LOLZLetter 171 | Starting Later in Life
Hear from those who started running in their 40s and 50s
Welcome,
Thank you to everyone who reached out when I had the flu. I am finally better, and the only thing left is a lingering cough. Apparently that can last a couple of weeks!
Last weekend, I decided to run the Bay Bridge Run in Coronado. I had already paid for the race. It was by no means my fastest (in fact, it was by far my slowest). But, it was fun, and ran for what I had for the day.
This week's newsletter is sponsored by Janji. First, you can save 15% off using the coupon code FUELED15.
I recently tried the Groundwork Trail Short. If you are looking for a spandex short with pockets, I highly recommend it. Unlike many brands, the pockets actually hold things without falling out. (I have plenty of spandex shorts “with pockets” but the moment you try and run with them, something falls out. This is not the case here. Plus, they fit well and don’t ride up. The Men’s Groundwork Half Tight is the equivalent there.
In case you missed previous newsletters:
Week 1: Beginning Running Their 20s: Jaynee, Claire, and Jess
Week 1.5 Beginning Running in Their 20s: Brittany, Morganne, and Kerry
Week 2: Beginning Running in Their 30s: Jan, Tony, John, and Eugene
Week 3: Beginning Running in Their 30s and 40s: Betsy E, April Wong Loi Sing, and David
Week 3.5: Beginning Running in Their 40s: Justin B and Nita
Finally, to the newsletter! This week we hear from Wes, Robert, and Julie. This is one of my favorite newsletters to date!
Wes:
I started running in 2016 at age 44. My friend who lived in the same apartment complex was a runner and talked me into trying running. I was already in decent shape; I worked on a ranch and worked out at least three times a week. I started running three times a week between 1-3 km. Within a few months, I ran my first 5k race in a low 30-minute time. I had fun!
Around that time, I changed to a manager position at work with a crazy schedule. I stopped running, and anything fitness related, my diet wasn't great, and I went up to 265lbs. The job stressed me out and I was frequently sick. (Meniere's disease, similar to vertigo).
I moved back to physical work with a more set schedule that allowed for better meal planning and gym activity. I started running again and got back down to 35-minute 5k time.
Then Feb 2018, I was in a multi-vehicle can accident on a winter mountain road. I was injured with a fractured sternum and spent a week in the hospital and a month recovering. My weight went back to 265. Once I recovered, I started working with a personal trainer/meal planner.
I went to Bootcamp 3-5 times a week and started running again. I dropped to 225, and my running improved. I was getting stronger and fell for running. I hired a running coach and ran five times a week. I dropped to 215 and ran a 27-minute 5k and my first full marathon in 2020. Unfortunately, things went sideways from there.
The last few years with COVID were rough with changing restrictions. I went to Bootcamp and Barre when they were open, but consistent training was tough. My last big run was a virtual Boston Marathon/50km ultra for my 50th birthday. I was cycling 20 miles a day for a virtual race worldwide, undertrained for distance running, and frequently injured. After that, I took a break from everything to fully heal.
In January 2022, at age 50, I started again. I was 256 and had not done any physical activity since October 2021. I started going on short runs and rides and working on my nutrition. I went back to Barre classes and back to physical work. My run times have gone from 38-minute 5k to 29:50, and I am down to 242 lbs.
The main thing I learned about running at an older age. Much more pre and post-run work is required. Strength training, stretching, and recovery are more important, and staying motivated gets more challenging.
My journey. A constant work in progress 🌞
You can find Wes on twitter or Instagram.
Robert:
I started running again at 59, and I'm now 65. I was one of the fastest kids in my 8th-grade class and joined freshman cross country in 1970, but it interfered with saxophone practice, so I quit. I started smoking after high school in 1974 and finally quit on New Years' Day 2015.
I started running in August of 2015, two months after my 59th birthday (and 45 years after that cross country season!). By September, I worked my way up to 3 miles and ran my first 5k. I was hooked, and trained to get faster, then further. I'm primarily a competitive runner, not a recreational runner.
I love running with friends at whatever pace works for everyone and participate in many group runs, but when it comes to races ... don't get in my way!
This may be an important tidbit for anyone considering taking up running in their late 50s or 60s - my 5k time has gotten faster every year, and I've run longer races every year. I've gone from a 32-minute 5k to a 22-minute 5k, and I just completed the Boston Marathon this year, finishing in the top half of the men's 65-69 age group. Along the way, I've run over 130 races, including three road marathons, five 50k's, and two races over 50 miles. Not because I'm amazing, but because I've trained consistently and somehow avoided injury.
