The Aging Runner

I have read over and over that a runner's performance will decline by 1/2 to 1% per year after the age of 35.  Most of the articles go on to say that the decline actually increases after age 60.  The only caveat to this news is that if the runner didn't start running seriously until his/her mid-30s the decline may not kick in for 15 years or so.  I hate reading this information every time I come across it.  But I cannot help reading it as I am closer to 60 now than I am to 35.  I guess I want to mentally prepare myself for the inevitable decline.

The thing that gives me hope that I will not see a huge decline in my ability is the fact that there are runners out there much older than me still clocking better times than me.  I think of Fauja Singh who at 103 years old finished a marathon.  I also look at Haile Gebrselassie who at 38 ran a 2:08 marathon.  This must mean that it is not inevitable that my racing times will get slower every year.  I continually surprise myself when I go out and run a fast time in a 5K race.  I believe that the key to slowing down the aging process is to learn to make certain accommodations in my training so that I can remain healthy and injury free.

Let me share with you some of the things that I am doing to minimize the negative effects of the aging process.  First, I do my best to keep my weight down.  Carrying extra weight on your body creates more stress on your heart, lungs, legs, knees and feet.  This stress can cause injury over time.  At a minimum, the extra weight leads to increased soreness and the need for a longer recovery after speed work, tempo or long runs.  I lost just over 30 pounds back in 2008 and have kept my weight right at 177 since then.  I can attest that the "lighter" me feels much better during hard efforts or long runs.

Secondly, I have finally accepted the fact that I can still do intense workouts but need to be careful not to push myself if I am not feeling up to the effort.  I still use the Brooks-Hanson Training regimen I discussed in my post dated June 14, 2009.  I do 3.1 miles at my 5K pace every Tuesday.  On Thursdays, I do a tempo run of 4-5 miles at a 9:00 minute per mile pace.  This allows me to keep my speed up without beating myself up.  The biggest change I have made is that I really do take it easy on days when I am feeling sore, tired or unmotivated.  I will skip a hard work out when I feel that way.  I have come to realize that one missed work out or run will not have any effect on my overall fitness level.

Thirdly, I know that I must rest.  I take every Wednesday off.  It is a complete day of rest.  I don't do anything physical.  After my injury last spring, I also learned that having an extended period of not running or significantly decreased mileage can create problems when trying to resume or ramp up your mileage.  When my hamstring finally healed and I started back with my intense days and longer runs, I definitely felt more soreness overall but specifically in my Achilles, hamstring and calves.  To avoid injury I had to learn a little restraint as I ramped up my running program.   I realized that too much too soon would lead me straight back to injury.  So my recovery back to my normal training regimen took longer than I would have liked.

Finally, I added circuit weight training into my routine.  My intense runs would help me to keep my oxygen uptake from declining.  The weight training would improve my overall muscular strength and power.  To remain flexible I also  have a stretching routine.  Studies have shown that this additional training will slow the rate of decline and that my running economy will be maintained even as I get older.  So I have shifted my focus from big mileage every week to high-quality run workouts and  incorporating more weight lifting and stretching to guard against the effects of aging on  my muscles.

I plan to fight the aging process until I shuffle off this mortal coil.  I take heart in the knowledge that all runners tend to age slower, biologically speaking, than their sedentary counterparts. If you chose to listen to your body and make the concessions I discussed above, there’s no reason you can’t continue running and racing well for as long as you desire.  Now, isn't that good news?

Mar. 2 – 6.10 miles (55:01, 9:01 pace)

Mar. 3 – 7.10 miles (1:04:41, 9:07 pace)

Mar. 5 – 7.20 miles (1:07:36, 9:23 pace)

Mar. 6 – 6.10 miles (56:40, 9:17 pace)

Mar. 7 – 10.10 miles (1:29:48, 8:53 pace)

Mar. 8 – 7.10 miles (1:08:01, 9:35 pace)

Mar. 9 – 6.10 miles (56:49, 9:19 pace)

Mar. 10 – 6.50 miles (58:56, 9:04 pace)

Mar. 12 – 7.20 miles (1:07:33, 9:23 pace)

