The Forever Runner / Runners over 50: Pain free running without injury with slow running

Herb the Forever Runner
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Fitness
  • Updated Weekly

This show for runners in their 50's, 60's & 70's who want to learn how to leverage their running to increase their independence, freedom and vitality as they age. Pain free running without injury with slow running! https://www.foreverrunner.com/podcasts/the-forever-runner 

  1. Jun 18

    #52 - Why Running Harder after 50 Makes You Slower

    Stop the Gray Zone: How Runners Over 50 Can Get Faster, Leaner, and Injury-Free A 73-year-old runner and coach with 50+ ultramarathons and two heart attacks explains why many runners slow down, gain belly fat, and get injured after 50 by responding to decline with harder training. He argues that this approach overuses the anaerobic, sugar-burning system and creates “junk miles” in the medium-hard “Gray Zone,” which builds fatigue without improving fitness and can lead to aerobic deficiency syndrome (ADS), where the aerobic, fat-burning system remains underdeveloped. Because recovery and tissue repair slow with age, gray-zone training increases stress, impairs fat burning, and raises injury risk, creating a cycle of setbacks. The recommended solution is mostly very easy, conversational running to rebuild aerobic capacity plus a small, clearly defined portion of truly hard work so hard days can be hard and easy days easy. He teases a next video on a single heart-rate number (“The Maffetone Fix”). 00:00 Why Running Gets Harder 00:31 My Story After 50 01:10 The Push Harder Trap 01:59 Aerobic vs Anaerobic 03:11 Junk Miles Gray Zone 04:09 Aerobic Deficiency ADS 04:44 Belly Fat Connection 05:28 Injury Spiral After 50 06:33 Train With Your Age 07:11 Payoff of Easy Running 07:45 Next Step Maffetone Fix P.S. If you are passionate about running, and you don't want to lose that passion, then getting your copy of my new Forever Runner Method book is the right move. Click this link to get yours: https://foreverrunner.com/ Runners over 50: Pain free running without injury with slow running!

    8 min

  2. Jun 4

    #51 - The Beer at the Finish Line Is Costing You More Than You Think

    3 Reasons to Cut Back on Alcohol for Better Running Recovery After 50 In episode 51 of the Forever Runner Podcast, host Herb Reeves explains how he cut back on alcohol after noticing Garmin data showing higher resting heart rate, lower recovery scores, and harder runs following a couple of beers, especially after turning 70. He argues that after 50, recovery—not training—is the key to longevity, and alcohol quietly interferes in three ways: it reduces muscle protein synthesis and steals the post-run repair window; it impairs the next run by slowing glycogen refueling and worsening hydration, often raising heart rate; and it disrupts sleep quality, the most powerful recovery tool, adding stress that can degrade performance. Reeves now often chooses non-alcoholic beer and challenges runners over 50 to experiment by skipping post-long-run alcohol, using protein and hydration, and tracking sleep and resting heart rate. 00:00 Beer At The Finish 01:13 Data Changed My Mind 02:27 Recovery Window Stolen 03:57 Next Run Fallout 05:25 Sleep Gets Wrecked 06:54 My New Approach 07:40 Try A Simple Experiment 08:25 Protect Recovery Long Term 08:43 Comments And Wrap Up P.S. If you are passionate about running, and you don't want to lose that passion, then getting your copy of my new Forever Runner Method book is the right move. Click this link to get yours: https://foreverrunner.com/ Runners over 50: Pain free running without injury with slow running!

    9 min

  3. May 21

    Running with Medical Issues

    Three Lessons From a Heart Attack and Vertigo for Older Runners Herb, host of the Forever Runner podcast, shares three lessons from having a heart attack as an ultra runner that are helping him cope with a new medical issue: vestibular neuronitis, which caused sudden vertigo about eight months ago and still affects his balance, limiting him to short runs with walk breaks and prompting him to enter a local five-miler instead of the marathon.  Lesson one, “you’re not done yet,” came after his first heart attack at 50 when running a marathon and joining a Hood to Coast relay team of 12 open-heart surgery survivors led him into ultra racing and keeps him from writing himself off while grounded by vertigo.  Lesson two is to stay in the moment and work the problem daily.  Lesson three is that it doesn’t always get worse, illustrated by recovering mid-race after stomach trouble at a 100-miler. 00:00 Older Runner Reality Check 00:50 Vertigo Hits Outta Nowhere 01:39 Race Day Reset at the 5-Miler 02:21 Lesson One Not Done Yet 03:40 Lesson Two Work the Problem 04:55 Lesson Three It Can Turn Around 06:20 Putting It All Together 07:01 Final Thoughts and Next Steps P.S. If you are passionate about running, and you don't want to lose that passion, then getting your copy of my new Forever Runner Method book is the right move. Click this link to get yours: https://foreverrunner.com/ Runners over 50: Pain free running without injury with slow running!

