“It’s tough being an older runner, but it beats being an ex runner”

Friday 10 May 2024

Running can be tough. Running as you get older is tougher still.

But with the right attitude it can also be full of joy, friendship, challenges, and mean you can live a healthier life for longer with all the benefits that brings.

Richard Askwith was in the island to discuss his latest book, The Race Against Time, as part of the Guernsey Literary Festival.

"The reason I wrote the book was I just realised as I hit my late 50s, early 60s, running was getting much, much harder than it used to be," he said.

"And in a way I was sort of losing my running mojo and it all coincided with all the other sort of mid life stuff, you think 'oh my life is all behind me and there's nothing to look forward to'.

"I was on the verge of giving up running, but then I thought, I've got so out of running in my life and it's done so much for my wellbeing and meeting people and everything else like that. "I wanted to see if it's possible to carry on into your 60s and 70s and 80s.

"So I started looking around. I found there were people who did. I've tried to find out basically what their secret was, how can I go from being a despairing runner about to hang up his running shoes to being one of these amazing sort of almost childlike, happy, crazy, older runners."

Up at @LesCotils we’re speaking to @richardaskwith about his book ‘The Race Against Time: Adventures in Late Life Running’.

He’ll be in conversation with keen runner and reporter @mannoguernsey. #GsyLitFest pic.twitter.com/z3o5lmc4JD

— Guernsey Lit Fest (@GuernseyLitFest) May 4, 2024

Through the chapters of the book you meet real life characters that continue to run, some setting remarkable records.

The real message, Askwith said, was that it can be done.

"You think, 'old runners, that sounds really boring, just sort of shuffling around' and things like that.

"Actually older running is great. It is exciting. The best ones are fantastically good.

"Secondly, if you're in your 60s, in your 70s, you're going to get far more injuries than you used to, everything's going to hurt more than it used to, you're going to be slower, there's a lot of discouragement, so you have to have a very positive attitude to keep going.

"You go to a running event. It doesn't matter if it's a Park Run for the Over 80s or the Masters World Championships, they're just such positive people and it's such fun to be around. It's a crazy sort of silly party really."

It was very easy as you get older to become apathetic, he said, and say you have to take it easy and be gentle on yourself.

"I think a lot of the decline that you get as a runner as you get older is a sort of self fulfilling prophecy, you know, "older runners are slow, so I'm not going to try running fast anymore", but actually, the main reason older runners are slow is because they don't try to run fast.

"I think an awful lot of it's in your head. And although there are practical things you can do, build muscle, good balance, nutrition, more rest, if your head isn't right, and the physical detail doesn't matter, and if your head is right, then you're fine."

A new series is promoting the joys and benefits of running for over 50s.

You can sign up for the free Healthcare Group Masters Mile HERE, with the next introductory event taking place at Beau Sejour on Sunday 9 June at 10:00.