Some days I can't believe I am in my 40s and this has involved a little bit of introspection as I try to grapple with what it means to be considered a masters athlete. I know that eventually I will start to lose my speed and my times will start to slow. Based on the research, or at least what we know about performance, it seems widely accepted that speed declines as we age and eventually endurance performance starts to wane. When exactly this happens may be subject to debate and perhaps differs from person to person. So I had two choices here. I could either give up and focus on exercise for health span and succumb to the inevitable decline in my speed and endurance or I could take this as a challenge to prove that age is only a number and see what I am capable during this next decade of life.
Recently I started to run and train seriously again. My son is almost 5 years old and I have a little bit more time now to focus on my training. I also have years of experience as a runner. I have made so many mistakes and always took my running a bit for granted. Now that I am older I can't get away with the things I could get away with in my 20s. If I want to improve my running and set personal records I have to be more deliberate and strategic.
On July 4th of 2024 I ran a 5k in a time of 19:04. This is not my best 5k time but it is over 1 minute faster than the same exact race 1 year ago. I have not been great about taking notes or recording my time for the 5k or 10 k over the years. I didn't write any of my times down and finding the times on the internet so many years later has proven to be difficult. I think I have run a 5k on the track in less than 18 minutes but I can't find any record of this. My exact personal record from college or my 20s may never be known. In high school I have some times of less than 19 minutes in the 5k during Cross Country. I have a few times in college but mostly from cross country races.
So what am I doing in my 40s that I did not necessarily do in my 20s? Here is an outline of some of the things that I am doing and I also plan to come up with more specific posts and videos with some of the "why" behind each of these:
I started taking creatine monohydrate. There is evidence that taking creatine is helpful for short bursts of exercise but there can also be some benefit to recovery for longer duration exercise. In addition, there are some interesting cognitive benefits that may be helpful for healthy aging.
I am periodically tracking my glucose levels using a CGM or continuous glucose monitor. Full discloser here because I do work for a CGM company called Nutrisense. This means that I do have access to CGMs and I also have some bias regarding how they can be helpful for athletes and overall health. I like to use the CGM to help me determine my carbohydrate needs for exercise and to help me maintain stable energy levels. I have also found a huge connection between my stress and glucose levels so this has been another reason I am using the CGM as something to motivate me to work on my stress management.
Focusing on gut health. "Runners trots" is a term almost every runner is familiar with because we have all experienced the dreaded need to go poop in the middle of a run. I was suffering with this more often than I would like to admit. So I started to make some changes to my diet and adding probiotics to help with this. So I have added more veggies in the form of large and hearty salads. I have also added a prebiotic supplement and probiotic. This has proved to be vital as I have reduced the need to use the bathroom during a run and also my anxiety around planning my runs to include a bathroom stop.
Focusing on recovery which means a lot of different things and may overlap a bit with some of the other things I am doing. Recovery in this context means watching my HRV or heart rate variability and tracking my readiness for workouts. I am currently using a heart rate monitor and app called Morpheus which analyzes my recovery and training intensities and gives me specific goals for heart rate in each zone.
Getting periodic blood work and monitoring my autoimmune disease. I have a thyroid condition called Hashimoto's thyroiditis and it sucks. So I need to keep an eye on my thyroid levels and my energy levels. So with all of the training I am doing I need to pay more attention to recovery and balancing my training with fueling properly. I also follow a gluten free diet and take supplements to support my thyroid.
Iron and improving ferritin. So my ferritin has always been lower than optimal. I have struggled with low ferritin since my time running at the University of Colorado in college. I am being more strategic about supplementation and eating iron rich foods.
Focus on stress management and sleep. I already mentioned this but it includes taking time during the day to relax and focusing on my bedtime routine.
Eating enough protein! This is just so important for all athletes but particularly female athletes as we age. So I make sure I am getting enough of this through diet and supplementing protein powder. I also use collagen powder strategically before some of my workouts to possibly help with the health of my tendon and ligament health as I age.
Eating adequate carbs to fuel my exercise. This should be a no-brainer. The reason I am mentioning this is because in an age of low carb lifestyle fanatics some athletes forget that carbs are the primary fuel source for exercise. Eating too few carbs can be detrimental for performance. Full stop.
Other supplements to help support training such as a multivitamin but also collagen which I also mentioned. I kind of view a multivitamin as an insurance plan. Of course, I will be focusing on eating lots of nutrient dense foods but there is some research that athletes have an increased need for certain micronutrients so there really is no reason not to supplement with a good quality multivitamin. I also take magnesium at night before bed and sometimes use other supplements as need for sleep or for recovery.
Mindset. This means having a positive attitude and to believe in myself and my abilities. I know I have the ability to meet my goals. For me it is also about embracing the process and enjoying the day to day grind of training. It needs to be enjoyable and fun.
Hydration and electrolytes - Drinking electrolytes before, during, and after training and testing my electrolyte needs. I use the LMNT electrolytes and I plan to do some sweat testing using a sweat patch to get a better idea of my sweat rate and how much sodium I am losing during exercise. I have a feeling it is high because I am a salty sweater.
Strength training. This is a none negotiable. In my mid-30s I had a bit of an epiphany when I tried to do a squat and could barely bend my knees. This was pathetic and concerning. I knew that if I could barely do a proper squat in my 30s I was going to be in trouble later in life. So I joined a CrossFit gym and this changed my life. Not only did I find out that I love lifting heavy things. I also found a secrete weapon to success. I ran some of my best races while also doing CrossFit and this includes running the Boston marathon and winning the Run Rabbit Run 50 miler in 2017. I feel stronger and more capable not that I am in my 40s than I ever did in my 20s.
There may be a few things I am missing or maybe just some basic things such a following a training plan (which may be obvious) and also trying to add mobility. I also use a Thera gun which has made a huge impact on my recovery despite the potential lack of evidence. As a working mom who pays an arm and leg for daycare, I don't have a ton of money at the end of the month for massage, but this might be something I add as I get closer to the marathon.
It also makes me wonder how good I could have been if I focused on even just a handful of these when I was in college. I think perhaps recovery was a big missing piece for me at that time and for several years after. It is never helpful to wish you did something different because you can't change the past. So instead I will take what I have learned and move forward. I am excited to see what I can accomplish in my 40s!
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