Disclaimer: The author is not a qualified medical practitioner or accredited coach. The information provided is not intended as medical advice or to replace advice given by trained medical or allied health professionals or qualified coaches. Content herein does not constitute specific advice to the reader’s circumstance. It is only opinion based on the author’s perspective that others may learn from.

Anyone of any age who engages in running, and related exercise, should be in tune with their body and seek medical advice before embarking on an exercise program (including changes to said program) that may unduly extend them. This is critical should the aspiring athlete have underlying medical conditions and/or ongoing health issues requiring medication.

‘Ideal weight is unique to the individual, based on his body makeup and the physical work he’s trying to accomplish.’ (article Finding Ideal Weight, author not identified, 1972)1

‘If you look at body fat, it seems to increase with age, even though your weight does not. That’s a physiological fact of ageing, they say. Heck it is. It is an adaptive effect of ageing.’ (Dr Kenneth H Cooper, 1987)2

‘For masters athletes wanting to lose or control body fat and improve that PB or win a gold, it is also important to hold on to or develop muscle mass. This can only be achieved by weight training.’ (Peter Reaburn PhD, 2009)3

‘While a reduction in body fat may well boost running performance, cut down food intake too drastically, and not only will training quality suffer, but the risk of illness and injury also increases dramatically.’ (Prof Ron Maughan)4

‘Scientific research reveals that there is an inverse relationship between endurance-running performance and percent body fat.’ (Owen Anderson PhD, 2013)5

‘Self-confidence comes from hard training and from what kind of nutrition you are eating. Your weight is important as well. When you gain weight, you cannot run very fast.’ (Henry Rono, 1997)6

1. Introduction

The relationship between body weight and distance racing performance is a vexed issue for the mature distance runner. Inextricably linked to body composition (fat, muscle and bone), and encompassing nutrition, it is not a simple equation. For no matter what a mature endurance athlete does, the slowing of the body’s metabolic activity that is caused by ageing generates unwanted fat.

I am now into the back end of my seventh decade and despite being reasonably disciplined in my commitment to a twice weekly free weights regime, and consistency in my running, I have noticed a propensity for the development of a paunch around my stomach. I have also noticed this phenomenon in other mature aged athletes. Of course, there are mature endurance athletes who may appear ultra-thin. But even these individuals will likely admit to some additional girth around their waistline, hidden from view by their singlets, but apparent when naked in front of the mirror. It’s a matter of degree.

In researching this article, I nearly fell down an investigatory rabbit hole of fitness versus longevity versus diet versus calorie counting versus body mass index versus fasting versus everything else that health industry experts throw at the issue of weight loss. However, the purpose of this article is not to engage in broad ranging discussion about all of the issues that may relate to body weight and fat, but rather, to centre the discussion on some critical body composition issues that affect racing performance of the mature aged endurance competitor. 

It is a taster for future articles in the Fundamentally Speaking series about nutrition, sleep and hormonal changes. Content is introductory in nature, and based on a presumed level of knowledge: it is not a three-course meal, so to speak! So, it may not totally satiate your appetite for information about body composition and weight loss.

Comments are also based on the assumption that readers are not suffering from a medical condition or taking medicine. 

2. A Wicked Problem 

For the mature runner the lighter you are, per se, does not necessarily equate to improved performance, for it is your body composition that counts. As you age it is a constant battle between loss of muscle mass and bone density and strength, pitted against increases in body fat. Often described as a ‘dead weight’, excess body fat adversely impacts your power to weight ratio (aka ratio of active to inactive bodyweight)7, which is a key contributor to race performance outcomes. For many of us, the task is to reduce fat, increase/retain muscle and decrease weight, while maintaining or improving this ratio. It is important to understand that fat doesn’t replace muscle with ageing, rather muscle decreases and fat increases as a result of two totally separate physiological processes.

There is a yin and yang that is central to all of this discussion. As Reaburn8 states: ‘If an athlete is trying to increase body weight, energy intake must exceed energy expenditure. Conversely, if an athlete wants to reduce body weight, energy output must exceed energy intake.’ Sounds simple enough! But it is a challenging balancing act, made more complex by the need to understand nutrition and physiological exercise/training effects.

So, before going any further it is worth distinguishing between nutrition and diet:

Nutrition is the process of utilising food for growth, metabolism and repair of tissues.9

Diet is the total amount of food consumed by individuals. A nutritionally sound diet comprises five characteristics: adequacy, balance, moderation, calorie control and variety.10

Sports nutrition is the science and practice of nutrition/diet and exercise to optimise athletic performance.11

Hormonal changes also play a part in the body weight equation. By age 40, men start to lose testosterone and women lose estrogen, the effect on men’s loss of muscle being larger than women’s loss. In addition, there is a decrease in hormones related to muscle maintenance and development. From these combined changes, for some individuals there may not be any change in body weight because the loss of muscle is masked by an increase in body fat.12 And as Noakes13 and Anderson14 have indicated, the increase in body fat, and reduction in muscle mass, which is of a poorer quality anyway, also reduces your VO2max! The only realistic hope is to mitigate the loss of muscle mass by concentrating on appropriate strength-based training, as even the fastest senior endurance athletes carry perhaps 5 to 8 percent more fat than the lightest elite athletes.15

Maughan16 contends that we can separate food intake from body fatness if we add exercise to the equation, citing examples of study subjects who did the most running having the lowest levels of body fat, even though they did consume more food. 

Reaburn17 advises that total body fat is less relevant to overall health and vitality, than where that body fat is actually stored. And goes on to say that a safe combination of diet and exercise means that body fat will be removed from where it is stored the most, not from what part of the body you exercise. By way of example, he states this is why doing a lot of sit ups will not necessarily result in a smaller stomach.

Anderson18 has identified four key negative effects of fat on running capacity as: an increase in energy costs, hampers running economy, lessens the ability to accelerate, and diminishes VO2max.

Friel has stated that high intensity training is more likely to reduce excess flab than long slow distance, and is beneficial for body composition and race results. Such workouts promote the production of anabolic steroids and burn more calories during and post exercise, and are particularly effective when combined with high-load strength training.19 Many experts point to the afterburn effect of high intensity interval training (lactate-threshold) and sprint training enabling an increase in resting metabolic rate (RMR) post exercise that continues to burn fat.

As Maughan states20: ‘as speed increases, the energy cost increases more or less in a straight line, but the relative contribution from fat begins to decrease, with muscle glycogen (author’s comment: drawn from carbohydrates) becoming the most important fuel. The problem with running slowly to reduce body fat levels is that it takes a long time, because the rate of energy expenditure is too low. Run too fast and you burn only carbohydrate, leaving the fat stores more or less untouched’ (authors comment: though as you become fitter you should require less glycogen for the same level of energy expenditure). I interpret this as meaning slow running can only take you so far down the weight loss path, if that’s where you want to head. 

I note that Martin and Coe21 provide a more detailed physiological explanation of the interaction of carbohydrate and fat metabolism during exercise, and basically come to the same conclusion as Maughan. Using the analogy ‘Think of fats as the main burner of a gas stove, and carbohydrates as the pilot light’, they highlight that fats do the grunt work for energy fuelling at slower speeds, with a gradual decline in their relative energy contribution as the body exceeds 65%VO2max and approaches 85%VO2max (author’s comment: nearing equivalence to higher end aerobic speeds up to lactate threshold). And carbohydrates are the dominant energy supply for high intensity anaerobic work beyond 85% VO2max. 

I could be misinterpreting this information, but seemingly, you get more bang for your buck from anaerobic exercise in terms of weight loss. In layman’s terms, my reading of this analysis is that aerobic activity definitely expends fat on some level and is time consuming, but does not trigger metabolic changes required to build significant muscle mass. And, while aerobic running uses a higher percentage of fat for energy (calories) as opposed to muscle glycogen, the total amount of energy burned during anaerobic exercise is much higher for any given period of time. In addition, anaerobic workouts draw upon fast twitch muscle fibres, activating your muscles to a higher degree, speeding up your metabolism, and increasing muscular size and strength.22 

So, let’s cut to the chase. Ideally for the mature distance runner, we want to retain or increase muscle mass, not necessarily lose weight, while reducing body fat. But aerobic running may not, of itself, reduce all of our unwanted body fat. As you will see, apart from genetics, the primary influences over your body composition and level of body fat are food choices and nutrition, strength work and targeted high intensity training. The aim is to manage nutrition by eating an appropriate diet, not purely reducing calories, and for instance consuming carbohydrates to fuel higher intensity sessions, while optimising recovery by eating protein (muscle repair) and some carbohydrates (glycogen refuelling), and having adequate rest. 

Ultimately, a nuanced approach to nutrition and exercise is required to ensure optimal outcomes that do not endanger the health of the individual and/or adversely affect race performance. This is particularly important for women, whereby a fall in circulating estrogen levels caused by reductions in body fat can lead to a significant loss of bone mass and a greater susceptibility to fractures in later life. The weight/fat loss versus performance relationship requires women to walk a very fine line in determining their optimum approach.

3. Changes in body composition through normal ageing?

Reaburn23 has identified the three main body compartments as Body Fat, Skeletal Muscle, and Bone. He summarised the main changes in body composition through normal ageing, and recommended exercise to mitigate these changes, as follows:

Body Fat – increases in fat mass, internal fat deposits and body trunk fat deposits. Recommended exercise: aerobic or weight training.

Skeletal Muscle – decrease in muscle mass, the number of fast twitch fibres, and fast twitch fibre size and increases in intramuscular fat/connective tissue. Recommended exercise: weight training, speed training, weight/speed training, and aerobic or weight training

Bone – decreases in bone density and bone strength. Recommended exercise: weight-bearing aerobic training, weight training and high impact, high velocity loading of affected sites. 

4. Food

Your physique is affected by your parents/genetics and training and diet.24 One study has has shown that genetics account for 25 to 40% of differences in the amount of fat between endurance runners25, so it is not inconsequential. However, while it is easy to take the easy way out and blame your parents, I like this oft quoted phrase of Dr Judith Stern: ‘genetics loads the gun but the environment pulls the trigger.’26

Once we reach a certain level of fitness, for most of us, exercise such as slow aerobic running is more about weight maintenance. Once ‘fit’, nutrition, the eating of healthy and wholesome foods, becomes more germane to weight loss. Should you adopt an energy-restrictive diet, even moreso, it is the quality of food that matters, not the calories. However, many of us undermine our own intention to lose fat by eating unhealthy foods, or eating too many carbohydrates after exercise and not enough protein, or grazing with gay abandon between meals, and don’t think about the impact of the type and timing of food and hydration intake to maximise recovery.

Readers may be interested to know of the emerging field of chrono-nutrition that examines the relationship between temporal eating patterns, circadian rhythms and metabolic health.27 Though in its infancy, and doubters do exist, this field includes an acknowledgement that aligning the timing, frequency and regularity of food consumption with circadian rhythms may affect how we actually metabolise food and the efficiency of that process. One way or another, practical sports science has played in this field for years, sometimes on the back of recommended fasting regimes, but outcomes from investigative research appears inconclusive. 

As a broadbrush statement about the main food types, an increased consumption of protein, carbohydrate and alcohol are burned up immediately by the body as an energy source and not easily converted to fat. The body tends to burn these food types in the first instance, before drawing upon fats.28 However, an increase in dietary fat intake tends to be stored as excess fat, rather than immediately burned as a fuel. I only mention alcohol because it is endemic within our social settings, whether in a general or even a sporting sense. Human experimental studies29 of acute (single dose) or chronic (repeated doses over time) usage ‘suggest that alcohol consumption decreases the use of glucose and amino acids by skeletal muscles, adversely affects energy supply and impairs the metabolic process during exercise.’ Chronic alcohol use also reduces the cross-sectional area of type I, IIa and IIb muscle fibres.

Ideally, a person who is serious about their health would not engage in alcohol consumption on any level, but for the most part that is not our reality. A case in point is Henry Rono, a multiple world record holder who battled body weight issues during his career, some cultural dislocation and alcohol abuse being compounding factors. His experience mirrors many in the distance running fraternity, some more celebrated than others.

Given the mature athlete generally requires approximately double the calorie intake of a younger athlete to achieve the same muscle rebuilding effect, after intensive exercise or strength-based workouts, we may need more protein.30 If you decide to increase protein consumption, this can be offset by a decrease in carbohydrates or fat.31 The optimal choice may be to decrease your carbohydrates. Though useful as a training fuel, carbohydrates are less beneficial than fats to your health – though you do need to keep saturated fats in check. Protein has two obvious benefits relating to weight control: it is the most satiating of the three main food types and it has a discernible anabolic effect in helping to rebuild muscle, especially for those who are regularly lifting weights. As protein is only processed by the body in small amounts, to get the optimal outcome it is preferable to spread protein consumption evenly throughout the day, rather than limiting it to a major evening meal.

4.1 Let’s Talk Some More about Fat Specifics

There is fat and then there is fat! 

As Anderson32 points out, essential body fat exists throughout the nervous system, in bone marrow, and around all organs of the body, providing a protective cushioning. Essential body fat is estimated at 3% for men and approximately 12% for women, any residual fat being described as storage fat or adipose tissue. While from a performance perspective it would be easy to assume that all you have to do is lose all of your storage fat and thrive on just your essential fats, this can lead to serious health issues because adipose tissue is multi-faceted and always needed on some basis, as you will see from the next paragraph. Which leads us to the conclusion that, despite views to the contrary, there is no definitive standard for the percentage body fat of endurance runners, young or old.

Adipose tissue is made up of brown fat and white fat, the former sitting in the upper back and shoulder and along the neck and spine. Brown fat is a high calorie burning tissue, protects us from the cold and decreases with age. Basically, brown fat breaks down glucose and fat molecules to create heat and help maintain body temperature (it is activated by the cold).33 Whereas white fat stores energy required for good health, and increases with age causing a build-up of flab, or excess fat.34 Symptomatic of obesity, most of our fat is white, the type of fat we may want to reduce to enable a healthy body.

In the general populace, belly fat is a prevalent condition of the middle age and older cohort. It is no less an issue for some mature endurance athletes, especially those of us who do not take active steps to mitigate its onset. There are two types of belly fat: subcutaneous and visceral. Subcutaneous fat develops just under the skin, whereas visceral is deep seated within our stomach, surrounding vital organs.35 Of note, overall, women’s higher levels of subcutaneous fats provide a comparative advantage when competing in endurance events held in cold climates/running conditions. In particular, women also have an advantage in ultra distance running events, drawing upon body fat reserves that men of the same performance level just don’t have.36 Storing fat, particularly visceral, alters the way the body uses metabolic hormones which has been linked to health issues such as heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is an enzyme that causes increases in body fat as we age – an increase in adipose tissue throughout the body that is related to insulin sensitivity.37 In scientific terms it is described as ‘an enzyme responsible for hydrolyzing triglycerides, resulting in the release of fatty acids and glycerol and the production of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.’38 This enzyme effect is heightened by increased inactivity that generally occurs in everyday life with ageing, and is something that even the most highly performed mature runner needs to guard against. Further, the fat generating activity of LPL is constrained by testosterone. However, as testosterone decreases with age body fat naturally increases, especially in the stomach for men. Women tend to store fat on their hips and backside, and post menopause, as a result of increased LPL, it becomes more prevalent on the abdomen.39

4.2 Sugar

The issues surrounding sugar intake are well documented. Insulin converts blood sugar into energy and an excessive intake of sugary foods and drinks can cause insulin resistance and lead to diabetes. There is always the potential for sugary carbohydrate foods to end up as fat deposits. As we get older our muscles become less sensitive to insulin but our fat cells do not.40 Friel41 notes that while exercise over long periods may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, it does not inhibit the activities of the leptin and ghrelin hormones, which cause satiety and hunger, respectively, and affect a person’s daily energy balance. Though aerobic exercise can definitely reduce the extent of swings between satiety and hunger. Of note, women produce more ghrelin than men, no matter what age. Women also experience increases in leptin as they age.

It is advisable to avoid the excess consumption of refined/processed sugars (aka junk food), sticking with natural sugars and fibre found in complex carbohydrates such as vegetables, fruits and whole foods. Filling up on fibre provides the added benefit of satisfying hunger more quickly, whereas junk food is calorie high, nutrient poor and drives poor/continuous eating habits.

5. Resting Metabolism Rate (RMR)

Summarising Reaburn42, the effect of RMR on increases in body fat can be explained as follows: RMR is the amount of energy (kilojoules or calories) used at rest just to function (breathe and pump blood, and maintain body temperature). He further states that RMR makes up 60% of our daily energy expenditure. It decreases 2% per decade. RMR is highly related to muscle mass which is the major user of our body’s energy at rest. As we know muscle mass also decreases with age. While the average 70 year old needs 500 calories less per day than a 20 year old ‘fewer older people slow down their food energy intake. Too much energy intake, with too little exercise, a reduced muscle mass and slower RMR, mean an increase in body fat’, something that can be countered by weight training.

Reaburn’s views marry with those of a range of experts. As Parry states, ‘a higher lean muscle mass is associated with a higher basal metabolic rate, which means you are burning more energy.’43

Importantly, Reaburn provides the insight that although a mature aged athlete’s RMR is higher than non-athletes, an increased RMR is particularly evident in older weight trained athletes and/or endurance athletes that train hard.44

6. Afterburn Effect aka EPOC

EPOC stands for excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. Known as the afterburn effect, it is the increased use of oxygen and calories after exercise, the burning of energy/fuel as your body recovers. This effect is variously cited as lasting anywhere from 15 minutes to 48 hours. and has been described as a contributor to weight loss. The EPOC effect appears greatest after high intensity anaerobic exercise (that can include running and weights).45

Essentially, HIIT burns more calories, using up more energy and oxygen than your body can provide so you create an energy deficit where you continue to burn calories (sourced from fat) after your workout. Your body keeps burning fuel to make up for the deficit. Specifically, Reaburn46 cites studies comparing the weight and fat loss outcomes from low intensity and high intensity endurance programs for young athletes. Though the overall energy used in exercise by the high intensity group was much lower than the low intensity group, the reduction in skinfold thickness was ninefold greater in the high intensity group. In addition to increasing muscle mass, high intensity training uses fat as a fuel during recovery, and recovery from HIIT takes much longer than low intensity training, so the metabolic aftereffect on fat reduction is more significant.

But we do have to be careful. While young runners can cope with greater levels of HIIT sessions, it is recommended that mature competitors limit the volume and frequency of such sessions. Some quote that one in five sessions should be HIIT, or no more than 5% of total running volume should be high intensity. If the mature athlete is in heavy training extra HIIT sessions can put undue stress on bodily systems, with the risk of increasing the production of cortisol, resulting in insulin resistance, lower levels of thyroid stimulating hormones and a decrease in the production of testosterone in men and progesterone in women. This mix of biological responses actually impairs weight loss.

7. Sleep

It is undeniable that sleep is the best form of rest, that enables training adaptation, muscle repair and maximises the growth and repair of tissues. Reaburn47 advises that major HGHs are released at peak levels 30 to 60 minutes after falling asleep. So, naturally, you would expect the intake of protein prior to sleep to capitalise on the muscle building action of such hormones.

There is universal agreement that, depending on the individual, sleep in the range of 6 to10 hours (some prefer 7 to 9 hours) is required to allow sufficient recovery from high intensity training. If sleep is inadequate this may cause chronic inflammation and hormonal disruption (such as less release of human growth hormone), both of which can adversely affect your ability to lose weight.48

Interestingly, a research study of 201049 indicates that when caloric intake is restricted, a lack of sleep results in increased hunger, higher concentrations of ghrelin and lower levels of leptin. However, this did not apply when study volunteers were in positive energy balance.

Ghrelin can cause a retention of fat and a concomitant increase in hunger, undermining dietary interventions involving caloric restriction. 

Lack of sleep also raises cortisol levels, and as indicated previously, too much of this aptly named ‘stress hormone’ can adversely affect the body’s ability to lose weight.50

8. Factors to Consider

Body weight includes fat and muscle. The trick is to maximise appropriate athletic muscular development for your preferred event while reducing the potential to gain unwanted body fat. Muscle provides power and strength to perform, lean muscle being preferred for a middle to long distance runner. Though, as you may expect, middle distance athletes typically carry more muscle than long distance runners. 

The astute reader may have noticed that I use the descriptor unwanted body fat. This choice of words is deliberate because we need fat, some fat is good and necessary for our bodily function. It is an evidenced based truth that loss of body fat can be achieved by consistently eating less kilojoules than your body expends, thus creating an energy loss situation.’51 However, while weight loss in its simplest terms is a ‘calories in calories out’ equation, we have to be careful about the extent to which we focus on the reduction of fat as the vehicle for weight loss. 

There is always the rider that in our efforts to achieve sporting excellence, any reduction in fat has to occur as a result of a healthy sustainable weight loss. Excessive and/or quick weight loss can affect our immune systems, raising our susceptibility to infection and disease. In sport the syndrome of relative energy deficiency (REDs) is commonly used to describe the downwards spiral of poor health and declining performance when athletes do not get enough fuel (from food) to meet the energy demands of daily life and training ie a significant calorie deficit exists. 

