How to stay fast at running like Joan-Benoit even as we age into 50s and 60s? Tips?

That's easy. First, be one of the fastest in your age in the world. Second, stay healthy. Third, train hard. Fourth be talented and smart enough to run through pain and bad weather and do whatever it takes to get better.

That's it. Just follow those easy steps.

You are welcome.

Choose your parents wisely and be TOUGH AS NAILS

It hasn't been easy for Joan. She flamed out hard with terrible injuries after her success in the 80s. She ran respectably in the 90s (2:36 at the trials in 1996) but was a shadow of her former self. In fact, Joan really lost a decade of prime running in her thirties due to injuries. But you don't win olympic gold medals and set records by taking it easy. Her longevity is surprising considering how badly she was beat up in the late 80s. I guess the one thing she has taught us is to never throw in the towell. Keep running no matter what.

Agree with choose your parents well as the primary factor

also: have some down time

run on soft surfaces

train smartly

don't abuse your body (Joanie is an anomaly here)

Use it or lose it as far as speed is concerned

Well, it helps when your starting point is incredibly high. In reality, she has slowed 25 minutes, nearly a minute per mile. So, it's not AS incredible as it seems. Not that I'm knocking her. She is an inspiration to runners everywhere, especially those of us who are "maturing".

I know some top Masters athletes who incorporated swim workouts into their run training. As you get older, you can probably only do 2 hard run workouts a week and swimming with a Masters swim club allows you to hammer aerobic workouts every day, while maintaining slightly lower running mileage.

Be paid $250k per year to run forever helps a lot.

I know Joan a little bit. I don't KNOW the answer, but I would guess, based on my chats with her:

1) Resting when you need to rest

2) Taking care of small problems right away (again, resting when you need to)

3) Running hard when you feel good, not slavishly following a training plan

4) Enjoying your training and your racing

I'm sure running on soft surfaces helps, too.

You think she is doing herself any good to continue to push her boby to such high stress levels? Look at her. She has the wrinkled face of a women twenty years older than her. And this is smart???? It sure as hell isn't healthy.

Ugh. Please everyone ignore this asswipe.

dean moriarty wrote:

I know Joan a little bit. I don't KNOW the answer, but I would guess, based on my chats with her:

1) Resting when you need to rest

2) Taking care of small problems right away (again, resting when you need to)

3) Running hard when you feel good, not slavishly following a training plan

4) Enjoying your training and your racing

I'm sure running on soft surfaces helps, too.

good advice for all runners

As you get older, the change in performance is so gradual that its hard to think that its due to just plain old getting older. You gain weight easier, lose muscle and generally just slow down a lot. Training helps slow that process of course. But no matter how much training you do, we will all slow up. The tough part is to reconcile yourself to its inevitability and not to get discouraged. Mental toughness is even more important as you age than when you were younger. To see an Olympic Gold Medalist fight hard to keep going is really inspiring. Most elites would have thrown in the towel long ago.

William Leonard Roberts the II wrote:

How to stay fast at running like Joan-Benoit even as we age into 50s and 60s? Tips?

In your 20's, be in world record shape. by the time you are in your 50's, you'll probably still be fast.

Lots of good points above. But the hardest part is keeping the weight down. And I say this from the perspective of a 50 year old....at my age, you can't just be trim and in shape, you really have to approach or be at the weight at age 25 - not an easy thing to do with a full time professional career and the like. But weight clearly is a big culprit in getting slow.

Wendell Gee wrote:

So, it's not AS incredible as it seems. Not that I'm knocking her.

Still don't think its incredible:

Results not up for 2010 but she has run faster so looking good

I'm 43 and I've been running since I was 14.

I'd say something a little different - that 30 years of aerobic development have made racing distance easier than ever. I've built so many capillaries that I can hold 5k pace much much easier than when I was 18. It just used to hurt more.

I suspect Joan has some of that same benefit, just much more.

And for what it is worth, I am virtually as fast now as I was at my high school peak.

As you age, eat less and try to eat healthier. Train less.

I believe that 6 days a week of running is great. 1 complete day off to rest your body will help many of you. Spread your quality work outs further apart. If you run a quality work out on Monday do another quality work out on Friday or saturday and then give yourself another 3-4 days for another quality day etc..etc.. If you're racing on Sunday, run a quality work out on Tuesday or wednesday at the latest.

William Leonard Roberts the II wrote:

How to stay fast at running like Joan-Benoit even as we age into 50s and 60s? Tips?

Train and race as always

That's it. No secrets. No tricks. Just keep training and racing.

I'm a dude who is the same age as Joanie. In college we were similar in performances (FYI I've never met her). In the '80's her marathon was over 10 minutes faster and then I was forced to "retire" in about '83. I "unretired" in my forties and was faster at all distances that I raced under 10K (no more marathons for me). I've now been injured a few years but am on the upswing. I don't plan to do a marathon but her other distance times still give me something to aim for. She is one tenacious cookie!

Do it for fun, stay healthy and don't get fat. Compete if you feel fit but don't push it too hard.