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