Ageing and Running

And how I'm still doing both...

I am fast approaching 55 and truthfully, I can’t wait. I’m settling into my 50s, I’ve just run my 10th marathon (did I mention that?!), feel excited about my future running and feel stronger than ever. I’ve been running for well over 2 decades now and feel tougher than I ever did as a 20-year-old, fitter than I was at 30 and mentally and physically more resilient than I was at 40. I’m hoping that I will be better at 60 than I was at 50!

People don’t talk about this enough, but race times can actually improve with age. In my experience both personally and as a running coach, this can partly be due to lack of coaching/education when you first start running, so you might not even be aware of how to improve your performance.

This was certainly the case for me- it wasn’t until I completed my coaching qualifications that my performance started to improve, as I developed the physical and mental skills of how to train efficiently. Before, I basically just ran every run at the same pace, with only objective being to get it over and done with as soon as possible.

I hear all the time that running is bad for you, especially as you age- bad for your knees, bad for joints etc. In fact I was told it again yesterday at the dentists, of all places. Frankly, this is nonsense. Running (and all physical exercise) greatly reduces the impact of the ageing process. It’s not being ‘old’ itself that ages you, it’s being unnecessarily inactive that causes us to rust and slow down. Exercise is the ultimate anti-aging strategy.

The first inkling that a sedentary lifestyle/occupation was associated with early death was recorded in the 1950s, when two pathologists observed that they were performing more post-mortems after sudden death on bus drivers than bus conductors. And that more desk-based post office workers than postmen were dying in middle age from heart attacks; yet there are so many additional physical and psychological barriers that prevent people from exercising or moving more.

But the good news is it’s never too late to try running- an inactive 60-year-old who begins running can attain the same aerobic fitness level of an inactive 40 year. At the running club I founded, RunVerity, our oldest member is 74 years old. She started running with us nearly 2 years ago and she regularly runs the local parkrun. Every week she tells me how much she loves it.

As we get older the capabilities of our heart, lungs, and muscles slow down and can limit our running performance, but realistically, for women, the research is so limited on post-menopause female athletes, we are literally writing the blueprint if we keep going, keep showing up and inspire the generation below us as we become role models to our children and grandchildren.

And the good news is that taking up or continuing to run can slow the rate of this deceleration down- aerobic capacity decreases by about 10% per decade in someone who is sedentary but if you continue to run regularly and vigorously, this decline can be reduced to 5% per decade.

It is now not uncommon to see endurance athletes in their 50/60/70s and beyond be almost as fast, if not at times faster, than endurance runners in their 20s and 30s. There are so many other factors that can influence these results, age = experience of many races which builds up resilience, a vital variable on race day.

I recently ran in a 10km race that saw some incredible times for male & female older competitors, with impressive times of 53:18 for female vet (aged 71 years) and 49:08 for male vet (aged 78). They are proof positive that getting older does not necessarily mean getting slower. Please don’t let anyone tell you otherwise- including your brain, but especially your dentist.

Are are the 6 things I’ve learned to be the best runner I’ve ever been at (almost!) 55-

Age is a State of Mind- you are as young as you feel, research shows that if you feel your chronological age you are more likely to develop physical frailty and poor brain health than those who claim to feel younger than they are. Positive attitude towards getting older is also important, as it can change cell chemicals beneficially by potentially reducing inflammation, which is associated with accelerated ageing and many age-related conditions.

Rest more- and have easier days, enjoy the chit chat runs, but also keep up the speed and hill work. Rest is not laziness or weakness, it’s a necessary piece of the pie.

Strength Training is a Must- add strength and conditioning into your weekly routine, which helps build muscle mass and support healthy joints.

Stay on Your Toes- continue with the downward dogs and Yoga if you can, as continual testing and training for balance is so important as we age.

Eat well- listen to your body, and don’t fight it anymore. Learn to love it for it’s strength and power, ditch the diet, but do cut out the sugar and alcohol whilst still living your life. What you might have been able to get away with when you were younger doesn’t tend to work as you get older.

Don’t give up- having a purpose is a psychological strength which has been suggested to a contented longer life. It’s important to find meaning, even in the most challenging of situations. Take on new challenges, don’t tell yourself that you are too old, find a way to work round a challenge so that life doesn’t close in on you.