Every week, I hear it:
“I’m just getting slower.”
No, you’re not — you’re just training like your recovery window still closes in 24 hours.
The truth? You’re not losing speed. You’re losing bounce. That elasticity that used to let you go hard, recover fast, and do it again tomorrow. The fix isn’t to train harder; it’s to train wiser.
You’re not 25 anymore, and that’s not an insult — it’s intel.
Your body’s telling you exactly what it needs: longer warmups, heavier strength, smarter spacing, and recovery that’s more than a “Netflix day.”
If you ignore that, your training will keep outpacing your recovery, and your body will keep sending you invoices in the form of fatigue, stiffness, and burnout.
Speed isn’t just about turnover. It’s about resilience.
You get faster by building the system that supports fast — not by forcing pace when your mechanics and hormones are screaming “not today.”
Masters athletes often think slowing down is inevitable. It’s not.
You just need to periodize your training around what your physiology can actually adapt to now.
Fewer junk miles. More intentional speed work. Strength training that builds power, not soreness.
This is where I see most runners get stuck. They chase paces that made sense a decade ago, then spiral when they can’t hit them. The frustration kills joy. The joy kills consistency. And the consistency? That’s what actually creates improvement.
You’re not behind — you’re just evolving.
It’s time your training plan caught up.
Your “slower” paces aren’t proof of decline; they’re data points that tell you what your current physiology needs. When you use that information to rebuild your program, you stop fighting your body and start working with it.
This is what mastery looks like.
You’re not too slow — you’re just too loyal to an old version of yourself.
When you train for who you are now, not who you were then, everything clicks again.
Coach Croft’s Tip
If this one hit you right in the pride, check out my Thrive³ Strength Plan.
It’s built for Masters athletes who want to keep their edge — and get it back faster than anyone expects.
You don’t need to chase youth. You just need to train like a damn pro.