74 NANCY ROLLINS RAN A 3:58:13 MARATHON AGED 72
• ‘THERE’S A GRADUAL difference in speed between 65 and 70. Paces that used to be easy aren’t easy anymore. I started racing at the age of 32, and I’ve done 95 marathons. I hit my PB, 3:02, when I was 43.
‘In my early 70s, I was slowing down, but still enjoying every bit of my running. But in Easter 2020, I had a devastating fall. I was running with a neighbour, my foot caught the edge of the kerb, and I was launched in the air. I landed on my right shoulder and hit my head. Even worse, I tore my rotator cuff and my biceps ripped off the bone. I had surgery and although I was out walking with my husband three days afterwards, I couldn’t run for three months. It was a very long recovery.
‘Physio helped me regain the full range of motion in my arm and shoulder, but I worked my whole body in rehab, too. I did a lot of floor work: clamshells, side planks, hip raises, weights, bands. I always used to hate that stuff. But now I feel like I’m really in balance. I still do those exercises every day.
‘The accident has transformed my perspective on performance. In my early 40s, I would get down on myself if I had a bad race. Now, I have an immense gratefulness to just be out there. I think that’s why I’m an enduring competitor.
‘I’m a coach at my club and I love to mentor people. If it’s a workout day, I’ll do the workout in the morning with runners my speed, then lead the workout and hold the stopwatch for another group at night.’
• THE EXPERTS SAY Prioritise balance and share your experiences with younger runners. ‘A comprehensive strength-training programme should include balance work [in your 70s],’ says McMillan. Do functional training, such as single-leg exercises, hamstring curls on a stability ball, and yoga. If you don’t have a strength routine, just practise standing on one foot, then the other, for 10 seconds at a time.
Runners in their 70s should take advantage of their experience, says Utzschneider. ‘The brain is the biggest asset of the 70-something runner,’ she says. ‘Our brains help us be selective about what’s most important. Maybe it’s helping someone else get faster, whether you’re a coach or a training partner.’