4 Things We Can All Learn From Masters Runners

Why masters runners do it:  One thing all athletes, experts, and coaches typically agree on is getting adequate sleep for optimal performance. As you age, you need more recovery time between hard efforts for your body to properly repair.

Some masters elite athletes reportedly get 10-12 hours of sleep per night and even take a nap during the day. The result? Well, Olympian Magdalena Lewy Boulet, 42, won the 100-Mile Western States (her first) on hard work and a great napping plan.

Why you should, too: Runners literally pound on their bodies and need to repair the damage to properly rebuild the muscle tissue so it becomes stronger. Adequate sleep not only supplies that time but allows the mind to rest and recover as well. 

Why masters runners do it:  As we age our level of thirst decreases, which can lead to insufficient fluid intake. Sweat rate also decreases with age, and kidney function is reduced. As a result, you’re more likely to become dehydrated.

Related: Dehydration and Cognitive Function

Masters athletes should always start taking in adequate fluids in the 24 hours prior to training or racing and continue to hydrate during and after activity.

Why you should, too: Consider this fact: if you lose as little as 1 percent of body weight during a run (due to sweat), your performance goes down by 2 percent! However, we also now know you can take in too much water, a condition called hyponatremia. So the general rule is to drink when you’re thirsty. 

Why masters runners do it: Many studies show that as we age we lose muscle mass if we are sedentary. These losses can be offset, however, with dedication to movement and strength training as shown in a recent study of masters athletes.

Why you should, too: No matter your age, studies show distance runners can expect up to an 8 percent boost in running economy after performing a dedicated resistance-training program. Need some ideas? Check out our strength training page. 

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Don’t misread or misunderstand this. You shouldn’t be careless at anytime during your running career, but you can care (or at least worry) less about pace, race location, gear, and clothing.

Why masters runners do it: We’ve earned it. And because we have had many years of both life experience and running experience, we know that at the end of the day the important thing is just to keep running.

Why you should, too: Think about how long you want to run. Is it just for this week? This month? This year? Or is it for many years to come? Once you remember running is a lifelong journey that gives back what you put in 10-fold, you’ll make better decisions about running…and life.

May you live long and run faster!