Nifty

Although there is a little bit of slowing down and adjustment of activity levels when we reach this age (like when I try to run hills for the first time in San Francisco), there’s no reason why we cannot put forth our best efforts to be active and healthy as possible. Health is wealth. And I’m very grateful for my health. I know many asthmatics don’t even make it to this age, I’ve lost some asthmatic friends in their 20s so I’ve seen it happen. Life is short, shorter than we think. We must appreciate every day and be thankful for the blessings and opportunities that it holds.

Can we age gracefully, mindfully, and intelligently? Yes? How? Let’s talk about it.

For me, it has helped to simply try to stay active on a daily basis, even if it’s a rest/recovery level of activity. That helps keep my asthma inflammation down, as well as oxidative stress and inflammation I may otherwise experience as an endurance athlete.

Runners and athletes sometimes have nervous reactions to “aging up” to a new (competitive) age group. It can seem intimidating. Much of it is the fear of the unknown and we all experience that. We forget that our previous age group may have been more competitive than our newer one. Some of us cycle in and out of running and other sports as we age, or we refocus on shorter (or longer slower) distances in competitive sports.

But masters’ runners are every bit as awesome and competitive as other adult and kid categories. And the amazing achievements of older runners are being reflected way up to 100 and beyond.

If we take good care of our bodies and minds, we can be active well into old(er) age. We must be good to ourselves, just as we strive to be good and helpful to others. Yes, good nutrition (Mediterranean diet, lots of plants, fruits, veggies) and smart hydration (especially water) are part of it, so are sleep, exercise, activity, and stress reduction.

No we didn’t run 50 miles or 50k on my 50th birthday. And that’s ok. A half-marathon is what fit today for us. Misty ran 8.2 miles, her longest run ever. Proud of our dog, she’s helped me be much more fit, active, and healthy.

Some see reaching major ages as an ending. But it can also be a beginning. Consider this quote by Agatha Christie, one of my favorite authors/writers:

“I have enjoyed greatly the second blooming that comes when you finish the life of the emotions and of personal relations; and suddenly find – at the age of fifty, say – that a whole new life has opened before you, filled with things you can think about, study, or read about… It is as if a fresh sap of ideas and thoughts was rising in you.”

Agatha Christie, An Autobiography, 1977
English mystery author (1890 – 1976).

First, I disagree with the part of the quote about emotions/personal relations part of life ending: that is present for life. But otherwise, this quote is very inspiring: the second blooming is an amazing image. We can start anew even if we encounter difficulties, trials, and tribulations.

One of the most difficult things for me about aging is accepting new limits. But we must be careful with pushing ourselves too hard, overtraining is not helpful. We must allow ourselves to rest and recover. While we shouldn’t take unnecessary risks, we all take a little bit of risk in order to be successful. If not, we don’t grow and bloom in the sense that Agatha Christie described.

We must be careful with self-fulfilling prophecy thoughts like: I’ve reached a plateau. I can’t break through. I’m stuck. Yes, plateaus happen and so do challenges. But we should visualize flying over them, driving through them (or around or behind or beneath). Sometimes we simply have to directly tackle something and surprisingly, walls that restrained us before crumble. Things that we could not do before fall within our reach. Runners and athletes experience successes: PRs, age-group placing, winning races, etc. Sometimes it’s a matter of finding the ideal race distance and/or method of training (maybe this means Galloway run-walk training like I and many others do, maybe it means something else).

Age is just a number. That’s how I prefer to see it. That said, there’s the whole 50 is the new 40, you look so young, how can you be 50? issue. When I tell people how old I am, they don’t believe me. (Or maybe they do and they don’t want to tell me.) There have been times previously where I’m sure I looked older than my age when I didn’t practice daily self-care at this level.

Treasure each day, hour, minute and second. Make each second count. Be grateful for the gifts, opportunities, and talents that you have. Unwrap those gifts and share them with the world. The world needs you.

Thank you for your friendship, support, and love. I appreciate all of you. Blessings to you and yours. Wishing you all a wonderful summer. Follow your dreams and never give up! What is your second blooming?