Author on Islay HillIn a couple of hours, I’ll have moved into the middle of the 50-54 age group.   I still haven’t reached the point where I feel “old”.  I still think I can run as fast as I could when I was younger which, by the way, was never fast.  Funny thing – I found an old running log from 1986 earlier this week.  I was in my mid-twenties when I logged that run data and noticed that my daily three and four mile runs were at around 6:05 minutes/mile pace.  Today, a really fast three miler is at around 9:00 minutes/mile pace so I guess I am a bit slower now than then!

I can still run as far as ever though.  This year will be my third year in a row in which I’ll have either run or been prepared to run at least 26.2 miles within a month of my birthday. Two years ago was the Kepler Challenge 60K in New Zealand.   Last year was supposed to be the NYC Marathon which was ultimately canceled but I was there and ready to run it.  This year I’ll be running the Tucson Marathon on this coming Sunday.  I love the nervousness that grows during the week before a big race and this week is no exception.  I’ve been checking weather forecasts, reviewing course profiles, and flying through the course with Google Earth.  Because it’s a taper week, the nerves and restlessness are more pronounced.   There is that slight doubt, that barely perceptible uncertainty that I’ve trained enough to complete the race.  None of these pre-race feelings have changed with age.

For the coming year, I have many new challenges in mind.  I’d like to do more trail running and trail races.  Being out in the wilderness makes my running more of an experience than just a workout.  I also plan to do more cross training, specifically biking.  I think the variety will help to keep workouts exciting and will help to develop muscles not exercised by running.  I have not traditionally done much cross training.

For the upcoming year in the Grand Masters Running blog, I plan to write more articles on topics that require research and analysis.  Things like “Does Running Cause Arthritis?”, “Does Running Vary with Age and Gender?”, “How do Minimalist Running Shoe Preferences Change with the Age of the Runner?”, and other similar analyses.

Off to the next marathon…