Discussion: wow!

fast!!

For my age it's 14:04!! My equivalent-to-your time would be 22:47, which I know I can do ... but I've been doing some speedwork, like, forever. :) Go fast to go faster!

I've been using those converters for a long time and I used to be consistently in the 70-75% range. Last July 4 I did a 4-mile in 39:20, which is 62% (http://www.runnersworld.com/tools/age-graded-calcu...), so a) I'm slipping, b) it was both hilly and very crowded, and c) the standards have gotten faster over the years. I was 4/11 M70-74, and 2 full minutes behind a 78-yr-old from my running club. The solution to all this is to stay off the roads and only run trail races, where there are only three or fewer 70+ and the percent business is useless/meaningless.

Standards were set in 2006 then updated in 2010, but it doesn't look like they moved more than a point or two in either direction. That assumes you're using sites that use the World Masters data. I agree with the 'stick to the trails' sentiment, for many reasons!

Tony: I'm in balmy New Hampshire right now, visiting family. Wow - is it a nice day or what! How's your knee? My best ever percentage was a 1 hr. & 24 minute half marathon at the age of 44 (or thereabouts). But the race was flat, the weather perfect, I'd trained all summer, etc.; and I think I was at about a 75% performance. Point being, the characteristics of the race itself matter a lot. Hugh4's recent 50km trail run only got him about a 50% rating, but deserved to be much higher. See you this weekend. Hugh: My ride up here yesterday was very stressful, in that my car's check engine light came on about halfway, causing a detour, a "diagnosis" and finally, an OK to drive. Also, something's wrong with my distance vision eye (thankfully not my map-reading eye and I'm seeing a doctor in about 15 minutes. I was feeling pretty sorry for myself, as well as old and incompetent. Today is a better day, though.

Geez, what a trip! What was the diagnosis? Another gas cap issue?

You found an ophthalmologist up there? Nice! Let us know what the diagnosis on THAT is, too! Probably the alien spaceship landed just in the wrong spot in your eye (they are kind of small) to fuzz things up. Hopefully the doc can convince them to move along.

Oh no! Wish we had been able to Carpool!! Be safe. Let me know if you need some rides when I get up there.

The diagnosis is that either the pterigium in the eye is interfering with the lens or a cataract is reforming. All this will be fixable by the opthanalogist who inserted the lens. In the meantime, we're making glasses for the ride home that will give me acceptable distance vision to drive safely. I think I will (finally) have a legitimate excuse to "go slow" while orienteering. I can read the map just fine; and in the (dark) woods all is well, but when in sunlight, not so good. Looking forward to the practice session today to strategize approach.

Glad to hear there's a diagnosis and plan, and it's fixable!

Tell me more about the car.

Have fun this weekend!! Go slow to go fast, if you know what I mean. :)