Exercise generates increased food consumption, so weight loss diets that focus purely on calorie counting are not sustainable. To achieve longer term healthy weight loss outcomes, the mature runner needs to properly fuel his/her body with wholesome foodstuffs that meet the energy demands of training and allow for effective recovery, not skimp on calories. It is a long-term outlook. As Reaburn states52, ‘the best way to lose body fat is to combine a diet with exercise – we lose fat and gain or maintain muscle mass that long term will help us lose more fat by increasing our RMR.’ And as Friel has indicated, proper fuelling, balanced meals and informed food choice that support fat loss at your particular stage of life are paramount, whether it is lean proteins, complex carbohydrates (includes fruit and some vegetables), or healthy fats.

Inherently, there is nothing wrong with being heavier if it is the result of appropriate lean muscle development that increases the strength and power of the endurance athlete to perform to a high level. If you weigh more (muscle being dense) and are strong, with minimal but healthy levels of body fat you will surely outperform those who are the same weight and height with less lean muscular development and higher levels of unwanted body fat – the latter being the natural consequence of an unbridled ageing process. Now I don’t want to get into discussion about the supposed ideal body fat level for men and women. Suffice to say that men are inherently more muscular and carry much less body fat than women, generally up to 10% less. And for the mature man and woman, changes to hormone levels can have a direct effect on the level of unwanted fat if left unchecked.

Friel, primarily a triathlete, describes how ageing endurance athletes may need to adjust their diets over time to respond to physiological changes, reduce body fat, and thereby optimise performance. While emphasising that ‘personalised nutrition is the key’53 he cites his own experience of changing his diet at 50 years of age and again at age 68. At 50, he reduced his intake of refined carbohydrates and increased his consumption of fruit, vegetables and animal products, more vitamin and mineral-dense foods. After a few weeks transition, this resulted in better recovery from high intensity sessions, and an improved immune system – an ability to perform to a high level while remaining healthy. However, at age 68 in response to discernible increases in weight and belly fat that developed during his mid-sixties, Friel transitioned to a form of low-carb high-fat diet. He significantly reduced his five daily servings of fruit and introduced more high-fat foods such as avocado, coconut cream and milk, nuts, nut butters, bacon, eggs, olive oil and fish. He avoided human made trans-fats and omega-6 oils. Friel maintains that during a 12 weeks period his weight returned to his past training weight level and his belly fat disappeared. 

Reaburn54 states that the most effective exercise modality to lose weight or fat is running, rather than cycling or swimming, as running appears to increase energy expenditure post exercise (due to higher body temperatures created by running). And when comparing weight training with aerobic activity, longer term weight training that builds muscle may be more beneficial because increased muscle mass is the largest contributor to RMR (that helps burn energy without doing any exercise) and total daily energy expenditure.55 In essence, more muscle supports a faster metabolism, which burns more fat.

9. Concluding Comments

For a variety of reasons, body composition definitely changes with age. I apologise if I have laboured the point, but I can’t emphasise it enough, that in simple terms, the three most significant changes are an increase in unwanted body fat, a loss of skeletal muscle mass and a decrease in bone density and bone strength. Strategies that increase the ageing athletes resting metabolism rate and the afterburn effect can reduce the negative effects of these changes. Though I am personally skeptical that the ongoing increase in an ageing body’s metabolic slowdown can be totally overcome.

However, sifting through much of the available literature, there are four key activities that I would emphasise to improve my body composition and manage my racing weight: nutrition including the type and optimal timing of food consumption for recovery and muscle building, strength training (primarily heavy free weights), adequate aerobic running combined with small bouts of targeted high intensity exercise, and sufficient sleep. 

The other thing I would say is, if you want to improve your power to weight ratio for racing performance, weight reduction per se may not be what you need. Examine the extent to which you actually require additional activity in the fields of muscular development, weight loss, weight gain, or fat loss.

And whatever you decide, do it in a balanced way, gradually not quickly. Plot your progress, but do not calorie count. If you do pursue an energy-restricted diet, maintain a healthy relationship with food and liquid consumption, and eventually the results will come, and you will arrive at the optimal weight for you, of your age, for your racing distance. Quoting from a Runners World publication of 53 years ago this should be a ‘level representing maximum strength with minimum extra baggage.’56

It has taken many years, but I have come to understand that there is no magic formula, only a balanced diet that is right for you, at your age and state of fitness, that can only be found through trial and error. There are no quick fixes to wicked problems.

As I indicated earlier, today’s topic was purely a taster for future detailed articles about nutrition, changes in hormones and sleep for the mature endurance runner. There is a lot of ground yet to be covered as we delve into these topics. I trust that I have whetted your appetite for upcoming instalments.

References:

1 Henderson, J, editor, The Runner’s Diet, Runner’s World Booklet of the Month No. 14, 1972, p72

2 Reinhold, R, An Interview With Kenneth Cooper, The New York Times Magazine, 29 March 1987

3 Reaburn, P, The Masters Athlete, 2009, p278

4 Maughan, R, Running and body fat – walking the tightrope of optimum performance, Sports Performance Bulletin, cited by A Hamilton, no date: https://www.sportsperformancebulletin.com/nutrition/weight-management/running-and-body-fat-walking-the-tightrope-of-optimum-performance

5 Anderson, O, Running Science, 2013, p519

6 Luhtala, S, ed, Top Distance Runners of the Century, 2002, p240

7 Burke, L, The Complete Guide to Food for Sports Performance, second edition, 1995, p61

8 Reaburn, 2009, p21

9 Zohoori, F, Chapter 1: Nutrition and Diet, monographs in oral science, National Library of Medicine, USA, 2020: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31940634/#:~:text=Diet%20refers%20to%20the%20total,nutrient%20deficiency%20and%20vice%20versa.

10 Wendtland, C, Five Characteristics of a sound diet, Democrat & Chronicle, 8 February 2019: https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/opinion/guest-column/2019/02/08/five-characteristics-sound-diet-essay/2795265002/#:~:text=A%20nutritionally%20sound%20diet%20comprises,control%2C%20moderation%2C%20and%20variety.

11 Bagchi, D, Nair, S & Sen, C, Nutrition and Enhanced Sports Performance, 2019:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/food-science/sports-nutrition#:~:text=Sports%20nutrition%20is%20the%20science,Performance%20(Second%20Edition)%2C%202019

12 Friel, J, Fast After 50, 2015, p92

13 Noakes, T, Lore of Running, fourth edition, Human Kinetics, 2003, p84

14 Anderson, 2013, p520

15 Friel, 2015, p234 

16 Maughan, n.d.

17 Reaburn, 2009, p21

18 Anderson, 2013, pp519-520

19 Friel, 2015, p254

20 Maughan, n.d.

21 Martin, D. E. & Coe, P, Better Training for Distance Runners, 2nd Edition, 1997, p81

22 Bowling, N, Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Exercise Which is Best For Weight Loss, Healthline, 30 May 2023: 

https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/aerobic-vs-anaerobic

23 Reaburn, 2009, p277

24 Burke, 1995, p61

25 Anderson, 2013, p520

26 Ramos, R & Olden, K, Gene-Environment Interactions in the Development of Complex Disease Phenotypes, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 30 March 2008, available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3684407/

27 Flanagan, A, Bechtold, D, Pot, G & Johnston, J, Chrono-nutrition: From molecular and neuronal mechanisms to human epidemiology and timed feeding patterns, Journal of Neurochemistry 10 December 2020: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33222161/

28 Reaburn, 2009, p276

29 El-Sayed MS, Ali N, El-Sayed Ali Z, Interaction between alcohol and exercise: physiological and haematological implications. Sports Med. 2005: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15730339/

30 Friel, 2015, pp221-222

31 Friel, 2015, pp248-250

32 Anderson, 2013, p521

33 How brown fat improves metabolism, National Institutes of Health, 10 September 2019:

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/how-brown-fat-improves-metabolism

34 Friel, 2015, p232-33

35 Alleaume, K, Four reasons you’re not losing belly fat, 19 February 2016, news.com.au

36 Noakes, 2003, p655

37 Friel, 2015, p91 

38 definition sourced from ScienceDirect.com

39 Friel, 2015, p91

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41 Friel, 2015, p238

42 Reaburn 2009, p21

43 Parry, L This One Thing Affects 98% Of Runners Over 50, YouTube, 18 July 2024: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-WHVTVY23XQ

44 Reaburn, 2009, p281

45 What is EPOC? (And Why It Matters), Cleveland Clinic/Health Essentials, 23 October 2023: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/understanding-epoc

46 Reaburn, 2009, pp289-290

47 Reaburn, 2009, p230

48 Fee, E, The Complete Guide to Running: How to Become a Champion, from 9 to 90, 2005, p33

49 Nedeltcheva AV, Kilkus JM, Imperial J, Schoeller DA, Penev PD, Insufficient sleep undermines dietary efforts to reduce adiposity, 5 October, 2010, Ann Intern Med

50 Utzschneider, C, Mastering Running, 2014, p33

51 Burke, 1995, p65

52 Reaburn, 2009, p21

53 Friel, 2015, pp246-248

54 Reaburn, 2009, p290

55 Reaburn, p278

56 Henderson, J, editor, The Runner’s Diet, Runner’s World Booklet of the Month No. 14, 1972, p72

Other Sources:

Dietary Fats Explained, MedLine, 24 July 2024:

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000104.htm

Gomez, J, EPOC Explained – The Science Behind Getting Your Bod to Burn More Calories Post-Exercise, Women’s Health, 14 February 2020:

https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/g30767966/epoc/

The post The Mature Distance Runner: Fundamentally Speaking Part Four: Body Composition and Weight: A Wicked Problem appeared first on Runner's Tribe.

David Forbes, affectionately known as Forbsey, was one of those distance runners with plenty of talent who never quite found his feet in the hurly burly of elite middle distance track racing. Hailing from Newcastle, New South Wales (NSW), he was known for his aggressive racing against allcomers in distances from 1500 metres to the half marathon. Though affected by injury and unfortunate circumstances at critical times, Forbsey managed to stay the course for a lengthy racing career, before hanging up his spikes from serious competition in 1990.

My first recollection of Dave was racing against him in an 8 kilometres road race, in April 1979, part of the Newcastle Branch AAA winter race program. A timing handicap system was used to give the better runners some competition because athletic club membership was extremely low, and we started together. At 18 years of age, he arrived on the line as a relative unknown to the tight knit locals, despite winning the Australian Junior 1500 metres Championship the previous month. He turned up latish on his bicycle, surfboard under his arm, having ridden from Merewether Beach. Though he appeared to have a casual approach to this race, and was two years younger than me, he only ran six seconds slower. Both of us ran much slower than Brian Morgan, by that time an established elite runner, who was to be Dave’s main competition in the Newcastle distance racing scene.

While his senior career centred on the 1500 metres, Forbsey beat some of the best NSW and Australian distance runners on the roads. An astute positional runner, he could push the pace or hang in the pack, waiting for his time to strike. This may be an unfair assessment, but with an impressive level of natural speed endurance, it often appeared to me that he only ever did just enough to win. There were many young distance runners at this time aspiring to lift standards in NSW. Apart from Morgan, Dave’s future was to become entwined with the running careers of Andrew Lloyd and Danny Boltz. There were some titanic battles, memorable duels, on the fun run scene, the AAA sanctioned winter events tending to take a back seat.

In preparing this article Dave and I shared some fond memories of past racing and training experiences, with a hint of regret of what could have been. For isn’t that the way of every distance runner? 

1. Personal Bests

• 800 1:51.13, Sydney, 1984 (and 1:51.1 in Brisbane 1983)
• 1500 3:39.89, Melbourne, 1984
• Mile 4:03.1, Melbourne, 1984
• 5000 13:59.57, Melbourne, 1985
• City to Surf 42:24, 1983
• 15 kilometres: 45:45, Sydney, 1987
• Marathon 2:33:33, Sydney, 1992

Researching Forbsey’s absolute personal bests for some distances proved difficult. The ravages of time, loss of personal diaries and a lack of some detailed record keeping by the NSW AAA complicating matters even further for this author. However, it seems that Dave may have run very close to a sub-four minute mile during his racing career and not far off 8 minutes dead for 3000 metres. While Dave didn’t race 10,000 metres on the track, he did race consistently in the 29s in various road races and fun run events throughout his career. 

2. Career Highlights

Dave was a versatile competitor. He had a compact physique, leaning on the small side. Nuggety may be an apt description. Initially concentrating on middle distance track events, he gradually increased his range up to the half marathon. No matter what his track racing preferences were he always enjoyed competing in the shorter road races, particularly at 10 kilometres (though he ‘hated’ the 10 kilometres on the track). Dave’s career had five distinct phases: a developing high school competitor, an Australian junior champion, a NSW middle distance champion and 1984 Olympic Games aspirant, the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) experience 1984 to 1986, and a long gradual wind down to retirement from elite track racing as he transitioned to a more relaxed phase on the road racing scene.

Career highlights included two wins in the Australian Junior 1500 metres championship (1979 and 1980), a highly competitive race against Andrew Lloyd and Zeph Ncube in the 1983 City to Surf, twice winning the NSW 1500 metres championship (1983 and 1984), being the first resident New South Welshman to break 3:40 for 1500 metres (1984), and winning the Canberra Times 10 kilometres road race in 1988.

In the midst of these performances, Dave was privileged to wear the Australian singlet on three separate occasions during 1983 and 1984. 

3. Early Days

Dave professes that he loved to race. As a young boy growing up in the 1970s, Forbsey was a raw talent, with a fierce competitive spirit. He had a win at all costs attitude, or maybe it was more about not losing at all costs. Not quite the same thing. It was an ethos he retained throughout his distance running career. Dave’s teen years were typified by inconsistent training interspersed with gutsy performances in junior events at state and national levels. A seeming incongruity that laid the platform for getting down to business in open competition.

He recalls with some relish finishing fourth in a NSW 800 metres high school race at the Sydney Cricket Ground, running about two minutes flat, before vomiting in the hallowed stands. At 18 years of age Dave also won the ‘Boys’ 800 metre event at a meet of the National KB Games series of 1979, held in January on a makeshift grass track at Newcastle’s International Sports Centre (home of the Knights and known as McDonald Jones Stadium). In a close race Forbsey prevailed against Stephen James of Sydney High, 1:58.5 to 1:59.14, no one else in sight. A local stalwart recalls Dave as a rough and ready character, having long unkempt hair and coke bottle eyes, referring to his thick lensed spectacles. Though disappointed about not receiving an invitation to race in senior competition at this meet, direct exposure to the likes of David Moorcroft was an eye opener and provided inspiration to commit to his distance running career. 

His interest in running stemmed from winning some races in high school, done off minimal training three to four days per week. As Dave modestly puts it: ‘I had some success.’ He also played goalie for the Merewether Soccer Club, and in the lower grades as an under 18s player for Adamstown Rosebuds. In year 9 he won the Zone and Area high school cross country races. ‘A teacher, Tony Sullivan, took an interest in my running and we used to meet for a run on the roads around the Newcastle racecourse twice per week. Sometimes we ran on the racecourse itself, doing reps in the straights. I did a lot of surfing but no weights which built strength but not muscle.’ Dave eventually joined Myers Park-Novos Athletic Club, aged about 17, facilitated by a local coach, Hans Tiller. He recalls riding his bike everywhere, often with his surfboard underarm: to and from school, from school to the beach, and from the beach to the track in Newcastle.

Newcastle runners know the racecourse perimeter as a three kilometre ‘flat as a pancake’ stomping ground. Many locals have trained there over the years, its attraction being the opportunity to use either road or soft grass verges. Dave and his family lived within the Newcastle Racecourse precinct (which also included a greyhound track and a cycling velodrome), making it a convenient training area at this time, with high schools, Newcastle Athletics Field (as it was known then) and Merewether and Adamstown Rosebuds Soccer clubs home grounds all in close proximity.

He lived a simple life with his parents and younger brother. It was a working-class environment, his father a butcher and his mum a nurse. ‘I had to look after myself. It bred a discipline and mature outlook in my approach to life and training. To manage my time, I had to be organised and develop set routines.’ Dave’s parents followed his progress with keen interest and supported his ambitions as much as possible, but experienced some difficulty attending events because of their work commitments. He recalls them ‘helping with fund raising for trips and related expenses by organising BBQs and stuff like that.’ 

Dave had to juggle school with employment opportunities and his commitment to distance running. He attended Newcastle Technical High School (boys only) before transferring to Merewether (coeducation) to complete his school certificate in year 10. Thereafter, he took a one year working break to decide upon his future, returning to high school and completing his higher school certificate in 1979, the year his running career took off. 

4. Junior Success

Being from the relative backwaters of Newcastle, it took a lot to get noticed. However, Dave blasted onto the national scene in 1979 winning the Australian Junior 1500 metres Championship, held at Perth in March. In a close race, Forbsey defeated Victorian Rod Bruton 3:52.73 to 3:52.92, and South Australian Mark Arens, 3:53.15. In a championship that didn’t have any clear favourites, it may have been a surprise to others, but it wasn’t a surprise to Forbsey, who always considered himself a chance to win any event he entered. Otherwise, as he states, ‘why bother toeing the start line?’

During 1980, turned 19, Dave took advantage of Australia’s alignment of its junior age categories from Under 19 years of age to the IAAF’s categorisation of Under 20. He had two significant junior races. In March, he retained his National Junior 1500 metres title, held in Sydney. Once again, he beat Mark Arens, 3:51.4 to 3:52.2, well ahead of Victorian Gerard Ryan 3:53.9, and easily beat future international Pat Scammell who was fourth in 3:54.2. As an aside, Boltz won the Junior 5000 metres championship ahead of Marcus Clarke. 

Maintaining impressive form during the winter, on 6 September Dave finished second to NSW teammate Quentin Morley, 25:47 to 25:55, in the Australian Junior 8 kilometres Cross Country Championship, held at Bundoora, Melbourne. Though Dave didn’t compete in cross country much, he liked this discipline, and came to this race with a proven record of placing in NSW high school cross country championships. In a tough competitive race, Forbsey ran shoulder to shoulder against Morley, before the latter edged ahead during the later stages. He finished ahead of two Kiwis, Clive Cullen and Dean Crowe, 25:58 and 26 dead, respectively. Notably, a 17 years old Monas was well back in 15th position, 27:03, one place ahead of Clarke. 

In a race report written for Australian Track and Field magazine, Ron Clarke stated that ‘Quentin Morley ran beautifully in the junior 8000, although David Forbes was also impressive for a 1500 man and I would think has excellent prospects of having a fine track season. These two, with Danny Boltz form a formidable distance trio with the strongest prospects for twenty years of wrestling the running crowns away from Victoria.’ All three were prodigious juniors and ran to elite standard for many years as open competitors, Boltz representing Switzerland (his place of birth) in the 1992 Olympic marathon.

1980 was a watershed year, where Dave’s potential was on show as he became competitive with some of the best in the state on the roads. Between his 1500 junior championship win and the National Junior Cross Country there are a couple of fun runs that come to mind. Held on 20 July he beat Lloyd (27:45), Morgan (27:47) and Boltz (28:02) in the Nelson Bay ‘Pub to Pub’ 9.2 kilometres fun run dropping them all before ‘misery hill’ and holding on for a solid win (27:41). This event that ran from the Salamander Bay Hotel to the Seabreeze Hotel in Nelson Bay became a ritual race for Dave in the 1980s, as it was for many others. Just to emphasise the impact of such events in this era, Frank McCafferty reported that 11 other fun runs were held on the same morning across Australia’s eastern states.

Only two weeks later in a hard-fought race he finished second to Rob MacDonald in the Newcastle based ‘Suburbs to Sea’ 10 kilometres fun run, 29:51 to 29:57 (in later years he was to run 29:35 beating Morgan). At that time a dual World Cross Country representative (1975 and 1979), MacDonald was in superb form all year, winning all of the major NSW Cross Country Championships and a legendary Parramatta 10 miles race against strong competition. With typical candour Dave states that in these early days ‘Andrew Lloyd was more focussed on picking off potential fun run wins and he was not racing that well in NSW AAA events – he was inconsistent.’ He further states that ‘Lloydy was a great talent but a sitter when in similar company.’ 

As a sign that he was getting noticed Dave was offered some low-level sponsorship deals by big athletic organisations, eventually settling on Adidas.

5. Training and Coach

Still without any formal guidance and about to enter the senior ranks, Dave approached my father, Jim Beisty, and asked him to be his coach. Thereafter, commenced a strong bond and a mutual respect for each other. Dave says ‘I had absolute trust in Jim. He knew me well, what worked for me. He was expert at balancing the workload between volume and intensity, to get the best out of me when peaking, but also during build up phases and periods of injury. He knew me inside out and what I was capable of.’

Beisty was a Lydiard disciple and applied his learnings from his previous coaching of Stan Barwick to Forbsey, who was a different animal altogether. Barwick was pure power and his strength lied in the 800 metres, whereas Dave’s natural inclination was towards speed endurance and longer distance racing, the metric mile being at the bottom end of his racing comfort zone. Basically, Dave trained by a Lydiard adapted schedule that emphasised high, but not excessive, volume during winter build ups and lower mileage phases of speed endurance and anaerobic interval sessions leading into peak racing periods. He did half hour weight sessions twice per week in Beisty’s garage, but only for toning purposes. This was supplemented by the occasional swim and surf, though this petered out as he became more serious about his running.

Winter mileage was typically 120-170 kilometres per week at variable pace. Dave advised that his supplementary morning runs were at higher paces than others may expect, not slow. He regularly ran to and from work to maintain the mileage. He worked in ‘Payroll/Finance’ for the local council and starting his working day at 7am meant he had to be organised. In summer, as he gradually increased the intensity of his training his mileage generally sat at 70-110 kilometres per week. Whether winter or summer, the emphasis was on key sessions and routine. He had one day of rest before significant races.

