The Next Step

Regional Runners Reinvent Boundaries

By Laura Clark

Remember how the “Don’t trust anyone over 30” quip slowly morphed into black balloons at landmark birthday parties? If you do, then you’re poised at the threshold of your latest journey: redefining old age. It seems like just years ago I told Rich Busa of Western Mass Athletic Club, and one-time holder of the 70-year-old age group record at the Vermont 100, that I wanted to grow up to be just like him (he’s now 90). Now, at 73 years old, that time has definitely arrived, but I recognize that I’ll never attempt a100-miler – I simply couldn’t stay awake that long!

What happens to those who finally acknowledge that the pie in the sky is simply that? Being a librarian, with a penchant for research, I turned to books. First, I read Never Too Late: Inspiration, Motivation and Sage Advice From 7 Later-in-Life Athletes by Kate Champion. What stood out for me was the fact that all the interviewees had either begun their athletic careers later in life or had jumpstarted after a timeout for family and career. I remember reading somewhere that no matter when you start running, you have roughly 10 years to improve. If you’re lucky enough to fit into either of the above categories you get an automatic Pass Go! card.

This worked well for Saratoga Stryders’ Stu Eichel. Stu, a self-described “skinny wimp,” found himself constantly searching for a sport. He discovered running at 50 years old and placed fifth out of 145 in his age group – “I threw away my tennis racket and never looked back.” His career lasted 30 years, never actually winning a race but usually acing his age group. About 10 years ago, he realized he could no longer run effectively, but still gets out daily to do a bouncy walk. According to Stu, “I’m 88 years old and a hell of a lot of my friends are using walkers rather than exercising. I know how lucky I am and will never quit willingly.”

If Stu Eichel’s name seems familiar, it should be. You have most likely spied him standing on a street corner painting a local scene or in a farmer’s field pondering an old barn or piece of ancient machinery. A Pratt Institute graduate, he continues to exhibit locally and is always pleased when passers-by look over his shoulder. But what does this profession have to do with his running? According to Daniel Levitin, author of Successful Aging: A Neuroscientist Explores the Power and Potential of Our Lives, one of the keys to successful aging is not to retire. If you are, don’t despair, just find some meaningful part-time or volunteer work to stretch your brain, broaden your horizons, and get you out in the morning.

I remember as a younger runner noticing that many race directors and volunteers seemed older. I always figured that as you got matured, you couldn’t run as fast so you expanded your circle. But as we progress beyond immediate family and career needs, we soften a bit, visualize the bigger picture, and become more altruistic. 

In his must-read study, What Makes Olga Run? The Mystery of the 90-Something Track Star and What She Can Teach Us About Living Longer, Happier Lives, Bruce Grierson explores what he has learned from Olga Kotelko, holder of over 30 world records. Olga began competing at track and field at age 77, where she typically entered 11 events per meet, a feat to make Usain Bolt jealous. Bruce concludes with 10 rules that have served Olga well. Two of them are: Be a mensch and cultivate a sense of progress. While age group records and comparison tables level the playing field, progress is more than numbers.  Progress is fostering a sense of compassion and a desire to give back to a sport that has given you so much. 

Sue Nealon, 70 years old, and race director for the Adirondack Runners’ Race to the Lakes 15K, comments that “Volunteering at local races, on club boards, and directing races is a way for me to give back to a sport that changed my life.” For Sue, more important than age group victories is the camaraderie she enjoys at club events. Living singly, like Olga, she views her sport as a way to broaden her horizons, meet new friends, and visit new places through racing adventures.

This ties in neatly with Olga’s primary axiom: Break a sweat, daily and differently, with others. Like Olga, 78-year-old HMRRC’s Ray Lee will never willingly quit. I first met Ray at the Indian Ladder 15K Trail Run. He pulled up to me, bruised and limping slightly, and I naturally assumed he had fallen somewhere. Not the case, though, he had taken a spill on his bike during a triathlon the day before! Made me feel like a slacker! Like Stu, Ray gets out there every day, but embraces the value of mixing things up to keep fresh and avoid repetitive injuries. At a recent Fall Back 5, Ray was acknowledged yet again for winning his age group, an age group he owned. Olga, too, as a 90-something athlete was either competing in her own age group, against younger women, or occasionally even men in her category. Nowadays, Ray regretfully admits that he struggles most with his primary sport of running. But he’s a permanent fixture at races, so much so that cutoff times are sometimes overlooked.

One person who only seems to get faster is Peggy McKeown, age 62, who calls the Saratoga Stryders her family and is the perfect illustration of Levitin’s advice to spend time with those younger than you. While this is a given in a club setting, Peggy also keeps up with the younger set in distances ranging from 5K to the marathon. Surprisingly, there was not much mention in any of the books I read about injuries, frequently a large component of a runner’s life. Peggy has had more than her share, mainly a mysterious rare condition associated with running that seemingly defied diagnosis. She explains that, “I felt like I was ignored or brushed aside, not only because of my age, but also because of being a female.” It wasn’t until she broadened her quest to larger city hospitals that she was treated with dignity, respect and a procedural cure. 

Being determined and proactive into your later years is often a requirement. My friend Rich Busa went to the doctor complaining, “When I run more than 30 miles, my shoulder starts to hurt.” The helpful doctor responded, “Why is that a problem?” I wonder if he would have said that if Rich hadn’t been in his 70s.

And now for the final burning question mark: Covid-19. It is worrisome, especially with the new research about long-haul patients presenting an array of symptoms. Still, exercisers tend to have fewer preexisting conditions and are better-in-tune with their bodies. And even those, like Sue Nealon, who feel uncomfortable about entering a race, are still running and participating in virtual events for their community fix. Full speed ahead and damn the cutoff times!

Laura Clark (snowshoegal133@gmail.com) of Saratoga Springs is an avid trail runner, ultramarathoner, snowshoer and cross-country skier. She is a children’s librarian at the Saratoga Springs Public Library.