The Aging Runner

I’m often amused when I hear runners say that they can’t wait for another year, two or three when they enter the next age group. Let me see, you can’t wait to get older and enjoy the fleeting pleasure of "fame" and the piece of hardware that accompanies an age group win?

It’s a given that with advancing age, particularly after 35, certain accommodations to the aging process have to be made in training and racing. If you don’t, some sort of breakdown is inevitable. Does this mean we now have to run every other day or introduce cross training as so many "experts" are advocating? No way! In this article we’ll look at some of the things that happen to aging runners and what can be done to minimize the negative effects of the aging process.

First, with advancing age there is a tendency to put on weight. Extra weight means more stress on your heart, legs, knees and feet. This stress leads to increased soreness and longer recovery time after exacting runs. Runner, coach and author Dr. Ernest Van Aaken believes that a serious runner should weigh 10% below his so called norm. Perhaps this is a bit extreme but the point is well taken, less is clearly better.

Secondly, the amount of intensity and recovery time becomes more of a factor as you age. There’s a well-founded belief that many runners do too much speed-work and do it in a hap hazard manner. The aerobic/anaerobic ratio has long been a point of contention among knowledgeable athletes. It would be safe to say that the aerobic ratio should increase (and anaerobic decrease) as we age. However, this does not mean that you should ignore maintaining leg speed. The following is a quote from Arthur Lydiard: "As we get older we are inclined to lose our speed; therefore it is necessary to put in more training to retain suppleness and do sprint training workouts." Arthur then prescribes some very specific sprint drills we can do: once or twice a week you run fast and relaxed over 100 meters followed by a 250 meter jog, then run fast for 50 meters followed by a recovery jog; you then repeat the order of the drill. This exercise can be done as a fartlek run year round.

Lastly, as we age, consideration to the benefits of rest must be given. This does not mean you have to designate one day a week as a complete day off, some have found it beneficial in taking one in every 10 or 12 days off. There are some runners who call it a day off when they just go for a long walk, jog for 20 minutes or do nothing. Experienced runners can feel when they need a rest. One thing that should be avoided as we age is extended periods of not running. The older runner seems to encounter more problems in comparison to a younger one when resuming his running after a lay-off. Muscle, Achilles, and hamstring problems are the most frequently mentioned difficulties that arise. The older athlete should use a fair amount of caution and restraint when resuming his running program. Too much too soon can lead to injury.

Runners, by listening to your body and making some sensible concessions to the aging process there’s no reason you can’t continue running and racing well for as long as you desire.