I don’t know if I’m actually asking a question or just looking for commiseration. I started running 10 years ago (34yo) and took to it pretty well. I wasn’t the fastest but got better with miles and at my peak ran a 30:29 5k which was amazing! I got burnt out so I switched to spinning about 6 years ago and have kept up my fitness ever since working out 4-5 days a week and running on a treadmill sporadically. 6 weeks ago I signed up for a 10k (which I completed today). I figured since I kept my overall fitness and cardio up I could pick up on my low end which was 12-12:30 mm. I was so wrong. Training outside felt like I was trudging through mud and when I finished I felt like crap for the rest of the day. I started with 14-14:30mm and one run was great at 13:30mm. I feel so defeated. It’s not fun and it feels awful. I’m more mad because it’s not like I’ve sat on the couch for years! I’m so active. I feel a big part is, obviously, I’m older but I’m also in menopause and haven’t physically felt like myself lately. I just wonder has anyone else experienced this? I finished my 10k today but I was basically useless for the rest of the day. I’m older but I’m not that old yet!!!
I’m a 49F and just completed a half marathon yesterday! It sounds like you’re really just getting back seriously to running after a long break. Races are outside, on varied terrain, even road races. Spinning and treadmill running are certainly better than nothing and you’re obviously way, way ahead fitness-wise than the average person. But it’s still not the same.
You can’t change your age, but you can change your training. Unless you have injuries or a schedule that precludes outdoor running, I would try to do more outside running. Even walk-running. You need to get your body used to the harder surfaces, varied camber, different temperatures, if races are your goal. If you’re just running for general fitness, of course, spinning and treadmill running are great. But to run a fast 10K outside, you need to run more outside (at least some of your runs). There are freakishly fast people of course who can do all treadmill running and bang out a face race but I am ABSOLUTELY not one of them.
I hate those freaks that can train on a treadmill and then do an insane time in a race.