跑步与变老：一位超马跑者的利与弊清单

The post Running and Aging: The Pros and Cons appeared first on iRunFar.

[Author’s Note: This article is part of an occasional series on the unique opportunities and challenges of growing older as a runner.]

Last week I had the opportunity to pause and celebrate my 59th birthday. Being one year away from 60 put me in a reflective mood, and on a recent long run, I outlined my own personal pros and cons list for running and aging. Simply put, while there are certainly downsides to growing older as a runner, there are also refreshingly positive upsides which are worthy of celebration.

So, here you have it, my pros and cons for the aging ultrarunner!

AJW’s Cons to Aging

Slowing Down: This is the big one, and there is really no way to avoid it. We slow down as we get older. It’s inevitable and painful. I know I struggle with comparing 59-year-old me with 39-year-old me, and it’s not all that fun. On a recent trip to the San Francisco Bay Area, California, I ran my favorite 20-mile loop. Twenty years ago, I typically did the loop in about three hours. My recent outing took me almost four and a half hours. It’s just the way it is.

Falling Down: In keeping with the “down” theme, I must say that as I have gotten older, I fall more frequently while running than I did in my younger years. I’m not sure if it’s because I don’t quite lift my feet as high as I once did or that my eyesight is more compromised than it once was, but what I do know is that I fall a lot more often, and it takes a lot more time to recover from those falls, as well.

Getting Down: My final “down” concerns the mental side of things. While I am typically optimistic, I have to admit that with age, I have become a bit grumpier. I suppose it’s a pretty normal thing, but there are times when it gets the best of me, and I just need to get out for a run to make it go away!

AJW’s Pros to Aging

Wisdom: It’s almost cliché to say that with age comes wisdom, but it’s true. The stuff I’ve learned and internalized over the past 30 years as a runner has given me a full psychological and emotional body of work. The experiences that have shaped who I am as a runner have also shaped who I am as a person. Wisdom is power, and as we age, it becomes even more acute.

Patience: Several decades of successes and failures have taught me its value. With each passing year, my patience tank has expanded to the point that I now know that things take time. Whether that is the slow accrual of fitness after a layoff or the importance of smart pacing in a long race, patience now provides me with so much more joy as a runner that my impatient younger self couldn’t access.

The Gift of Time: While most of my runs take much longer than they used to, I really enjoy having more time in my day than I did in my younger years. Working part-time and on my own schedule allows me to embrace the gift of time, and it truly is one of the greatest gifts of all.

Bottoms up!

AJW’s Beer of the Week

This week’s Beer of the Week comes from Bear Republic Brewing Company in Healdsburg, California. Racer 7 Hazy IPA is Bear Republic’s contribution to the hazy IPA scene. The brewery is known for Racer 5, their classic West Coast IPA, and Racer 7 is a juicy, fruity brew that is perfect on a warm California evening.

Call for Comments

• What aspects of aging do you appreciate?
• What aspects of aging could you do without?

Running and Aging: The Pros and Cons by Andy Jones-Wilkins.