Marathon: You Can Do It

More older Americans are exercising regularly than ever. Officials with Running USA say seniors represent the fastest-growing segment of the sport’s participants.

The 42K marathon is hard enough for the energetic young people and for the older runners, they face bigger obstacles. Dr. Alexis Chiang Colvin, a sports-medicine expert at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, says aging affects every system the body uses in long-distance running.

An elderly heart doesn’t pump as fast or as hard, so oxygen — the body’s gasoline — doesn’t circulate as efficiently. An average 60-year-old pumps 20% less oxygenated blood than a 20-year-old, Dr. Colvin says. Like all human tissue, the lungs become stiffer and less expansive. Muscles atrophy(reduction) at an increasing rate and ligaments and tendons grow brittle making injuries far more likely. Muscle strength generally peaks at 30. After 70, it declines 30% per decade.

But I believe seniors who desire to continue running should not be discouraged by this obstacles. There  are a good number of inspiring runners at prime age who finish marathons with impressive times.

Why Elite Female runners are running faster in their thirties

Marathon record holder for runners over 90 yrs.

57 year old runner who still runs Sub three hours marathon.

The secret to running at old age is to remember this Russian quote, “May your dream be equal to your ability” if you must run push your body to it’s ability but not beyond it.

Tags: 10K Running, diet, Exercise, fitness, Marathon, Marathon Running, Marathon Training, Runners, Running, Training

If you are wondering how you can improve your marathon running time by one hour you need to look at the inspiring story of Ms. Joy Johnson.

In 2007 Joy Johnson ran ING New York city Marathon and finished in a time of 7 hours. Not happy with her time, she cranked up on her training and at 2008 NYC marathon she cut her time to 6 hours.

These times might not be impressive to some but it’s good to note Ms. Joy Johnson is  a silver haired 81 year old lady, who has refused to grow old.

Talking to a Wallstreet Journal reporter she explained how she amazingly cut her time in one hour in just under one year of training.

Ms. Johnson Marathon Training Plan

1. She trained for months, she didn’t say how many but I assume the plural months means many months.
2. Through out the summer she ran 50 - 55 miles each week instead of her previous 30 - 35 miles.
3. She ran hills. In Paul Tergat’s autobiography his coach says, if a runner stops running hills, he will sooner or later lose his strength.
4. While most of us use a track field to do our speed work this lady decided to make use of the grand stand by running up and down the stadium steps. How innovative is that??
5. She ran one serious tune up event before NYC marathon. Four weeks before NYC marathon, Ms. Johnson finished the Twin Cities Marathon in six hours, six minutes and 48 seconds. That was for confidence building.

How to increase your speed

It’s clear from Lady Johnson’s training that, if you increase your weekly mileage, change your training methods (stop running flat surface and start running hills) and increase the time spent training you will be guaranteed to improve your times.

Lastly, I loved this sunny lady motto “I want to die running. That’s my goal.”

Tags: 10K Running, diet, Exercise, fitness, Marathon, Marathon Running, Marathon Training, New york marathon, Runners, Running, Training

“Female long distance runners are like wine, they get better with time”

At the 2008 NYC marathon there were 41 elite women. There average age was 33, Two thirds were 30 or older and nearly a half were 35 and older.

Some of the famous names were Paula Radcliffe 34, the eventful winner, Gete Wami 33 and Catherine Ndereba 36, the fourth place finisher.

And it is not just NYC marathon, just look at this list of 2008 marathon winners;

2008 Beijing Olympic marathon- Constantina Tomescu of Romania, 38 Years young.

2008 Berlin Marathon - Irina Mikitenko,  36 years young.

2008 Chicago marathon - Lidiya Grigoryeva, 34 years young.

Why they are doing so well.

According to an article I read on NYtimes. Ryan Lamppa, a researcher for Running USA, a nonprofit organization that tracks trends in distance running says more women are sticking to the marathon due to economic incentives.  Atleast 5 for the elite winners at NYC marathon have made over US$ 1 million in career earnings.

“If the sport was back in its amateur days, you definitely wouldn’t see as many 30-plus marathoners than you do now,” Lamppa said. “I don’t think they’re staying in the sport purely for the love of it. It’s a nice gig if you can do it long enough. But, you know, it’s a painful gig, too.”

Tags: 10K Running, diet, Exercise, fitness, Marathon, Marathon Running, Marathon Training, New york marathon, Runners, Running, Training

When I started running marathon at 26 years my plan was to stop at 40. But I guese I will have to reconsinder my retirement plan after I read the inspiring story of 93 years old Fauja Singh.

Mr. Singh is the current marathon world record-holder for runners over the age of 90. His P.B. for marathon is 5:40. Content that his marathon record is secure for now, Fauja ran the half marathon in Toronto in 2006 and set a New world’s record in over 90 category 2:30:02.

Mr. Singh cuts an image of an Indian Sage, wears and runs with a turban and spots a long beared. He is the perfect sage when he humbly says, he doesn’t see what he does as remarkable.

He started running when he was 81, just to have something to do, and he discovered that he first enjoyed the act of running–and later the sport.

Age is no longer an excuse for inactivity and inactivity is no longer the reward for getting old.

Tags: 10K Running, diet, Exercise, fitness, Marathon, Marathon Running, Marathon Training, New york marathon, Runners, Running, Training

President George Bush might not be popular with many people but its worthy to note the twice-elected Republican President once ran an impressive 3.44 in the 1993 Houston marathon.

And this is what George Bush told runners world magazine about his experience at 1993 Houston Marathon

“I was distraught after my dad was defeated in 1992, so I decided I was going to set a little project for myself. I wanted to run the White Rock Marathon in Dallas, so I began training intensely for it. I gave myself a month to train for it, and pushed myself incredibly hard as this was after-election therapy. But I got sick, and it was really a foolish attempt on my part. So I set my sights on Houston, which gave me some more time to train. I ran it in 3:44. I ran the first mile in 8:30 and the last mile in 8:30. It was one of the great experiences of my life. I learned that running can make you feel 10 years younger the day of the race and 10 years older the day after the race. I also learned not to be so compulsive.”

Read the rest of the interview at runners world website