When I started running back in 1986, I did it just to stay in shape and to be healthy. After I had been running for a few years, I signed up for my first race a 5K and loved it. As time went on, I found that the 5K just didn't seem challenging enough for me. So I started running 10Ks. It wasn't until I moved back to San Diego in 1995 that I started thinking about running a half marathon. With some brotherly encouragement (o.k. it was a challenge), I ran my first half marathon. After that I became hooked on running long distances. Eventually I wanted to run a marathon. The problem was that I was fast approaching my 40th birthday.
Finally in 2000, I ran my first marathon. I had completed it a little under nine months before turning 40. I can assure you that I had no intention of running a 2nd marathon let alone 8 more. What I didn't realize at the time is that I had coincidentally set my goal to run a marathon before I turned 40 with my moving into the Masters Division of runners. The Master Division is defined as being for "runners who are over a certain age. Usually the age is 40, but it can vary from place to place. The Masters Track and Field Committee of USA Track and Field (USTAF) requires that masters athletes be at least 40 years old on the first day of the meet." Since turning 40, I have run 7 marathons (including my sub-4 hour marathon) and set 2 half marathon PRs as a Masters Division Runner.
Why am I suddenly thinking about this? Simple...research is telling us that over 50% of our age related decline in fitness is not due to aging. Rather it is due to the lack of continued activity as you age. In fact, on September 20th, Deena Kastor (41) set the World Record in the Women’s Masters division for the half-marathon with a finishing time of 1:09:39. While I am not the elite athlete that Kastor is, I was able to set my marathon and half marathon PR at 48 and 52 years old respectively. The science at least in my case has proven out. If I can continue to run and improve as I age, you can also continue to perform well too.
Now I don't want to paint a rosy picture that you can go out there and just crush it no matter how old you are. The truth is that after 35 your performance will decline by about 1% per year up until you turn 50. After 50, the decline rate increases to 2% per year until age 75. After that you will experience between 6 and 8% per year until you shuffle off this mortal coil. If I had paid a little more attention to this slight decline in performance, perhaps I would not have suffered my hamstring injury in Boston this year. I should have gone out slower and then pushed it once I had passed the 1/2 way point.
Coupled with loss in performance, your muscles will become stiffer. I have noticed that I am simply not as flexible as I was when I was in my 30s & 40s. I still stretch regularly after my runs. But according to the studies I have read, my flexibility will continue to decrease by about 6% every 10 years. Regardless of the inevitable decline, it is a fact that regular exercise including running improves our bodies no matter how old we are and helps us remain more limber than those who do not exercise. Most importantly, it is the one thing we can do to help prevent disease and sickness as we age. I guess what I am saying is that regular exercise is what is keeping me young.
As I look back on my training logs, I have found that since 2008 I am employing an optimal training regimen according to experts on running and aging. My regimen encompasses easy runs, tempo runs and speed sessions. People my age should do most of our weekly mileage at an easy and comfortable pace. Any run no matter how easy it may seem is helping to strengthen muscles, improve our heart and lungs and increase the number of red blood cells in our system. I typically run 3 times per week in the easy zone.
My tempo runs are runs where I am trying to hit my target race pace for a sustained period of time. I do one tempo run per week. Tempo training helps me run comfortably faster. By running at an even speed I have trained my body to feel the rhythm and pace I will need to reach my racing goal. Until I started to do tempo runs, I had a hard time with race pacing as evidenced by my Marine Corps Marathon performance. I simply went out too hard and blew up about 15 miles into the race barely finishing under 5 hours. Learning what the pace feels like gives me the confidence that I can comfortably run the race and reach my target finishing time.
I also do one speed session per week. This is always my toughest run because I am usually running in my anaerobic zone. By doing a speed session each week, I have been able to improve my stride, speed, and stamina. I am convinced that this once a week workout is why I have been able to run faster with less effort during my races. My PRs were obtainable because I had learned to tolerate both the physical and mental discomforts of a fast pace during my training runs. The other benefit of these training runs is that it helps me burn a lot of calories allowing me to keep my "youthful" figure.
I plan to keep running and exercising. I know that it is the one thing that I can do to live longer and feel younger than my chronological age. I believe that training for marathons and half marathons is good for me. It places stress on my heart, lungs and muscles which force my body to adapt and improve. I can't say that it is as easy to complete these workouts as it was when I was in my 20s and 30s. Plus I know my body will age no matter how hard I work at staying in shape. But I know that if I stick with it I can delay the inevitable decline. Running is my fountain of youth.
Aug. 18 – 6.10 miles (58:04, 9:31 pace)
Aug. 19 – 6.20 miles (56:52, 9:10 pace)
Aug. 21 – 6.10 miles (56:30, 9:16 pace)
Aug. 22 – 6.20 miles (57:51, 9:31 pace)
Aug. 23 – 8.20 miles (1:16:57, 9:23 pace)
Aug. 24 – 7.20 miles (1:08:22, 9:30 pace)
Aug. 25 – 5.20 miles (55:00, 10:35 pace)
Aug. 26 – 5.70 miles (55:38, 9:46 pace)
Aug. 28 – 6.10 miles (58:59, 9:40 pace)
Aug. 29 – 6.20 miles (57:49, 9:23 pace)
Aug. 30 – 8.20 miles (1:16:47, 9:23 pace)
Aug. 31 – 7.10 miles (1:07:40, 9:32 pace)
Sept. 1 – 6.20 miles (57:52, 9:23 pace)
Sept. 2 – 6.20 miles (56:08, 9:03 pace)
Sept. 4 – 7.20 miles (1:07:39, 9:24 pace)
Sept. 5 – 6.20 miles (58:02, 9:23 pace)
Sept. 6 – 8.20 miles (1:16:57, 9:23 pace)
Sept. 7 – 8.20 miles (1:17:41, 9:31 pace)
Sept. 8 – 6.20 miles (1:00:00, 9:41 pace)
Sept. 9 – 3.20 miles (30:00, 9:23 pace)
Sept. 11 – 3.20 miles (28:13, 8:49 pace)
Sept. 12 – 6.20 miles (56:11, 9:05 pace)
Sept. 13 – 4.20 miles (37:09, 8:49 pace)
Sept. 14 – 3.20 miles (32:40, 10:10 pace) - Theta 5K
Sept. 16 – 6.10 miles (57:00, 9:21 pace)
Sept. 18 – 6.20 miles (58:33, 9:27 pace)
Sept. 19 – 6.20 miles (57:52, 9:23 pace)
Sept. 20 – 9.20 miles (1:29:09, 9:41 pace)
Sept. 21 – 7.20 miles (1:09:30, 9:39 pace)
Sept. 22 – 5.10 miles (51:30, 10:06 pace)
Sept. 23 – 4.20 miles (44:36, 10:37 pace)
Sept. 25 – 7.20 miles (1:12:18, 10:03 pace)
Sept. 26 – 6.20 miles (1:00:10, 9:41 pace)
Sept. 27 – 10.10 miles (1:36:39, 9:31 pace)
Sept. 28 – 7.10 miles (1:08:01, 9:35 pace)
Total Miles: 221.7 miles
2014 Total Miles: 1,531.9 miles
