The aging runner

I know people who are still running in their eighties and nineties. They are inspirations to younger runners, but aging runners have a few challenges to face those younger runners might not have to worry about yet. Here is a short list.

Stretching becomes a necessity not an option

I have to admit that through my running years, I did not stretch very much until I injured my knee and my calf muscle. When I strained my knee, the physical trainer told me that older runners had to stretch to avoid injuries. I do everything she showed me, and I have not had an injury since. Before I strained my knee, I ripped the muscle in my calf while sparring in karate. If I do not stretch it regularly, I can feel it tightening into a knot. While younger runners might be able to get by without stretching, older runners need to make it a part of their exercise routine.

We cannot multitask as well

If I get up early for a race, I make sure to prepare everything I need the night before because when I come down, I cannot wake my brain up enough to do more than grab a cup of coffee and something to eat. My friend Sally told me that she and her boyfriend Dan were getting ready for today’s race and Dan was stressed trying to make sure he had everything they needed. As they were heading out the door, Sally looked down and said, “Dan, where are your shoes?”

It takes time for our motor to warm up

There was a time when I could show up at the start line without warming up and expect my body to go full speed right away. I now need to ease it into the pace I want it to run. Distance running has become more fun because it takes me several miles to warm up before I feel comfortable.

Movement is trickier

After a certain age, our bodies don’t twist and bend as well as they once did. Bending over to tie a shoelace isn’t as easy as it used to be. We are a little more cautious about falling, (trail races), or at least we bring a first-aid kit. If we sit down for long periods, it takes a minute to loosen up the joints when we stand up.

We forget things

As we are preparing for a run, we might rush into a room with a purpose in mind, but when we arrive in the room, we cannot remember why we came there. It might take us a moment to retrieve the name of someone we met several races ago.

Knowing the locations of bathrooms is crucial

This has been important to me my whole life, but it is especially important as you age since there are some changes to the plumbing.

Aging runners should adopt the mindset that although some things will change in how they approach running, what counts is being there on the running scene, being competitive, having the experience, and encouraging others.