Core Daily
One Small Change
The Age-Defying Mindset
Amby Burfoot, the 1968 winner of the Boston Marathon, running in the World Veterans Championships 10,000 meters, Riccione, Italy, Sept. 2007.
My friend Amby Burfoot won the Boston Marathon in 1968. Like me, he’s celebrating a birthday this month; he was 63 a few days ago. I’ve often thought that it must be doubly difficult for elite athletes to get older. They not only experienced the rush of great victory but also the peak performance of their bodies. That sort of thing defines you. Surely after that, every back-of-the-pack finish and every struggle to get off the couch must be more difficult than it ever is for aging recreational athletes like myself. Since the elite have risen higher, the drop must be more precipitous.
But when I called Amby recently to catch up, he didn’t offer much support for my theory. He’s still running (more than 100,000 miles to date), living the athletic life (as editor-at-large for Runner’s World) and competing at a high level (with an over-60 racing team at the annual cross-country national championships). Although he bemoans his loss of speed, strength, and fluidity (“My stride feels like it’s 6 inches long now”), he doesn’t mourn the years or the loss of his former self—at least not too much. And ironically that’s what seems to be keeping him young and active. Amby has what I call an “age-defying mindset.” Here are some of its components:
Accept today’s performance for what it is.
Maybe tomorrows will be better; maybe it won’t. Don’t let comparison rob you of effort and enjoyment. Live in the athletic moment.
Get a little more zen.
Working out isn’t about logging more miles or getting a six-pack. There’s a bigger reward. Find yours.
Keep setting goals.
“I don’t care if they’re low-bar or Olympian,” says Amby, “goals are the key to staying motivated. If I don’t have them then everything else starts to slip away.”
Become part of the human race.
“All my friends told me to stop entering races because I’d be horrified at finishing so far back,” Amby tells me. “But I’ve continued to enter races, and I routinely finish far back. But rather than being disappointing, it’s been liberating. It’s no fun being an elite athlete, whereas there’s a party going on in the back of the pack.”
Kick some geezer butt (at least occasionally).
One of the hidden benefits of keeping yourself in great shape is that you may eventually realize (or return to) glory. If nothing else you can win the war by attrition. Amby has run the Manchester (Connecticut) 5-Miler every year since 1963. After winning it repeatedly when he was younger, he went some 30 years without a victory. But now he’s won his age group the last 3 consecutive years. “I’m not going to tell you that’s not fun,” he admits.
Realize that ‘still doing’ is a version of winning.
“Nobody recognizes me or cheers when I cross the finish line any more,” Amby concludes, “but it’s incredibly significant to me because it means that I’m still out there, still kicking, still able to go the distance.”
<< Previous Post Next Post >>
About The Author
Joe Kita – Joe Kita is a noted writer, editor, motivational speaker and teacher. He authors the blog "One Small Change" for CorePerformance.com.
