Can you start running after 50? Yes, you can. I was never much into running. Basketball was my game in high school. I only ran if there was a hoop at the other end of the court, or maybe a taco. Then I moved into a profession that initially had me standing and moving a lot. Working as a retail pharmacy manager meant constant motion. These were long before the days of step-counting wrist wear, but I have not doubt I topped 10K every day. But then…leadership happened.
As my leadership career progressed I transitioned further away from the front line, which inevitably led me to an office, a chair, and my doom. Humans were not created to sit all day. We have legs, and we should use them. But leadership often requires many hours of sitting. Sitting through meetings. Then sitting while doing reports. And sitting through emails. So many emails! And sitting is killing us. In a few short years of a predominantly sitting job I saw the pounds pile on, and my energy disappear.
A TIME FOR CHANGE
Ten months ago I had enough. I’m not entirely sure what triggered my change of mind. Maybe it was the scale that showed me a number I had never seen before. Maybe it was reading “Outlive” by Peter Attia, MD where he details a plan for staying healthy in your later years. It might have just been the thought that 64 year old Jason will be happy that 54 year old Jason decided to start exercising.
I joined Planet Fitness one day on my way home from work, and since then my mantra has been “6 days, no excuses.” So I hit the gym every day after work, and also on Saturday. I gravitated immediately toward the treadmill as I knew my cardio fitness was at an all time low. I slowly increased my distance. By early summer I was running my first 5K. Since then I have run several 5K’s, and 1 10K. Lately my mantra has been “5K every day.” I try to get in 3.1 miles either on the treadmill or outdoors. Once a week I try to run a bit further. I have a nice 5.5 mile loop near my home that I like.
WHAT HAVE BEEN THE RESULTS?
Slowly, over time, I dropped 20 pounds and am hoping to take at least another 10 off. I can definitely run much further and faster than I could a year ago. Climbing stairs is easier.
Maybe the most surprising result has been that I have actually started to enjoy running. That shocked me. I think running in the local “5K” races helped that a lot. There is “local race” culture, and I never realized how many races are going on all the time. It’s fun. People of all sorts of abilities participate. A couple months ago my brother and our friend Kent go together in Cleveland, OH for our annual reunion, and we signed up to run a 5K together. That was a blast. I have also participated in some longer walks with the Dana-Farber Jimmy Fund.
WHAT HAVE I LEARNED?
Well, I guess the big lesson is that you are never too old to start a new routine. I think it was C.S. Lewis who said, “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” Can you start running (or almost any other exercise) after 50? Yes. Yes you can.
I also learned (the hard way) the value of stretching. About 3 months ago I ended up with a case of Achilles Tendinopathy. For those who do not know what that is, be thankful. It is basically wear and tear damage to the achilles tendon, causing extreme pain around the back of your heel. I’m prone to this, as I have it before. Stretching before and after a run helps to prevent it. I’m still dealing with the pain, and will probably have to deal with it for many months to come. This tendon gets very poor blood supply and as a result tends to heal slowly. I saw my doctor, and then a sports medicine specialist. Unless I want to go the surgical route, I just need to keep stretching and take it easy.
Finally, I guess I have learned to be okay with slow progress. The weight loss did not happen nearly as quickly as I would have expected. I went from totally sedentary to running almost every day. I thought the pounds would drop like magic. They didn’t. Many weeks the scale wouldn’t budge at all, in spite of all the exercise and eating better. I think this may be something that is variable between people. But for me, my body just holds onto weight with a tight grip.
CONCLUSION
I guess my final word of advice is not to be too hard on yourself if you have gotten out of shape. It is not too late to start. I love that old Chinese proverb that says “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” Or as Will Rogers put it, “Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today.”