During winter he raced tired most of the time. There was a good standard of club runners to compete against in Newcastle, and there were many great stoushes against Morgan. Forbsey reflects that ‘The races against Brian where always strong contests, no hard feelings, just honest efforts to get the best out of ourselves. For 50 percent of the time, I could beat Brian at his distances from 10k up, but he could never beat me at the shorter distances. And there was a clump of good standard club runners snapping at our heels, including a very young David Lightfoot.’ Lightfoot was also coached by Jim from 1981, winning the Australian junior 5000 metres championship in 1985 and the NSW Open 12 kilometres Cross Country Championship later in his career, well after leaving the Beisty stable.

6. Transition Years: 1981 to 1983 

After a successful junior career, Dave’s transition to ‘elite senior’ was quick but not without its ups and downs.

6.1 Missed College Opportunities 

Shortly after the 1980 Nationals a ‘mystery’ knee condition caused him to decline a scholarship offer with Idaho State University. There were three other such offers during the next three years that he also knocked back. While racing in Taiwan in 1983 he was scouted and actually offered an immediate college scholarship and it was suggested that he travel straight to the USA, without returning to Australia!

His first attempt at a decent winter’s build-up included a win in the Cessnock King of the Mountains 15 miles race, a local classic. However, he missed virtually the whole of the 1981/82 track season with eight months off due to a reoccurrence of the knee injury. This was to plague him the rest of his career and something he learned to manage. During his career, his only other running related injury was a susceptibility to recurrent hamstring strains.

6.2 A Developing New South Wales Champion: 1982-83

After a gradual build up in the winter of 1982, and returning from injury, Dave performed well during the 1982-83 summer track season. His closest NSW competition at 1500 metres/mile proved to be Graeme Cook, Peter Hutton, Michael Donnelly and Lloydy, when he chose to step down in distance. On 18 December Dave was just beaten by Lloyd in the NSW Mile Championship, 4:06.28 to 4:06.43, with Hutton third in 4:06.89. Early January Dave won the NSW v Queensland Challenge match race in 3:46.5, and then working on his speed, Forbsey dropped his 800 metres PB to 1:51.1 in Brisbane. After smashing his opposition in the 1983 NSW Country 1500 Championship (3:47.2), the next month he ran a personal best of 3:44.16 in what was described ‘as a determined all the way win’ in the NSW 1500 metres championship.

One week after his NSW Championship win, Dave competed in a mile race of curious historical significance. This race was part of a Coffs Harbour professional league program, and the first officially sanctioned NSW Amateur versus Professional athletic event. Run on a grass track the prize money was $800. Dave beat Glenn Ritchie, a well-known Central Coast middle distance specialist, who competed with the pros. A handicap event, Dave and Glenn were backmarkers. Giving a 290 metre start to the front marker, they nabbed him with a lap to go. According to Dave, there was some haggling with the event organiser who appeared reluctant to give over the prize money, that was only resolved after a pointed discussion. The money was held in a trust arrangement and Dave had to apply to the AAAs to access the money.

Soon after, Dave was invited to compete as a member of an Australian team, that included Mike Hillardt and Scammell, in a 4 x 1 mile relay event in Auckland, New Zealand. Held on Wednesday 2 March at Mount Smart Stadium, the trip was a mix of good and bad. Walking to the airport Dave injured his ankle, mis-stepping on a kerbside gutter. Not able to back out of the race, and trying to salvage a reasonable performance for the team, Dave was allocated the final leg, to be run against John Walker. Given Walker was a former world record holder for the mile, and the incumbent world record holder for the 2000 metres, this was a daunting but exciting proposition for Dave. However, the upshot was the New Zealand Team of Tony Rogers, John Bowden, Mike Gilchrist and Walker broke the world record with 15:59.57, Walker running 3:57.07. The Australians were left languishing in their wake. Walker later wrote that it was an ‘unofficial’ world record as the IAAF no longer recognised imperial distances for record purposes apart from the mile (the last documented ‘world best’ was to be the 1985 performance of Irishmen Coghlan, O’Sullivan, O’Mara and Flynn, 15:49.08).

Dave remained hopeful of running well at the Nationals, resorting to training on a stationary bike, and use of a pain killer spray to get him through the next 18 days. Unfortunately, the ankle injury ruined Dave’s hopes of a good performance. He finished seventh (fifth Australian) in 3:46.49. Hillardt won in 3:41.51, with Donnelly running a season’s best of 3:42.97, splitting the two Kiwis, Gilchrist 3:41.72 and Rogers, 3:43.99. At seasons end Dave was the third fastest NSW athlete behind Donnelly’s 3:42.97 and 800 metre specialist Paul Gilbert, 3:43.9. While it had been a satisfying season on some level, Dave and his coach felt there was more to come. Notwithstanding his ill luck, they also knew his 1982 winter preparation had been solid but not ideal.

6.3 City to Surf 7th August 1983

At the end of a good winter build up in 1983, a gradual realisation set in that Forbsey could be a chance for Olympic selection. With a combination of solid endurance training, and regular Newcastle cross country races and fun runs, Dave was in excellent shape. A few days prior to the City to Surf, on 3 August, Forbsey told the Newcastle Herald that he had his sights set on making the Australian Olympic team for Los Angeles, regarding this challenge as ‘testing but not impossible.’ He made no predictions about the City to Surf but clearly, he was up for it.

To others, his 1983 City to Surf performance came out of nowhere. As Forbsey says, this is partly because ‘people underestimated me in racing the longer distances’ and ‘in actual fact I feared no one coming into this race.’ Dave achieved one of his best ever performances to finish a close third behind Lloyd (42:00) and Zeph Ncube (42:19), a Zimbabwean distance runner and holder of a Commonwealth developing country scholarship at the AIS. His time was 42:24. Of this race, Dave states that ‘Andrew had told me he was unfit, that he’d been holidaying and not training much, so I let him go early thinking he would come back to me. That was a tactical mistake. Trying to make up ground towards the end of the race, I ran extremely hard downhill into Bondi but I couldn’t catch Lloydy. I didn’t know where the finish line was. I actually thought it was at the spot where you do a sharp hairpin turn back into the foreshore finishing straight. By that stage I was spent, and Zeph got me in the final stretch. It was a good field, that included Monas but, in my heart, I knew that Lloydy would be the hardest to beat despite his story about not being fit.’ Reportedly experiencing a range of minor injuries prior to the event, and only five days back in Sydney after a 30 days overseas honeymoon in the USA, Lloyd had fooled them all!

To emphasise the highs and lows of distance running, two weeks later racing with a heavy bout of the flu, Dave finished 28th in the Australian 12 kilometres Cross Country Championships held in Brisbane. Running 39:37 he was 90 seconds behind Lloyd, eighth in 37:50.3, and three minutes adrift of the winner, Ncube, 36:15.7. That Ncube made the 1984 Olympic 10000 metres final (11th in 28:31), and was a semi-finalist in the 5000 metres, serves to highlight the strength of Dave’s City to Surf result.

7. Olympic Track Season 1983-84

The 1983-84 Australian track season proved to be a period of combative 1500 metre racing involving a small number of Olympic aspirants. The National Championships and Olympic Selection Trials were to be held at Melbourne’s Olympic Park March 31 – April 1. The Olympic qualifying standard was 3:38 and, apart from Hillardt, now a seasoned international, it was proving difficult for Australian middle distance runners to attain. However, the presence of Steve Ovett during January/February was an added boon to the domestic racing season that resulted in a rewriting of the Australian all-time rankings. As the current Olympic 800 metre champion, 1500 metres world record holder (3:30.77), and a preeminent racer, he was an imposing figure. 

It would be fair to say, that at this time sub-3:40 was the ‘soft’ benchmark of international class. Prior to the 1983-84 season, in an Australian context, apart from Herb Elliott’s magnificent Olympic win in Rome 1960 (3:35.6), Graeme Crouch’s outstanding Australian record at Christchurch 1974 (3:34.22), Ken Hall’s 3:36.6 during Walker’s world record mile performance in 1975, and Hillardt’s consistent sub-four minute miling, there was a lack of depth in the metric mile. Alan Robinson still held the fastest time for a NSW athlete, with a gutsy 3:41.3, at E S Marks Field cinders track, achieved at the Australian Championships of 1968 behind sandgroper Peter Watson, 3:39.9, and American Preston Davis, 3:40.

Other Australians in the sub-3:40 club/all-time rankings were: Steve Foley 3:37.36 (1979)

Pat Scammell 3:38.11 (1982), and Chris Fisher 3:39.5 (1971). Peter Fuller (1976) and Dave Fitzsimmons (1974) had run 3:39.9, Randal Markey achieving 3:39.98 in 1974.

Of the major 1500 metres protagonists, Foley shot onto the scene in 1979 with some strong sub-3:40 performances in Europe. Before the rise of Hillardt he was proffered as the next big thing in Australian 1500 metre running, winning the National Championship in 1979 and 1981. However, his susceptibility to injury meant that his progress stagnated. During this Olympic season Foley was on the comeback trail. Pat Scammell was a high quality 800 metres exponent and had represented Australia in the 1500 metres at the 1982 Commonwealth Games. He ran a string of 3:38 plus performances in the 1983 European season. Dave, Wayne Dyer and Gerard Ryan were on the fringes of sub-3:40 and competitive against each other but yet to prove themselves as higher calibre metric milers. It is notable that all of Dave’s main opposition were Victorians. 

7.1. NSW Champion and Olympic Prospect

The 1983-84 season started well for Dave. Wearing the Australian singlet for the second time, on 24 October 1983 Forbsey competed in the Taiwan Area Games finishing second in the 1500 metres, 3:49, and the 5000 metres 14:21.1, in both instances to the well credentialed American Chuck Aragon. By the new year he was coming into good form with a warmup 3:45.1 in Sydney interclub, and a 3:43.3 in the ‘Pan Am Games’ International meet on 22 January, finishing fifth behind Hillardt who ran 3:35.86. In a courageous race Dave hit the front 500 metres out before being swamped with 200 to go by some of the great milers of our sport – Steve Scott, Ray Flynn and John Walker. Hillardt beat Walker by a stride after racing shoulder to shoulder down the finishing straight. Dave used the opportunity to train with the international contingent in Centennial Park post the event, and soak up some of their knowledge. It provided a fillip to Dave, a confidence booster for the races to come.

Next was a 1500/5000 double win at the NSW Country Championships in 3:48.05/14:07.5. He used these races as an opportunity to showcase his fitness to a Sydney centric NSW AAA, knowing that country athletes were not always given the same opportunities as their Sydney cousins. Importantly, he retained his NSW 1500 metres title in February, hitting 3:43.7 and beating Paul Gilbert, despite suffering a heavy cold. He also managed a personal best equalling 1:51.13 for 800 metres, finishing second in a semi-final of the NSW 800 metres championship.

After winning the 1984 NSW mile championship in 4:10.72 and running another solid 800 in Sydney interclub (1:52.3), Forbsey was primed for some key races against top domestic opposition in his campaign for Olympic selection. The mile was meant to be an attempt to run sub-four and break Albie Thomas’s state record of 3:58.8 but it was not to be. It was a windy wet day, and a decision was made to have a straight final and forego heats. David Lightfoot was the designated pacemaker but he went out too hard in these difficult conditions, and any thought of record breaking dissolved, the race becoming a tactical affair. 

7.2 Melbourne 1500 Invitational 6 March 1984

After some initial difficulty securing an invitation, Dave raced in the 1500 metres at Melbourne’s Olympic Park on 6 March at 9pm – part of a national series of meets billed as Toyota Olympic Countdown Meetings. In a field that included Ovett, Dave was well positioned to strike for home from 200 metres out. But as he recounts ‘I wasn’t good enough on the night. I fell apart.’ With Hillardt opting for the 800 metres, which he won in 1:46.19, Kiwi Peter O’Donoghue beat Ovett, 3:37.08 to 3:37.54 and Scammell finally dipped under the Olympic qualifying standard running 3:37.86. Wayne Dyer finished fourth 3:40.13, Forbsey close behind in 3:40.25. While he had been emotionally affected by the pre-race obfuscation of officialdom, Dave felt there was still room for improvement. He set his sights on the next invitational event to be held at Sydney’s ES Marks Field on 11 March. 

7.3 Sydney 1500 Invitational 11 March 1984

The coach-athlete post mortem of Dave’s Melbourne performance was positive. They felt there was potential for another two seconds improvement if the conditions were right. However, fronting up to the Sydney race, it was a warm blustery Sunday afternoon and he had spent much of his time since Melbourne travelling. He had flown home to Newcastle via Sydney on Friday, before driving from Newcastle back down to Sydney on Saturday, and staying at Lloydy’s place overnight.

In what is regarded as an historic race for Australian 1500 metre running, after taking the lead with just under two laps to go Hillardt set an Australian record of 3:34.2 and beat Ovett who ran an impressive 3:35.36, the fastest time of his Australian visit. It is clear that Ovett was quite relaxed about the race, his ‘preparation’ the day before including some recreational activity in the rough surf of Bondi. Scammell, Foley, and Forbsey trailed behind in 3:38.52, 3:39.41 and 3:39.89 respectively. Dave considers that throughout the race he positioned himself well, was tactically aware of Hillardt and Ovett, but their class shone through in the last 150 as he fell away. To this day, Dave maintains that he was definitely a chance to break 3:38. However, he opines that his season was never a straightforward fly in fly out smooth schedule of racing, where he was able to get adequate pre-race rest. And although the amount of travelling he had done to get to this race, and other races throughout the season, may not have been the deciding factor of his inability to achieve this goal, it didn’t help. 

7.4 Australian Championships Melbourne 31 March 1984

After his performance in Sydney, Dave regrouped at his home base in Newcastle and set his sights on the Australian Championship to be held at Melbourne’s Olympic Park on 31 March. With an 8:10.54 3000 metres hit out at Sydney interclub he was just ticking over in preparation for another race against the big guns.

The 1500 metre championship was a predictable outcome (though Ovett may beg to differ), Hillardt beating Ovett, 3:36.26 to 3:36.6. In cool and blustery conditions, using similar tactics to his Australian record run, Hillardt hit the front with 600 to go, holding off Ovett in the final straight. They were well ahead of the rest of the field. Seemingly, past their season’s best form, Scammell and Foley ran 3:38.99 and 3:42.42, respectively. Dave finished sixth in 3:44.73, behind Canberra based Mick Halmy 3:43.75.

The next day Dave raced the 5000 metres championship, finishing a creditable fourth (second Australian) in a competitive but slow affair behind Ncube, Foley and Kiwi Mike Gilchrist, and one place ahead of Monas. Daves time was 14:00.3. The placegetters ran 13:51.52, 13:53.45 and 13:59.65 respectively. In a Newcastle connection, Dave’s performance replicated the second place of Brian Morgan in the 1979 Australian 5000 metres championship.

7.5 Postscript to 1983-84

At seasons end, Dave ranked fourth in Australia for 1983-84 behind Hillardt’s Australian record of 3:34.2, Scammell’s Olympic qualifying time of 3:37.86 and Foley’s seasons best of 3:39.41. In terms of all time rankings, Hillardt moved to first, Scammell to sixth and Forbsey to eighth. During a summer where Hillardt reigned supreme, his coming of age meant that he was selected for the Olympic Team, as was Scammell. Both made the semi-finals. In a footnote to these events, it has been well documented that Steve Ovett made the Olympic final, but was not at his best, succumbing to a respiratory illness and failing to finish.

Ovett in an interview with Len Johnson writing for Australian Runner, was effusive about his early 1984 season form, saying that ‘Never! Never have I been beaten twice in succession and never have I run these sorts of times at the beginning of the year’ acknowledging that he had come up against some very good domestic competition, runners in top form, while he was still in a build-up phase ‘being very strong but not fast yet.’ I asked Dave what it was like to race against Ovett. True to his racing ethos, Forbsey was self-assured stating ‘Obviously I respected Ovett and Hillardt but I never lined up thinking I couldn’t win.’ And given Ovett’s interview comments, if there was ever a time to have possibly beaten him this would have been it.

While the summer season had been all about Hillardt and Ovett, Dave had achieved a significant breakthrough being the first NSW resident runner to break 3:40. In a quirky related fact, born and raised in Albury, Scammell had actually represented NSW as a junior until 1980, before joining Glenhuntly and thereafter representing Victoria. Though Dave may not have received much kudos for this performance, it had set him up nicely for his planned transition to the 5000 metres.

8. Australian Institute of Sport

Dave reflects on his move to the AIS with regret, as a ‘disastrous experience’. After a solid 1983/84 summer season he took up a full scholarship, a first for a Newcastle athlete as far as Dave is aware. He was looking forward to advancing his distance running career, and while considered to be a 1500 metres specialist, he was expecting to transition to the 5000 metres, as a better fit to his innate endurance abilities. He felt 13:30 was within his grasp.

Dave summarises his situation this way: ‘You make your own choices, but I did not fully appreciate what lay ahead. When deciding to leave Newcastle, I undervalued the benefits of my home training environment where I had my coach at hand, a good standard of local distance racing, well performed training partners for track work and longer runs, a temperate climate, an active local interclub competition, and easy access to grass and synthetic track facilities (though crumbling) at Newcastle University and Newcastle Athletic Field, respectively. I also had access to a sports physio at Lingard Private Hospital who was a distance runner himself.’ In particular Dave missed the small group training with Beisty coached athletes and the one-on-one long runs with local runners that were typical of his Newcastle routine. Dave recalls that during his running career, outside of his Newcastle environment, and apart from forming friendships with Boltz and Lloyd, largely he kept to himself. 

Upon Dave’s arrival, it needs to be recognised the AIS was in its infancy, having commenced operation in January 1981. At the AIS he originally spent some time with Kerry Saxby (later Saxby-Junee), who was to become a highly decorated international race walker (including twice Commonwealth Games Champion, 1990 and 1994, and World Outdoor Championship medallist, second in 1987 and third in 1999). Kerry was a country girl from Ballina NSW. She had lived in Newcastle for a short period while studying, and trained as a distance runner with Beisty squad members, before converting to race walking and ending up at the AIS. This was before Craig Hilliard became her coach. Thereafter, Forbsey was mainly involved with Boltz, Lloyd, and later the ‘very serious’ Victorian Malcolm Norwood and his girlfriend, and the ‘always late’ New South Welshman Colin Dalton.

Depending on individual circumstance, support structures at the AIS may have been rudimentary for some elite athletes. Certainly, that is how Forbsey felt. He describes the assistance as ‘less than ideal, with poor catering of individual needs relating to diet, accommodation, training and racing schedules.’ Opportunities for race invitations were less than he expected. Apart from being welcomed into Deek and Gaylene Clews home at one time, overall, he found it quite a lonely experience. He also bulked up considerably by doing weights, but it was done more out of boredom. It wasn’t a balanced program and he did not receive any coaching guidance from the AIS in this regard.

On the competition front, apart from an initial sojourn to China and Korea in September 1984, invitations to international meets were scarce. He raced primarily in domestic open meets and Canberra interclub events. Although he performed reasonably well in these races some of his performances may not have made it to the rankings lists. However, he took great inspiration from the British Golden period of middle-distance running, and has fond memories of spending two hours speaking to Steve Cram in the stands at the Chinese meet: ‘we were probably the only English-speaking competitors.’ Later he finished fifth in a slow 

1500 metres race (3:46.45) against top class competition in Seoul. He was actually ear marked to pace Said Aouita to a fast 5000 metres that day, where a strong field had been assembled for a shot at the world record, but Aouita was a no show. Dave notes that he really wanted to get to Europe but plans to race in Rieti, a venue known for its fast times, came to nothing. He finished the year with a 4:03.1 mile in December 1984, sixth behind Scammell and Peter Bourke both dipping under 4 minutes.

During 1985 Forbsey continued to tread water with solid but not outstanding performances such as seventh in the Australian 1500 metres and 5000 metres championships, in 3:46.74 and 13:59.57, respectively. In the latter he was fifth Australian behind Lloyd, who won the 5000 and 10000 metres double. Dave also has recollections of just missing a sub-four minute mile in Adelaide during 1985 ‘where the pace making had gone haywire.’ He continued to dip his toes in the road running arena, making the NSW Team for the National 15 kilometres Road Championships in Brisbane, along with Boltz and fellow Novocastrian, David Lightfoot, still a junior.

Out of nesessity, throughout his time at the AIS, Dave maintained contact with Beisty and occasionally sought the advice of Norm Osborne (Hillardt’s coach). Eventually, frustrated and dissatisfied with the lack of a cohesive middle distance training program, Dave left the AIS early in 1986. On his way home he competed in the Australian 5000 metres Track and Field Championship held in Sydney on 6 March. In an abysmal race, won by Norwood in a slow time, Dave was a DNF, a reflection of his psychological state and poor attitude at that time. ‘I was coming home, I’d had enough, and didn’t want to be there.’ 

While at the AIS, Dave was on the sidelines of a tragedy concerning Andrew Lloyd. As recounted in The Daily Telegraph, Andrew’s wife, Lynn, died in 1985, ‘when the car he was driving was struck by a truck which had strayed to the wrong side of the road. Lloyd had six knee operations to make it back to the track.’ Nick de Castella was a passenger and also injured. Andrew’s journey back to race fitness and Australian representation is one of the great comeback stories of Australian athletics. But at the scene of the accident, where Dave and Danny had arrived soon after receiving urgent messages, athletics was far from anybody’s thoughts. Given their close relationship it is perhaps fitting that Andrew was the first NSW distance runner to beat Forbsey’s 3:39.89 when finishing second to Hillardt in the 1987 Australian Championship event in 3:39.27. And to further emphasise his class, Lloydy would run 3:36.6 during 1990, in superb form after his Commonwealth Games 5000 metre win in Auckland.

