Gail Waesche Kislevitz - Running Past Fifty: Advice and Inspiration for Senior Runners

Copyright 2018 by Gail Waesche Kislevitz

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Tom Lau

Cover photo credit: iStockphoto

Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-3629-0

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-3630-6

Printed in the United States of America.

For Susan Sheets Brogan

Your smile, contagious laugh, and passion for life continue to inspire me every day. You live on in all our hearts.

Contents

Foreword

Its no coincidence that Gail Kislevitz and I recently found ourselves working on similar book projects at the same timemy Run Forever: Your Complete Guide to Healthy Lifetime Running and her Running Past Fifty: Advice and Inspiration for Senior Runners. In fact, it was almost inevitable.

We both began our running adventures in the 1970s, weve both reached retirement age, and neither of us has any intention of giving up the energy and vibrant good health that running has brought us for nearly fifty years. Writers research and write about the passions that permeate their lives, so we both turned naturally to the subject of lifetime running and runners.

And were not alone. Around the globe, there are hundreds of thousands of other runners pushing back the boundaries of aging, fitness, running, and optimal health. Im not sure theres much rhyme to us ancient marathoners, but weve got plenty of reason.

I often reflect on the differences between my father and me. He was a World War II vet whose happy-retirement dream included a summer evening, a beach, a sunset, a porch, a rocking chair, and a cold lemonade. He couldnt imagine more. He would be happy to just sit there and relax in the moment.

How am I different? In many ways, not so much. Im also a fan of beaches, sunsets, porches, rocking chairs, and cold drinks, albeit ones that are stronger than lemonade. But heres the thing. I cant be content to just sit and rock. I also want to walk and run on the beach, and then plunge into the ocean. I want to move. I want to feel my arms, legs, and heart working in perfect synchrony. I want to get warm and sweaty, then cool and water-splashed. Because I know these simple pleasures will boost my evening enjoyment.

I know Gail and many others feel the same. We are the first generation in the history of Homo sapiensliterally the first ever; think about itwho want to stay fit and active all our lives. Why? Because we know how good it feels, and we dont ever want to relinquish that zest.

Once I was fast and loved being fast. Anyone who refuses to acknowledge the thrill of victory isnt being honest. Tell me I have a chance to win, and I will move mountains.

These days I no longer win. On a good day, I finish in the middle of the pack. On a bad day, I get lost in the rear. It doesnt matter. I dont run to collect medals and trophies. I run to enhance my life. And it works incredibly well.

At one point in my life, I sprinted the final blocks of the Boston Marathon as fast as I could, because ones Boston Marathon time was essentially the national pecking-order among US runners. Now I see Boston from an almost inside-out perspective, and find it incredibly refreshing and rewarding.

A block from the finish line, I slow to a walk. Theres no need to hurry. I look skyward to give thanks and glance all around me to soak in the fantastic scenesidewalk crowds screaming for every finisher, people leaning out of tall buildings to applaud, the gigantic Boston Marathon finish banner just ahead. Friends and family waiting to embrace me just past the finish line. I often tell fellow runners that Every mile is a gift. This is never truer than at the end of the Boston Marathon. I want to fully appreciate every moment.

All the inspirational runners chronicled in this book have completely different stories and personalities, and yet we all share much. We also like to hang out together to talk about our training, our racing, our challenges, our sore muscles, and our future goals. Much is made in running circles of this camaraderie. But what is it?

Most dictionaries define camaraderie as mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together. Sounds formal. Its not.

Runners frequently note that to be an elite athlete you must choose your parents well. Thats a reference to the substantial role that genetics play in elite performance. I believe, in addition, that we should choose our friends well.

Once, health and fitness research mainly centered on the physiologic returnsbetter heart health, lower blood pressure, less diabetes, and the like. Now things are shifting. More and more, we are concerned with mental health, from depression to Alzheimers. And guess what? Running is just as good at boosting emotional well-being as it is in promoting physical wellness. And emotional health is an absolutely central factor in the aging process. If you can stay mentally strong, you have a much better chance of staying physically strong.

Ultimately, thats why books like this oneand the runners you meet hereare so important. They will touch and positively influence every aspect of your life.

Gail and I often get together for one of our runs along the Eastern Connecticut shoreline. Well scramble along some beaches, zigzag up a few hills, and seek out other low-density pathways. We have similar tastes in this regard. As we run, the conversation will flow easily. Well discuss our training and race plans, of course. But well also check up on each others kids, chat about enticing new travel adventures, discuss recent books and movies, and mull possible writing projects. The minutes and miles will fly past.

Before we know it, we will have covered six or eight or ten miles, followed by a brief frolic in Long Island Sound and a hearty bowl of oatmeal (with blueberries, walnuts, and maple syrup, of course). I cant imagine a more perfect morning.

Weve done many a run like this. We have many more to come.

Amby Burfoot, Runners World writer at large

Introduction

When you are a lifelong runner like I am, you cant imagine a day without running in it. The joys and benefits of a running life are something to be cherished and nurtured. When I first discovered running as a teenager in the sixties, it brought unbridled joy and an energy and empowerment I had never felt before. It became my best friend and stuck with me through thick and thin, boyfriend breakups, going off to college and being away from home for the first time, and helped me cope with grades and all-nighters. My running life continued to see me through marriage, graduate school, working, and giving birth to two kids.