaps you should focus a little more on swimming or cycling for a little while just to get yourself out of your slump. Perhaps your body is tired of running and wants a break.

 Good luck!

Keyone, that is an awesome article. there is definitely a lot of truth to that. often feel like I have to go a certain distance to have done "enough", which prevents me from going faster for fear I wouldn't be able to make the distance I wanted.

Thanks! 

I am just gonna throw this out there:

The 5k is a very difficult distance to really run at your best. It requires the ability to push the pace to way closer to maximal effort for a heck of a lot longer than we care to.

I personally don't do well with the 5k simply because I don't train for this distance. Running lots of miles is only part of the picture. I must also do some training to get the mind and body ready to run at 5k pace.

Even at the best of times, it takes me a good 6 or 7 miles of warmup to actually get to the point where I can run at my proper 5k pace. Stepping off the line cold is gonna be a pretty rough and certainly sub-optimal experience.

My only suggestion is to try some different distances. Maybe the 10k, 15k (Or 10 Miler) or possibly even the Half Marathon. You are a good runner and I would hate to see you pick up your marbles and go home

keyone,

I hadn't heard of the "grey zone" before, but it makes sense.  When I was younger, I would say that most of my run workouts were in the grey zone, but i was also getting 9.5 hours sleep or more.  Now that I'm older, I realize that I was doing most of my runs in the grey zone (until I got injured and had to slow down).  I need to update my run strategy and your advice is a good starting point.

I resemble that remark.   

Seriously, have you been to the doctor lately to get a thorough physical?  Might be a good place to start.

Mark

Here's my thoughts:

A) Who cares about training times?  When they give out medals for times ran in training, I'll start being concerned.  Until then, it's just a number.

B) As Waterdogg mentioned, you have to have specificity in your training.  Right now, you are all over the board.

C) Consistency.   You are all over the board.  Up, down, sideways.  And I don't just mean mileage.  Pace, mental state, what have you.  You need balance.

D) To go with the mental aspect:  If you don't love it, you won't improve.  If you don't love it, DON'T DO IT.  It's that simple.  If you're not enjoying running, DON'T RUN.  No one is holding a gun to your head.  The only person you need to do things for is yourself.  Not me, not anyone else on this site, no one but you.

E) All the training plans and advice in the world aren't going to do you a lick of good if you're not embracing them.  You can go out and run for kicks, or you can train to be better.  Training takes dedication, training takes effort and determination, and a desire to not quit just because you feel you suck.  You want to improve?  Set goals and work towards them.  Concrete, documented, well thought out goals that are realistic and attainable.  Then you work backwards, and realize that some of those goals will take two or three or ten years to achieve.  And you outline some plans to achieve those goals.  Every so often you review the plans, and the goals, to see where you stand.

 That's all I got for now.  I think most of your problem has little to nothing to do with your physical abilities and attributes, and almost entirely to do with your mind and attitude.

we do get slower as we age.  I'm 47 and have been running for over 20-years.  My race times are about 90-seconds per mile slower than they were when I was at my fastest.  I could probably work as hard as once did and narrow that gap but I would never get back to where I once was and i would probably get injured in the process!  But there are a lot off fast guys over 40!

If you want to improve your speed you need to consistantly run with some structured workouts.  Some sort of speed work or tempo run every week and keep your easy runs easy.  Most importantly, I believe you need to enjoy running to really see gains when racing.  If you are not enjoying it...you won't be consistant.

That may be true for most people who've been running for many years. However, the OP has only been running for two years and should not be seeing the effect of age so soon.

It really sounds more like the OPs training is somewhat inefficient for producing fast running. Coupled with a mildly defeatist attitude and it's a recipe for lack of improvement and/or regression.

Somewhat like the OP, I had great improvement my first year of running. Then it stopped because I wasn't doing what was necessary to take it to the next level. Now at age 52 I have done some different things and have greatly improved at all distances. However, my current training can only take me just so far and if I want to continue to improve I need to do other things which I have been unwilling to do. I figure if I can embrace the harder training I still have a few years of improvement left before the inevitable effects of aging slow me down.

^

What he said ......

Shopping is pretty low intensity.