During 1987 there was some heated debate within Australian distance running circles about the value and effectiveness of the AIS. In an open letter published in the Australian Runner titled ‘Institute on the Wrong Track’ Beisty highlighted related issues. In a respectful dialogue, his main thrust was that distance running coaching at the AIS was too broad in its emphasis with little tailoring of programs to the specific needs and abilities of individual athletes. And that the achievement of elite performance levels may have been best served by providing financial backing and assistance to coaches and aspiring distance runners in their home environments, lending other support and coordinating race invitations as required. Astute observations, reflective of Dave’s experience. 

9. The Ending

Post the AIS, Dave returned to Newcastle and his rightful place as the leading distance runner in Newcastle, at least for distances up to 10,000 metres, Morgan still competing well from 10,000 metres to the marathon. A cursory glance into my old racing diaries shows a consistent pattern of Forbes and Morgan winning locally, tit for tat, with others like Jason Maxwell and Dave Rundle close behind and starting to make their names. However, while Dave remained very competitive against NSW elite distance runners, he had lost the edge that was evident in his early twenties.

Dave states that during this period he was relaxed in his running. It was different to the early to mid 1980s. Race selection was more calculated and planned back then, trying to get the absolute best out of himself. In hindsight Dave acknowledges that in his prime he was often very tense before his big races, verging on anxiety, a fear of failure if you like, that coloured his outlook towards racing. Though he continued to race hard, he states that post AIS ‘the races didn’t mean as much to me because Australian championships and Games representation weren’t at stake.’

Dave continued to race track while gradually extending his competitive range on the road to half marathons. For the next five years he was a consistent winner and placegetter in road races and won many Sydney based events and high-profile fun runs against top shelf competition throughout NSW. While Dave only finished seventh in the 1986 City to Surf, 43:22 (14th in 1987 43:19) there were flashes of much better form such as 45:45 in the 1987 NSW 15 kilometres championship (finishing fourth), a win in the 1988 Canberra Times 10 kilometres fun run leaving Graham Clews in his wake, and a fifth placing in the 1989 Australian Championship 1500 metres in 3:46.74. After the disappointment of his AIS experience, the Canberra Times win gave him a lot of personal satisfaction.

Dave had one last tilt at Australian Games representation, entering the Auckland Commonwealth Games trials held at Sydney in December 1989. He had been running well again and was rounding into good shape. Unfortunately, a late change to qualification requirements for the A and B graded events meant that his performances from the previous season were disallowed and he was excluded from the 1500 metres A race. He won the B race uncontested. In his own mind, this was the last serious competition of his career. 

However, on the 28th October 1990 Dave also competed in the inaugural Paris Ekiden six stage ‘mixed’ Marathon Road Relay representing NSW. The six stages in order were approximately 3.2, 4.5, 7.1, 10.9, 6.9 and 7.7 (short), totalling 40.3 kilometres. Women were designated the first and fifth stages. NSW team members were Annette Dwyer, who finished fifth on the first stage, Michelle Dillon, and Central Coast talent Paul Arthur and an out of form Quentin Morley, who ran the fourth and last stages, respectively. Dave and his old nemesis Glenn Ritchie ran the second and third stages, respectively. This team was the only ‘regional’ entry for this international event and finished eleventh out of 21. While the relay was meant to cover the exact marathon distance, it proved to be a farcical affair, as all teams, except the two leaders for Great Britain and Denmark, ran off course during the final stage, running at least one kilometre short. The winner was Portugal in a time of 1:59:04. The event was only reinstituted in 2013.

In 1992 Dave even ran a marathon, his one and only, winning the ‘Blacktown/Cities’ event by 65 seconds in 2:33:33. Though it was a small field of 200 finishers, today’s marathoners would be horrified by his description of this relatively high-profile race where ‘there was no traffic control, and I had to weave on and off the footpath and roadside.’ He ran the last 10 kilometres on his own, easing down in the later stages as every time he attempted to increase the pace he was hit with leg cramps. ‘A good learning experience.’ 

Although he had continued to run and race for fun in Newcastle, nearly ten years later, at age 40, Dave made a brief ‘competitive’ comeback aiming for the World Masters 1500 metres championships held in Brisbane during July 2001. As part of his preparation for ‘the Worlds’ he ran 4:10.3 at Newcastle, still the Newcastle Veterans Athletic Club M40 record. Finishing eighth in Brisbane in 4:08.31, he has an abiding memory of Michael Donnelly’s ecstatic reaction, in getting one over Dave. Hillardt (age 40) ran 4.06.06 and Donnelly (44) 4:07.74 for sixth and seventh places respectively. The race was won in 3:55.65 by Irishman Ian Rothery with other Australian performances being Greg Lyons in 3:56.99 (age 40, for second) and Stuart Paterson 4:08.62 (age 44, for tenth). Dave considers Donnelly to be the toughest opponent he faced in NSW Open 1500 metre competition.

10. Concluding Comments

Dave is the first to admit he was not your classic middle-distance runner. His 1500 metre performances were limited by a lack of pure speed, as evidenced by a slow 400 metres personal best and an inability to break 1:50 for 800 metres. He had a big heart, and an aggressive approach to racing that compensated for this deficiency to some degree, but it could only take him so far in the middle-distance realm. 

Dave describes his decision to take up a full scholarship at the AIS as ‘the biggest mistake I ever made’, an experience recounted that can be a lesson to all about the value of routine, and sticking with the people you know, and the creature comforts of your home environment, to get the best out of yourself. Although Dave considers that he had a fulfilling distance running career, and particularly enjoyed the post AIS phase, he reflects that his 20 months experience at the AIS delayed a possible transition to the 5000 metres. This was to become one of his two biggest regrets. The other being his failure to achieve a sub-four minute mile, given a 1500 metre performance of 3:40 is equivalent to a 3:57 mile.

Dave’s attitude to running was built on a deep loyalty to the Newcastle distance running community and the lot of NSW Country athletics. He loved competing in regional NSW fun runs throughout his career, and the epic battles that ensued, just as much as the NSW Country Track and Field Championships. In terms of the latter, he always supported this meet in his developing years and later when more successful, winning the 1500 metres open event on multiple occasions. It provided important lead up races to test his fitness and tactical mettle before the State and National Championships. As a matter of fact, forty years on, Forbsey still holds the fastest 1500 metre (1983) and 5000 metre (1984) winning times for this meet! 

As I reflect on Forbsey’s career, I recall that local road race in 1979 when I first met him. One thing that stuck with me were my father’s words at that time. He said to me after seeing him run ‘that kid is something special’. Prophetic words from a man who was to become his coach. And Dave was something special. However, the ‘what ifs’ permeated his career, and through a combination of injury, ill luck, and poor circumstance, he missed the opportunity to be even better. 

But he did get to mix it with some of the best milers ever, in the history of Australian athletics and internationally, world record holders and Olympic gold medallists among them.

And there aren’t many of us who can say that.

Sources:

• Athletics NSW website
• Athletics NSW – Best on Record Performances at the NSW Country Championships, available at:
• https://cdn.revolutionise.com.au/cups/nswathletics/files/b0jng7oiiavtvyxd.pdf
• Ausrunning.net
• Australian Athletics Historical Results, available at
• https://athletics.possumbility.com/index.htm
• Australian Institute of Sport Annual Report 1983-84, available at: https://www.clearinghouseforsport.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/854776/AIS_Annual_Report_1983-1984.pdf
• [Documentation from/Recollections of] David Forbes during meetings with author on 27 September 2024, 25 October 2024 and 2 December 2024
• Fairfax Publications, The Sun City to Surf, Australia’s Run of the Year, The Official History (Souvenir), 1986 
• NSW Amateur Athletic Association publication, 100 Years of the NSW AAA, The Official Centenary History of the NSW Amateur Athletic Association, 1987
• Palenski, R & Walker, J, John Walker Champion, 1984
• Paris Ekiden Road Relays, available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Ekiden
• Rodda, J, & Ovett, S, Ovett An Autobiography, 1984
• Magazine articles and miscellaneous items:
• Beisty, J, Institute on the Wrong Track, Letters Section, Australian Runner, 1987, Vol 4 No 4
• Clarke, R, National Cross Country Championships – Bundoora, September 8, 1980, Australasian Track and Field Athletics, October 1980, Vol 2 No 8
• Johnson, L and O’Halloran, T, The Record Breakers, a segmented interview with Steve Ovett and Mike Hillardt, Australian Runner, Apr-May 1984, Vol 2 No 9
• McCafferty, F, Nelson Bay Pub to Pub (9km), Fun Run Report, Fun Runner, September 1980
• 1979 KB International Games Official Programme
• Sharwood, A, Remembering Andrew Lloyds heroics: This is the Commonwealth Games story you need to get you in the Glasgow 2014 mood, The Daily Telegraph, 24 July 2014
• Thousands step out in a brisk spring fun run, The Canberra Times, 24 October 1988
• The following newspaper clippings held by the author contain background and race accounts. Most are likely the Newcastle Herald or Newcastle Morning Herald. Where possible, the journalists are credited:
• Forbes’ Reward, The Sun Herald, 27 February 1983
• Classy Clubmates, 1983, exact date unknown
• Jory, P, Gritty Forbes tears up track, February 1983
• Piggford, G, Olympic Hopes: Feeling fit and right on schedule, 3 August 1983
• Jory, P, Forbes Steps up Olympic Challenge, 1984
• Hurst, M, Hillardt’s ready for Games final, 23 January 1984
• Piggford, G, Forbes Chases Personal Goal, 1984
• Jory, P, Runner Strikes Purple Patch, 22 May 1985

The post Forbsey: Something Special appeared first on Runner's Tribe.

Disclaimer: The author is not a qualified medical practitioner or accredited coach. The information provided is not intended as medical advice or to replace advice given by trained medical or allied health professionals or qualified coaches. Content herein does not constitute specific advice to the reader’s circumstance. It is only opinion based on the author’s perspective that others may learn from.

Anyone of any age who engages in running, and related exercise, should be in tune with their body and seek medical advice before embarking on an exercise program (including changes to said program) that may unduly extend them. This is critical should the aspiring athlete have underlying medical conditions and/or ongoing health issues requiring medication.

‘The question has never been whether exercise is good for you, but whether extreme exercise is bad for you.’ (Ben Levine 2019)¹

‘As athletes age, they’re naturally more prone to developing cardiovascular disease, regardless of how strong their heart may be. Fitness and an active lifestyle can help to protect against this, but not entirely.’ (MedStar Health 2021)²

‘Long-term exercise training induces cardiac remodelling, and limited evidence suggests that this may be maladaptive in some very active athletes.’ (Franklin et al 2021)³

‘While none of us can know for sure that running will add years to our life, there’s no doubt it will add life to our years.’ (Amby Burfoot 2018)⁴

1. Introduction

Though I have referenced issues relating to the heart in some previous articles for Runner’s Tribe, I have not discussed this topic in any depth. This article is dedicated to a closer examination of contemporary research into the heart health of mature endurance athletes, building upon Parts One and Two of the Fundamentally Speaking series. All of the available literature indicates that the risk of serious heart events for mature endurance competitors is very small, physical activity being highly beneficial to the human body. However, the risks are real for those with particular susceptibilities.

During the past 15 years I have become curious about the workings of the heart and cardiovascular system. More recently I’ve been investigating related issues to inform my attempt to devise an age-appropriate training program for distance runners over 60. While we are told that endurance exercise is a healthy past-time, as we age arguments are put that we may need to be circumspect about the extent to which we engage in such activity, as it relates to the volume and intensity of training.

I regularly hear about cardiac conditions that have arisen for runners in their later years that may have resulted from excessive endurance activity. Anecdotally, some triathletes also appear to have a high susceptibility to heart conditions. From my reading of the current literature, the main dangers appear to be increases in coronary artery calcification (CAC) and the development of atrial fibrillation (AF).

Naively, I was hoping to provide some clear answers to the questions of volume and intensity. However, by researching this article I found that heart physiology is a hugely complex field, affected by a multitude of biological interplays, genetic disposition, and a range of variables that include an individuals’ tolerance for, and response to, physical activity. As La Gerche has indicated the relationship between heart health and exercise is not a binary equation, it is incredibly nuanced.

In terms of disclosure, the bulk of this article is a patchwork of direct excerpts and quotes from research studies and YouTube podcasts (abridged verbatim) joined together in a summary format. Hopefully, this provides a coherent narrative for the article. As much as possible, I have used simple language, applied a layperson’s interpretation, and guarded against providing information out of context. However, the topic content is a dense read. Inevitably, given the complexity of related issues, gaps in my knowledge may become evident to some readers. I advise the mature reader to view this article as a jump off point to explore the source material for detailed and expert information straight from the horses’ mouth.

2. Research Studies

In preparing this article I have considered a number of research studies/reviews that may increase our understanding of related issues:

Franklin et al (2020)⁵ examined the benefits and risks of physical activity/exertion by men and women in varied environments and during competitive events, and what it means for appropriate preparticipation screening.

Parry Williams et al (2021)⁶ conducted an extensive review of studies of lifelong male athletes over the age of 40 and impacts on heart health, compared to relatively healthy sedentary controls.

Moorman et al (2021)⁷ conducted a clinical review of research/studies to inform an appropriate program and rationale for the cardiovascular risk assessment of older athletes, greater than 35 years of age.

Aengevaeren et al (2023)⁸ examined the longitudinal relationship between exercise training characteristics and coronary atherosclerosis. Participants numbered 289 men, aged 50 to 60 years old [median age 54]. This study has been referenced extensively in an edition of The Older Athlete You Tube series titled How hard to train? A cardiologist on heart health for older athletes discussed in another section of this article.⁹

I have also sourced You Tube interviews with Dr Ben Levine¹⁰, Dr Peter Attia¹¹ and Prof Andre La Gerche.¹² Levine, a cardiologist and cardiovascular physiologist, is a highly respected researcher in the field of endurance exercise and the heart. His work is extensive and has been conducted over many years. Attia is a physician and researcher well known for his work in ‘longevity’ and the development of the 4 pillars of exercise model (stability, strength, aerobic efficiency and anaerobic performance). La Gerche is an eminent sports cardiologist at St Vincents Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne and an active mature age endurance athlete.

 3. Some Basic Heart Facts

The cardiovascular system (blood circulatory system) plays a significant role within the human body. This system is made up of the heart and blood vessels running through the entire body. In very simple terms the heart is a muscle that works as a pump. It receives blood via coronary arteries and contracts to move blood (containing oxygen and nutrients) to all tissues of the body. Veins then carry the deoxygenated blood back to the heart, which then pumps it through the lungs for a fresh supply of oxygen.¹³

There are four chambers to the heart. The left and right atria are the upper chambers, responsible for priming the blood, and the left and right ventricles are the lower chambers, responsible for pumping the blood.

What is the cardiac conduction system? This is a special electrical system within the heart that controls the rate and rhythm of the heartbeat. With each heartbeat, an electrical signal travels from the top of the heart to the bottom, causing the heart to contract and pump blood.¹⁴

Levine has stated ‘We think of endurance as primarily the repetitive contraction of large muscle groups, and as you do that and increase the metabolic demand in skeletal muscle, it is the skeletal muscle that drives the cardiovascular response to exercise. The heart has to dilate to get bigger to pump the blood back. It is the ability to dilate and accommodate a large amount of blood flow, the ability to pump a lot of blood (stroke volume) that absolutely distinguishes the elite endurance athlete from the sedentary individual.’¹⁵

With increasing age there is a progressive decrease in contractility, efficiency and fatigue resistance of the heart and skeletal muscles. There is also a progressive fall in the capacity to deliver oxygen to the myocardium (thick middle layer of the heart) caused by changes in, or disease of, the coronary blood vessels.¹⁶ Levine advises that a progressive stiffening of the heart occurs up until the age of 55. Thereafter, it doesn’t get a lot stiffer, instead it starts to shrink.¹⁷

It is known that ageing affects the plasticity of the heart and the heart atrophies through inactivity, so continuing to exercise in later years mitigates the stiffening that occurs through ageing and guards against increased deterioration through inactivity.¹⁸

What is atherosclerosis? The buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances in and on artery walls. Commonly known as plaque, this can cause arteries to narrow, blocking blood flow. If the plaque bursts this can lead to blood clots.¹⁹

Attia has commented that the four main things that predispose you to atherosclerosis are a level of dysfunction relating to metabolism, lipoproteins, inflammation, and the endothelium, or a combination thereof.

What is coronary artery calcium (CAC)? ‘It is a highly specific marker of atherosclerosis that has prognostic value in predicting cardiovascular risk.’ Described as ‘calcium deposits in the coronary arteries that occur during atherosclerotic plaque formation.’²⁰ Robust evidence supports a significant association between elevated CAC and the risk of future atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), independent of traditional risk factors or symptoms.²¹

What is a coronary artery calcium score? Measures the amount of plaque built up in the walls of the arteries of the heart, the cholesterol in arteries that becomes calcified.²² CAC is quantified as the Agatston score; a score of >400 is severe, 101 to 400 is moderate, 11 to 100 is mild, and 1 to 10 is minimal.²³ While it is not possible to reverse or reduce this score, it is possible to reduce the risk of a heart attack through diet, exercise and other lifestyle changes.²⁴

While agreeing that a CAC score may be a predictor of the future risk of a cardiac event, Attia states that it is not a biomarker, it is ‘a backwards looking piece of evidence that you have disease and that damage has already occurred to the artery.’

.

What is a myocardial infarction (MI)? Also known as a heart attack, this is the injury to, or death of, the heart muscle. Heart attacks are typically caused by blockages in the coronary arteries. Referred to as coronary artery disease (CAD), it is known in Australia as ischaemic heart disease. The most common underlying cause of heart attacks is atherosclerosis.²⁵

Common warning signs and symptoms include chest pain/discomfort (which can radiate to other parts of the body such as the arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach), unusual shortness of breath, nausea, light-headedness, looking pale, and perspiring. Though chest pain and discomfort are commonly experienced by men and women, it is well documented that women often experience, more than men, the more subtle ‘radiated’ symptoms, which they can tend to ignore.

What is myocardial fibrosis? The scarring of your heart muscle. Heart attacks are the leading cause. However, any condition that damages your heart can lead to myocardial fibrosis.²⁶

What is atrial fibrillation? ‘AF is characterised by chaotic electrical activity that replaces normal sinus rhythm (pattern of your heart beat) and eliminates the contribution of atrial contraction to left ventricular filling.’²⁷ AF is the most common arrhythmia in the general population, and the risk of AF depends on subject characteristics, health status, lifestyle factors, obstructive sleep apnea and cardiac characteristics.

What is a cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac arrest? This is when the heart stops beating; it stops working as an effective pump. Cardiac arrest is caused by heartbeat irregularities, due to electrical malfunctions in the heart.²⁸ Common warning signs and symptoms are a sudden loss of consciousness, absence of pulse or heartbeat, stopping of breathing, and pale or blue-tinged skin.

What is athlete’s heart? Exercised induced cardiac remodelling, known as athlete’s heart, is ‘a physiological response where the heart becomes larger and more efficient than average as a natural response to exercise.’²⁹ This is normal. The increased heart size means that more blood can be pumped with each stroke, causing a reduction in resting pulse rate. However, in some instances an abnormal enlargement of the heart muscle can develop. For instance, pathological conditions such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are characterised by an abnormal thickening of the heart and stem from a genetic disorder. The abnormally enlarged heart doesn’t function as efficiently as a healthy heart.

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) can occur in younger athletes under 35-40 years of age who may have ‘genetic or congenital cardiovascular conditions, including coronary artery anomalies, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and inherited arrhythmia syndromes.’³⁰

As a generalisation, in younger individuals, concerns tend to centre on congenital heart conditions. For mature individuals it can revolve moreso around CAD that develops gradually over many years. This appears to be a proven trend discussed in all the available literature.

4. Research Discussion

Eminent practitioners in this field note the lack of comprehensive research into the effect of endurance exercise on the mature endurance athlete’s heart and cardiac function, even less so for the elite among them, and those past middle age. The research that has been done is only the beginning of more detailed studies required to achieve conclusive results. Much of the existing research is biased to a man’s experience, making it difficult to draw reliable conclusions about women. In other words, we are at the preliminary stage of understanding the cardiac implications of higher volumes and intensity of endurance training on all mature competitive athletes. However, there has been increased activity in this field by contemporary sports scientists and researchers that has identified potential themes and started to frame a narrative.

I accept with confidence Franklin et al’s statement³¹ that based on substantial research ‘regular physical activity and higher cardio respiratory fitness both delay the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) and reduce the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) events.’ They continue that a large number of studies have proven that increasing volumes of physical activity result in significant risk reductions for cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality. And when combined with lifestyle changes, moderate to vigorous physical activity can increase life expectancy for men and women.³²

Though it is well proven that appropriate exercise is of benefit to the heart, in 2003 Noakes³³ stated ‘some recent studies suggest that there may be some detrimental consequences of acute prolonged exercise, such as ultramarathon running or completing the Ironman, or of very high levels of activity sustained for many decades.’ Twenty years on, based on current research studies, and his own lived experience, a similar inference has been drawn by Peter Reaburn, Retired Professor of Exercise and Sports Science.

