The aging runner

At 56, I have heard alot. The best advice was from the great John Campbell from NZ. Around 1993, I was fortunate enough to be standing around him before a race, and we started chit chatting about diet, longevity, etc. All the stuff you are asking about. His advice or opinion was simple: "You American's worry too much about this diet or that diet. Run everyday, work hard everyday, and when your time comes, you won't have any say, it will already be decided for you."

I think he just turned 40, and he ran a 31 minute 10k later that day. Dude was unreal.

The false dichotomy Xanax or Alcohol is a red flag

Alcohol consumption raises blood pressure

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16922819

Find a better way to RELAX;)

You have a few years on me but I can see down the road LOL

It certainly is confounding to see things like BP when you've done everything you could to prevent it.

Unfortunately "undoing" years of stress is not that easy, because what happens in response to stress is vascular remodeling, which leads to changes in arteriolar tone most prominently in the kidneys. Take the meds.

The new guidelines do give adults ages 60 and older a bit more leeway. Treatment is not automatically recommended in this age group for people with blood pressures of 140-149/90, unless they have diabetes or kidney disease

Unfortunately, people in our age cohort grew up in the biggest failed lifestyle experiment in history: low-fat/high-carb coupled with chronic cardio exercise in an attempt to make up for the lack of true quality movement and strength development throughout the day. Until we address this on a personal level, you only have to look around you to see where it will lead.

82nd AB wrote:

At 56, I have heard alot. The best advice was from the great John Campbell from NZ. Around 1993, I was fortunate enough to be standing around him before a race, and we started chit chatting about diet, longevity, etc. All the stuff you are asking about. His advice or opinion was simple: "You American's worry too much about this diet or that diet. Run everyday, work hard everyday, and when your time comes, you won't have any say, it will already be decided for you."

I think he just turned 40, and he ran a 31 minute 10k later that day. Dude was unreal.

My wife's family could eat sticks of butter every day and have good cholesterol numbers and long lives, I look at butter and mine heads south. I get the gist of Campbell's statement, but "hard work" sitting/standing 9 hrs a day instead of working on a farm are kind of different.

Didn't Campbell run pwards 140 mpw? I do see running more when I retire, I kid somewhat that will train like the world's slowest Kenyan.

Charlie wrote:

The false dichotomy Xanax or Alcohol is a red flag

Alcohol consumption raises blood pressure

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16922819

Find a better way to RELAX;)

I hear you. I think the only way to really do that comes with retirement. There are other extenuating circumstances at the present like a seriously though not gravely ill wife. Kind of hard to escape the stress at the moment. Running has been the one thing I could count on to help me through the tough times, I probably would have already been out of here without it.

Xanax and alcohol are both interacting at the same GABA-benzodiazepine receptor complex.

What pill are you on for the blood pressure? First line is often a diuretic which reduces the blood volume by inhibiting the reabsorption of sodium.

xlev2 wrote:

Unfortunately "undoing" years of stress is not that easy, because what happens in response to stress is vascular remodeling, which leads to changes in arteriolar tone most prominently in the kidneys. .

Thanks, that's interesting.

Benefactor wrote:

Unfortunately, people in our age cohort grew up in the biggest failed lifestyle experiment in history: low-fat/high-carb coupled with chronic cardio exercise in an attempt to make up for the lack of true quality movement and strength development throughout the day. Until we address this on a personal level, you only have to look around you to see where it will lead.

Gotta agree with most of this.

Often ignored around the senior runners are the dangers of chronic inflammation.

Researchers speculate that potential causes of greater coronary calcium in extreme athletes could be inflammation, changes in the structure of the heart or an excess secretion of certain proteins or hormones. “It is true that exercise may increase parathyroid hormone levels, and thus MAY increase vascular calcification,” acknowledged Dr. Levine wrote in an email.

But Dr. Levine argues that substantial research supports a more-is-better mentality. Aging “athletes have youthful, compliant (flexible) hearts and large blood vessels that have a biological age more than 25 years ‘younger’ than their chronological age compared with their healthy but sedentary counterparts,” said Dr. Levine.

At 49 I made a lucky gut feeling change to my training. I switched to only running every 3rd day with easy below 60 mhr on the other days. The running day was HARD with a long post workout walk. This has morphed over the last 10 plus years with some years of no running just easy walking/hiking.

