Age is just a Number

"You don't stop running because you get old. You get old because you stop running."
-Christopher McDougall in Born to Run

Twenty years ago, I met a hero.

He did not impress me at the time; I only acknowledged him as someone who was constantly nearby and who seemed very fond of the woman who fed me.

At age 43, this man set a world record in a 4x800 relay in Master’s track. Later that year, he astounded his fans as he crossed the finish line of a mile race in 4:29. Read that again. 43 years old…. 4 minutes and 29 seconds for a mile. Should not compute. I can’t even get my running shoes on that fast.

Surprisingly, this human track-machine was not born with a whole lot of natural talent for running; he worked his butt off to compensate. In an age of facilitative technology and accessible convenience, genuine hard work has almost become extinct. Not to say that people don't work hard, but it has become easier to work hard in a way. Olympic swimmers put on their Fastskin LZR racer suits to out-gear their competitors, and tracks are now banked for runners to gain maximum speed as opposed to competing on the prehistoric gravel tracks of about twenty years ago. Steroids in baseball make for a whole different "ball game."

This oober-fast runner embraces hard work. He thrives on it. The asthma that flares up in him and the absence of color in this guy’s face when he finishes a race leaves a spectator wondering first if he’ll need an ambulance, and second how an old dude can put such an incredible amount of effort into every single competition that he does. And somehow, there’s always a man about ten feet in front of him who he decides to mercilessly pass right at the very end of his race. His kick is incredible. I suggested that he probably pays a man each time to stay ahead of him until right near the finish line just so he can put on a show for his fans. He laughed, but he didn’t deny it.

His life inspires everyone around him. He could have easily contented himself with the 4:15 mile record he’s held for 20 years at his high school and retired himself to a luxurious life of television and golf. Instead, he chose to live with a purpose. A few years ago he decided to try going vegan; meat hasn’t hit his lips since. He says “screw you” to old-age every time he ties up his sneakers, and he loves doing it. Why do we assign such a negative stigma to old age? As people grow older, they grow wiser. Wisdom is a beautiful thing. And in terms of distance running, people actually get faster as they get older. What if we all live like my hero, and stop letting age dictate how we live our lives? As author Lucius Seneca writes, "to have lived long enough depends neither upon our years nor upon our days, but upon our minds." Attitude can change everything.

This was the case of one man who defies inability with excruciating labor just to do what he loves. Embracing life can mean running till you want to die in a track race to please nobody but yourself, or it can mean becoming part of a community of people who share your interests. This man tackles both with his master’s track career – and he does it in style.

My dad lives with a purpose.

He was born to run.