running past 75

I swim, work out and run/walk. 1. Swimming. I swim 5 days a week, usually in the morning before work, for a half hour. I am a slow swimmer, I alternate breast stroke, freestyle, backstroke and elementary backstroke. On Boyd's advice, I have recently added using the kickboard. Don't know how many laps I swim, I lose count! 2. Fitness center workout once a week. I use the elliptical for 6 minutes, then a combination of free weights, machines and a little plyometrics. It takes around 45 minutes. I bike .6 miles to the center. 3. Run/walk. I started seriously training in April. (Before then, I went out once a week for 8 miles) Now I train 3 days a week. Twice I do 5.4 miles, usually after work. I do my long training once a week, starting before dawn, adding a few tenths a week, so now I am up to 14.3 miles. I wear a fit bit to track my miles, and also my heart rate. I find that except for the first minute or two, my heart rate is at "peak", average 145-150/min t

Boyd and I celebrate 54 years today, September 5th. We met at an evening geology lab at Penn State on  January 27, 1963. I thought he was an instructor, he could identify all the rocks! Despite a bitter cold night, he walked with me about a mile back to my dorm. We both made A's in the subject and have been together ever since. Boyd doesn't run, but is my wing man. He times my training when I don't want to wear the Fitbit. He arranges hotels and transportation when necessary and cheers me on, sometimes handing me chocolate at the halfway point. I love and appreciate him and our lives together so much. Linda

Well, I decided to test myself on a beach run on sand. I have never run on sand before. Conditions were tough! It was sunny, hot (around 80 degrees) and humid. Luckily it was low tide (firm sand). Bottom line, I finished in 1 hour 8 minutes, a pace of 13.6 min/mile. I was the only female over 65. It was great! That pace for a half marathon distance --my finishing time would be (just) under 3 hours. Yeah! Linda

Today is my birthday. 75! A good day to set new goals! I have been run/walking for 11 years. This year I plan to complete a half marathon each month. My goals for each of the 12- 1. Finish each in less than 3 hours. 2. Win my age/gender group. 3. Stay healthy! Goal #2 will be challenging. My PR is 2 hrs 39 minutes, but that was 2 yrs ago and my times have slowed since then. Goal #1 is more achievable- I will often be the only entry in my age/gender group! I also strive for negative splits and to run at least 50% of the distance, but the above are my main goals. Most of these half marathons had a few hundred finishers last year. But one had 29, and another over 20,000!  My half marathons are in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Hampshire, Florida, North Dakota and British Columbia. Most will be on paved roads but one is 50% trail, and another is all trail. I have done a couple of these half marathons before but, most are new to me. I am excited to be doing this and