Next time you see someone who is in good health but probably 20 plus years your senior ask them for advice.

If a forty year old ask me I would say take it easy and quit trying to beat the clock. Run hard when you really want to run hard just for the shear joy of effort.

Ghost of Igloi wrote:

The new guidelines do give adults ages 60 and older a bit more leeway. Treatment is not automatically recommended in this age group for people with blood pressures of 140-149/90, unless they have diabetes or kidney disease

Now this is VERY interesting since those are my numbers, the past two weeks I have averaged 145/84 am and 143/85 pm. Before this and getting as much salt out of my diet as I could it was 161/99.

I think my doc took into consideration family history. She does want me to use the minimal dosage I can manage to lower it, then look at getting off again. I think the largest contributor to this is work stress and things will get better when I'm done with the job. I actually like/love the job most of the time (tech) but I am ready to be done with it.

My only health related problems are orthopedic in nature. My knees and hips really ache, especially on days when I run more than an hour. Cholesterol, blood pressure, and all other annual screening readings are "outstanding" per my doctor. If only I could get rid of joint pain and muscle soreness, I'd feel like a teenager.

Overall, doing great, especially compared to my peers.

Benefactor wrote:

Unfortunately, people in our age cohort grew up in the biggest failed lifestyle experiment in history: low-fat/high-carb coupled with chronic cardio exercise in an attempt to make up for the lack of true quality movement and strength development throughout the day. Until we address this on a personal level, you only have to look around you to see where it will lead.

For many years we had an office with a shower and I could run at lunch time, which helped break up the office workday with some real quality workouts.

Work has gotten so busy now and no shower in the present office so I can't do that anymore. I do walk about the office often but it isn't really what I'd consider exercise, just better than nothing.

old man shuffle wrote:

My only health related problems are orthopedic in nature. My knees and hips really ache, especially on days when I run more than an hour. Cholesterol, blood pressure, and all other annual screening readings are "outstanding" per my doctor. If only I could get rid of joint pain and muscle soreness, I'd feel like a teenager.

Overall, doing great, especially compared to my peers.

I would say compared to my peers I am doing the same. Kind of funny to listen to much younger people blaming age for this or that, I only blame it when it is convenient.

I look forward to having enough time to do all of the strengthening and other exercises to avoid or minimize injury, as long as we keep pushing up the mountain hard not to have an owie here or there.

Twilight,

I get up early before work several times a week. Running in the afternoon is not an option, too tired (I am 66). I find I am in a better mood and handle the stress much better on the morning running days.

Good luck.

Igy

old man shuffle wrote:

My only health related problems are orthopedic in nature. My knees and hips really ache, especially on days when I run more than an hour. Cholesterol, blood pressure, and all other annual screening readings are "outstanding" per my doctor. If only I could get rid of joint pain and muscle soreness, I'd feel like a teenager.

Overall, doing great, especially compared to my peers.

Do you do anything like water running or use a low impact treadmill? Personally I run because I love it and want to do it when I have the time, not swim or run in a pool. I don't mind the treadmill so much, but pool running sounds about as much fun as a root canal to me.

Good question Twilight. Like you I am looking forward to retirement (two years from now) and doing a lot more running plus just being more active. Hopefully my general health will support that but one never knows. Currently everything works just slowly. I have no advice for you but wanted to wish you well and that you have a long and rewarding retirement.

Ghost of Igloi wrote:

Twilight,

I get up early before work several times a week. Running in the afternoon is not an option, too tired (I am 66). I find I am in a better mood and handle the stress much better on the morning running days.

Good luck.

Igy

I am doing that now. I was an evening after-work runner for many years, then we went to four 9 hour days and the fatigue and darkness made me change my ways. I've had a couple of post-marathon injuries and just now getting back to consistent training and plan to run shorter races for a while until I can train as a free man.

Gelindo wrote:

Good question Twilight. Like you I am looking forward to retirement (two years from now) and doing a lot more running plus just being more active. Hopefully my general health will support that but one never knows. Currently everything works just slowly. I have no advice for you but wanted to wish you well and that you have a long and rewarding retirement.

Thanks and back at you!

If I had it all to do over again I might have been an olive tree and caper bush farmer. Probably moving to a climate that will preclude that from being a retirement project though. I am going to do some writing and sculpture in between workouts.