Welcome Back for a bonus newsletter!
Instead of doing the weekly forum, I'm adding a second newsletter from those who run in their 40s. I've enjoyed reading many people's stories, and I enjoy reading how running has changed in their age. Two full send newsletters will probably not become a thing, but I enjoy reading people's stories to the fullest and not cutting them down. I hope you do too!
This week focuses on those running in their 40s; earlier, I interviewed Melissa and Matthew. Today I am talking to Jonathan and Laura.
Jonathan Age 44:
Jonathan is 44 and started running seriously in 2012.
What have you noticed as has changed?
As I've gotten older, the little dings and dinks that the body absorbs take longer to recover. So, even with stretching, I feel stiff or not so flexible in some places. I'd say I first noticed these changes at the end of 2018, beginning of 2019.
I've always needed more time to wake up, but that's because I work a second shift job, so I get home after midnight.
I feel better now than when I started. I understand my limitations and when I should take it easy on a run. I do more stretching, and I actually foam roll now. In the beginning, I didn't even know what a foam roller was.
What keeps you motivated to run?
Staying in shape keeps me motivated since I have a horrible diet. I know that that probably isn't a great reason to run, but it motivates me to keep doing it.
I also want to PR my race times; I tend to be competitive with myself. The race question is hard to answer due to the last year and a half. I will say that I am NOT a fan of virtual races. I still enjoy the half marathon the most, but that may lean towards the 10K in a few years.
What is something POSITIVE you've learned with running?
One positive thing over the years is that I feel more confident answering other people's questions about running. Initially, I wouldn't because, in all honesty, who was I to be answering anyone's question. I was no expert.
Now I know more, and I also know that we are all different types of runners, and with that comes a variety of ways to run, fuel, prepare, and determine what a successful run or an unsuccessful run is.
You can follow Jonathan on Twitter, Instagram, or his blog!
Laura Scholz:
As a side note, Laura is one of my longest adult friendships. It's hard to believe we are celebrating a decade of friendship! Anyway-Laura started running in graduate school to stay in shape and lose weight. For about 10 years, she did 5ks and 10ks and completed her first half marathon in 2007. Then at age 31, she began racing every distance from the mile to the marathon regularly.
Have you noticed anything has changed as you've gotten older?
I ran my best times at ages 38-40. My half marathon PR (1:40) was set at age 40. But a few months after that, my fitness took a big hit. It was a combination of life stressors, injuries, undiagnosed hypothyroidism, and maybe some overtraining, so it's hard to know what was a result of aging and what was just bad luck or timing!
I ran my second fastest marathon at age 41 and have had some decent 5Ks since then, but not close to what I ran before, even adjusting for age.
I notice my heat tolerance is way down, related to perimenopause. As a result, I require more prehab and recovery: lots of stretching and foam rolling, 8+ hours of sleep a night, a better diet, very minimal alcohol.
I used to be able to bust out a great workout or race on five hours of sleep after being jet-lagged or out late for work or fun, but not anymore! So I'm a big fan of grandma dinner and going to bed early.
Before, I was good about keeping my slow runs easy (60-90 secs slower than marathon pace), but now I'm even more aware of it, and it's probably closer to 90-120 seconds slower. I struggle with holding any pace above the threshold for longer than 10-15 minutes. Once my body gets to a certain point, it just shuts down, especially in the heat, so I prefer longer intervals and steady-state workouts if I do speedwork.
Has what do you do before run changes?
I feel stiffer in the morning, especially in my back and hips. I'm a mid to late morning runner, and the 6:30 and 7 am race starts to feel rough, especially after a year of no racing. I say I stretch or do activation exercises before every run, but I don't always.
I always do drills, strides, and mobility work before a race or workout, whereas I could skip those when I was younger. I'm also a big fan of pre and post-run walks. I usually walk 20-30 minutes before my runs (if I have time) and love a good long walk in the afternoon or evening after a hard run, race, or speed workout. Amazing how a couple of miles helps me shake out the junk in my legs. I'm also really into hiking with my dog on off days as I can (or during down weeks).