    7 min

  4. May 14

    #49 - How Often To Run If You're Over 50

    How Often Should Runners Over 50 Run? Start With Intensity, Then Duration, Then Frequency In episode 49 of the Forever Runner Podcast, host Herb Reeves says most runners over 50 get injured because they start by asking how often to run, when frequency should be the third decision after intensity and duration. He shares Arthur Lydiard’s 1950s aerobic training approach—running a lot but slow—which helped produce Olympic medalists and influenced modern training. Reeves argues older runners fail by running too hard, so most runs should feel easy with controlled heart rate and conversational effort to rebuild the aerobic system. For duration, he recommends focusing on time, with 30–45 minutes per run as a sweet spot, keeping long runs under two hours unless training for longer events. Frequency then depends on goals: 2–3 runs weekly for maintenance, 4–5 to build fitness, and daily only if truly easy, with 1–2 rest days scheduled. 00:00 Wrong Question Trap 00:39 Lydiard Training Story 01:59 Intensity Comes First 03:00 Dial In Duration 03:56 Choose Weekly Frequency 04:40 Put It Together 04:59 Recover to Run Forever 05:31 Book and Sign Off P.S. If you are passionate about running, and you don't want to lose that passion, then getting your copy of my new Forever Runner Method book is the right move. Click this link to get yours: https://foreverrunner.com/ Runners over 50: Pain free running without injury with slow running!

    6 min

  5. May 7

    #48 - Most Training Plans Are Wrong For Older Runners, Here's Why

    The Forever Runner Method: Smarter Running After 50 Host Herb Reeves argues that most running advice is built for younger bodies and can lead runners over 50 to get slower, more fatigued, and injured. He shares his own experience as a sponsored ultra runner whose heart nearly stopped twice, leading him to adopt low heart rate training and develop the Forever Runner method.  He explains three key problems for older runners: aerobic systems respond differently (with heart rate spikes and “aerobic deficiency” worsened by inaccurate formulas like 220 minus age), metabolism changes (overreliance on carbs keeps runners stuck burning sugar instead of building fat-burning flexibility), and recovery takes longer (making rest, strength, mobility, sleep, and truly easy days essential). He outlines a three-stage framework: build the aerobic base with optimal heart rate, fuel for fat burning and stable energy, and prioritize strength and recovery to run injury-free long term. 00:00 Running After 50 Myth 00:44 Survival To Smarter Training 01:56 Aerobic System Reset 03:12 Metabolism And Fuel Shift 04:15 Recovery Becomes Training 05:12 Forever Runner Three Stages 05:55 Better System Not Effort 06:34 Start Your Forever Runner Journey P.S. If you are passionate about running, and you don't want to lose that passion, then getting your copy of my new Forever Runner Method book is the right move. Click this link to get yours: https://foreverrunner.com/ Runners over 50: Pain free running without injury with slow running!

