Please look back at the Mile Trend post. I have now made two important modifications to the trend graphic.
1. I changed date to age on the x-axis, as that seems a more important indicator than date run.
2. More importantly, I added the "Norton Barrier," a horizontal line crossing the plot at exactly 5:48. See post regarding "Two Houghton boys" for more information on who Norton is. After much discussion, I have decided to use the Norton Barrier as the mile time that I must achieve each year. If I do not break that barrier, I need to consider retiring from competitive running. Because Norton has always been a presence during my running career, although he is really a basketball player, it seemed fitting to use Norton's post-40 PR in the mile of 5:48 as a standard for comparison. If I can beat Norton's post-40 record of 5:48 in the mile, I can with good conscience continue competing. If not, I need to re-assess whether I should be competing, and perhaps retire at that point. This past year, the first year in which the Norton Barrier was implemented, I just squeaked in a 5:43 mile in December, so I am all set to compete throughout 2008. Because I am in relatively good shape, I may try getting out on the track in January, on a day when there is no snow, and try breaking 5:48 again. That would then ensure me of competing through December 2009!
Please let me know if you have any questions or comments on this barrier, and it's applicability to distance runners over 40 years of age.
Mark
2 comments:
I like the idea of some "standard" serving as a guideline on whether one should still try and compete.
I don't understand this standard though. Is it 5:48 forever, or, does it float with age and/or performance of Norton and/or the person to whom the standard is being applied?
For example, does a 75 year-old male need to be under 5:48 to meet the standard?
Here's what is used for the Boston Marathon. As you can see, it floats with age. This comes from
http://www.bostonmarathon.org/BostonMarathon/Qualifying.asp
QUALIFYING TIMES*
AGE GROUP MEN WOMEN
18-34 3hrs 10min 3hrs 40min
35-39 3hrs 15min 3hrs 45min
40-44 3hrs 20min 3hrs 50min
45-49 3hrs 30min 4hrs 00min
50-54 3hrs 35min 4hrs 05min
55-59 3hrs 45min 4hrs 15min
60-64 4hrs 00min 4hrs 30min
65-69 4hrs 15min 4hrs 45min
70-74 4hrs 30min 5hrs 00min
75-79 4hrs 45min 5hrs 15min
80 and over 5hrs 00min 5hrs 30min
*An additional 59 seconds will be accepted for each age group time standard. For example, a net time of 3:50:59 will be accepted for a 42-year old woman.
You bring up an excellent point, one I had considered when I instituted the Norton Barrier. I have mixed feelings about a floating (or relative) vs. an absolute barrier. On one hand, a floating barrier is much more fair. On the other hand, I'm talking about a point at which one should gracefully bow out of competing (my wife probably thinks that should have happened 20 years ago). I occasionally see an old man, maybe upper 70s, running along the road so slow and awkwardly that he is going at a slow to medium walk pace. He should be retired from running, and going out for a walk, more befitting of his age and ability. At the moment, at 49, I can still hop in any given road race, and finish in the top 5 to 10% overall, so I don't feel like giving up the ghost yet. This issue of the floating barrier could be debated and discussed further, and I welcome comments from the other members of our blog, at a similar age group to you and me (near or around 50).
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