I don't wish I started earlier. I see many runners in my age group lamenting that their best days are behind them. The ones still getting the most joy from running competitively have learned to use age-grading to more fairly compare their current results to their younger selves' results, but many of them have trouble with the reality that we slow as we age. I have the advantage of not having effects from decades ago to compare myself to. Having started so late, I'm still setting PRs every year. In the last half of 2021, after my 65th birthday, I set PRs in every distance from 5k to marathon. Barring injury, I see no reason I can't continue to get faster for at least another five years.
Many people have trouble with the reality that we slow as we age. I have the advantage of not having times from decades ago to compare myself to. Having started so late, I'm still setting PRs every year. In the last half of 2021, after my 65th birthday, I set PRs in every distance from 5k to marathon. Barring injury, I see no reason I can't continue to get faster for at least another five years.
My favorite races are trail races from 10k to half marathon. Unlike many of my friends, I'm not inspired or motivated by crowds of cheering strangers, bands and DJs, etc. I'm happy to have had the opportunity to run Boston, but big-city races are not my scene. Most races I do have under 250 runners.
Nothing beats the relentless challenge of running at full tilt through the woods on a short trail race: challenging the hills, flying on the downhills, and watching where to put every step without falling. When I'm gaining on someone on a stretch of single-track trail and have to bide my time behind them until there's an opening to dash past them, that feels like the thrill of racing. Runners going slower in front of me in a road race are annoying.
Then there is the laid-back endurance test of an ultra, much of which is usually spent alone, finding the strength to continue moving when already exhausted.
Joining a compatible running club has been much support and joy. I found the Pineland Striders after I'd been running a little over a year. Almost all of my regular group runs are with the club. We carpool and hang out together at races, celebrate (or commiserate) everyone's day, and chat about our plans. New runners of any ability are always welcomed. Some stay and flourish, some fade away, but the camaraderie and support are incredible. It's a good fit for me since the Striders are one of the top trail running clubs in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Julie:
I really started running in 2016, at age 55, and am now 60, almost 61. I never run, just walked a lot. I didn't think I could because when I tried, I would get winded very quickly. However, after I developed diabetes in late 2014, I started walking more and working out. Sometimes I would jog in place while I watched tv.
One day I was rushing to catch a train and realized that I had run half a city block, which I had never done before. Then I noticed that I had talked on the phone for an hour while trotting around the den. Could I run?
I started trying to run on the treadmill at the gym, slowly building up to a mile. This took time, but I increased to a mile and a half. Around 2017 I ran a 5K to support a local charity, providing chronologically diversity. It was a bucket list item for me -- to participate in an athletic event.
To be honest, I didn't run all the distance. Part of the course was hilly, and I walked up some hills. But it was something! Then I lapsed a bit. I developed another health issue that really threw me for a loop. It took about a year to feel normal again. When the pandemic hit and schools closed down, my husband and I would walk to the local high school and run on their track. I built back up to about 2 miles at a stretch! When we went back to work, even part-time, running fell by the wayside again. I'm just picking it up for a third time, starting slow. Knowing that I had done it once makes it more accessible. I know how to increase my time and speed a bit. I'm never going to be fast or run far, but just being able to run a few miles feels like a real accomplishment!
I'm inspired by just trying to stay off the diabetes meds, then feeling in shape and maintaining a fitness level. There is a real coolness factor to being my age and wearing the same size pants I did at age 18. At one point, I had to go a size smaller than that. It isn't so much about appearance as feeling in shape.
My confidence changes when I run. I tend to think about the worst possible situation. If there were an emergency or an accident, I could run a mile or two for help. When I'm in shape, there is more of a spring in my step, less of plodding walk. At work once, someone asked me if I were athletic "back in the day". I wanted to say that I was in better shape now than "back in the day," but I took it as the compliment he intended. No one expects older women to be athletic. When I ran the race, I was on my township commissioner's team and provided a chronological diversity to the group.
In a way I wish I started earlier, because maybe I could have avoided diabetes in the first place. But I worked hard at getting it under control. I was only on meds for a year or less, and since then, have maintained it with diet and exercise.
There is a confidence in knowing that even in mid-life, it is possible to improve one's health and be healthier than I was when I was younger.
What is keeping me entertained?
Best Gels for Sensitive Stomachs
New Balance 1080v12 Shoe Review
Janji Spring 2022 Collection Review
Katelyn Tuohy runs eighth-fastest 5000m in NCAA history at 15:14.61 It's been interesting (and fun) to see how well Katelyn Tuohy has run in college after a standout high school season.
Aliphine Tuliamuk wins 11th U.S. title at USATF 25 km Road Championships
For the Long Run Podcast: Justin Grunewald: Everyone Deserves a Spotlight and a Support System
Thank Janji for sponsoring this week's newsletter. You can save 15% using the code FUELED15
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