Welcome,
This week, I'm starting a new series about running as you age. I'll work my way through each age group. I'm really excited to share some of the stories of how running has changed in people's lives but also how they have changed their running routines throughout the years.
I'm 31 and have been running for just over a decade. My own running mentality and routine has definitely changed since my early twenties. It’s funny to look at my blog posts from the 2010 era and think…I really thought that about running?
I rarely "wake up and go for a run." I like to “wake up.” Unlike when I first started running, I now enjoy other activities, and I'm not hyperfocused on "just running."
I find myself doing more maintenance and taking more rest. If something feels "weird," I'm more likely to take a rest day or two versus trying to run through it.
What’s the same? After running a few marathons, I still enjoy the 5k and half marathon, so I guess that hasn't changed.
You can read about my own running journey on my own blog, and these next few newsletters are about you, not me.
This week, I talked to 3 people in their 30s, Katie, Vanessa, and Jessica. Enjoy!
Katie M Age 37
Katie started running freshman year of high school for other sports teams. She ran in the "off-season" to stay in shape. She continued running in college when she wasn't on any sports team.
What have you noticed has changed as you’ve gotten older?
As I've gotten older, I've had to pay far more attention to when my shoes wear out because I can feel it! When I was younger, I never noticed achy knees or joints when my shoes were worn down. I noticed it in my early 30s. If I don't stay on top of pre-hab exercises, I WILL have IT band troubles.
What do you do differently since when you started?
Pre-hab exercises! (You can learn more about Pre-hab here). My glutes tend to be weak, so I absolutely feel it if I don't do my PT exercises. It may not be immediate, but in a few weeks, I feel painful effects. I also do far more speed workouts than I did when I started. Now I do some speed work or hill workout once a week. I used to run all of my easy runs too fast and never changed up my pace!
What keeps you motivated to run?
I run because I want to be healthy - mentally and physically. Of course, running allows me to maintain my weight, but it also helps me be physically healthy in other ways. I have a family history of stroke, and I want to do everything to keep myself healthy.
My mental health is also a reason I keep running. I suffer from diagnosed depression and anxiety, and running helps me manage both.
I don't LOVE races and probably sign up for maybe 1-2 a year. I've done three half marathons and plenty of 5ks. I'd have to say I far prefer half marathons over 5ks!
What are POSITIVE things you’ve noticed since growing older with the sport?
I'm such a happier person after I run! I always felt better after a run, but now I notice that I don't just feel better; I feel HAPPIER.
Vanessa:
Vanessa had to run for high school gym class but didn’t start consistently running until college.
What have you noticed? Anything has changed as you’ve gotten older? When did you first start noticing the changes?
I'm already a bit injury-prone with bad ankles from almost 20 years of dancing and tumbling, so I'm more likely to roll an ankle these days.
I honestly think that the biggest change is not caring what other people think. When I was in college, I would be scared to run outside and have someone see me and make fun of me for needing to stop. My other option was to feel like a gerbil in the rec center on a treadmill.
These days, if I need a break, I need a break. My ego has really no place in my running world, and it has lifted expectations I set on myself and made running more fun.
Has what do you do before run changes?
Er...I do nothing. I go out and start running. If I run first thing in the morning, I know my first mile will be more sluggish than any other mile I run but nope - I do nothing, and I have never done anything.
In grad school, a few of us went to a race, and it was chilly out. We all stayed in my car and stayed warm until right before the race started. As we were sitting in there, we saw several people doing dynamic warm-ups and loosening up and for a moment. We looked at each other and were like, "should we be doing that?" and we ultimately decided to stay warm. We ended up finishing 1st, 2nd, and 4th, overall women in that race. Lol.
What do you do differently since when you started?
I think I stopped caring so much about frivolous things like time and pace and really tried to enjoy just being able to run. I've gained about 30 pounds and had several ankle injuries in the past few years - one so bad that I was out for close to 4 months. I try to enjoy the time and not worry about what my watch is saying.
Do I feel like I'm pushing myself?
Do I feel like I'm enjoying the process?
Am I happy with what I'm doing?
It isn't all rainbows and sunshine - I can be tough on myself, knowing the paces and times I once was capable of doing and wondering if I will ever be able to do that again. But I try to remind myself that the whole life is a marathon thing, as cheesy as it is.
What keeps you motivated to run?
I genuinely enjoy it - good, bad, and ugly. When I get injured and can't run, I'm really sad and bummed out about it.