An emerging body of research, though not conclusive, indicates that mature endurance athletes with a lifetime of high intensity training and racing may be more susceptible to a range of heart conditions. This research shows that ‘chronic’ long term endurance training at ‘vigorous’ (vs moderate) intensity may increase the instance of some CVD risk factors and conditions. Reaburn has voiced specific concerns about engagement in frequent high intensity sessions and regular at threshold or above continuous training for the lifetime competitive endurance athlete.³⁴ To reduce the long-term risk of AF or other cardiac complications, Reaburn’s advice for ‘older’ mature athletes is to cease long threshold training. Instead, he opts for regular low-moderate training, and threshold or high intensity interval training (HIIT) only once per week.³⁵

Of academic interest, Noakes makes plain his disagreement with the traditional physiological model of athletic exercise, that he describes as the Cardiovascular/Anaerobic model.³⁶ This model contends that muscle fatigue, particularly during high intensity exercise of short duration, occurs when the exercising muscles requirement for oxygen is greater than the heart’s ability to meet that demand, and the muscles are forced to contract anaerobically. He indicates that if the body did in fact behave in this way, given the heart is also a muscle, it would lead to heart fatigue and ultimately heart damage of a healthy athlete through anaerobiosis. Following such a model to its natural conclusion would mean a healthy athlete ceases exercising because they experience chest pain resulting from inadequate oxygen supply to the heart, which clearly does not occur. Noakes points to this models’ inherent contradiction: how can the blood supply to skeletal muscles be inadequate while supply to heart remains adequate?³⁷

Noakes contends that it is the hearts’ blood pumping capacity that may limit maximal aerobic exercise performance and the maximal blood flow to the heart, preventing any potential damage to the heart itself.³⁸ And that a central governor, likely the brain, puts the brakes on continued recruitment of additional muscle fibres that would otherwise be used to increase the work output and oxygen consumption and thereby precipitate myocardial ischemia and anaerobiosis. In other words, upon receiving signals from the heart, the brain in anticipation of the likely damage to the heart of continued high intensity exercise, terminates the exercise to prevent any harm.

 5. Clarkson’s Observations

Many readers will be aware of the Older Athlete You Tube series, what I consider to be a natural response to the increased numbers of mature individuals competing in endurance events and wanting to better understand the effect of training/exercise on a mature person’s physiology. In one edition titled How hard to train? A cardiologist on heart health for older athletes, Scottish cardiologist and climber, Dr Peter Clarkson, makes a number of observations when referencing the results of the Aengevaeren et al (2023) research study_. The point is made that Clarkson’s comments do not constitute specific medical advice, and that further outcomes of this ongoing longitudinal study are yet to be known.

This research involved Measuring Athlete’s Risk of Cardiovascular Events, and is known as the MARC study. MARC-1 participants totalled 318 men. MARC-2 participants (289) were followed up six years later. The major finding was that exercise intensity, but not volume, is associated with the progression of coronary atherosclerosis. Of note, very vigorous intensity exercise (>9 MET hours per week) was associated with greater CAC and calcified plaque progression, whereas vigorous intensity exercise (6 to 9 MET hours per week) was associated with less CAC progression.

5.1 Summary points from the Clarkson interview are:

Older endurance athletes appear more prone to calcification (hardening of the arteries) and AF.

In terms of calcification:

• Calcification is more common in men than women.
• Calcification is more prevalent in those doing a high percentage of very vigorous exercise.
• Calcification doesn’t appear to be affected by the overall duration of exercise.
• It is clear that an older endurance athlete should not do solely high intensity sessions.
• Though high intensity activity is good for the body, VO₂ max and performance, to lower the risk of calcification mature athletes also need to engage in a significant amount of low intensity exercise.
• Endurance athletes shouldn’t stop doing high intensity workouts because of this small risk of calcification. However, Clarkson suggested using the proportion of 80% low intensity (conversational) and 20% high intensity. An 80:20 rule of thumb. A 50:50 ratio presents a much higher risk of calcification.
• We do not have a biomarker that measures calcification, the only accurate means of assessing calcification being CT scans and X rays. These are not recommended unless absolutely necessary because of the level of radiation to the chest.
• This may mean that endurance athletes are more prone to angina than necessarily having a heart attack. Noting that hard calcified arteries provide a lesser risk of heart attack when compared to the existence of fatty plaque within arteries, the latter presenting a more imminent risk of blockages.
• A red flag for heart issues is suffering from a central chest pain that is difficult to localise.

In terms of AF:

• Symptoms include a combination of erratic pulse rate, palpitations, feeling more breathless (feel capped on exercise), and typically starts with little bursts (paroxysms that last a few minutes then reverts itself to normal) that become longer and more frequent over time until eventually it results in persistent/permanent AF. [paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) is episodes of rapid heart rate that start in a part of the heart above the ventricles]
• Those who do a lot of endurance activity are more prone to AF (chaotic rhythm of atria) and atrial flutter (caught up in an electric circuit, 5 times per second, ongoing cycle).
• AF presents a small but definite risk of stroke (coagulated blood that can travel to brain).
• Those at greatest risk of AF are those who do very little and those who do a lot of exercise.
• According to some studies, every 10 years of heavy exercise your risk of AF and flutter increases by 16% and 40%, respectively.

6. Other Studies

As you may expect Clarkson’s comments reflect much of the Parry-Williams et al and Franklin et al research. However, a few things were particularly noteworthy within these studies, and others:

6.1 The Parry-Williams study states that the first order benefit of regular physical exercise is its positive impact on atherosclerotic risk factors such as blood pressure, lipid profile, body mass index and insulin resistance. The improvements in cardiovascular risk profile being secondary, though significant, outcomes.

They also state that while regular physical exercise is clearly beneficial to the human body, reducing the overall risk of atherosclerosis, there is no evidence suggesting that any one exercise type has a preferential benefit on endothelial function (substances that control the opening and closing of arteries) over another. They go on to say that optimal endothelial function is achieved through regular moderate-intensity physical exercise.

Commenting on the experience of lifelong endurance athletes, whose extent of exercise is typically 10 to 20 folds greater than the minimum recommendations for exercise of the average person, there appears to be a threshold beyond which the benefits of exercise are lost. [Many readers would be aware of minimum guidelines recommending at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week].

Further comments include:

‘A small proportion of ostensibly healthy master athletes reveal atrial fibrillation, coronary artery calcification, and myocardial fibrosis, which has increased speculation about the potentially deleterious impact of chronic endurance exercise on cardiovascular health’; and

‘Middle-aged endurance athletes are at a five-fold increased risk of atrial fibrillation compared with sedentary counterparts……..Extrinsic contributing factors include male sex, tall stature, and the volume and intensity of exercise.’

This study provides some information about the differences between men and women. Notably men appear to have a higher relative risk of SCD and MI from exercise. ‘Risks appear to be highest in men unaccustomed to exercise, with substantially lower risks in regular exercisers and women.’ The study notes that when expressed as an absolute risk, such acute events are very rare, and goes on to say that ‘the most common cause of exercise related SCD in middle aged and older adults is atherosclerotic CAD.’

Referencing the incidence of calcification in masters’ women, there is a suggestion that female athletes may benefit from the protective effect of oestrogens pre-menopause; however, it’s noted that the related studies are very small and caution is warranted; realistically, the effect of menopause on the prevalence of CAC is unknown.

6.2 Franklin et al note that most studies, but not all, have reported a decrease in cardiovascular events with increasing regular physical exercise. Despite these long-term benefits, the risk of SCD and MI is increased during and shortly after bouts of vigorous physical exertion.

They also state that collectively the data they examined ‘suggest that athletes with CAC are at higher risk for mortality and acute cardiac events than athletes without CAC; however, the risk for adverse cardiovascular outcomes is lower in physically active people than their inactive counterparts with the same CAC score.’

6.3 Moorman et al, concur that CAD is the leading cause of SCD in older athletes. They suggest the use of CAC scores to reclassify risk as part of a suite of options to inform treatment decisions. And that stress testing be used for symptomatic athletes, typically those who are considered high risk for atherosclerotic cardio vascular disease and/or those engaged in strenuous exercise. Though, the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ) does not recommend CAC scoring for high and low risk patients, where there is little likelihood of a change in risk profile as a result of such testing, preferring a focus on intermediate risk patients.³⁹ Of note, studies of endurance athletes demonstrate a higher prevalence of CAC compared with matched nonathletes with similar risk profiles and the coronary plaque composition in athletes is more benign, comprised of more calcified and stable plaque.

Distilling the Moorman et al study, it may not be unreasonable for older endurance athletes to have an initial CAC test to benchmark their level of calcification. Annual monitoring of heart health can be achieved through appropriate blood tests (blood lipids) and measuring blood pressure. Of course, stress echocardiogram and electrocardiogram (ECG) tests may also provide peace of mind. However, all of these issues have to be considered through consultation with appropriate medical practitioners.

7. Putting CAC and AF in Context

In terms of relative risk, based on research studies and their own knowledge La Gerche, Levine and Attia appear to express greater concern about AF than CAC.

7.1 Coronary Artery Calcification

7.1.1 Attia makes the following points concerning CAC scoring and calcification:

A CAC score derives from a CT scan done without any contrast. It does not show how much narrowing has occurred in the arterial lumen. The amount of calcification is scored and ranked against a percentile. Calcium scores are helpful [author’s comment: but not categorical] in estimating the risk or probability of a major adverse coronary event (MACE) such as a heart attack, stroke or cardiac death. For instance, a score of zero, or a negative score, doesn’t mean you have no risk whatsoever. Rather, it means actuarily at the population level there is a lower risk of a MACE occurring.

If the scan shows calcification this indicates the individual has already had an advanced lesion(s) and that lesion(s) had to be repaired (reflected by hardening). Attia states that ‘calcification is an incredibly late stage repair, so when you have calcification in a coronary artery you’ve had real damage and it has been repaired, and that becomes a marker of risk..’

A person with a zero score could have plenty of ‘soft plaque’ and/or other arterial damage, that has not shown up at the stage of calcification through the CT scan. Soft plaque is also a significant marker of risk and a cause of MI. There is some thought that a higher density of calcified plaque, reflected in CAC scores, results in a greater stabilisation of your condition, when compared to soft plaque, and therefore you could argue it means a lesser risk of a coronary event. [Author’s comment: You can think of it in these terms: the score will increase as plaque stabilises and hardens, so with a much less likelihood of a rupture, the risk of a coronary event actually reduces].

Attia stresses that the score number is not as important as the percentile: the rate compared to your peers by age and gender. For example, a person aged 35-40 years old with a score of 6 is at a much higher risk of a MACE, now and into the future, than a person aged 80 with the same score. The latter would be considered quite low, but the former sits at the 75^th to 90^th percentile for their age.

7.1.2 Levine is an expert in the field of calcification and expresses similar views to Attia about CAC scores. Levine has a collaborative relationship with the Cooper Institute of Dallas Texas, a research and education organisation in the field of health. Its origins stem from the work of the Father of Aerobics, Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper. Levine advises the following:

Atherosclerosis develops and heals by a process of calcification. He further states that calcified blood vessels don’t rupture and the calcium score is purely an index of the volume of atherosclerotic plaque (the more calcium you have the more atherosclerosis you have).

He cites cross-sectional studies of marathon runners suggesting that athletes might have more calcification than not. However, when examined more closely in a UK study by using coronary CT angiograms it was found that while athletes did have more calcification, they did not have more non-calcified plaque. So, you could argue that despite the score they could be considered at less risk of a coronary heart event.

Further, Levine cites outcomes of a longitudinal study done in collaboration with the Cooper Institute, involving the experience of male endurance athletes.⁴⁰ In this study they quantified the physical activity of a large sample of athletes over many years who were followed for mortality. Coronary artery calcium was measured as part of the study. Athletes were grouped based on levels of physical activity:

Low: less than 1 hour pw

Moderate: 1-8 hours pw

High: more than 8 hours pw

Further sub-categorisation was based on a score of less than and greater than 100, when risk of coronary events starts to increase.

Some specifics of the study are:

Period of measurement: 1998 to 2013 (15 years)

Number of Participants: 21758 men

Age: 40 to 80 years old, generally middle aged and healthy, without cardiovascular disease

Exercise Modality: Predominantly runners, and some cyclists, swimmers and rowers plus a sub-group who trained in all three of the latter

High intensity, high volume was defined as at least 5 to 6 hours per week at 10 minutes per mile (6:12 km pace)

The study found absolutely no difference in the volume of coronary calcium between these groups. He concludes that there is no evidence that exercise training increases the coronary artery calcium score, though it did increase the risk of having a high calcium score, a subtle difference, also described by Attia. The high physical activity group who scored less than 100, had a 50% reduction in their rate of death or having a cardiovascular mortality while those who scored over 100, had a 25 % lower risk.

Specifically, the study showed that

• there is a slightly greater risk (11%) of having a high calcification score, for those who do a lot of exercise;
• the volume of training did not increase the risk of having more calcium but did increase the risk of having a higher calcium score; and
• being highly physically active, if you have a little bit of calcium, may be protective.

Overall, Levine interprets these results as meaning ‘higher amounts of physical activity does not cause higher levels of coronary calcium, and does not increase mortality, if anything it reduces mortality.’ Or expressed another way, the topline outcome was that high volumes of exercise are safe and the benefits of exercise far outweigh the minor risk of having a little more coronary calcium.

Levine states that extreme duration exercise like ironmen events and ultra-marathons are done at low intensity. He refers to a proven increase in vasodilation function (widening of the blood vessels) by ultramarathoners. He cites another study of 66 men who exercised more than 10000 MET minutes per week (30 hours per week). He considers that given there were no cardiovascular deaths amongst this group, it is premature to worry about extreme exercise at least for coronary calcium.

Levine cautions that running with ischemia (occluded arteries) is not good for the heart and there is some data suggesting that this induces scarring. It is unwise to ignore symptoms such as tightness and pressure while exercising, particularly if gets worse when running and eases when you stop. Medical advice should be sought.

7.1.3 La Gerche cites recent research showing that lifelong athletes, more than recent athletes, and more than controls, experienced increased calcium, higher rates of coronary disease, and higher rates of proximal disease. Every picture of coronary health looked worse in the athletes yet the epidemiological evidence is that there are fewer heart attacks, clinically. La Gerche attributes this to a higher order statin-like effect of sport and exercise (use of statins increases the coronary calcium score, and there is this concept that it hardens the plaque and it acts as an anti-inflammatory, and as part of that process you get some calcium deposition). He notes that Levine attributes a relative risk reduction of a heart attack at about 60% for a fit endurance athlete, whereas statins typically provide a 20-25% reduction in risk. 

The reasons for increased calcium associated with a lot of exercise aren’t clear, though it could be a result of the sheer stress on the heart, or micro damage. [Author’s comment: Attia and Levine have made similar statements]. Although 20-30% of the average population go through life with whistle clean arteries, generally, arteries become more calcified with age. While fitness can provide a relative insurance policy against the risk of heart attack, reducing the odds against it, it can’t guarantee you will never have a heart attack, and heart attacks are common. However, the fitter you are, for any degree of calcium you have (measured by a CAC score,) your risk of heart attack is lower.

When it comes to coronary artery disease, and the buildup of plaque, it does seem that women are relatively protected before menopause and then the risk accelerates a bit but they do remain protected matched age to age with men throughout life and the only time you see an excess for women is in the later decades, mainly because the men are gone (shorter lifespan). There is something that seems to make a woman’s heart more stable. It’s not well understood. It doesn’t seem to be greatly affected by menopause or a hormonal oestrogen/testosterone issue.

7.2 Atrial Fibrillation

La Gerche, Levine and Attia indicate that there is a strong evidence base, and little doubt, that doing a lot of endurance exercise increases the risk of AF: up to a five fold increased risk above the population of AF, the non-competitive less so.

In explaining the reason why AF can occur in elite endurance athletes who are engaged in extreme exercise, Attia describes the heart as a muscle whose electrical system exists within the wall and the more often it is stretched, and held for long periods of time in a stretched position, the more you are damaging the electrical architecture of it.

7.2.1 Levine describes AF in the following terms:

Essentially the atria are the collecting chambers and they prime the ventricles. They sit at the top of the heart and the heart fills into the atria, like a reservoir, then they prime the pump just before the heart contracts. The body’s pace maker sits in the upper righthand corner of the right atrium. That’s what initiates the regular heartbeat. Many different cells within the atria can take over and have their own electrical activity. When this happens, electrical activity can get very chaotic and the heart can beat irregularly and fast. This can reduce performance, make you feel bad, and increase the risk of stroke.

Levine cites a Norwegian study of people over a 30 years period that examines their risk of AF and the relationship with exercise. The major finding was those who engaged in a low level of exercise, or no activity at all, were at high risk of AF, those engaged in extreme exercise increased their risk by up to twofold, with elite athletes’ risk being fivefold. It seems that the lowest level of risk was experienced by those who exercised at moderate to high levels.

Why is this so? Levine explains that during exercise the valves between the atria and the ventricles close up to allow the blood to pump out of the aorta and pulmonary artery. As you increase the heart rate you increase the amount of time the body spends with the valves closed and at the same time you are pouring blood into the atria, so the atria distend and stretches. Levine cites a study that links an increased risk of AF to the thinner walls of the atria, that are more likely to dilate with exercise than the ventricles.

There is a view that because women don’t get the same hypertrophic stimulus (causing enlargement in muscular cells) that men do from training, they may be protected from this dilation to some degree, when compared to men.

In addition, Levine cites the Australian research of La Gerche (refer below). He explains that the smaller right ventricle is most susceptible to fatigue and injury, and that for a small number of people who exercise excessively this can cause the development of arrythmias, notably ‘exercise induced right ventricular cardiomyopathy.’ He also references right ventricular cardiomyopathy as a genetic disease that can present a higher risk of a cardiac event, that can result in a rapid progression towards life threatening arrythmias. Having an underlying genetic abnormality of the right ventricle is clearly dangerous.

7.2.2 La Gerche describes AF and related issues as follows:

The atria, or priming chambers, are thinner walled compliant balloon like things that can fill with blood and help push that last bit of blood into the ventricles to prime them and make them even more efficient. AF is when the atria have an irregular rhythm, are out of coordination and the pulse becomes chaotic. Some people can be very disturbed by the feeling, and others don’t even notice when they go into AF. Importantly it never causes sudden deaths. La Gerche describes it as a ‘nuisance arrhythmia’ not a life-threatening arrhythmia. But he does proffer that it can increase the risk of having a stroke because this chaotic activity is more likely to form clots, and it can affect the heart function over time.

Based on a study of professional rowers (ex-Olympians), and studies of other endurance competitors, La Gerche considers that the risk of AF can be up to 7 times more in endurance athletes.

AF is very common. By age 80, 10 per cent of the general population has AF. For endurance athletes there is difficulty disentangling the cause/risk of AF from the natural ageing process and sport activity/exercise. And the question is often asked should you cutback? Was it caused by exercise or would it have happened anyway? Because exercise has so many benefits, La Gerche’s default is if in doubt keep exercising, until proven otherwise. He acknowledges this may differ from the advice of his colleagues.

La Gerche has investigated the occurrence of arrythmias and heart rhythm issues emanating from the right ventricle. As part of his investigations, he found that for those athletes who are able to compete really hard over long distances for several hours, like an ironman triathlon, the right ventricle is abnormally affected immediately after the race (though it would then recover), whereas the left ventricle was okay. He based this on pre and post event imaging.

He states that in simple terms, the body is built for the average setting and when engaged in extreme exercise the heart is put under significant stress. The left ventricle is better built for exercise because its bigger and thicker and can generate more pressures whereas the right ventricle is about one quarter as thick and normally when not exercising it hardly has to push any pressure (it’s very easy to push blood through the lungs). During exercise, flow increases and the right ventricle has to increase disproportionately from virtually no activity to a lot. In a recent study La Gerche has quantified increases in wall stress as 122% in the right ventricle and 30% in the left ventricle. So, in summary, while the whole heart has to work harder and gets bigger with exercise, the right ventricle gets much bigger relative to the left ventricle.

La Gerche states that humans, in some ways, are not built for exercising at these extreme levels for 8 or 9 hours. Although La Gerche is not saying athletes shouldn’t compete in ironmen events, his view is that you do need to pay respect to recovery after events like this. A small number of competitors may experience right ventricles that suffer minor injury, and of that small number, a very small number will experience heart rhythm issues like ventricular tachycardia.

Ventricular tachycardia is an extremely rare condition, where the heart is beating regularly but very fast. It is an emergency situation that can lead to ventricular fibrillation which is catastrophic often resulting in death. In La Gerche’s experience it is more common in endurance athletes and more commonly comes from the right ventricle. It can result in a defibrillator being implanted, which has occurred in elite triathletes and cyclists.

Although women’s risk of many of the arrhythmias and heart attack is less than men, the same patterns exist in women as men. In general AF for women tends to occur at an older age and it is about four or five times less common, as is sudden death. Despite a lack of studies relating to women, it is quite clear that intense endurance sports are associated with an increased risk of AF for women.

8. Can you do too much exercise?

8.1 Levine is unequivocal in addressing the question of Can you do too much exercise? maintaining that in the vast majority of cases a sustained dose of high intensity regular exercise is good for you.

To explore this issue, Levine worked in collaboration with the Cooper Institute and identified a group of elite masters’ athletes, who were highly competitive, and trained 10 to 15 hours per week. He states that their hearts looked like a healthy 20 years old’s. However, this is not a good fit as a public health measure.

