FIVE TIPS FOR STAYING FAST AFTER 40

NAVIGATE THE PERILS OF AGING WHILE TRAINING FOR A HALF OR MARATHON

YOU’D BE FORGIVEN FOR THINKING THAT THE PROGRESS OF AN AGING RUNNER IS ONLY A STEADY DOWNHILL TRAJECTORY. THAT’S WHAT GETTING OLD IS ALL ABOUT, RIGHT?

John Hill, coach at Vancouver Falcons Athletic Club, disagrees with the doom-and-gloom mentality. While the club coaches athletes of all ages, he’s seen a lot of masters runners come to the sport with varied backgrounds – some are former elite athletes, others without much of any background in sport – and get really fast. Hill’s star athlete, 49-year-old Kevin O’Connor, is emblematic of the potential of the older athlete: he’s still running times that are very close to what he ran in his 20s. Certainly, most distance runners lose some of their competitive edge around 40, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be. The key? Be smart. Run smart workouts, take lots of rest and take advantage of the wisdom and patience that age brings to the older athlete. WARM UP SLOWLY In both workouts and in races, embrace the warm-up. Masters athletes are simply more prone to injury and having a slower, longer warm-up prior to running hard helps. Do more drills, too. “This prepares the muscles for a full range of motion, since older muscles are a little less elastic,” says Hill.

DO THE QUALITY WORK

Masters athletes can keep their zip by doing the same hard work as their younger counterparts. Hill recommends, however, starting intervals a little bit slower and then building up. “Hold off for the first few intervals before you hit your top speed.”

YOUR TOP GEAR ISN’T GOING TO BE ANY FASTER, BUT YOU CAN STILL BUILD ENDURANCE

“As you age, you gradually lose your speed, but your endurance grows cumulatively,” says Hill. This is why marathoners can stay competitive into their late 30s while sprinters tend to end their careers in their late 20s. This can be used to strategic advantage – in races, let the young pups start off fast and then pick them off.

LET GO

“Probably the biggest thing for masters runners is letting go,” says Hill. O’Connor, for instance, had to learn that he couldn’t lead from the get-go in races anymore. He found that if he went too fast at the beginning of races, he “really dug a deep hole for himself.” The young guys “typically go out a little too fast. By the end, he’ll pick them off.”

RECOVER, RECOVER, RECOVER

“If you keep at it you might not slow much at all over a few years, but the recovery time will take longer and longer, as will the recovery from injuries,” says Hill. In addition to pure rest, he recommends massages and stretching. “Just look after yourself more carefully. There’s more margin for error.”–