Running Truly is for All Ages

This is post three in a series of sharing your inspiring stories in my quest to take over the negative news media by sharing positive, inspiring stories from others who are…
doing what they can, with what they have, where they are.

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There’s many things I like about running… from what it does for my body, mind and soul to all the wonderful people of all ages that I meet. Last evening I ran a local 5K (3.1 miles) and I took time to meet two of the other runners there. I’ve seen both at other local races, but I never took time to get to know them before.

Rose and Cassie

Running truly is for all ages! These two lovely young ladies (who did not know each until I asked them if I can take their picture together) are both relatively new runners. And each time I see them during a run, they are focused… always with a smile on their face, enjoying the experience.

Cassie and I (with my unique post-race hairstyle)

Cassie is a 7 years old and has been doing 5ks for about a year. She runs with her dad and they also take walking breaks like I do… so sometimes we see each other numerous times in a race as we yo-yo pass each other.

Rose and I

Rose is 65 and began running two years ago… helping me bust the myth that some say they are too old to start running. There’s no magic to begin running… it’s one step at time and Rose did it right, starting slow and listening to her body as she went. During the first few months, she had some aches and pains that required her to take it easier for a few days. With time and her patience, her legs became stronger and now those aches and pains are gone.

Along with getting exercise, Rose has changed her eating habits to benefit her running. She runs about 3 days a week now and does about 2 races a month, mostly 5ks, but she did one 9.3 mile race last summer. Unlike me, one personal goal Rose has is to never walk during a race… so she moves forward at a steady pace until she crosses the finish line. This gal has endurance!

So if running is something you’ve thought of doing, but you’ve debated if you are the ‘right’ age to run, take a hint from these gals and just do it!

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Inspired? Leave a note for Rose or Cassie in the comments to thank them for being good role models. Also if you (or someone you know) has an inspiring story, share it below or at my Your Story page.