By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

A moment creeps into our lives when we realize we cannot perform at the level we are accustomed. A point where we cannot keep up with our kids. A point when we need to ask a teenager to assist with our technology queries. A point when we figure out the pace we ran in our 20s, 30s, or 40s is no longer available to us. Accepting it is not a sign of defeat but of maturity.

Age-group racing may be a great opportunity to keep your competitive juices alive (Photo Pexels)

In his pivotal essay Stages of Life, Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961), stated that “we cannot live the afternoon of life according to the program of life\’s morning, for what was great in the morning will be little at evening and what in the morning was true, at evening will have become a lie.”

Right on the money. Adjust or perish.

It is a matter of perspective. For those who started running and competing in their 50s, 60s, or later, it is not uncommon to continue getting better. Since there is no earlier record to compare, and they are expanding their physical and cardiovascular condition, setting a lifetime marathon PR at 65 is achievable. A different matter is when you set up that marathon PR in your 20s or 30s and no longer can match that physical output at 65.

If competition and progress are important to keep running, accepting the inevitable process of aging is essential. Dividing age groups every 5 years is arbitrary, sure. There is no scientific reason determining a 56-year-old cannot do what a 55-year-old can. But I do believe it is a God-sent system to reframe our expectations, our PRs, and remain improving within a segment of our lives. It is about picking up a battle with someone our own age and having a realistic chance to succeed.

There is a meme stating that age is nothing more than a better chance to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Bill Rodgers, the legendary lifetime runner and 4-time champion in both Boston and New York, puts it this way: “Every five years, everything changes. Hitting a new age group—It’s a fresh new world. We all have a wonderful opportunity, again.”

The fact is that as we age, we transit through life events that will inevitably force adaptations in our lives. Women go through menopause. You may have experienced broken limbs, heart conditions, diabetes, Parkinson\’s, or one of so many other conditions that tend to happen the longer you remain alive. They are physical and mental challenges to reckon with which will impact your physical output. So, accept your reality, don’t compare, and continue moving forward.

The way I’ve adjusted to running in my 50s after starting in my teens is as follows. I recommend you consider it.

Running as we age

– Reset your PRs: Choose if you will do so every 5, 10 years or after a life event. Make sure improvement is feasible, so frustration and depression won’t set in.

 – Adjust volume and pace: Since your value as a person, or as a runner, is not based on miles per week or minutes per mile, figure out what is the most you can do without going overboard. It will be less and less as you age. Accept it or consider retiring.

 – Set new goals: You may still brag about your all-time marathon PR despite knowing it won’t be broken. Understanding what’s the best you now, and going for it, will assist in keeping that fire alive.

 – Set non-timed-based goals: Times are getting slower as we put more effort, so why don’t we better set goals based on different parameters? Running 1000 miles per year is a popular one.

 – Embrace Age-Group Competition: Want it or not, you will be paired with runners your own age. Make the best of it. Choose your new rivals for friendly competition and/or bragging rights.

 – Let your running tell stories: Running a sub-50 10K at 50? Completing my 10th marathon before age XX. Becoming an ultramarathoner in my 60s. Participating in XX races during the calendar year. Find your story.

Writer and lifetime runner Jonathan Beverly puts it this way: “If you don’t reset, your PRs and you adjust volume and speed as your age, eventually, your body will drop back to zero and force you to restart from scratch. So, you decide.” Sound advice.

And to that reader in his/her 20s or 30s who may think they’re invincible and this post is only for old farts: be aware that if you want to become a lifetime runner, you better get your best performances out of the way now, because in the blink of an eye, you will realize you can’t compare today’s performances with what they will be in 20 or 30 years.

Any thoughts? Let me know in the comment box below.