Bonus LOLZLetter 138.5 | Running as You Age Series
Featuring two people in their fifties including a grandmaster state record holder
Welcome,
This week has flown by! I'm packing and getting ready to fly out of Las Vegas Airport, and I'll be heading back to the East Coast for nearly two weeks. I'm flying into Norfolk, VA, seeing my parents and friends in the Virginia Beach area for a few days, then driving north to Syracuse for a friend's wedding. It will be my first time back in New Jersey since moving in the summer of 2020. Wow, time flies! You can follow my journey on Instagram or Twitter.
Anyway, to the newsletter:
Sending two full newsletters a week is tough, but I love hearing people's stories, journeys, and relationships with running. Today, I'm interviewing two people in their 50s: Tom and Jen. Jen often wins races overall. Tom was the person who mentioned it would be fun to interview people about how their relationship with running and age has changed!
Tom Age 59:
Tom is 59 and has been running since the early 1980s and his college days. He now also does triathlons because biking and swimming have kept him fresh.
According to Tom: "Branching off into biking and swimming has kept me fresh, especially since swimming is like learning a new sport. In running, I start my watch and don't have to think about what I am doing. While in swimming, I don't know what to concentrate on first!"
When did you start running?
I've run off and on since my college days at Villanova. I was nowhere near fast enough to run competitively at that level, but it was still cool to see Olympians like Sydney Maree, Don Paige, and Marcus O'Sullivan running the same roads that I was running.
I have a vivid memory of running the 1986 Broad Street Run. The finish line was inside the old JFK Stadium, and you could still see some of the remnants of the 1985 Live Aid concert. I ran my first marathon in 1985 (Philadelphia, when it was a point-to-point race starting in Ambler and finishing at Independence Hall). This was a super hilly course, and before the days of gels. I remember hitting the wall badly at mile 22. I went from doing the first 20 miles at 7:00 minute pace and then doing the last 2.2 miles in 25 minutes! My first words after the race were, "Never again."
Then life got busy as we raised a family, and I didn't run much at all. I took karate lessons with my son when he was younger and liked it so much that I earned my black belt right around age 40.
I started my second phase of running in my mid 40's. I joined up with some co-workers at lunchtime. Then I connected with the Running Company folks at the Moorestown store, which really kicked it up a notch for me. So many great miles and hours spent with folks from age 30 to 65, all pace compatible, and all were great company for the weekend-long runs.
When I was younger, I preferred running alone, but when I re-started in my early 40's, I loved group runs more. I did my second marathon in 2010, 25 years after my first. I got a Boston qualifying time to sign up, but I missed the cut-off time by 1m:19s. That started an obsession over the next five years to run Boston. I hired a coach who had me add some fast-finish long runs in my training, which got me another BQ in 2015. I qualified by more than 5 minutes and was able to get a slot. Ironically, after another good training cycle and spending a fortune to travel to Boston, I had my worst marathon finish time ever due to 80-degree temperatures and cramping on race day in 2017.
I have grown to realize that the reward is the journey getting to race day, and not just your race result.
Have you noticed changes in your running as you've gotten older?
I started noticing changes in my late 40s. I realized my times would still get slower even though I eat better, sleep more, and train smarter than I did 15 years ago. But that's OK because my enjoyment level is still high.
What do I do differently now?
I realized the benefit of rest days and sleep. An extra hour of sleep will help you more than hitting an interval 10 seconds faster. I also know so much more about the importance of nutrition and pre-run and post-run fueling.
What keeps you motivated to run?
I still enjoy it, and I still see the positive results of putting in the work. I see both mental and physical benefits from regular exercise. My times aren't as fast as they used to be, but I still see improvement when I have a good training period.
For me, running is a classic example of getting directly rewarded for my effort.What are positive things you have noticed since getting older?
My attitude and perspective have gotten much better. I realize that a bad workout or race doesn't matter in the long run. It took me a while to mentally recover from a disappointing Boston result. But it gave me a much better perspective in the long run. Consistency over time is way more important than any single workout. I have learned how the other 23 hours in the day contribute to the quality of that 1 hour of physical activity. I am fascinated by the brain and body connection and how they interact during races and hard workouts.
Thank you, Tom, for your time and for suggesting interviewing people about their relationship with running as they age!
Jen Found Age 51:
Jen started running cross country 38 years ago in 8th grade. She has been running since!
What has changed since starting running?
As I've gotten older, the most significant changes have been the need for more recovery after strenuous efforts and races, and my race times have gotten slower (that's why I age-grade all of my performances!)
The most significant changes came post-pregnancy because I didn't run a step during either pregnancy. I was 37 when we had our 2nd and could never regain the same fitness level as before.
Then after I'd been training hard through my late 30's and early 40's, I tripped on a wire in the road and bruised the bone in my knee. The recovery was very lengthy, and I never broke 19:00 for 5k again after that. Injury is a more significant setback as an aging athlete!
What do you do differently?
I recently started implementing some positive changes that I think will really help. I coach middle school and high school track. This season we've added more hip mobility exercises/glute activation exercises. We do Lunge matrix four days a week, Myrtl routine two days a week, and pedestal routine 1-2 days a week. I also do 4x100m strides before hard workouts and a series of active stretching drills.
What keeps you motivated?
My motivation comes from my love and passion for this sport! When I turned 50, I entered the Grand Masters category. My current goal is to break all of the Arkansas State grandmasters records. This spring, I set the Arkansas resident record for the marathon in February (3:17:37), the resident record for 10k (41:03), the State record for 2 miles (12:43), and the 5k state record (20:19) *all grandmasters (over 50) records.
Plus:
The positive things 😊😊😊
The friendships I’ve formed!
Good health and fitness!
I no longer get nervous for races!
I know myself better and can listen to my body!
Thank you, Jen, for sharing your story. You can find her on Instagram.
More of the running as you age series:
30s: Katie, Vanessa, and Jessica
40s: Melissa and Matthew
40s (Part 2): Laura and Jonathan
50s: Andrew and Frank
What is Keeping Me Entertained?
San Francisco Half Marathon (1:31.28)
Wildgrain Box Review This homemade artisan bread box has become my newest obsession. Homemade bread or pasta delivered to your door and it tastes good?
Master the Marathon: My friend Ali Nolen wrote a book with a foreword by Des.
Ageless Marathoners Set to Run Boston on October 11
If you are enjoying the newsletter series, I appreciate you sharing. Sharing helps new people discover it!
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