The Science of Running Until You're 100 in the RR Magazine

I love it when I get a new Running Room magazine.  And no, no one is paying me to say that.  It's true. Anything on running, I love it.  The July/August 2012 issue had an especially interesting article in it about running until you're 100.  That is one of the things I love about running; that you can excel even as you get older.  It's amazing.  It's not like many sports where, once you hit 30, you're considered 'retired'.  You can just keep running and keep reaching for new goals.  And running helps you live longer and more healthy too.  What's not to like?

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/5c6203e7#/5c6203e7/30

I ran the other night and since it was hot, I thought, okay, let's do a nice slow run.  I put 'Death Cab for Cutie', 'Damien Rice' and 'Glen Hansard' on my iPod, and it was fabulous.  It wasn't a heart-pounding, exhilarating run like usual, but it was just right for the weather and for my mood.  And, as usual, I felt great during and after.

Guess I'll keep on running.

Age Doesn't Matter

I think one of the things I love most about running is that you can excel in it no matter your age. Goals can be reached, rewritten and reached again. You can compete against yourself and come out a winner at any age or ability. From kids to 80-year-olds, you see them all at the local races running the same course, reaching for their own personal best.

I'm not saying age doesn't matter at all, but you can adjust expectations, change from a speed runner to distance, or from short distance to marathon length. I was on a running site a few weeks ago and saw a list of recent ultra-distance race winners from the U.S. Only one person on that list was younger than 40.

The mother of a friend of mine told me all about how she used to run various race distances up to marathons. She has run on the Great Wall of China and all over the world. She was saying that due to health reasons she now walks instead. Her next walk is an 800 km trek through the south of Spain. Sure, just a little stroll.

She also told me about a friend of hers who started running at age 64. The woman is now 84 and still runs marathons. She told my friend's mom, "You know what my best decade was? My 70s!"

I really started running in my mid 30s. I'm turning 40 next month and I love that my best race times are still to come!