A Tool is as a Tool Does!

Here are my age graded times for the "quantifiable" (measured courses at standard distances) for the 2011 running season. Except for the half marathon, the times are fairly close to my all time bests at the various distances.

Distance----------Age Grade------Personal Best (year/age)

1 mile-------------4:26----------4:26 (1986/28)
5 KM--------------15:07---------15:13 (1985/27)
8 KM--------------25:12---------25:33 (1990/32)
10 KM-------------31:24---------31:48 (1983/25)
Half Marathon---1:08:58-------1:10:55 (1982/24)

I still think age grading gets easier as you get older, as long as you can keep in decent shape and are relatively consistent with training. There's the rub, I guess. For most of us past 40, 45, 50 it's not so easy to do the training we used to be able to do in our 20s and 30s.

Nevertheless, with a little more focus with speed training this summer I believe that I could have run 8 to 10 sec faster in the mile. And if I'd had a decent chance at a flat and fast 5K mid or late summer, I think I could run sub 17:20. So those age grade times would be sub 4:20 and 14:40s, times that I never approached (although those were the types of times that I strived for back in the day).

So I'm a tool for a day by posting this! Been a good year and I look forward to the smattering of xc and trail races remaining on the calendar.