So, another question was posed for further research: how much exercise do you need to do over a lifetime to preserve the function of the heart? In a further collaboration with Cooper Clinic a cohort of people were identified who over a 25 year period reported the same amount of exercise every time they visited Cooper Institute doctors. The study excluded anyone with hypertension. There were a range of exercise modalities, not just running. A limitation of the study was that it was based solely on the frequency of activity and not intensity. Reliable measures of intensity over many years would not be possible to obtain. To measure their cardiac and cardiovascular compliance, the study subjects were divided into four categories:

Sedentary: no regular exercise

Casual Exercisers: 2-3 days pw

Committed Exercisers: 4-5 days pw

Highly Competitive: 6-7 days pw

The major finding was the activity of Casual Exercisers had no impact on heart structure and the activity of the Committed Exercisers had nearly as much impact on heart structure as those of the Highly Competitive (elite). Recognising that we are talking only about protecting the cardiac structure (and not other benefits such as metabolic and autonomic changes that can result from most activity, including lower level), Levine concluded that being a Committed Exerciser was the ‘prescription for life’ to optimise cardiac health. He suggested the following routine as an optimal lifetime exercise schedule to train for health:

1 day pw long duration (at least one hour) and fun;

2-3 days pw moderate to vigorous intensity of 30 minutes duration (talk but can’t sing);

1 day pw more intense activity such as the 4×4 Norwegian ski team workout [author’s note, described in research studies as a HIIT protocol, which is 4 minutes at up to 95% VO₂peak with 3 mins break, repeated 4 times]; and

include 1-2 days pw of strength training.

He cautioned that despite the benefits of physical activity a bad diet will not be overcome by exercise. Exercise is one component of a number of other requirements to deliver good cardiovascular health.

8.2 On related issues, La Gerche has the following insights:

The body has a reserve that lessens through life and the heart is the same but if you are an athlete the one thing that is absolutely unchangeable is the more you train the more the cardiac output and the slower the degradation.

We don’t have anything that can accurately predict a heart attack, or measure the potential impact of genetics, though it is accepted that genetics can play a role.

An exercise paradox exists, whereby if you are a runner, overall, you will have less risk of heart attack but if you are going to have a heart attack it is more likely to occur while running. You exercise regularly so that every bout of exercise is less of a relative risk. But exercise is a risk activity that you then do regularly to make yourself lower risk. This milieu of what goes on in exercise may go some way to explaining the scarring in arteries, heart muscle and atrium that can cause a problem for some people. Ultimately it is a transient greater risk. All of this doesn’t mean the running or endurance activity kills a person. In fact, but for the running, death may have occurred earlier. Or it may not have. There is no real way of knowing.

9. What does it all mean?

Various descriptors such as ‘excessive’ ‘extreme’ and ‘chronic’, and ‘very vigorous’ and ‘high intensity’ are used in research studies about endurance athletes as it relates to the volume, duration and intensity of exercise. Based on my limited understanding of these research studies it appears to me there are no absolute definitions of what they constitute (though >9 MET hours per week is defined in some studies as ‘very vigorous’ and the 4×4 is often associated with high intensity interval training, and a percentage of VO₂max or VO₂peak is sometimes used, as is heart rate). It also seems that in some instances the definitions of ‘high intensity’ or ‘vigorous’ and ‘very vigorous’ exercise used in studies are at the lower end of a competitive club runner or elite athlete’s capabilities. So, from my laypersons’ perspective maybe some of the research outcomes are not as easily translatable to the lived experience of these two cohorts of endurance athletes? But I stand to be corerected.

From theexperts, it seems that on balance, with increasing age, AF presents a greater relative risk for mature age athletes than coronary artery calcification. However, a significant calcium buildup (evidenced by CAC scores), should not be ignored as, by extension, it can indicate that you are developing increased levels of ‘soft’ plaque in your arteries, which does elevate your risk of a heart attack. In all instances it is important to understand that CAC and AF conditions require appropriate medical assessment and/or intervention having regard to the whole health condition of an individual, and not be considered in isolation.

Taking a practical perspective, after examining all of the research covered in this article, how do I think this applies to training? I guess up until now the direct relationship between heart health and training wasn’t foremost in my mind. It was a dormant concern, something I didn’t really think about, but knew it was relevant to the question of ageing, and eventually would require closer attention as I got older.

For what it’s worth, my preferred approach is to apply the middle ground to training: enough volume but not too much, low to moderate intensity in longer continuous runs, and very high intensity interval training only sparingly, instead, opting for what I describe as rhythm repetitions. A gradual approach to training progression that stretches but does not exhaust the individual, while delivering healthy outcomes.

Something along the lines of Clarkson’s recommendation of an 80:20 split between low intensity and high intensity running seems on the mark, though how ‘high’ you are willing to go is a matter for the individual to decide. I note that many studies infer that moderate intensity and volume provide the optimal outcomes for improvements in cardiovascular health and reductions in the risk of CHD. Personally, I’ve drawn a line in the sand at anaerobic intensity for faster work and staying primarily within a zone 4 perceived effort for my higher intensity running, whether continuous running or reps. For despite the enduring benefits of regular physical exercise, I am reminded of Moorman et al’s statement that the risk of SCD and MI is increased during and shortly after bouts of vigorous physical exertion. I am also reminded of La Gerche’s view that the relationship between heart health and exercise is not binary.

In addition, I have applied my learnings about the ageing process to the racing arena. Admittedly this has occurred from a greater appreciation of my physical limitations with increased age, rather than any conscious concerns about heart health per se. That being said, I no longer race half marathons, my upper racing distance being 10 kilometres, conducted a maximum of four times per year. I have found longer races (I don’t mean just running through at an amble) exhaust me to a greater extent than when younger and I have no particular inclination to race a marathon, my last one completed in 1988.

10. Conclusion

I wrote this article out of curiosity, not to be alarmist. For, similar to many others, at age 65, it is my intention to continue competing for as long as I can, while navigating the challenges that ageing can present, good heart health being central to wellbeing and competitive desire.

While I have covered some aspects of heart health, it needs to be recognised that the number of mature athletes whose heart is adversely affected by excessive or extreme endurance exercise is very small. Certainly, advocates of physical exercise such as La Gerche, Attia and Levine, are at pains to explain that the risks from excessive or extreme exercise (however you define it), although not insubstantial for some, do not outweigh the overall cardiovascular benefits derived from a lifetime of physical activity. It is important to maintain perspective, a balanced outlook, in weighing up the pros and cons of endurance exercise for a mature athlete and arrive at an understanding of optimal training and racing for the individual to minimise any risk of cardiac complications.

For the vast majority of athletes there is little doubt that regular exercise extends health span and increases lifespan by improving heart health. However, for a mature runner advancing in age it is prudent to understand the associated risks for the individual, however minor. In practical terms, this means understanding any particular susceptibilities, and mitigating risk, by the adoption of an age-appropriate training program, particularly for those who wish to continue competing at a high level. Engaging in regular health checks, at least annually, is a must to ensure you are on track.

While acknowledging that heart health and the effect of physical exercise on the heart is unique to the circumstances of the individual, within limits, as a mid-sixties distance runner, I have adjusted my training and racing programs, to take into account my known level of risk. As I approach 70 years of age, I am more philosophical in my attitude to racing and training, where the pendulum is definitely swinging towards what Reaburn describes as the ‘value of exercise as medicine.’ But not quite to the more modest ‘prescription for life’ regime recommended by Levine for healthy living.

This doesn’t mean that I don’t compete as fiercely as I always have. But it does mean that I am applying commonsense to my training program in putting my health first.

After all, don’t we all want to be in it for the long haul?

Isn’t that the heart of the matter?

References:

1 Athletes can rest easy: Extreme exercise does not raise heart disease risk or mortality, UTSouthwestern Medical Center, media release, 30 January 2019:

https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/newsroom/articles/year-2019/extreme-exercise.html

2 5 Things Athletes Should Know About Their Hearts, Medstar Health, 9 February 2021: https://www.medstarhealth.org/blog/athletes-heart

3 Franklin, et al, Exercise-Related Acute Cardiovascular Events and Potential Deleterious Adaptations Following Long-Term Exercise Training: Placing the Risks into Perspective–An Update. A Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association, Circulation, 31 March 2020: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000749

4 Burfoot, A, Run Forever, 2018

5 Franklin et al, 2020

6 Parry-Williams et al, The heart of the ageing endurance athlete: the role of chronic coronary stress, European Heart Journal, 22 March 2021: https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/42/28/2737/6179516?login=false

7 Moorman et al, Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in the Older Athlete, Sports Health (Sage), Nov/Dec 2021, extract available: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8559005/

8 Aengevaeren et al, Exercise Volume Versus Intensity and the Progression of Coronary Atherosclerosis in Middle-Aged and Older Athletes: Findings From the MARC-2 Study Circulation Vol 147 No. 13, 4 January 2023: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.122.061173

9 Interview by Simon Willis with Dr Peter Clarkson, How hard to train? A cardiologist on heart health for older athletes, 19 February 2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olg90Dq9ay8

10 Interview by Dr Glenn McConell with Dr Benjamin Levine, Can extreme exercise damage the heart?, Inside Exercise, Number 8, 31 July 2022: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlppG5olndQ

11 Attia, P, MD, Coronary calcium score: what it means and how to interpret your results, 22 April 2019: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7MrZRInjvI

12 Interview by Dr Glenn McConell with Dr Andre La Gerche, The heart and exercise: Should middle-aged men pull on lycra? Inside Exercise, Number 69, October 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvMUAse5mls

13 DeBakey, M, & Gotto, A, The Living Heart, 1977, p6

14 National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, How the Heart Works: How the Heart Beats, 24 March 2022: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/heart/heart-beats#:~:text=Your%20heart%20has%20a%20special,to%20contract%20and%20pump%20blood.

15 Levine, 2022

16 Noakes, T, The Lore of Running, 2003, p41-42

17 Levine, 2022

18 Levine, 2022

19 Arteriosclerosis/Atherosclerosis, Mayo Clinic, 20 September 2024

20 Chau, A, et al, Coronary artery calcium in primary prevention, Australian Journal of General Practice, Vol 9 Iss 8, August 2020: https://www1.racgp.org.au/ajgp/2020/august/coronary-artery-calcium-in-primary-prevention

21 Moorman et al, 2021

22 South Denver Cardiology, What Is the Normal Range for a Calcium Heart Score?: https://southdenver.com/what-is-the-normal-range-for-a-calcium-heart-score/

23 Moorman et al, 2021

24 South Denver Cardiology

25 Todorovic, M & Barton, M, What’s the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest? One’s about plumbing, the other wiring, The Conversation, 9 September 2024: https://apple.news/AzlHbp0cHTVGBAIm2F1zeRQ

26 Yetman, D, Everything You Need to Know About Myocardial Fibrosis, Healthline 17 May 2023: https://www.healthline.com/health/heart-disease/myocardial-fibrosis

27 Franklin et al, 2020

28 Todorovic & Barton, 2024

29 MedStar, 2021

30 MedStar, 2021

31 Franklin et al, 2020

32 Franklin et al, 2020

33 Noakes, 2003, p867

34 Interview with Peter Reaburn, Maximising Health & Performance of the Masters Athlete, Episode 215, The Physical Performance Show, posted by Runners Tribe 1 June 2020: https://www.runnerstribe.com/podcasts/maximising-health-performance-of-the-masters-athlete/

35 Reaburn, 2020

36 Noakes, 2003, p2

37 Noakes, 2003, pp28-33

38 Noakes, 2003, p33

39 Chau et al, 2020

40 DeFina et al, Association of All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality With High Levels of Physical Activity and Concurrent Coronary Artery Calcification, 30 January 2019: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/fullarticle/2722746

Other Sources:

Seladi-Schulman, J, Understanding Sinus Rhythm, Healthline, 11 November 2021:

https://www.healthline.com/health/sinus-rhythm#vs-heart-rate

The post The Mature Distance Runner: Fundamentally Speaking Part Three: The Heart of the Matter – In it for the Long Haul appeared first on Runner's Tribe.

Disclaimer: Content herein does not constitute specific advice to the reader’s circumstance. It is only an opinion based on my perspective that others may learn from. Anyone of any age who engages in running should be in tune with their body and seek medical advice before embarking on any intensive activity (including changes to said activity) that may unduly extend them. This is critical should the aspiring athlete have underlying medical conditions and/or ongoing health issues requiring medication.

‘The bottom line is that training intensely is the key to success in sport, regardless of the age of the athlete.’ (Peter Reaburn PhD 2009)1

In this article I attempt to provide information in a simple fashion and minimise overly technical descriptions of physiological processes. To assist those who want a very high level of detail, I point you to the reference/sources listed at the end of the article.

There is some overlap between this topic and my previous article about the aerobic threshold. I apologise in advance for some minor repetition of content.

1. Introductory Information 

Anaerobic threshold is, seemingly, a well understood concept. The focus on this threshold could be described as excessive in the world of middle-distance running, viewed by some as a shortcut to exceptional performance outcomes. Training at, or above, this threshold is a key consideration in the programs of all distance runners. In this article I identify aspects of the anaerobic threshold that may require attention as we age, and its application to training.

The personal views expressed in this article relate primarily to training for the 5 km to half marathon, which is the focus of my Soft Quality Program (SQP). Training for middle distance events and longer distance races like the marathon require different perspectives.

As a point of reference, in general, there are three methods of doing exercise2 that are relevant to the anaerobic threshold and assumed in this article:

Continuous running with no break or change in intensity;
Continuous-interval running with a change in intensity; and
Stop-start interval training where there are sets, reps and rest periods.

2. What is the Anaerobic Threshold

As stated in my previous article of the Fundamentally Speaking series, in exercise training terms a threshold is a level of effort that causes a physiological adaptation within the body and improvement in performance.3 

The anaerobic threshold is where blood lactate increases rapidly, at a rate in excess of the body’s ability to remove it.4 It is also known as the inflection point or lactate threshold, and is the uppermost threshold of the aerobic training zone. It is the ‘highest sustained intensity of exercise for which measurement of oxygen uptake can account for the entire energy requirement.’

Anaerobic threshold training will improve a runner’s ability to breakdown and remove lactic acid (and tolerate hydrogen ion buildup), and is conducted at 80-85% of maximal heart rate (MHR).5

Reaburn6 explains anaerobic threshold in the following relatable terms: ‘This is the percentage of the athlete’s aerobic capacity that can be used at race pace – what I call the “hurt but hold” intensity……Above this pace the muscles start to produce lactic acid that upsets the muscle contraction process and slows the breakdown of carbohydrate so that energy production is compromised.’ He considers the anaerobic threshold a better predictor of endurance performance than VO2max.

Janssen notes7 that the resting heart rate, maximum heart rate, and the anaerobic threshold, all decrease linearly with age. A life trend that is immovable.

On a semi-related note, I love the graphic description by Tom Courtney about how the onset

of extreme ‘lactic’ can actually feel in the fire of competition. Of the last stages of his 1956 Olympic 800 metres win he wrote: ‘It was a new kind of agony for me. My head was exploding, my stomach ripping and even the tips of my fingers ached. The only thing I could think was, “If I live, I will never run again.”’⁸

3. Research Studies

While research is occurring about exercise, cardiovascular and respiratory health, and older persons, there is a lack of evidenced based research about elite mature age endurance athletes and high intensity training.

By way of example, a review and meta-analysis conducted by Wu et al ⁹ examined the effect of high intensity interval training (HIIT) on healthy adults over 60 years of age. A range of health and fitness factors were considered, including peak oxygen consumption, VO_2peak (the highest amount of oxygen consumed at peak exercise). This review involved a literature search of scientific articles up until 25 July 2020. Some caution is warranted here, as the review excluded ‘high level’ athletes. HIIT was defined as training with intermittent bouts of activity conducted at 85% MHR.

It was found that HIIT substantially improved VO_2peak compared to moderate intensity continuous training (MICT). It was also found that training periods >12 weeks, training frequencies of 2 sessions/week, session lengths of 40 minutes, 6 sets and repetitions, training times per repetition of >60 s, and rest times of <90 s were more effective for VO_2peak.

In my last article I also mentioned an extensive scoping review of research literature that captured 69 studies conducted since 2009, with a participant mean age of 65 and over (men and women), across a range of exercise modalities.¹⁰ This review cited that ‘HIIT can be an effective means of improving aerobic fitness in older adults, and that it may confer a small advantage over traditional endurance training.’ The authors went on to say that this was consistent with the literature about non-elderly adults that showed ‘HIIT may have a small benefit when compared to MICT on improving VO_2peak but that this improvement is likely to be increased by longer intervals and greater work to rest ratios, and in older or less fit subjects.’ Again, caution is warranted interpreting these results, as HIIT was not a clearly defined exercise protocol for the scoping review. In other words, there was considerable variability in the type of HIIT within the studies considered – in terms of length of intensive exercise, length of rest breaks, number of repetitions, frequency, and modality of exercise.

These two extensive reviews did not include elite endurance athletes. Instead, they examined the application of HIIT in elderly populations more generally, some healthy and active, and some not. The combined outcome of these reviews was that HIIT results in a discernible increase in VO_2peak, either substantially or marginally above increases gained from MICT or continuous aerobic activity.

Given the reviews were examining different participant sample types, with a wide variation of HIIT types, at best, I can only surmise that a similar physiological outcome may apply to elite mature age endurance athletes on some level? ie Engagement in HIIT = increase in VO_2peak.

4. A Masters Translation

4.1 Training Framework – The Zones

Many coaches and physiologists promote the use of training zone systems. The most prominent of these systems are based on power (functional threshold power or FTP), heart rate (lactate threshold heart rate or LTHR) and perceived exertion (PE).¹¹

I have noticed a preoccupation with heart rate training zones among the mature age cohort. This is understandable given the broader community emphasis on healthy ageing and support for a controlled and cautionary approach to exercise. Within the endurance fitness realm, it fits nicely within a concept of scientific training, the use of heart rate monitors and lactate readings guiding training sessions and the effort needed to achieve a particular training effect. The linear relationship between intensity and heart rate also makes it an attractive proposition for many.¹² So, logically, as a mature age competitor, I understand the reasons for such an approach. However, my personal preference is to rely on perceived effort, or feel, to gauge the intensity of my training. While no less valid, in this era of technology with a manic focus on performance measurement, I know that perceived effort can be difficult for some competitive mature age runners to come to terms with.

It must be said that there is plenty of variation in heart rate even for athletes of similar ability, of the same age, so use of heart rate-based training is highly individualistic. Despite my personal misgivings about the adoption of a heart rate training zone system, for the purpose of this article, it is useful to have this discussion, while referencing it against the anaerobic threshold. Peter Reaburn¹³ in his book The Masters Athlete, covers heart rate zones in an easy-to-understand manner. I have summarised the cogent points below (using ‘repetitions’ in place of the colloquial use of the term ‘intervals’):

Zone 1 is the recovery zone, low intensity and short duration.

Zone 2 is long slow distance or the aerobic ‘conversation pace’ zone, in the 65-75% of MHR range.

Zone 3 is the extensive endurance zone, performed at 75-80% MHR for long periods, that includes longer distance runs of 10-30 km and longer sets of repetitions. Usually conducted during preparatory phases.

Zone 4 is the ‘strong but comfortable’ intensive endurance zone, just below the ‘hurt but hold’ zone, previously described in this article. It is performed at 80-85% MHR, and duration is reduced. It includes shorter long runs of 5-20 km and more intense repetitions. Again, this is during a preparatory phase of training.

Zone 5 is the ‘hurt but hold’ intensity zone, at anaerobic threshold, performed at an elevated rate of 85-90% MHR. It includes continuous runs of 20 to 60-90 minutes and repetition training with short interval recoveries (half or less duration than the repetitions). And is performed, at the most, twice weekly.

Zone 6 is maximum aerobic training, with reduced volume of sessions, less repetitions but very high intensity, faster than planned race pace (90-100% MHR), and with long interval recoveries. Typically employed in the final pre-competition phase.

Zone 7 is speed training.

Zones 5 to 7 demand adequate recovery strategies to maximise the training effect.

4.2 Implications for Training

4.2.1 The higher the training intensity above the anaerobic threshold (called the anaerobic training zone and described as lactic training) the greater the physiological adaptations. When combining a suitable mix of aerobic and anaerobic training this inevitably increases the workload for your lactate inflection point and your aerobic capacity.¹⁴

As you transition through the zones physiological adaptations occur, the most prominent being an elevation of VO₂max, a raising of the anaerobic threshold (and therefore tolerance to lactic acid), and improved speed endurance. As suggested by Reaburn, the art in all of this is to determine the optimal mix of faster work, having regard to frequency (how often?), intensity (how hard?), time/volume (how long?) and type (what to do?), abbreviated as FITT.¹⁵

4.2.2 I like Peter Magill’s comments about training for masters runners.¹⁶ He puts it in very simple terms: ‘There are no super-secret adjustments or workouts for masters runners. We have to do the same training as younger runners – just a little less of it, at a slightly reduced intensity, with a little more time between hard workouts.’ I agree with this sentiment and do not shy away from the need to conduct high intensity sessions. However, as many authoritative practitioners have indicated, by extension a degree of nuance is required as we travel through each decade, with appropriate tailoring of training programs to mitigate the risks that ageing can bring.