I started strength training a few years ago, which has also helped me with mobility and injury prevention and my usual 2-3 days a week of Pilates.
What do you do differently since when you started?
I monitor my heart rate very closely on easy run days and warm-up/cooldowns, so I don't work too hard when I don't need to.
Until I hit 40-41, I hardly ever ran anything above a 10 min/mile, and now I do often—even if my race pace is in the 7s—and often creep into the 11s when it's hot and humid.
I got a Whoop band about two years ago, and it's changed my approach to recovery. I'm more diligent about meditation and stretching, limiting alcohol intake, cutting off-screen time, getting to bed early, reading before bed, taking baths, etc.
I rarely have a sleep debt, and I try not to go over my daily strain (a number based on recovery, which is a combination of sleep, resting heart rate, and heart rate variability) unless I have a race, long run, or workout. I think it's saved me from overtraining because I felt that when I was running my fastest, I was borderline overtrained/exhausted, and it was not a sustainable lifestyle for me.
Now, I may be a bit slower, but I can see myself running and staying healthy for many years to come.
What keeps you motivated to run?
Gosh, this is a hard one. I'm very achievement-focused. I never expected to be excellent or competitive at running, and it's hard to realize that I haven't PRed in over five years.
And I ran well at 40, so I can't even try to make a race a master's PR—the pandemic kind of helped me make peace with everything. Running was one of the few "normal" things I could do, and I started to enjoy it for the sake of just getting out and moving and getting time to myself.
I run a lot with my dog in cooler months, which keeps me focused on her and not on time, distance, or pace. So right now, I take it season by season or training block by training block and try to focus on minor improvements or just feeling better day today.
My coach has me in race immersion therapy right now, where I'm just doing as many races as possible, so I have less anxiety and fewer performance expectations. However, I'm not sure I will ever do a marathon again. I've done seven, and it's not my favorite distance, and I'll likely not do one unless I know I can be fairly speedy because it's too much on my body, and I don't enjoy or have time for the training.
But as I said above, I'm realizing now that my lifestyle and my training when I was fast (even though I rarely did more than 45-50 miles/week) was not sustainable long term, so better to be running and healthy and a bit slower than perpetually injured or burned out.
What are POSITIVE things you've noticed since growing older with the sport?
I initially started running to spend time with my dad, then for a cause (LLS), and I was very social. Then I took it way too seriously, to the point I wouldn't talk to people before races or be crushed for a few days after not meeting a goal. So now, I roll up to the start line and sometimes chat with friends so long we don't realize a race has started!
Since racing is one of the few safe social things I can do right now, I love it for the sense of community and normalcy. I've met some of my closest friends at races and through running. And I think just learning to love for the sake of getting outside and getting fresh air and not being so tied into performance has made it more enjoyable.
And that pace is relative—so many people would want to be as "fast" as I am, and there's always someone faster or slower than you are, but we're all runners, so no sense in getting caught up in comparisons.
Also, I think I am way more in tune with my body and much more likely to take a rest day when I need one or pull out of a workout that doesn't feel right, and I eat and sleep better than I have in my life.
Those are good, sustainable practices that will hopefully keep me running and healthy for a long time!
You can follow Laura on Twitter or her website!
Thank you, Laura and Jonathan, for sharing your relationship with you running.
More of the running as you age series:
30s: Katie, Vanessa, and Jessica
40s: Melissa and Matthew
What is Keeping Me Entertained:
Santa Monica Classic 10k (42:34)
I was on a We Run This podcast: We talk about shoes and snakes
Four-Time New York City Marathon Champion Mary Keitany Announces Her Retirement
As She Turns 30, Jordan Hasay Faces a Crossroads in Her Running Life
Running long distances to lose weight? This is why you're wasting your time.
You know I cannot resist a good cat meme…
If you enjoy the newsletter series, I appreciate you sharing. Sharing helps new people discover it!
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Do you already have folks lined up for "running in your 50s"? I'm 51.