Well, I've been silent for a long time. My apologies!
This past November 23 was the annual 5K "Turkey Trot" run sponsored by our local YMCA. I'm happy to say that I won in my age group (70 - 79) and proudly brought home a 1st place medal and a big fat turkey (that we'll get to eat on Christmas!). However, looking at things another way, you could also say that I lost the race as I was the ONLY entrant in my age group. Wow! I didn't expect that. With over 600 entrants, there was only one guy in his seventies (me) and one in his eighties. In my opinion, that's a pretty sad state of affairs and emphasizes the dire need of the general population for regular exercise --- especially older folks. Too many of us gray-haired folks simply give up. It is NEVER too late to begin an exercise program. Sure, you can't expect to be a Mr. America or bring home Olympic medals. However, you can make improvement, even if it only amounts to slight improvements in muscle tone and adding a spring to your step.
Getting Back to the race, I had hoped to complete it in around 25 minutes (at less that an 8 minute per mile pace). I have to admit now that that was an overly optimistic goal. My time was barely under 30 minutes! Twenty five minutes will be my goal for NEXT year and I've already mapped out a training program that I hope will enable me to do it. In spite of the "poor" time, I console myself with the fact that I finished right about in the middle of the pack (there were as many finishers in front of me as behind me) and that I achieved my time with only around three months of regular training.
So, if you haven't begun a running program yet, get with it. Start slow. Just walk if running is too hard at first. Gradually add short periods of running to your walking. Before you know it, you will be running regularly for a half hour or more. If you would like to have a formal program for improving your walking/running performance, take a look at my first book, the K*I*S*S* Fitness Program. There is a neat program in it that will help you out.
Let me know how your running goes!
This past November 23 was the annual 5K "Turkey Trot" run sponsored by our local YMCA. I'm happy to say that I won in my age group (70 - 79) and proudly brought home a 1st place medal and a big fat turkey (that we'll get to eat on Christmas!). However, looking at things another way, you could also say that I lost the race as I was the ONLY entrant in my age group. Wow! I didn't expect that. With over 600 entrants, there was only one guy in his seventies (me) and one in his eighties. In my opinion, that's a pretty sad state of affairs and emphasizes the dire need of the general population for regular exercise --- especially older folks. Too many of us gray-haired folks simply give up. It is NEVER too late to begin an exercise program. Sure, you can't expect to be a Mr. America or bring home Olympic medals. However, you can make improvement, even if it only amounts to slight improvements in muscle tone and adding a spring to your step.
Getting Back to the race, I had hoped to complete it in around 25 minutes (at less that an 8 minute per mile pace). I have to admit now that that was an overly optimistic goal. My time was barely under 30 minutes! Twenty five minutes will be my goal for NEXT year and I've already mapped out a training program that I hope will enable me to do it. In spite of the "poor" time, I console myself with the fact that I finished right about in the middle of the pack (there were as many finishers in front of me as behind me) and that I achieved my time with only around three months of regular training.
So, if you haven't begun a running program yet, get with it. Start slow. Just walk if running is too hard at first. Gradually add short periods of running to your walking. Before you know it, you will be running regularly for a half hour or more. If you would like to have a formal program for improving your walking/running performance, take a look at my first book, the K*I*S*S* Fitness Program. There is a neat program in it that will help you out.
Let me know how your running goes!