So it looks like a chose the one sport where one can only improve with age. I’ve read articles in Runners World and other fitness magazines about how the body ages and how this affects fitness. The general consensus is that being fit helps the aging process, but at a certain point one can expect her fitness to only decline. Women who were setting records in high school and college can expect that while they can continue to run, they won’t ever reach the fitness they were at their peak in youth.

Ultrarunning, however, is a different story. Speed and power is not necessarily an asset. This morning I was alerted to the fact that I’m in first place for my age group in Coastal Trail Runs Trail Blazer standings. Now don’t get me wrong. The only reason I have so many points is because I’ve done 3 50K’s this year to train for AR50. I’m the slowest in my age group by far. But looking at the results from this page and looking at the various results from the past races I’ve noticed that the majority of women and men who run ultra distances (over 26.2 miles at at time) are over 30. The woman who won the Canyon Meadow 50K ran it 2 hours faster than me and happens to be more than 20 years my senior. While it’s true that she might have been a real speed demon in her youth, she’s still winning races in her middle age. Amazing!

So I’m inspired. I’ve set the bar pretty low as a runner and I know that if I work harder and am persistent, I can improve with age and haven’t reached my full potential yet.

Here’s what Tony can look forward to in a few decades:

What a babe ;)