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“The Wisdom of Experience” Puts Masters Athletes In Front

Posted October 21st, 2007 at 8:45 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Motivation, Famous Quotes, Trail / Ultra, Masters

The Denver Post has published an article giving masters athletes a little well-deserved publicity. Along with several masters athletes, the ageless ultrarunner Marshall Ulrich is featured in the article, as is Chris Carmichael, Lance Armstrong’s trainer, who said that history is witnessing a new phenomenon of athletes who train and compete over the course of a lifetime. Carmichael says, “they just keep on going. They just keep on getting more efficient with their use of oxygen. After years and years of aerobic training and competing, they are, in a sense, smarter athletes.”

Ulrich, 56-years-old and the four-time winner of Badwater, perhaps the pinnacle of extreme sports, said – after being in last place 40 miles into this year’s 135 Badwater race – was finally worried about being too old bu then realized that, “I had to give myself a little talk and say, ‘So what?’ I had to stop feeling sorry for myself. So I’m suffering. Big deal. I expect to suffer, and really, I just don’t care. You have to remember you always come back.”

Ulrich has, over time and through years of struggle, learned the secret that Sir Roger Bannister was fortunate to realize at an early age when he became the first person to run a mile in under four minutes. Bannister knew that, “no one can say, ‘You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.’ The human spirit is indomitable.”

As for Ulrich, he said recently that, “We have this yearning. I always said I wanted to run into my 90s. Now I’m thinking I can do it into my 100s.” Indomitable, indeed. And Ulrich is just getting warmed up.

Sources: [Denver Post][10kTruth.com]

Karen Fechter said:

I loved this article; I started running a couple of years ago and read anything I can get my hands on about running, especially endurance and ultra running. I have never been an athlete or athletic - just got into the gym to loose some weight and get in better shape when I turned 41 - one thing lead to another; last year I ran my first marathon. I am still running and loving it. I look for inspiration to overcome the feelings of having started too late. This article was very inspirational. Thank you!
October 22nd, 2007 at 9:32 am