How Old is Old

Age had been a regular theme in my running blogs over the last few years.  I don’t feel particularly old (most days), but every once in a while I have to face some situation that reminds me I’m not as … (fill in the blank…strong, fast, handsome, hairy, mobile, etc.) as I once was.   No surprise here but it does raise two questions: how old is old these days and when does the brain catch up with the reality of the body.

The oldest person in the world is currently 118 years old.   In a Scientific America article, researchers projected that if you are not killed by cancer, heart disease or being hit by a bus, people born today have the potential to live to be 120-150 years old.    Of course, your mileage may vary based on your life choices.    Until fairly recently, anyone over 65 was considered old.   I honestly didn’t think of myself as old when I ran Boston at 65.   These days people are doing things at 70 and 80 that would have been unheard of a generation ago.   That’s especially true in sports.  A runner from my city here in VA completed the Boston Marathon last year at the age of 81.   Johnny Kelly, who won the Boston Marathon twice, ran it 61 times, the last time at the age of 84.    There are now age group records for the marathon for runners over 85, 90 and even one set by a 100-year-old man.

My children consider me old…too old in fact to be running Marathon Challenges.   For me, the best bellwether of aging (and my health) has been the yearly marathons/marathon challenges.   It was symptoms while training for the Boston Marathon that sent me to the doctor and ultimately diagnosed my leukemia (and likely saved my life).  It was also difficulty running while getting ready for my Marathon Challenge that resulted in my Parkinson’s diagnosis.   And it continues to be running that not only allows me to assess my health but measure the progression of Parkinson’s as well.    At the same time, I recognize the reality of the physical challenges I’m facing in the coming years.   My new mantra is “acceptance is not surrender”.    That is why I’m enlisting family, friends, and well, anyone who has been touched by cancer to join me in the Miles for Smiles Virtual Run/Walk to raise funds to help children and their families battling Pediatric Cancer.  You can register at:

2023 — Miles for Smiles — Race Roster — Registration, Marketing, Fundraising

or donate directly to Help in the Nick of Time at:

Essex County Community Foundation (etransfer.com)

Join this old man and be part of bringing some joy and a smile to a child in midst of the fight of their life.

I’ll see you out on the roads….