LOLZLetter 168 | Starting Running Later in Life
Hear from those who started running in their 20s
Welcome,
This week begins the starting running later in life series with the newsletter. For the next few weeks, you’ll hear from people who didn’t start running as a kid or found running later. NOW, I know 20s aren’t old. We are starting with 20s and moving up.
This week's newsletter is sponsored by Janji.
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Like all of the newsletters that share stories, I struggle to edit people’s details. I like hearing them and generally newsletters that interview people are some of the longest that are sent to your inbox. In fact, this week the substack platform has once again informed me I’m near my email length limit.
This is why for the next few weeks, I’ve brought back the Thursday newsletter instead of sending a single 3000-4000 word email to your inbox on Monday. So today, you’ll hear from a few people who started running in their 20s, and on Thursday, you’ll hear from a few more people. Finally, if you are interested in sharing your story send me a separate email at fueledbylolz@gmail.com.
I think that’s it! Now onto the interviews!
Jaynee P:
I started running four years ago at age 24, as part of an online health class in high school. After that, I enjoyed running but didn't keep it up. When I was 21, my best friend died, Nick, in a car wreck. I was depressed and felt incredibly lost.
I wanted to do something that honored my best friend, so I decided to run a marathon since he liked running. Very soon after I began training, I started having a lot of hip and leg pain that sidelined me. After months of PT, I finally got an MRI and it was discovered I had a herniated disc and I was told I'd never run a full marathon.
I don’t like being told I can't do something, so I started cross-training with weights and bodyweight exercises 5-6 days a week. Time and again, I was told I would never run a marathon. I started doing lots of work on the elliptical-- even completing a couple of half marathons on it.
Finally, at age 23, my chiropractor cleared me to run. After just a couple of months of running, I developed plantar fasciitis in both feet and was again sidelined for about six months. But finally, finally, when I was 24, I was able to start running consistently! In 2019, I ran my first half marathon and an ultra.
So the death of my best friend inspired me to start running. Sadly, another runner friend passed later, so now I run for her too. They were incredible friends, both full of life! It feels right to do the hard work of long-distance training in their honor.
I love racing! I've done (at least):
Ten 5 ks
Three 10 ks
Three half marathons
Three full marathons, two of which were virtual
One ultra-marathon (Tulsa hosts the world's shortest Ultra as part of their Route 66 marathon weekend; 26.5 miles).
I also ran the 1600 meters in my first ever track meet in March! I loved it so much that I have two more coming up in May! Honestly, my favorite races now are 1600s! It's hard not to feel electrifyingly alive chasing down competitors in four laps! I'm a competitive person, so I find it easier to push myself harder for a shorter amount of time than pace myself for longer runs. I hope to make it to some invitational meets after I improve my times. I'm also starting to enjoy 10ks more because they are long enough to hurt but short enough for me to push pretty hard!
When I started running, I didn't know what I was doing and followed free online programs, but they didn't work for me. I was fortunate that I could find a coach, Maggie Chan-Roper. In 2018 I worked with her a couple of times to help with my PF. We didn't work together on running, though, until the pandemic.
I was furloughed in 2020 and decided to use my extra time by throwing myself into marathon training and reconnecting with my coach. She moved out of state but was willing to work virtually and we've been working together since! I feel lucky to have a former pro helping me reach my dreams!
I'm now part of the Red Coyote Racing team! In 2020, I ran two virtual marathons on the track only 20 days apart. I zone out on a flat course but doing over 100 laps on a track is not fun. On the track, it’s easier to nail pacing, although to no one’s surprise I did not nail my pacing. I love listening to anime soundtracks while I run-- they help me feel even more epic!
I've already surpassed my expectations of how far I could go in my running journey and I can't wait to keep pushing my limits. Running has always been crucial to my mental as well as my physical health. I have habituated to the endorphins and need 40+ mile weeks to feel my best.
You can find Jaynee on Instagram or Strava.
Claire Runquist:
I started running seriously when I was 26, three years ago: I was unhappy with my level of physical fitness and I committed to finding an exercise that would be easy to stick with. Growing up, I would do everything I could to avoid participating in gym class, ESPECIALLY if it involved running.
In retrospect, a lot of that was me being embarrassed and uncomfortable with how little fitness I had. That's not to say that I wasn't doing ANY exercise, like riding my bike everywhere, but it wasn't particularly rigorous or consistent.
In 2018, I decided to give a 5k a shot. I did most of my training on a treadmill with the occasional runs outside. It was almost a year before I entered my first 5k. I was so scared of not being able to complete it that I trained using the 5k to 10k training plan.