    7 min

  6. Apr 23

    # 47: The Cadence Mistake Destroying Your Heart Rate Zones

    In episode 47 of the Forever Runner Podcast, host Herb Reeves explains that many runners who can’t stay in low heart-rate zones may be limited by low cadence and overstriding rather than poor fitness.  He describes discovering his own form issues during low heart-rate training and adopting the Pose method—upright posture, foot landing under the body, and short, quick steps.  Reeves gives three reasons to raise cadence: it reduces joint pounding and braking forces (citing a University of Wisconsin finding that a 10% cadence increase cut hip and knee loading by over 20%), it improves running economy to make Zone 2/low heart-rate running possible (referencing research by Jonathan Foland and Dr. Peter Attia’s Zone 2 emphasis), and it can extend running longevity, supported by a long Stanford study of runners over 50.  He outlines an “eight-minute cadence reset” drill sequence and recommends gradually increasing cadence in small weekly steps using a metronome. 00:00 Heart Rate Spikes Fast 00:37 My Low HR Struggle 02:19 Reason 1 Save Your Joints 04:15 Reason 2 Unlock Zone 2 06:32 Reason 3 Run for Decades 08:21 Fix Cadence Pose Basics 10:04 Eight Minute Cadence Reset 12:07 Progress Slowly and Stick 12:55 Wrap Up and Next Steps P.S. If you are passionate about running, and you don't want to lose that passion, then getting your copy of my new Forever Runner Method book is the right move. Click this link to get yours: https://foreverrunner.com/ Runners over 50: Pain free running without injury with slow running!

    15 min

  7. Apr 16

    #46 - Older Runner? Your Training Plan Might Be Destroying Your Body

    3 Reasons Older Runners Need Age-Appropriate Training  Host Herb Reeves explains why runners over 50 should avoid generic training plans and use age-appropriate methods to keep running for life.  He gives three reasons: (1) generic plans can destroy the aerobic base in older runners by stacking hard efforts too often, contributing to aerobic deficiency syndrome; he recommends low heart-rate training using Dr. Phil Maffetone’s 180-minus-age guideline and slowing or walking when heart rate rises. (2) generic plans ignore longer recovery needs after 60, where recovery may take days; he suggests a reduced-load recovery week every fourth week and monitoring waking heart rate for signs of under-recovery. (3) race-focused plans prioritize short-term events over long-term durability, increasing cumulative overuse injury risk; the  Forever Runner Method emphasizes months of base building plus strength and mobility, measuring progress in years. He invites listeners to get his book at foreverrunnermethod.com. 00:00 Why Older Runners Struggle 00:35 Age Appropriate Training 01:27 Protect Your Aerobic Base 03:26 Low Heart Rate Fix 04:38 Recovery Is Training 06:33 Build Recovery Weeks 07:09 Think Beyond Next Race 09:11 Forever Runner Method 10:03 Quick Summary And Next Steps 11:22 Get The Book 12:00 Final Sendoff P.S. If you are passionate about running, and you don't want to lose that passion, then getting your copy of my new Forever Runner Method book is the right move. Click this link to get yours: https://foreverrunner.com/ Runners over 50: Pain free running without injury with slow running!

    12 min

  8. Apr 9

    #45 - Zone 2 Training for Older Runners: Ditch the Formula, Try This Instead

    The MVP Method: How Older Runners Can Start Zone 2 Training Without Walk Breaks Herb describes struggling with Zone 2/Maffetone training at age 62, shuffling so slowly that walkers passed and needing walk breaks to keep heart rate low. He compares the Maffetone formula (180 minus age, with an added 10 over 60) to a Zone 2 calculator using known max heart rate (185 from a medical treadmill test) and resting heart rate (about 42), which produced a Zone 2 range of roughly 128–143 bpm, but still felt unclear. He develops a “minimum viable pace” (MVP) by running 1–3 miles at the slowest sustainable pace without checking his watch, then noting a consistent heart rate (132 bpm) at about 10:30/mile. By holding MVP pace, his heart rate drops over weeks, allowing a later return to standard Maffetone training, and he outlines doing frequent easy runs for consistency. 00:00 Zone Two Struggle Story 00:41 Maffetone Formula Limits 01:30 Zone Two Calculator Approach 03:06 Stop Chasing Formulas 03:28 Finding Your MVP Pace 04:39 Results and Progression 05:52 MVP Program Steps 06:54 Consistency Builds Aerobic Base 07:47 Forever Runner Wrap Up P.S. If you are passionate about running, and you don't want to lose that passion, then getting your copy of my new Forever Runner Method book is the right move. Click this link to get yours: https://foreverrunner.com/ Runners over 50: Pain free running without injury with slow running!

    8 min
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5
out of 5
5 Ratings

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This show for runners in their 50's, 60's & 70's who want to learn how to leverage their running to increase their independence, freedom and vitality as they age. Pain free running without injury with slow running! https://www.foreverrunner.com/podcasts/the-forever-runner 

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