In addition, Friel states that high intensity training is more likely to reduce excess flab than long slow distance, and is beneficial for body composition and race results. Such workouts promote the production of anabolic steroids and burn more calories, and are particularly effective when combined with high-load strength training.¹⁷

4.2.3 Ideally, an optimal mix will support a progressive overload on your body and ensure adequate recovery. Working out this mix for the mature endurance athlete will depend upon individual capacities, gender and ageing considerations. For the sake of sustainability, and to mitigate overtraining and the risk of injury, I favour an overall conservative approach that supports gradual improvement in fitness and performance levels.

4.3 A Practical Application

4.3.1 Reaburn recommends the ageing athlete train largely in zones 2-4, transitioning into zones 5-7 depending on competition preparation and racing phases. He uses the caveat that higher intensity training in zones 5 and 6 should only ever be conducted by ‘healthy ageing athletes who have no cardiac risk factors, a training age of 2-3 years, are not prone to overuse injuries, and who have undertaken an extensive foundation phase.’¹⁸ Indeed, on a personal note, to minimise the risk of cardiac complications in my sixties, I have dispensed with continuous ‘at threshold’ and tempo training runs and focus moreso on interval/repetition training.

Though races aren’t training, I have to acknowledge that when able, I race distances on the track of 2.4 km to 5 km at my weekly (Tuesday night) Newcastle Veterans Athletics Club competition. While they are low key events, I race hard, and you could argue that this equates to an anaerobic threshold training effort. I love to race and these short events help to develop superior endurance fitness for those longer efforts of 10km to half marathon that I participate in, only four times per year. They are also a useful means to gauge progression. In a Complex system such as my SQP, they are part of the ongoing program build. Sometimes they are a sharpener for an upcoming weekend peak race. And, if managed carefully when returning from injury, they can assist in a gradual return to form.

From Reaburn’s description of heart zone training, zone 3 is where faster repetitive work or interval sessions are introduced. My personal preference in my sixties is to largely conduct faster work in what I think is zone 4, based on my perceived effort, occasionally straying into zone 5. Zone 4 is what I call rhythm sessions. Typically, I use short rest intervals between repetitions. In my fifties I was doing more sessions in zone 5 and straying into zone 6.

Remaining in zones 4 and 5 requires patience in the development of speed endurance, resulting in the necessary physiological adaptation to deliver improvements in race performance. While zone 6 sessions can result in breakthrough performances as part of phased approaches, they can be a tipping point to overtraining and burnout if overdone, and/or if the aerobic base is low. The return on investment of this type of training is finite, and runners walk a fine line in finding the right balance.

My view, after much reading and plenty of practical experience, is that we tend to overdo the amount and extent of lactic training. Many of the practical philosophers point to the aerobic engine as the key driver of endurance fitness, aerobic training being the default for physiological renewal if overtraining occurs. And that lactic training is only required in very small doses during key phases of training, prior to peak racing periods. As Lydiard has said ‘No one will burn out doing aerobic running. It is too much anaerobic running, which the American scholastic athletic system tends to put young athletes through, that burns them out.’¹⁹

I remind the reader that interval training does not have to be done on a track. In actual fact, I do these sorts of sessions on flat dirt and grass trails, grass lands, football ovals and fields. I sometimes use non-conventional distances for reps like 530m, 670m, 180m, 330m etc to best fit my surroundings. It is the effect that is important, not the exactness of distance or the running surface. Running in a more natural environment, often in quiet settings, can assist in the enjoyment of your faster sessions. You tend to be more relaxed. Even moreso if you are not preoccupied with timing your sessions and you focus on listening to your body throughout the session.

4.3.2 Pure Speedwork

With increased age I have introduced regular alactic or pure speedwork sessions, as I have jettisoned the lactic sessions. These sessions entail bursts of 7 to 20 seconds at 98-99% maximum effort, with very long rest breaks to enable adequate recovery. The shortness of the reps means there is minimal, if any, lactate produced. While they are not all out sprints at 100% maximum effort, they are very fast, and there is a risk of injury should the mature runner not complete an adequate warm up. However, allowing for a period of adaptation, pure speedwork is a useful training strategy to develop an ability to run and relax at top speed.

The inclusion of pure speedwork can be a bonus for the mature athlete. It can be a less mentally taxing faster session that provides some variety in training, enabling the mature athlete to sneak in an extra quality session to their program on a weekly or fortnightly basis. It can also be interchanged with short hill reps and fartlek over undulating parklands that provide added strength work. While I support a lesser frequency of higher intensity work in the seventh decade/sixties, say one interval session per week, the introduction of speedwork is a value-added session that can reap significant benefits for racing performance. So, assuming the mature athlete is healthy, and not taking medication, an optimal training week in their sixties could be:

1 x short race (upper limit of 5km at a parkrun or local Masters track race), noting that this could revert to fortnightly or three-weekly in different phases;
1 x interval session (zone 4 or 5 depending on phase of training); and
1 x pure speedwork session (zone 7).

Reaburn²⁰ stresses the importance of ‘speed’ training for ageing athletes and describes how it enables the hard wiring of your brain to your muscles required for sprinting. He observes that ageing athletes tend to train at lower intensities and virtually never activate the fast twitch type II fibres found in sprinters, losing whatever capability that may have existed. He notes that speedwork ‘can help the ageing muscle and nerves to fire quickly.’ This means that when competing the mature endurance runner can better cope with distance racing speeds that are much slower than ‘sprint’ pace. I have found this to be true in my own racing, where the introduction of weekly speedwork sessions have brought me on relatively quickly, enabling me to race faster over 5km than I would have otherwise expected. And finding the race pace comparatively less demanding.

I also acknowledge that if you are not performing higher end anaerobic work, the introduction of pure speedwork can be challenging, because the neuromuscular adaptation required will be significant, a ‘shock to the system’ as you fire up your fast twitch sprinting fibres. This can result in a feeling of ‘clunkiness’ in your running for a few weeks while you transition to regular zone 7 speedwork. It also requires careful management. You need to have your antenna up for any inklings of potential leg injuries, and discomfort in your groin/lower abdomen and buttocks. However, based on my personal experience, I think the risk is worth the potential benefits.

5. Commonsense

One of my basic tenets of training has always been the need to exercise commonsense. With this in mind, I refer the reader to some advice from Reaburn that relates to FITT. At the risk of taking things out of context, I particularly like these excerpts from his Seven Deadly Mistakes Made by Masters Athletes²¹:

‘If there is one lesson I have learnt over the years, it’s how important the principle of ‘progressive overload’ is. Too many older athletes, particularly those new to sport or not having trained for years, train too hard, too long or too often….The key? Progressively increase how long, how often and how hard we train, and in that order.’

‘…intensity also brings with it tiredness, fatigue and an increased risk of injury. Prepare the body well for the hard work by developing a good base, getting the muscles and joints strong and then progressively building the intensity.’

‘…the stress response of exercise and life are the same. Thus, during times of psychological stress, cut back on the intensity, duration or frequency of training and, from my experience, in that priority order!’

‘While it’s great to train and be pushed in groups, there are times when we need to “do our own thing” and that thing is what our own bodies are telling us, not our minds!’

6. Concluding Comments

If you have reached this section, you will have found that I have broadly addressed some of the aspects of FITT. I don’t think it’s necessary to designate a percentage figure for an optimal proportion of high intensity training versus aerobic training, or a definitive split of zone 4 to zone 7 workloads. I think it is safe to say that at a base level, there is evidence that some form of high intensity interval training contributes to an increase in VO_2peak and aerobic capacity for older persons.

For competitive distance runners it is obvious that the shorter the racing distance the greater the need to perform some anaerobic threshold and above training. What that means for the total volume and extent of this type of training session will depend on ageing factors, gender and individual capacities. For a mature age distance runner, I think it is better to settle on a routine that includes a commitment to regular faster sessions, on some level. While the use of interval training to improve speed endurance consist of short reps (30-90 seconds) with short rest intervals (half or less the rep time) sessions²², if engaging in very high intensity interval sessions a good rule of thumb is to reduce the number of repetitions, and ensure adequate rest intervals between each rep.

In a previous article about Quality, I discussed in practical terms some related issues about high intensity training. Two years later my views about anaerobic threshold training remain unchanged for a mature athlete, namely that higher intensity should not extend to excessive use of lactic training within a Complex system. I support a gradual reduction in the use of lactic sessions moving through the M/W40 decade, favouring speed endurance training and anaerobic threshold sessions as an M/W 50 and beyond, complemented by pure speedwork, with just a dash of the anaerobic zone 6 work to hone race performance.

The trade-off for the virtual exclusion of zone 6 equivalent training is a more gradual progression of endurance fitness by a raising of the base aerobic threshold, a much slower increase to the anaerobic threshold and sustainable improvements in racing performance. Ultimately, I suggest that with increasing age from your fifties onwards it is a safer option to stay within zones 4 and 5 for high intensity work, primarily engaging in sub anaerobic threshold sessions rather than anaerobic lactic.

When you think about it, what I propose for a mature age runner is not too dissimilar from the training system used by the Ingebritsens’, which is characterised by high volume, moderate threshold-based interval training, and a small amount of high intensity speedwork. Albeit on a much-reduced scale, and age appropriate.

Though I am less enamoured by their use of lactate monitors and constant physiology testing, preferring to train based on perceived effort. And instinctively, I rail against the use of set ratings that are applied to the Perceived Exertion training zone system, instead opting for a more natural free-wheeling approach to intensity.

But then again, that’s just me.

References:

1. Reaburn, P, The Masters Athlete, 2009, p55
2. Reaburn, 2009, p54
3. Training Thresholds, PDEHPE.NET, 2022
4. What is aerobic threshold: an athlete’s guide?, 18 July 2017, updated 7 February 2023:
5. PDEHPE.NET, 2022
6. Reaburn, 2009, pp73-74
7. Janssen, P, Lactate Threshold Training, 2001, p42
8. The Great Distance Runners, excerpt from the Fordham Digest
9. Wu et al, Impact of high intensity interval training on cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, physical fitness, and metabolic parameters in older adults. A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Elsevier, 31 March 2021:
10. Marriott et al, High-Intensity Interval Training in Older Adults: a Scoping Review, Sports Medicine – Open, 19 July 2021, p18, available at: https://sportsmedicine-open.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40798-021-00344-4
11. Azze, J, Power, Heart Rate and RPE Training Zones for the Endurance Athlete, Mountain Peak Fitness, 7 February: https://www.mountainpeakfitness.com/blog/power-heart-rate-zones-for-the-endurance-athlete
12. Reaburn, 2009, pp77
13. Reaburn, 2009, pp78-81
14. Training Thresholds, PDEHPE.NET, 2022
15. Reaburn, 2009, p54
16. Magill, P, Fast 5k, 2019, p117
17. Friel, J, Fast after 50, 2015, p154
18. Reaburn, 2009, p96
19. Roche, D, The Evolution of Running Training Theory, Trail Runner, 10 July 2023:
20. Reaburn, 2009, p81
21. Reaburn, P:
22. Reaburn, 2009, p86

The post The Mature Distance Runner: Fundamentally Speaking Part Two: The Anaerobic Threshold appeared first on Runner's Tribe.

Disclaimer: Content herein does not constitute specific advice for the reader’s circumstances. It is only an opinion based on my perspective that others may learn from. Anyone of any age who engages in running should be in tune with their body and seek medical advice before embarking on any intensive activity (including changes to said activity) that may unduly extend them. This is critical should the aspiring athlete have underlying medical conditions and/or ongoing health issues requiring medication.

 ‘One obvious explanation for the decline in running performance after the age of 30-32 years is the gradual decline in the capacity to consume oxygen during exhaustive exercise (aerobic capacity).’ (David L Costill, PhD, 1979)¹

In this article, I attempt to provide information in a simple fashion and minimize overly technical descriptions of physiological processes. To assist those who want a very high level of detail, I point you to the references/sources listed at the end of the article.

1. Introductory Information

Aerobic threshold is a sometimes misunderstood concept. And it seems to me that aerobic capacity can tend to be discounted by mature competitors who aspire to high-performance standards. This article attempts to shine a light on the value of aerobic threshold training, what it entails and where it sits in the quantity versus quality equation.

2. Stripping It Back

 Firstly, what is a threshold in exercise training terms? Threshold is a level of effort that causes a physiological adaptation within the body and improvement in performance.²

The two main training thresholds are aerobic, when lactate first comes on the scene rising in the blood above normal resting levels, and anaerobic (also known as the inflection point or lactate threshold), where blood lactate increases rapidly, at a rate in excess of the body’s ability to remove it.³ Aerobic threshold is also described as ‘the uppermost limit of exercise when the production of energy starts to become dominated by anaerobic glycolysis (sugars) rather than the oxidation (aerobic in nature) of fats.’⁴

Taking from a range of sources, in practical terms, your aerobic threshold is steady-state (not slow) running that can be maintained for extended periods (hours if required), where your breathing is not labored.

The range of intensity between the two thresholds is called the aerobic training zone. Training at higher intensities within this zone will deliver greater levels of physiological adaptation, increase aerobic capacity, and subsequently result in a higher aerobic threshold level, where running remains ‘comfortable’ but stretching at faster speeds as fitness improves. However, the reality for the mature endurance athlete is that the physiology of ageing – most notably, a reduction in VO₂max and maximal heart rate, a decrease in blood volume pumped per heartbeat, loss of muscle mass, a reduction in the number and effectiveness of aerobic enzymes, and a decrease in total blood volume ⁵ – dampens the outcome in absolute terms.

3. VO₂max

VO₂max is universally accepted as the key measure of a person’s maximum aerobic power. It ‘represents the maximum amount of oxygen that can be removed from circulating blood and used by the working tissues during a specified period’ of exercise.⁶ This process is expressed by the formula of:

VO₂max = mLO₂/kg/min, which is millilitres of oxygen/kg of body weight/minute.

While your aerobic threshold (or lower lactate threshold) can be held for hours, running at 100% VO₂max is only possible for 5 to 8 minutes before anaerobic glycolysis ⁷ takes effect – and the ‘big bear’ arrives.

The effect of aerobic threshold training is to increase a runner’s aerobic capacity, measured by VO₂max. Training is typically conducted at 65-70% of the maximal heart rate (MHR). Though an accurate measure requires laboratory testing, in simple terms the MHR can be determined by running to exhaustion. Whereas, anaerobic threshold training will improve a runner’s anaerobic capacity, the ability to breakdown and remove lactic acid (and tolerate hydrogen ion buildup), and is conducted at 80-85% of MHR.⁸

4. Oxygen and Mitochondria

The cardiovascular system plays a significant role within the human body. Simply put, ‘the arteries carry bright red oxygenated blood from the heart to the various tissues of the body. Veins then carry the bluish deoxygenated blood back to the heart, which then pumps it through the lungs for a fresh supply of oxygen.’^{9 10}

Telford describes the two most significant limitations of aerobic power as the mitochondria, and the speed at which the body can deliver oxygen to the mitochondria.¹¹ Mitochondria are organelles, a membrane bound structure found within a cell. They are universally described as the powerhouses of the cell. Located next to muscle filaments, their main function is to produce the energy required to power muscle contraction, a process of oxidative phosphorylation. The latter is the final biomechanical pathway in the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). As Noakes states¹² ‘ATP is the form in which energy is used in the body – it is the body’s energy currency.’

Magill makes the point that increasing your oxygen supply and your ability to use that supply, will increase your energy production, and therefore result in faster race times.¹³ And the best way to achieve an increase in oxygen supply is by improving the transportation of oxygen to the mitochondria, which in turn increases the size of the mitochondria. The best way of feeding your mitochondria is by the creation of more capillaries, which deliver oxygen to the muscle fibres themselves.

As Martin and Coe put it, ‘Part of the process of getting fit through training at the cellular level involves an increase in both the size and number of mitochondria, together with their fuel-metabolizing enzymes, so that the maximal energy producing capacity of the trained muscle can increase.’¹⁴

5. Some Historical Context

Many years ago, Frank Horwill, instigator and a founding member of the British Miler’s Club, published a brief article in Athletics Weekly titled ‘Aerobic Running: A Closer Look.’¹⁵ Its purpose was to review the current state of knowledge about aerobic running. Horwill drew upon the work of the eminent British physiologist and biophysicist, A. V. Hill.

Hill, a Nobel Prize winner in 1922, developed the muscle contraction model. He was responsible for the quantification of total oxygen requirements for each running event and their conversion into aerobic and anaerobic ratios as follows: 200 metres: 5% aerobic 95% anaerobic, 400: 27/73%, 800: 33/67%, 1500: 50/50%, 3000: 60/40%, 5000: 80/20%, 10000: 90/10%, marathon: 99/1%. Horwill noted that it was being argued that the bulk of a person’s training pattern, for each event, should reflect these ratios.

Based on current day information, the ratios calculated by Hill are not totally accurate and don’t allow for gender differences. However, turning his mind to their practical application, Horwill devised tentative definitions for different types of aerobic work that could be applied to a largely aerobic training program:

Pure aerobic running: jogging

Aerobic running: steady state running, 2-3 minutes per mile slower than best mile

Fast aerobic running: at the runner’s best 5000 metres pace

Speed aerobic running: at the runner’s best 3000 metres pace

Intermediate aerobic running: at the runner’s best 10000 metres pace.

 By way of example, using a 4 minutes 1500 metre runner wanting to train for 10000 metres, Horwill calculated the relative training speeds as follows:

Pure aerobic: speed per 400, 2 minutes

Aerobic: 90 seconds

Fast aerobic: 70.5 seconds

Intermediate aerobic: 72 seconds

Speed aerobic: 69 seconds

Anaerobic: 63 seconds

I’d suggest this is a useful approach to consider for your own training as a mature runner, doing the necessary calculations based on your own 1500 metres performance levels. Certainly, examining my own training program, based on age grade equivalents, the bulk of my quality sessions would fall within the fast aerobic to speed aerobic range.

Though I cannot lay my hands on the articles, I can clearly recall an insightful exchange between Dick Telford and Ron Clarke in an Australian magazine in the 1980s that is relevant to this discussion. Ron respectfully took Dick to task for some comments Dick made in an article about the Australian system of distance running with an inference that in his heyday Ron ran much of his continuous runs at a relatively easy pace. Ron highlighted that his regular training runs were anything but easy, and that he ran at a much faster pace, one that stretched him, which delivered a progressive performance improvement. I’d take this to mean that Ron was performing much of his continuous running into the higher ranges of his aerobic training zone, and at times approaching Horwill’s definition of intermediate aerobic speeds.

Similarly, Lydiard’s system relied on a period of base training over long distances, pushing the boundaries of the aerobic threshold. Granted there was allowance for some slower recovery, and shorter, supplementary runs throughout the Lydiard program but by and large it was building the base through faster aerobic continuous distance runs. Unfortunately, in some circles, his training methods were erroneously described as 100 miles per week of long slow distance (LSD).

The founder of LSD was Ernst van Aaken, M D. LSD was part of his system of training that he described as the endurance training method. He developed his methods as an opposing system to interval training that became prominent in the 1950s. Central to this method was ‘to continuously increase oxygen uptake capacity by long daily endurance exercise at moderate pace.’¹⁶ Van Aaken stated there were more similarities than differences to Lydiard’s program. However, one major difference was the adoption of ‘slow jogging and more frequent rest breaks’ when running the longest distances, with a stated preference that heart beat not exceed 130 beats per minute (bpm).¹⁷ The bulk of his distance running program sat in the range of 120-150 bpm.¹⁸

Interestingly, van Aaken felt that the notoriously fast kicks of some of his proteges, such as Harald Norpoth, came from their huge aerobic engines developed by many hours of long slow distance running, rather than the faster work they also engaged in.¹⁹ Unfortunately, his training methods became known mainly for this component. However, if you read his books, apart from some very long runs, you will see that a range of ‘other’ long continuous running, tempo runs and pace work at lower intensities was done by his athletes, never exceeding 180 bpm. ^{20 21} Sharpeners and alactic sessions were also included, where there was no oxygen debt or lactic acid involved. Though very long runs were a cornerstone of his methods, these days, we would likely view the ‘other’ work as key to his athlete’s success rather than focus solely on the longest runs.

6. A Master’s Translation

In summary, there is a high level of consensus among exercise physiologists, academics and research scientists, and authoritative coaches, that aerobic capacity is the major determinant of endurance fitness and simultaneously most affected by ageing. It is also clear that aerobic capacity, lactate threshold and economy, in priority order, are the three main components of endurance fitness.²² When cross referenced against the ‘big three’ limiters of performance caused by ageing – decreasing aerobic capacity, increasing body fat and shrinking muscles ²³ – and having regard to your own level of adaptation to training, it becomes evident where you may need to target your training to maximise performance.

Friel ²⁴ explains that there are two main sub-systems of aerobic capacity – oxygen delivery to the muscles (involving lungs, heart, blood, arteries and capillaries) and oxygen uptake (muscles capture the oxygen as it flows past in the capillaries and use it to produce energy). A deterioration in oxygen delivery is considered to be the major determinant of any decline in aerobic capacity. In particular, for mature athletes a reduced stroke volume (the amount of blood pumped by each heart beat) and reduction in maximum heart rate are the major contributors to this decline.

Friel ²⁵ further explains that stroke volume is largely contingent on the size and contractility of the left ventricle of the heart. If, through a lack of activity, the left ventricle is rarely challenged to pump a lot of blood per beat, then size and contractility may be lost, thereby reducing aerobic capacity. Something that seems more common in men.