Mar. 13 – 6.20 miles (56:19, 9:05 pace)

Mar. 14 – 8.10 miles (1:13:31, 9:04 pace)

Mar. 15 – 7.50 miles (1:09:57, 9:20 pace)

Total Miles:  85.3 miles

2015 Total Miles:  432.4 miles

Ragnar Del Sol 2015

I recently participated in the 2015 Ragnar Del Sol overnight relay race.  I ran this race last year as part of my company's team.  We had so much fun last year that we decided to put a team together again.  I was originally slated to be Runner 10 which would have comprised 15.8 miles over my 3 runs.  Unfortunately our Runner 9 couldn't run her legs and had to switch with her.  I was going to be Runner 9 again and run the same legs I ran last year including a 13.5 mile first leg.  Since I am an experienced runner, I felt I could do it.

We headed out at 5:00 a.m. to get to the starting line in Wickenburg, AZ in time for our 7:00 a.m. start.  We reached

the starting area in plenty of time.  We took some team pictures and then waited for our first runner to start.  Ragnar is very organized and our first runner headed out right at 7 a.m.   Since I was in Van 2, we headed into town to grab breakfast before heading over to Exchange 6 to wait for Van 1 to finish their first 6 legs.  The Exchange is at the Sun Spiritualist Camp in Tonopah, AZ.  It was a large dirt lot where we had a chance to get our safety briefing and relax before our legs start.

Van 1's final runner arrived at the Exchange at 12:20 p.m.  The sun was shining bright and it was 72 degrees.  I started to mentally prepare for my 13.5 mile run.  I knew it would be warm.  I also knew that if I could take it slow at the start I would be able to finish without any problem.  I figured that since I did not train properly for a 1/2 Marathon, it was more about finishing than time. 

Stacy came in right at 2:30 and handed off to me.  I headed out onto Sun Valley Parkway for my 13.5 mile run.  The first 3 miles I had a pretty steady 9 minute per mile pace and picked off the first few runners.  The route is a relentless 1% grade through most of the run with a little steeper portion during the last mile.  Because it was warm, I stopped at each of the water stops to take in some fluids.  Mile 9 was the first time I started to fall off pace.  The last 3 miles I was well over a 10 minute pace.  But I was still going and very relieved when I made the final turn for the final downhill to the exchange at Festival Foothills Community Park.  It took me 2:08:06 to finish.  Slower than I wanted but completed nonetheless.

My next run would not be for another 10 hours.  Our last runner would finish at Exchange 12 at Willow Canyon High School  in Surprise, AZ. When Theresa finished her run, we went to dinner to try and replenish some of our energy.  We had a nice dinner at Babbo Italian Eatery which was just what I needed.  We figured we should get over to Exchange 18 at Anthem Community Center in New River, AZ. to try and get a power nap in before our night time runs.  We all got some sleep.  The phone rang at about 12:30 pm from Van 1 letting us know the last runner was out and we should get ready to run.

My second run started deep into the night at 2:26 a.m.  It had been just under 10 hours since my first run.  I was feeling recharged after a short 1 hour power nap.  The weather was ideal at 54 degrees.  There were not many runners on this stretch of the course.  I was out there alone and was able to lock into a good pace.  I focused on my breathing and fell into a Zen like state.  Runners tend to be dissatisfied—with how fast they are, with how far they are able to go.  It is during these late night runs that I truly value the runner I  am at that moment. While running down the road, I think about all the good I am doing through strengthening my muscles, producing those needed endorphins, and finally taking time for myself.

 

I reached the end of my run and don't remember much at all about it.  I had run 4.2 miles at an average pace of 8:40 per mile.  It felt effortless.  I handed off to Brad and walked with the rest of my team back to the van.  I felt totally at peace with myself and the world around me.  I wasn't tired and all I wanted to do was to get to the next big exchange area to grab a little more rest before our final 6 legs.  Theresa rolled into Exchange 24 at Cactus Shadows High School in Cave Creek, AZ at about 4:30 a.m.  We then headed over to our final meeting place at Exchange 30 at Fountain Hills High School in Fountain Hills, AZ.

We got in about 3 hours of good sleep before waking up to get ready to run our final 6 legs to the Finish Line at Riverview Park in Mesa, AZ.  I had one more run of just over a 5K distance.  I was rested and ready to go when I got the hand off at Desert Mountain High School which is 2 blocks from my house.  I was running a route that I have run so many times in training.  I decided to leave nothing on the course and pushed my pace.  I made it to the exchange 3.30 miles away averaging a 7:43 per mile pace.  Not bad given the amount of rest and nourishment I had gotten since the race started.  What a way to finish!

On the way to the next exchange area, we stopped at Filiberto's so I could grab a celebratory carne asada burrito.  It tasted like heaven.  Despite the heat, our last 3 runners did a great job bringing us home.  Theresa had the last leg of 7.4 miles to the finish line area where we would meet her and run across the finish line together.  It was sunny and very warm for her final leg.  She came in strong and we ran across the finish line cheering the whole way.  We had run over 205 miles in 32 hours 37 minutes and 47.3 seconds.  We had come in 62nd out of 263 teams in the Open Division and had averaged a 9:32 per mile pace.  Not

bad.

I have grown to love these races.  They are so much fun.  The sense of accomplishment you have as a team once your final runner crosses the finish line is incomparable.  At that point you are exhausted, happy , tired and ready for that post-race party.  We all grabbed some pizza and an ice cold Sierra Nevada to celebrate our accomplishment.  An overnight relay is a truly unique experience that I would highly recommend.  On the surface it is a race and it is about running your individual legs.  But that is not really the point of these races.  They are really about making memories as you travel those many miles with your team.

Jan. 19 – 6.20 miles (57:14, 9:13 pace)

Jan. 20 – 4.10 miles (36:47, 8:58 pace)

Jan. 26 – 6.20 miles (56:58, 9:11 pace)

Jan. 28 – 6.20 miles (56:07, 9:03 pace)

Jan. 29 – 6.20 miles (58:35, 9:27 pace)

Jan. 30 – 3.20 miles (28:44, 8:58 pace)

Jan. 31 – 3.10 miles (24:17, 7:50 pace)

Feb. 1 – 9.20 miles (1:25:10, 9:15 pace)

Feb. 3 – 6.50 miles (1:00:38, 9:20 pace)

Feb. 4 – 6.50 miles (1:00:01, 9:14 pace)

Feb. 5 – 6.00 miles (1:00:06, 10:01 pace)

Feb. 6 – 5.00 miles (45:14, 9:03 pace)

Feb. 7 – 8.20 miles (1:15:05, 9:23 pace)

Feb. 8 – 8.20 miles (1:14:33, 9:15 pace)

Feb. 9 – 5.10 miles (45:37, 8:56 pace)

Feb. 10 – 6.50 miles (59:27, 9:09 pace)

Feb. 12 – 6.20 miles (58:37, 9:27 pace)

Feb. 13 – 6.20 miles (56:12, 9:04 pace)

Feb. 14 – 5.80 miles (1:00:00, 10:21 pace)

Feb. 15 – 6.10 miles (57:46, 9:28 pace)

Feb. 16 – 6.20 miles (57:04, 9:12 pace)

Feb. 17 – 6.20 miles (55:14, 8:54 pace)

Feb. 18 – 6.20 miles (58:31, 9:26 pace)

Feb. 20 – 13.50 miles (2:08:06, 9:28 pace) - Ragnar Del Sol

Feb. 21 – 4.20 miles (36:34, 8:40 pace) - Ragnar Del Sol

Feb. 21 – 3.30 miles (25:30, 7:43 pace) - Ragnar Del Sol

Feb. 23 – 6.20 miles (57:04, 9:12 pace)

Feb. 24 – 6.20 miles (56:48, 9:10 pace)

Feb. 25 – 7.20 miles (1:07:53, 9:26 pace)

Feb. 26 – 4.50 miles (40:21, 8:58 pace)

Feb. 28 – 5.40 miles (49:19, 9:08 pace)

Mar. 1 – 8.10 miles (1:15:10, 9:17 pace)

Total Miles:  197.7 miles  

2015 Total Miles:  347.1 miles