A lot of people have told me that they’ve been encouraged and motivated by my beginning to run at the age of 56, and it was only after I started running that I realized there are a huge number of runners past the age of 50. If you’re 50 or older I would like to give you the opportunity to share your running experiences with the readers of the Old-Runner blog. Part of my own motivation to keep running has come from meeting runners in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and even 80s who are still going strong. It doesn’t matter if you’re fast or slow, but only that you’re 50 or older and still out there running. It also doesn’t matter if you’ve run a thousand races or if you’re a recreational runner and haven’t run any races at all. Readers will be encouraged by runners of all skill levels!

It would be great to have hundreds or thousands of profiles to motivate people who are thinking about running. I’ll create a new blog entry for each runner and as the list of runners grows we’ll have permanent links to each runner’s profile, probably arranged according to state (we’ll work out the details as we go along).

Following are some questions that you can use as guidelines if you wish. Feel free to just ignore any or all of the questions and just share anything you feel like sharing. Send your story to me by clicking on the “Contact” button at the top of the blog page and typing directly into the form or just email it to me directly at richard@hefner.com — also, if you could attach a photo to your email or tell me where to find a picture of you online that would be great.

Be sure to include this information…

Name:
Residence (City/State):
Date of Birth:

All of the following are optional to help get you started…

What year did you begin running?

What was your motivation to begin running?

What has been your motivation to continue running?

What kind of training do you do?

Have you worked with a trainer or coach, or just on your own?

How many miles do you run each week?

How many days a week do you run?

Have you decreased the miles you run as you have gotten older?

Do you do most of your training running with others or by yourself?

Has running helped you lose weight or control your weight?

Do you use any particular diet program or regimen to help control your weight?

Are there any running books that have been especially helpful to you?

What is the longest distance you have run in a race?

What is your favorite race distance (5k, 10, half marathon, marathon, ultra marathon, or something else)?

Do you have any particularly memorable races or accomplishments you would like to share with us?

Have you had any injuries during your running career, and if so, how did you deal with them?

What are your future running plans and/or goals?

How long do you plan to continue running?