Results of a study published in 2007 ²⁶ also support the notion that the progressive reduction of VO₂max (driven by decreases in maximal stroke volume, heart rate and arterio-venus O₂ difference or the amount of blood taken up by the tissues) is the primary cause of the decline in performance of endurance athletes as they age, followed by reductions in lactate threshold. Notably, exercise economy did not change with age.

6.1 Women

It is useful to compare men to women.²⁷ A study of 75 competitive runners (37 men and 38 women) examined the relationship between lactate threshold (LT) expressed as a percentage of VO₂max and running velocity at lactate threshold (LT_V). Other relationships examined were the extent to which VO₂max, the oxygen cost of running (C_R) and maximal aerobic speed (MAS) determined running velocity. To quote the results of this study, ‘Lactate threshold did not correlate with LT_V. The product of MAS and LT correlated strongly with LT_V. There were no differences between elite, national and recreational runners regarding LT, but female runners had higher LT than the male runners. Female runners at the same relative performance level had lower velocity and VO₂max, but better C_R than male runners.’

Of note the women’s VO₂max was 21% lower than the men but their oxygen cost of running was 9% better than the men.’ As a layperson I interpret this to mean that women may be generally more efficient in their use of oxygen within their bodily system, and that their lower VO₂max may be partially offset by this level of efficiency. Resulting in higher performance levels than would otherwise be the case because of a lower VO₂max.

6.2 Physiological Adaptation

Friel ²⁸ reminds us that training in the aerobic training zone and use of frequent longer steady-state aerobic-threshold workouts are key to physiological adaptation, the most notable being more efficient use of fat for fuel: drawing upon fat stores and not affecting glycogen uptake. A range of other adaptations also result from aerobic threshold training: increased capillaries, more delivery pathways for blood, oxygen and fuel, adaptation of slow twitch (and fast twitch) muscles to enable greater levels of fatigue resistance. Apart from an increase in aerobic enzyme production, that assist in the production of energy from oxygen and fat, aerobic threshold workouts also create more of the hormone erythropoietin (EPO) that increases red blood cell production and delivers more oxygen carrying capacity to the muscles.

6.3 Implications for Training

There is evidence that improvements in aerobic capacity arise from combining aerobic and anaerobic training as a means to increase the workload for your lactate inflection point.²⁹ In 2021 an extensive scoping review of research of mature adults was completed. This review captured 69 studies conducted since 2009, with a participant mean age of 65 and over (men and women), across a range of exercise modalities. This review suggested that some types of high intensity interval training may deliver better aerobic outcomes than traditional endurance training described as moderate intensity continuous training (MCT).³⁰

This is where it can get confusing. The mature endurance athlete may misconstrue this to mean that higher volumes of anaerobic work as a percentage of total volume of running will deliver better performance outcomes. In my experience, this view is certainly prevalent in mainstream middle distance running spheres, and an approach that has proven to be unsustainable. What I like to call a perceived shortcut to nowhere, as your body’s eventually runs itself down, and out.

However, Friel provides a useful insight that a mature athlete who has a stable and high VO₂max, is clearly less limited by aerobic capacity. And could benefit by introducing a combination of aerobic capacity intervals and sub lactate threshold sessions as an optimal approach to boost the lactate threshold and further increase VO₂max.³¹ While this would improve endurance fitness, it would also result in the ability to train in a higher range of the aerobic training zone for continuous runs and prevent the burnout that inevitably comes with excessive anaerobic work (my interpretation).

Alternatively, if you have a consistently high VO₂max, to boost your race performance you may actually need to pay some extra attention to lactate threshold training (anaerobic) or running economy. However, there are limits on the returns from anaerobic training and as indicated earlier, the returns from improvement in running economy are negligible.

It has been cited that elite athletes can only improve VO₂max by about 15 percent with intensive training.³² Clearly, the greater gains arise from aerobic capacity. To my way of thinking, training in the aerobic training zone remains the default position to stabilise endurance fitness and provide the base for all other training, ala Lydiard.

6.3.1 The Mature Age Drift

The mature runner tends to drift towards a reduction in volume of training and intensity of continuous runs (often to below the aerobic threshold), as the years go by. This can mean that the amount of high intensity training (if maintained) can easily become a disproportionately higher percentage of the overall training volume when compared to an open competitor’s program in their prime. I would argue that this is the subliminal effect of a natural tendency to give in to the ageing process (‘run less but run fast if I can’), rather than any deliberate intent to increase the percentage of high intensity sessions per se.

Although many studies point to the maintenance of, or at least, lesser deterioration in aerobic capacity by maintaining anaerobic sessions, as volume decreases year on year, I’d argue that such an approach is sub-optimal, and risks continued performance progression/mitigation as we age. All things being equal, if a mature racer can maintain the physical and psychological commitment required, I contend that volume needs to be maintained at a ‘reasonable’ level. My personal rule of thumb for a reasonable volume is to convert the miles run from my younger days to kilometres in my mature years. For instance, 100 miles per week in my twenties is equivalent to 100 kilometres per week in my early to mid-sixties, and 80 miles per week is equivalent to 80 kilometres per week, and so on.

While maintaining a reasonable volume, to ensure adequate performance progression, it is vital that continuous runs are conducted in the aerobic training zone. Some have argued that slow longer runs may assist in the development of a base level of endurance health but would not contribute significantly to high end aerobic capacity necessary for solid racing performance. While long very slow running can play a legitimate supporting role in the cardiovascular adaptations of a well-performed distance runner (certainly it can do no harm), there are many who express the view that running very slow only helps you to run slow, and may actually inhibit your ability to run faster. Given ageing factors, this would be moreso for a mature aged distance runner.

While the effect of reduced training frequency (say from six to two sessions per week) can be mitigated by the maintenance of high intensity, there is some evidence to suggest that for ‘highly trained athletes’ aerobic training effects are lost after three months total abstinence from training.³³ There is also a view that continuation of high intensity sessions (typically anaerobic) throughout a mature endurance athlete’s career may be an ‘aerobic capacity preserver’, substantially mitigating the decline in Vo₂max.³⁴

While leaving a detailed examination of the anaerobic threshold to my next article, its pertinent to note that my Soft Quality Program (SQP) for the over sixties cohort is about centring training efforts primarily in the aerobic training zone, volume being in the range of 80 to 110km pw depending on time of year and racing commitments. Into my sixties my higher intensity sessions have reduced in frequency, with the inclusion of speed endurance sessions, or aerobic intervals (sub threshold anaerobic sessions rather than anaerobic lactic) at 5000 metres to 3000 metres pace, complemented by pure speedwork (alactic) – in a mix of hill work, fartlek, rhythm interval sessions and short reps. I have retained anaerobic sessions, on a very limited basis, when compared to my fifties. And while I do like to train largely within the aerobic training zone, some of my long runs are slower, enabling more effective recovery, as I deal with the reality of ageing.

7. Concluding Comments

The purpose of this article was to highlight the significance of aerobic threshold training as the main determinant of endurance fitness, and therefore race performance outcomes, something that can be lost on the mature distance running cohort in their advancing years. The temptation to run shorter and easier continuous runs is understandable given it takes us longer to complete our daily runs. The ageing process can also throw up challenges to maintaining a reasonable volume of sessions in the aerobic training zone.

The ‘use it or lose it’ mantra is ever present in justifying an over-emphasis on above anaerobic threshold, high intensity training. However, a mature runner will reap significant benefits, mitigating reduction in performance and achieving sustainable outcomes by conducting major portions of their training in the aerobic training zone. After all, the anaerobic threshold cannot be increased unless considerable improvement is made to a distance runner’s aerobic capacity. It is a law of exercise physiology that is irrefutable.

Of course, it would be farcical to say that high intensity training is of no value to a mature competitor, or should not be included on some basis in a well-balanced program, a topic that will be the subject of my next article about the anaerobic threshold.

References:

1.  Costill, D L, A Scientific Approach to Distance Running, 1979, p13
2. Training Thresholds, PDEHPE.NET, 2022,
3. What is aerobic threshold: an athlete’s guide?, 18 July 2017, updated 7 February 2023:
4. Breese, J, What Is The Aerobic Threshold: The Ultimate Guide, Strength Matters, 1 July 2023,
5. Friel, J, Fast after 50, 2015, p22
6. Fee, E, The Complete Guide to Running: How to become a champion, from 9 to 90, 2005, p25
7. Anaerobic Glycolysis, sourced from Science Direct, 23 July 2024:
8. PDEHPE.NET, 2022
9. DeBakey, M, & Gotto, A, The Living Heart, 1977, p6
10. Puleo, J & Milroy, P, Running Anatomy, 2010, p11
11. Telford, R, Running: through the looking glass, 2015, p53
12. Noakes, T, Lore of Running, fourth edition, 2001, p7
13. Magill, P, Fast 5k, 2019, p21
14. Martin, D & Coe, P, Better Trai9ning For Distance Runners, second edition, 1997, p39
15. Horwill, F, Aerobic Running: A Closer Look, Athletics Weekly, 14 February 1987
16. van Aaken, Van Aaken Method, 1976, p22
17. van Aaken, 1976, pp49-50
18. Magness, S, Ernst Van Aaken: The Pure Endurance Method, The Science of Running, July 2016
19. Magness, 2016
20. Magness, 2016
21. van Aaken, 1976, pp55-57
22. Friel, 2015, p68
23. Friel, 2015, pp81-82
24. Friel, 2015, pp86-87
25. Friel, 2015, p87
26. Tanaka, H & Seals, D, Endurance exercise performance in Masters athletes: age-associated changes and underlying physiological mechanisms, The Journal of Physiology, 23 August 2007
27. Stoa, M et al, Factors Influencing Running Velocity at Lactate Threshold in Male and Female Runners at Different Levels of Performance, Frontiers in Physiology, 4 November 2020
28. Friel, 2015, p167
29. PDEHPE.NET, 2022
30. Marriott et al, High-Intensity Interval Training in Older Adults: a Scoping Review, Sports Medicine – Open, 19 July 2021, p18

31.  Friel, 2015, p122, p160

32. Fee, E, 2005, p26

33.  Fee, 2005, p26

34.  Friel, 2015, p111

    Other Sources:

     

    Hill, A V, Where is the Limit?, World Sports magazine, August 1952

    Henderson, J, Long Slow Distance, The Human Way to Train, 1969

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An Introduction

Disclaimer: Content herein does not constitute specific advice to the reader’s circumstance. It is only an opinion based on my perspective that others may learn from. Anyone of any age who engages in running should be in tune with their body and seek medical advice before embarking on any intensive activity (including changes to said activity) that may unduly extend them. This is critical should the aspiring athlete have underlying medical conditions and/or ongoing health issues requiring medication.

‘Only sport can help in making up for our deficiency in movement and in exercising our bodies. But get this clear: if we take part in sport with the object of putting up good performances, this can only be indulged in if it does not damage our organism and, therefore, our health.’ (Woldemar Gerschler,1954) 1

‘Passive fitness, the mere absence of any illness, is a losing battle. Without activity, the body begins to deteriorate and appears to become more vulnerable to certain chronic illnesses and diseases.’ (Kenneth H Cooper, M.D., M.P.H. 1968) 2

This article marks the beginning of a new series for the mature aged distance runner. My previous two series about training principles and practical philosophy have discussed many topics that relate to the competitive among us. While I have covered a range of information within these series, there have been some gaps in the examination of biological and other factors that are critical to high performance.

The Fundamentally Speaking series is an attempt to fill those gaps, and explore the still developing science and perspectives about distance running and aging. In getting back to basics, I may cover old ground, walking some well-trodden paths. But hopefully, the target audience will gain some new insights, or at least jump off points for reflection about their own situation, light bulb moments to understand why it is the way it is for them. And convert such reflection into action.

1. Chosen Topics

The topics I have chosen to examine are:

Aerobic threshold;
Anaerobic threshold;
Effect of endurance activity on the heart;
Body composition and weight;
Changes in hormones;
Sleep;
Nutrition;
Arthritis; and
Shoes.

To understand what we are dealing with, over the course of this series, a number of lenses will be applied – aging, non-athletic, endurance, medical and theoretical. Like many readers I am a mature competitive runner who has suffered various incapacities. So, as you would expect, I am concerned about the identification of any deterioration in physical capacity due to aging, as a consequence of natural biological changes, as opposed to a deterioration caused purely by the extent of endurance activity and/or the use of inappropriate training methods.

Mainstream literature on the chosen topics is supported by the research of exercise scientists and physiologists, coaches, medical academics and health professionals. There are a multitude of publications steeped in the science of exercise physiology that stretch back to the era of Dr. Woldemar Gerschler and cardiologist Dr. Herbert Reindell, the fathers of interval training. More recently, a body of evidence has started to develop about the implications of endurance exercise for an aging athlete, particularly its effect on the cardiac system.

Although much of the research is limited by an inherent male bias, in this series I will attempt to differentiate between the effects on men and women.

2. Why these topics?

I have chosen these nine topics, not only because I can write about them based on personal experience, but also because I view them as fundamental to the achievement of high-performance levels.

‘Shoes’ is an outlier, in the sense that it is a product of technological endeavour, that responds to and can influence a distance runners biomechanics. Appropriate choice of footwear can be an enabler of higher levels of performance. But clearly, of itself it does not fall nicely within the category of topics to be covered.

You could argue that arthritis is a natural consequence of living longer, afflicting non-runners and runners. It is such a common condition in the aging cohort that I consider it demands close attention. For the distance runner the onset of arthritis, particularly osteoarthritis, can be debilitating. For most it requires a level of adaptation in training, and a tailored management of exercise regimes, to continue racing. In extreme situations it is the crossroads for a lifetime decision about whether to continue running at all.

 2.1 Where to from here?

As a basis for future articles, it is useful to provide a simple explanation of some of the topics, and what the discussion will likely turn on for a mature competitive distance runner.

There is a raft of information available about the two key thresholds of endurance activity, aerobic and anaerobic. They are the yin and yang of any reputable analysis of exercise physiology, and will be covered as one broad ranging topic. It will lead to an extended discussion about VO₂ max, maximal heart rate, mitochondria, physiological adaptation, a recommended mix of quality and volume, and training zones. The advent of terms used in scientific and academic research circles such as high intensity interval training (HIIT), high intensity training (HIT), and metabolic equivalent of tasks (MET) can confuse a layperson such as myself. But I will do my best to unravel their meanings.

Critically, an aging lens will be applied with gusto, to truly understand the implications of all things ‘lactic’, and not forgetting the real physiological culprit of hydrogen ions.

Following on from the threshold discussion I will attempt to cover the effect of endurance activity on the heart. I expect that this will be the most controversial of all topics covered, though ‘shoes’ always gets a strong reaction. I regularly hear from peers about cardiac conditions that have arisen for runners in their later years that may have resulted from excessive endurance activity. The main dangers appear to be increases in coronary artery calcification (CAC) and the development of atrial fibrillation (AF). However, it is important to maintain perspective, a balanced outlook, in weighing up the pros and cons of exercise for a mature endurance athlete and come to a common sense understanding of optimal training to minimise any risk of cardiac complications. Certainly, for the vast majority of endurance athletes there is no doubt that regular exercise increases lifespan by improving heart health.

Many studies in this field tend to focus on the mature endurance athlete as a homogenous group across all sports disciplines, coalescing the experience of individuals across multiple disciplines such as running, cycling, swimming and skiing etc. I note that to enable fair comparisons across disciplines, volume and intensity is sometimes measured in research studies by METs.

Body composition and weight – front and centre to this topic is body fat and where that sits. It is often said that if we are lighter, we should be able to run faster. But for an aging athlete it’s a complex equation. I will test the assertion of lighter = faster by a deep dive into all things body composition

We all experience natural changes in hormones as we age, though there are differences between men and women. What are the significant hormonal changes and how do they affect performance as men and women age?

Sleep is underestimated as a recovery strategy and underdone by many who have competing life priorities. Whilst it is difficult to define, there is no doubt that adequate sleep (hours) of high quality (no interruptions) is important for the effective training recovery of a distance runner. I’ll examine the cycle and phases of sleep in detail to pull back the doona on this important factor in an aging athlete’s performance.

Nutrition is the process of utilising food for growth, metabolism and repair of tissues. ³ As arguably one of the two most significant contributors to adequate recovery (the other being sleep) ⁴, how can we build effective nutritional strategies into our lifestyle?

Osteo and rheumatoid arthritis are the two most common types of arthritis, the former largely associated with wear and tear of joints and the latter an inflammatory disease of joint linings, where the body’s immune system is attacking the body’s own tissues. ⁵ I will explore whether strategies exist to reduce the onset of arthritis, and mitigate its effect, to continue training and competing on some basis.

Shoes are the running world’s silver bullet, endlessly redesigned, remarketed, and re-hyped. How much benefit does a mature runner really gain from the use of a carbon plated shoe? ‘Cheat shoes’, as they have become known in some quarters, may present particular challenges relating to gait, biomechanics and leg and ankle power and thrust. I’ll examine the pros and cons.

3. Concluding Comments

I know that many mature aged distance runners are well informed on these topics, particularly in relation to general principles, and some of the obvious discussion threads that permeate our running lives. However, I’ll attempt to introduce arguments and research that may not be widely known to the readership, to better inform the mature aged competitor to answer the age-old question: What can I do to keep going?

References:

1.Gerschler, W, article titled The Man Behind the Champion, World Sports magazine, September 1954, pp28-31

2.Cooper, K, Aerobics,1968, p13

3.Zohoori, F, Chapter 1: Nutrition and Diet, monographs in oral science, National Library of Medicine, USA, 2020, available here.

4.Friel, J, Fast after 50, 2015, p203

5.Arthritis Overview, John Hopkins Medicine, 2024, available here.

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Margaret’s attitude has been one of commitment and discipline, a grass roots approach that is steeped in the power of sport and community, and the strength of relationships. Margaret’s story is similar to the experience of other women of her era, but how she applied herself to a lifelong commitment to endurance sport may differ. Extending her involvement from active competition to the mentoring of others and administration, and owning the Coast Runners Shop, plaudits, never sought, have come her way. A reflection, she says, of an enduring partnership with her husband, Robert, rather than any singular effort on her part.

Digging into Margaret’s past unearthed some jewels, anecdotes and experiences that only distance running can deliver. It is a story worth uncovering, for some a re-telling, so others can appreciate how it was, what went before, and what drove women to participate and compete in those early days.

The Beginnings

Margaret was born near Singleton NSW in April 1958. Singleton is located in the Hunter Valley, one hour’s drive up the road from Newcastle. Her local community was a small dairy town and her social activities tended to centre on church events. Margaret’s family were members of a minority religion that prohibited participation in Sunday race events. By early adulthood Margaret was able to resolve any conflict in priorities presented by such an observance.

As a young girl, Margaret’s initial exposure to basic exercise included bushwalks. The first inkling that she may become a runner arose from her dissatisfaction with an early bushwalk experience with family. ‘They all walked to the top of the hill. I couldn’t make it to the top. Combined with finishing last in my high school 100 metres race I wasn’t happy with my fitness. I started to reflect on why I couldn’t get up that hill. So, I tried to run around the block, and to begin with I couldn’t even do that. Though I did run straight after dinner so that probably wasn’t the best time. However, gradually I was able to run a full block, then two blocks, and that’s how it all started.’ Margaret also notes that her diet was strict vegetarian and high on carbs, and running was initially a means to control body weight ‘to keep my figure’. It wasn’t until her mid-twenties, caused by difficulties obtaining vegetarian meals while overseas, that Margaret extended her diet to include small portions of chicken and fish. A practice that continues today.

Right from the beginning Margaret was competitive. It wasn’t about participating. It was about winning. ‘I love to race.’ Soon she set herself to win the Singleton high school cross country championship. She failed in her first attempt, but eventually, in later years she did win progressive titles. She broke her foot at one stage, which hindered her development. In time, she competed at all levels of high school cross country championship carnivals/events that culminated in the NSW Combined High School (CHS) Championships, usually held in Sydney at Centennial Park. Margaret really enjoyed the camaraderie of high school cross country. So much, that in her adult life it became her preferred racing discipline. It also enshrined her greatest career disappointment.

Margaret reflects that ‘as a girl, and even later as a young woman, I didn’t really have any specific goals. In hindsight this was something lacking. You need to set goals to engender commitment. Throughout my adult endurance experience I have learned that goals give you purpose and direction. Seems so obvious now, but back then I was just running, I liked to run free. I guess the fact that I was uncoached and not well guided at home in my running affected my outlook in this regard, so my training lacked structure.’

‘These days, kids get all types of help, including technical assistance and support. I furthered my running without much help but I don’t regret it and don’t feel it was a disadvantage. It meant that I worked for things myself based on what I wanted to do and it bred independence and a love of running. I didn’t know about athletics being available outside of school until I left Singleton to live in Sydney and study at the University of NSW (UNSW) where I completed a Mathematics degree, and a Diploma of Education at the University of Sydney. At high school it was more about winning, there was nothing apart from short distance track races and cross country. Only the winners got their times. No-one had a stopwatch. I thrived on competition.’

As an aside, Margaret states that she enjoyed training and racing barefoot throughout her life, particularly in cross country, and when she became involved with runners shops she sold some minimalist shoes of that era. This included importing the Arthur Lydiard Lazer shoes that had an open toes design. Personally, if shod, Margaret preferred light weight shoes with a small heel to toe drop.

2. The Three Sisters

Margaret has two sisters. Annette and Michelle are twins, two and one half years younger than Margaret. Both showed great running potential. