Changes and Challenges for the Runner over 40

By Lena Hollmann/Running Journal/August 2010
Welcome to my new column about Masters Running! Once upon a time, Running Journal had a Masters Running columnist. Now, after a long hiatus, and after finishing my introductions of Southern Region RRCA State Reps, I am going to write about this topic.

As most of you know, a masters runner is anyone 40 years or older. This includes grandmasters (50 and over) and senior grandmasters (60 and over). We used to be a minority at the races, but as time passed and most of us stayed in the sport, percentage wise we are now much more a force to be reckoned with. The median age in road races has certainly increased since the running boom took off in the 1970s, although it is hard to come by any statistical research that confirms this. Most races are now offering five year age groups, and several have age groups up to 70-plus years, or even older. This is a stark contrast to the 1970s races I remember, with 10 year age groups ending at 50-plus years, and very few participants in the latter category, especially among women.

Assuming we are in decent health, practice common sense, and are blessed with a little luck we can continue running until a very old age. Take 87-year-old Charles Ross from Conyers, GA, for example, who completed the 10K run at the South Eastern Masters track meet in Raleigh, NC, in June. He is living proof that good health and a positive attitude is all we need in order to keep running well into our golden years!

A lot has changed in our sport in the past four decades and I have had the privilege of observing it firsthand. When I started running road races in the mid-1970s, very few participants were older than 40 years old, as running was considered a “young” sport. I had taken up competitive running on the track as a teenager in my native Sweden a decade earlier, but my father would rather have seen I played tennis. “You can play tennis in your 40s and 50s but you won’t be able to run at that age,” he said. However not only I, but my entire generation has proved him wrong, as we are still showing up at road races all over the country. No offense to any tennis players among the readership, but running may actually be a preferable activity, since a sport like tennis with sudden starts and stops is harder on the joints and make us more prone to injury as we get older.

Running is still primarily a baby boomer sport, and it also draws several participants from our followers in what we know as Generation X. However younger individuals have not flocked to the races like our generation did in the 1970s. The result is that the average age among runners keeps getting higher, and the older age groups are now often more competitive than the younger. More than once have I found that I would have placed higher in the 20-24 year age group than I did in my own (55-59). We need to reach out and engage more young people in our sport and this may be subject of a later column.

Running as we age is not without challenges, though. In addition to the inevitable slowdown in race times, it takes longer to warm up, we are more prone to injuries, and we need more time to recover after workouts. Sadly, some of us have to give up running altogether, after developing arthritis or other chronic conditions. But we can still maintain our ties to the sport by volunteering and maybe join the walkers in the back of the pack.

Those of us fortunate enough to continue running may have shifted our focus and the ”why” in our running from being competitive to running for fitness and social reasons. Instead of going to races hoping to set PRs and beat our peers, we show up to get a good workout, and to meet our friends. We gather around the post-race bagels and sports drinks not just to compare our race experiences, but also to catch up with each other about work, kids, travel, injuries etc. What motivates us to go on training runs rain or shine, even if we know we are light years from setting a PR, is seeing our buddies again at next week’s race, or maybe it is going to a destination race together. Or it is the feeling of exertion and accomplishment we get after a workout, a “runners high” you might call it. Or it is the fact that we can allow ourselves a few beers or an ice cream cone every once in a while without feeling guilty or gaining weight. Or a combination of the above! Bottom line is that once we become runners, we get hooked and are runners for life.

Until injury strikes. There is a delicate balance between being in the shape of our life and being sidelined by an injury. Elite runners are keenly aware of this and masters runners will learn sooner or later. Training for competitive running can take a tremendous toll on our muscles and tendons, and the bad news is that as we get older this will only get worse. Some of us are also more prone to injury because of biomechanical issues. But the good news is that there are precautions we can take to minimize our risk of injury. In addition to a longer warmup, we can stretch in moderation, and strengthen our core muscles (abdominals, back, and pelvis). The importance of a strong core cannot be overemphasized, since it maintains our posture and keeps us in alignment. As we get older it may also be a good idea to replace one or more of our weekly runs with a non-weight bearing aerobic activity, like cycling or swimming.

Still many of us are very averse to cross training of any kind. We are runners, therefore we run! Period. I admit having fallen into this trap myself, at least when it comes to cardiovascular exercise. Indoor cycling can be boring and if I swim I have to go to the pool. Nothing else is as convenient as running where I just head out my front door most of the time. But we can learn to make other exercise fun and figure out how to fit it into our schedule. I will talk more about this some other time and will just say for now that cross and strength training can be the key to a long and injury free running career. And as masters runners, isn’t that what we wish for?

The above is just an overview of a very large topic, a taste of what masters running is all about and how it has evolved over the past several decades. I look forward to going into specific topics in more detail in future months, and encourage you to stay healthy, so you can keep on running for years to come!