I TUCK IT AWAY when I have a bad run, knowing that one bad run doesn't define me or who I am as a runner.
What are POSITIVE things you’ve noticed since growing older with the sport?
When I first started running, my relationship with the sport was as a punishment for eating - I had to burn off the calories. It made it impossible to enjoy running because it was purely a punishment for me.
Then as I worked through my eating disorders (with a therapist, not through running), my running became my outlet for my competitiveness - which also made it tough to enjoy the sport because a bad training run would send me into a mood.
One time I was doing a turkey trot and thought I would easily beat someone, and when I saw them ahead of me at the finish line, I literally ripped my race bib off in frustration. It made my relationship to running completely tied to the numbers, the results, the time.
But really, as I have gotten older - as much as I would love to have not had to deal with injuries or weight gain, it really has humbled me. I'm really thankful for the runs that feel amazing, the runs that I push myself, and the runs that I decide: Nah, I'm good; I'm cutting this short.
For the runs that I "bomb," or don’t go according to plan- I know it is one run. Or it is one bad week. And I tend to move past it much quicker than I ever did in my youth (is it weird for a 33-year-old to say "my youth" like it was 50 years ago?)
I really try to not make running my identity.
Vanessa’s Grad Work Can Help Any of Us:
In my grad work, we learned about the concept of "re-framing," which I utilize a lot in my day-to-day life. Initially, I feel frustrated after a run I was hoping would go smoothly, and I bailed out.
If I actively re-frame it, I am getting outside, now I'm taking a walk instead of a run, and I'm not working in front of my computer. All are good things in my book.
It's ok to be human and feel a certain way, but re-framing has been one of the best things for growing and aging in this sport.
Jessica:
Jessica started running about a decade ago just after she turned 26.
What have you noticed anything has changed as you’ve gotten older?
I actually love and enjoy running now. When I started it was a means to an end (attempted weight loss).
Has what do you do before a run changed?
I used to spend more time thinking about when, where, and how fast I would run. In fact, I would spend more time thinking about THAT, than I would actually spend running. Now I follow a training plan and it’s much more streamlined.
I also work full time & have a 7-year-old daughter, so I don’t have the freedom in my schedule that I did in my 20s. I have to be strategic and plan my workouts for the week.
What do you do differently since when you started?
I race much less often and focus exclusively on trail/ultra-endurance runs. However, my weekly mileage is actually lower than when I trained for road marathons.
I learned that my body doesn’t need X amount of miles, it needs time on my feet, and variety through cross-training. My weekly mileage is anywhere from 25-45 on average, I ride my Peloton 2-3 times, and practice hot yoga. I’m sure it’ll change again, but for now, this is a sweet spot for me.
What keeps you motivated to run?
I don’t believe in motivation as it’s generally understood. Most days I don’t feel like getting out of bed early to run, but when I do get up early, I never regret it.
I am relentless about pushing my boundaries to see what I can achieve come race day. I love that running gives me the opportunity to clear my head, move my body, and go after scary goals.
Has the race distance you like to do changed?
In terms of road racing, 10 miles was always my favorite and still is. For trail and ultras, I prefer a timed format with loops, and that’s basically what I run these days.
I just finished the Labor Pain 12 Endurance Run, which is as many 5-mile trail loops as you can complete in 12 hours. Next up I’m running the 24 Hour at One Day, which is a paved 1-mile loop.
What are POSITIVE things you’ve noticed since growing older with the sport?
The FOMO has waned.
I used to register for anything and everything if my friends were running. Now I’m more discerning and only race when I really want to and it makes sense in my overall me.
I also found and fell in love with running community over the last decade, and for that, I’ll forever be grateful.
You can find Jessica here.
Thank you to Vanessa, Jessica, and Katie. I appreciate your time!
What is Keeping Me Entertained?
How to Finish Strong at the End of a Race
Training Log for August and Conquer the Bridge Race Recap
Bobcats in my yard! Yes me. We have a family of bobcats that we've seen a few times throughout the last few months of living here. We were lucky they spent 48 hours in our backyard.
Josette Norris Wraps Up Her First European Adventure in Zurich
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I'm encouraged by Jessica's story that she doesn't have particularly high milage and that cross training works well to keep her in shape for ultras! I also like mixing it up with cross training (about 40% running, 60% other stuff), so I'm glad to see that it works well for her!
I literally laughed out loud when I read the title of this. Running as you age at age 30? At age 66 and running, I really think maybe you should start at least at 40? :)