“What a drag it is getting old” (to quote the Rolling Stones)
Despite that sombre start, don’t be despondent, there are reasons to be cheerful ! Maybe there’s no getting away from the fact that aging isn’t a non-stop laugh, but all you can do is take care and make the best of what you’ve got and be quietly grateful if you stay fit and healthy. No-one’s offering any guarantees, but the health benefits of regular running are well documented, so provided your joints can take the strain, you’re more likely to maintain better shape and a sense of well-being into later life if you can stay active. As a long distance runner, you are likely to hit your peak a fair bit later than a short distance specialist would. And if you’re into ultra-distances, you can remain competitive at an age well beyond what would normally be a peak age for an athlete. I’ve talked a bit about ultra running previously, but as it’s a discipline where the need for mental toughness matches or even exceeds physical ability, maybe general life experience favours those with a few more birthdays under their belt? The reality is though, that at some point age will catch up with you and the decline begins. Recovery from injury, minor illness or even your last training session, will take longer, and the ability to train with the intensity of previous years becomes impossible. I think the balanced approach to this reality is to do both of the following things:
(1) Don’t fight it too hard and become despondent as your times get slower. It’s going to happen whatever you do.
(2) Fight it for all you’re worth. Accept the inevitable, but don’t roll over and give up just because it’s not as easy as it used to be. Set new targets each year; if you compete in the same races each year, last year’s time becomes this year’s target. If that becomes impossible, simply set a benchmark time at the start of the season – 10K for example, and treat that as the new PB that you want to improve on; focus on achieving that and you’ll probably be running faster at the end the year than you were at the start of it! Keep motivated and you’ll slow down more slowly – if you know what I mean ! And to end on a really positive note – surely the best thing about getting old as an athlete is the age grading system. More of that another day.
Next up…..the four seasons
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