fitness, strength, and wellness over 50
More evidence that it’s almost never too late to start running. In this most recent study, individuals who began running in their fifties exhibited – within ten years – similar lean muscle mass, body fat, and running speed to same-aged runners who began running decades earlier. That’s encouraging!* I’m having to contemplate either proceeding with… Continue Reading →
If I’m being totally honest, I’d have to say that after the “high” of completing that 50K walk with my cousins and friends in early October, things have been a bit bumpy. I had a crazy string of colds, flus, and minor mysterious infections, my workout discipline ground to a near halt – partly because… Continue Reading →
If your 50+ year-old self needs a little motivation to start something new (or maybe restart something you gave up long ago), I give you Dr. Josefina Monasterio, and Julia Hawkins. Dr. Josefina Monasterio took up body-building at age 59; at age 71, she looks fitter and stronger than most folks 50 years younger. She… Continue Reading →
This wonderful feature in the New York Times profiles four runners, 90 years old and above, all competing in the 2022 National Senior Games, who drop some wisdom bombs for the ages. Like Walter Lancaster: “You got to keep moving.” And Roy Englert: “Keep moving, keep moving, keep moving… And have a little luck.” To… Continue Reading →
I’ve said before that I don’t do New Year’s resolutions, but this is going to sound like one. For the last three months, I have been inhabiting a new vocation as a full-time church pastor. I’ve also been a part-time college instructor, teaching on Zoom. My pastoral call is 45 minutes from home (5 minutes… Continue Reading →
I was about to break a streak of posting at least once every month, even though I have stuff to report! But then a great interview with one of my favorite upbeat “follows” on Twitter showed up in my in-box, and I decided to get it together and share a few things. 53-year old Jo… Continue Reading →
At 70 years of age, Joan MacDonald was overweight, badly out of shape, in pain, and on blood pressure medication. Her daughter Michelle was deeply concerned, and challenged her to start working out, and to join an online group of women trying to develop healthy habits. I’m now three years into my journey and I… Continue Reading →
(That image above is Lucas Cranach’s “The Fountain of Youth.”) First, a little rant. After encountering the umpteenth reference to an “anti-aging” expert, or vitamin, or diet, or serum, or face cream, or pill, or mask, or… WHATEVER… I found myself sputtering like Yosemite Sam. AGING IS A BIOLOGICAL THING. It happens. Aging is the… Continue Reading →
There’s something about February… It just seems to go on forever, and at least here in the midwest, is pretty relentlessly frigid and gray. Compared to last year, my activity days on Strava are way down. The biggest, most active of our dogs and I are doing shorter, less frequent hikes than we did last… Continue Reading →
We’re closing in on nearly three months since my last blog post. Three months during which life zoomed along, barely under any kind of control. (Seriously, I even had dreams about trying to maneuver an out-of-control car: one night, it was rocketing down a winding ramp from the upper floor of a parking tower, with… Continue Reading →
Banner photo above by Howe Stern; Loretta Tobolske-Horn at Desert Solstice, 2020. “I’m almost 50 and I’m not getting slower. I’m getting smarter…” In this “blogcast” I talk to ultrarunner and coach Loretta Tobolske-Horn. Loretta turns 50 next month, which is close enough to make her a 50 is the New Forte role model! I… Continue Reading →
Since January, I’ve been participating in the Full ON CVNP challenge, organized by the good folks at Western Reserve Racing. The challenge is to cover all 115 miles of trails in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) by May. It’s a great way to experience the park, get outside, and get or stay fit in… Continue Reading →
50 is the new "forte" 