FIT FOR LIFE

As an ‘older’ runner (born in 1955) I really enjoyed your 50th anniversary edition. Yes, there have been changes in technology, nutrition, shoes, clothing and training methods but there has also been a huge change in basic fitness. In my teens and 20s, it was unusual for a family to have more than one car, so we walked, cycled or ran for the bus. If we wanted to phone someone, we walked to the phone box. Everyday life was strength training, without all the labour-saving devices we have now. Fewer supermarkets with adjacent car parks meant you carried bags of shopping all the way home. You even had to get off the couch to change TV channels! This overall strength and fitness might explain why runners in those days could cope with high mileages. It's no wonder that some of our older club members had race PBS in their day that the younger ones can only dream about! Anita Worthing, Aberystwyth