LOLZLetter 172 | Starting Running Later in Life
Hear from Rob and Paula who started running in their 50s and 70s
Welcome,
This week is the final week of the running as you age series. I've really enjoyed hearing from people who started running later in life! Whether that is right after college or age 70.5! It's been a really fun series.
If you enjoy the series, I appreciate you sharing it. Whether that is to one person or 10,000, sharing helps the newsletter grow. I sound like a broken record, but I do appreciate it!
Today I'm writing to you from a quick trip to Point Mugu. I think it's possibly my favorite spot in the LA area. If you get a chance to go out to the Malibu-Ventura-Oxnard area, I highly suggest it. When I was here a few weeks ago, I did some beautiful trail runs, including Mugu Peak and Big Sycamore Canyon Loop. Anyway, enough about me.
In case you missed any of the previous running as you age series:
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
Week 4: Beginning Running in Their 50s: Wes, Robert, and Julie
This week, I am lucky enough to talk to Paula and Rob. Paula started running at age 70.5, and Rob started running (seriously) in his 50s.
Paula:
I started running three years ago at age 70-1/2 because I wanted to do the 2020 Princess Fairytale Challenge at Disney World (10K on Saturday and a half marathon on Sunday). I was training with my friend Tami. We quickly discovered Tami hated running, but I loved it!
I started training in May 2019 and completed my first half marathon in LA, the Rose Bowl, in January 2020, with a time of 2:46. The Rose Bowl Half Marathon was my trial run before Disney. Disney only gives you 3:30 to complete the half, and I wanted to make sure I could run that fast. Evidently, there is a row of balloon ladies at the end of the race, and if you fall behind them, a van picks you up. I live in Palmdale, CA, and I flew to Florida to complete the challenge.
Since January 2020, I have run 17 half marathons, mostly virtual, during the pandemic and have placed in the top 3 in my age group on most of them, sometimes finishing first. I felt pretty smug about that until I realized that sometimes there were only three competing in my age group! LOL!
I'm looking forward to racing opening up again because that’s what I love to do best. I’ll be 74 in November and showing no signs of getting slower than when I started at 70.
I run four days a week, averaging about 20 miles per week, and I don’t see myself changing that up anytime soon. I also strength train three times per week and get some walking mileage in. I will be 74 in November and plan to run a half marathon in Paso Robles that day to celebrate.
Rob:
I ran a little bit in high school. I was a ski racer, and we used running for dryland training. I used to do trail runs where the winding turns reminded me of slalom skiing. I enjoyed running longer distances but didn’t compete. Just after college, I ran the Boston Marathon. With sub-optimal training, I ran for 3 hours. I was in pain for a week afterward!
Fast forward to my mid-fifties. I continued to use running to keep in basic shape. I live in LA, and the LA Marathon rerouted its course to finish near my home. I decided to give it a shot. I enjoyed the training and the race itself. So that began a decade of distance racing, including around 25 marathons, many 10 K’s, halves, and a smattering of 5 K’s.
For many years, I competed in Boston in the Spring and New York Marathon in the Fall, usually with one additional thrown in, including Chicago, Vegas, and a couple of the Revel events. My favorite races would be a tossup between New York and Boston Marathons. I love them both so much; they are truly amazing and inspiring events for amateur athletes to be a part of.
Another favorite is the New York City Half. Such a thrill to blast through Times Square at a good clip and savor the finish in Central Park.
I dabbled a tiny bit in the Ultra realm, including a Bay Area North Face Endurance challenge 50K and the Mt. Hood 50 mile.
I’ve slowed a bit due to knee issues and the pandemic, but this past weekend competed for the first time in several years in the Bend, Oregon Pole, Pedal, Paddle, a unique multi-sport event.
Running has been a great leveling force in my life. It’s improved my health and a general sense of well-being, and I've made quite a few great friends in the running community. It’s also become a family activity. My wife and two daughters love to run as well.
Thank you, Paula and Rob, for sharing your story!
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