I've lost count of how many races I've done since then. Last year, I ran ten races, ranging from 5k to 50k. I've run another four so far this year. I’ve also run a handful of virtual races. My first half marathon was virtual!
In early 2021, I got the bug for trail running, which was a challenge, unlike anything I've ever done. My favorite trail race was a 50k which was a 10-mile loop that you run three times. What made it my favorite race was at some point in the third loop when I was so exhausted and sore but KNEW I was going to finish because I am stubborn and didn't have a choice.
I spent the last half of that loop alternating between grinning and crying, and I was overcome with emotion when I crossed that finish line. But I did it!
Since starting to run, my runs have more purpose. Now I still do mostly easy runs, but I also mix in hills, speed work, and long runs. In November 2020, I did my first half marathon, and shortly after I had foot surgery, which took me off my feet for about eight weeks. It was incredible how grateful I was on that first run back. I took it easy, but it was one of my best runs ever. It was amazing to experience how quickly and easily I was able to come back, while being mindful not to hurt myself.
Now I run outside almost exclusively. The treadmill still has its place for bad weather training, but I've started to view my running time as being much more for my mental health than my physical health. I also have added in a lot of trail running, which has been very freeing.
Running has also reframed my relationship with my body in a very positive way. I have so much more respect for the amazing things my body can do. I have added some more beneficial aspects to my routine, like yoga, strength training, and eating properly. I am so much more aware of how mentally tough I am and how I can really can persevere, even when things are tough.
Do I wish I had started running earlier? I'm not one for dwelling on regrets. I'm happy with where I am and how far I've come, and I am proud of taking on something like this as an adult. However, I do think I would have been happier had I started earlier, because now I know how much better I feel mentally and emotionally when I run. Who knows, though? Maybe I wouldn't have stuck with it earlier in my life, and maybe I wouldn’t have been ready.
One of the greatest things that has come out of running for me is a whole new community. Some of my closest running friends are my parents' ages, some are younger, some have just started running, and others have been running for decades. There's something that I gain from every person with whom I run. Our journeys are so unique, and I never get tired of learning from them. I love the intergenerational aspect of it.
You can find Claire on Instagram.
Jessica Skarzynski:
I started running first in about 2004 when my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. The only way I could channel my anxiety was by running and working out. I toyed with running a few miles here and there while she went through treatment and surgery but mostly focused on doing other things in the gym like kickboxing classes and working with a trainer on strength training.
Thankfully, she was declared cancer-free in 2006, and I finally worked up the courage to run my first race when I was 27. It was a local Pink Ribbon Run to celebrate survivors and raise funds for breast cancer research in 2010. My first race was a mess, but the running bug bit me, and I’ve been running since then.
I’ve honestly lost count of how many races I’ve done - countless 5Ks and 10Ks, over a dozen half marathons, a handful of sprint triathlons, and one full marathon: NYC 2017.
While the marathon was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done, it's my favorite simply for the NYC atmosphere. NYC is unlike any other city on earth, and when they say it’s a 26-mile block party, they’re not kidding. Would I run it again?? Ask me another time ;)
Since I’ve started running, nearly everything has changed - but all for the better!
What I get out of running has changed. I initially started running as an outlet for my anxiety but soon discovered that it helped me keep that anxiety in check while also helping me lose and maintain my weight. Later I found that it was a great way to push myself, and soon I was taking on new challenges like triathlons, the 19.3 mile Run Disney Star Wars race weekend challenges on both coasts, and the NYC Marathon all in 2017.
Most recently, though, I’ve changed the most, because of running and because of NOT running. Even though I didn’t start running regularly until my late 20s, I’ve run my way through some major stuff: getting married, a torn ACL and reconstructive surgery, multiple moves, career changes, etc. But the pandemic knocked me for a loop and confronted me with new mental health struggles that even running couldn’t get me through.
But in that sense, not running and taking that year or so to work on myself with a therapist instead allowed me the mental clarity that I’m now enjoying. Now, I can run smarter and enjoy it more than ever before.
While what I get out of running has varied over the last 12 years (yikes), I run has stayed the same: because of how it makes me feel. No matter how long I take off, once I get back into that rhythm and get that rush, I’m reminded of how fortunate I am to put one foot in front of the other and experience that feeling whenever I want.
I feel like running came to me at just the right time. And now that I’ve lived through so much with it in my life, I’m even more grateful I found it when I did because now I know it’s always going to be there for me, no matter how much time I take off. And I hope I can keep doing it for as long as I can stand upright!
You can find Jess on Instagram or her blog.
Thank you Jaynee, Claire, and Jess for your time!
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Finally, thank you, Janji, for sponsoring this newsletter. You can save 15% off Janji by using the code FUELED15.
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