fitness, strength, and wellness over 50
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJAW8STfiko This is a great short documentary about 52-year old Nicky Spinks, one of the last two women standing at this year's bonkers Barkley Marathon in Tennesee. For the second year in a row, nobody completed the race - five soul-sucking laps of 20 miles in treacherous terrain and wild weather. In fact, in 33... Continue Reading →
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 →
Submitted for your approval: biker shorts that "imbue average people with superhuman walking abilities." I can see the therapeutic possibilities for restoring mobility in people who have lost it, which helps to redirect my thoughts from their otherwise inevitable trajectory to "The Wrong Trousers." Moving right along... I don't know how I missed this in... Continue Reading →
I met Suez Jacobson when I sat (briefly) on the board of directors for Great Old Broads for Wilderness, at the same time she did. We bonded immediately over our shared commitment to wilderness preservation, writing, outdoor sports, teaching, and hand-written letters. When I started thinking of “everyday athletes” in my circles that I would... Continue Reading →
Part of me says "hey, wait for me!" And the other part says, "oh, H*** no!" Watch this mesmerizing look at cold open water swimming, featuring the "swim twins," Kari Furre and Kate Rew. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wB3THSHPLuQ Read more about Kari Furre and her Outdoor Swimming Society here. The weird thing about this video coming across my... 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 →
How many of you remember Allison Roe? Though her reign as a leading female distance runner in the early 1980s was brief, it was impressive. She won the Boston and NYC and Seoul marathons in 1981, and broke Mary Decker Slaney's course record in the iconic Atlanta Peachtree (10K) road race the same year. This... Continue Reading →
Despite being somewhat debilitated and dilapidated from the running perspective, I still read “Runner’s World,” “Trail Runner,” and even “UltraRunning” (a dilapidated girl can dream!) every month. The October issue of “Runner’s World” features a wonderful profile of 58-year old Edison Eskeets and his recent 330-mile tribute run, retracing the route his Navajo ancestors were... Continue Reading →
My 10K tune-up (walking, not running) was a comedy of errors. The parking lot turned out to be nearly 1.5 miles from the starting line, and I pulled into the lot with just 15 minutes to spare. My best walking pace lately has been around 15 minutes/mile, so I was already in trouble. When I... Continue Reading →
This New York Times feature on conducting a midlife tune-up has some great information about fitness at midlife, including some short, smart workout routines, nutrition recommendations, and a few recipes. It also includes a link to a modified version of the popular 7-Minute Workout routine (which I have used in hotels with no fitness center,... Continue Reading →
I woke up extra tired yesterday, and skipped my morning exercise routine in favor of slouching at my computer desk, clutching a Diet Coke and reading about how a consistent workout routine can undo the effects of - well - decades of sitting at a computer desk. I also read about a 50-year old woman... 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. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HuM2QlQDSY Dr. Josefina Monasterio took up body-building at age 59; at age 71, she looks fitter and stronger than most folks 50 years younger.... Continue Reading →
