She’s Running Toward Her Goal
Cynthia is a friend of a friend who, at 57, is the fittest female I know – wiry with taut muscles and boundless energy.
She started running in her 20’s because she loved being outdoors and is a high energy sort of person. It suits her. Her professional life in the field of therapy keeps her indoors and running is a great outlet I’m sure.
The last time she was here she told me about her effort to master the technique called Chi Running which many believe is the best way. (This interesting philosophy is described as a “revolutionary approach to effortless, injury- free running/walking – go to ChiRunning.com to learn more about it. The novel Born to Run also provides insight into the natural human ability to run) She was here for the Philadelphia marathon and improved her personal best time considerably using the Chi method.
At the ripe old age of 50, she set a personal goal to run 60 marathons by the time she turned 60. She’s ahead of schedule since at 57 she has done 58 in 16 different states! And many of these aren’t the urban runs you see on the evening news.
She lives in the northwest where marathons are held among the high mountains in places like Death Valley, Red Rock Canyon NV, and Choteau, MT. This is some serious running. She must do cities like Dallas, Philadelphia, New York and Las Vegas for rest stops!
I was amazed when she sent me this description of a recent run in Lone Pine, CA.
“It was just a matter of 7 miles straight up against the east side of Mt. Whitney, 9 miles straight down into the valley, another straight up, another straight up, and yet another…. Absolutely gorgeous the entire time.
I loved it. No spectators (good; the trail was dust so car-spectators would have stirred it up awfully); the best food and drink array ever; and…..I came in first in my division with a trail-time that doesn’t begin to compete with my personal best but those grades were insistent.”
Insistent????? I can think of lots of other descriptive adjectives for that trip..…
In the run right before that one, she came in fourth BUT– the first three winners were all 25 or 26 years old. Ah, Cynthia – you make us all proud!
In the time it’s taken me to get this written, she has completed her 60th with The Prince of Wales run in Alaska and has signed up for 6 more this year. Well done, lady!
She describes her training regimen as taking it easy. She runs the marathons because they’ve become a fun way to see microcosms of lots of different communities for a weekend. She goes back to the ones that were especially fun. Her advise to others is to continue to pay attention to good body rhythms; swim, walk and bike in between marathons. Add some tempo work or long-distance training runs, but focus om doing whatever exercise is enjoyable and not painful or boring. She keeps her life in balance with Tai Chi, yoga, gardening and reading. enjoying music, friends, her cat and dog and her work.
Her inspiration for the rest of us is to:
Start where you are, not where you want to be.
Get advice for doing it well so it is physically helpful rather than harmful.
Don’t underestimate yourself.
Do what you enjoy!
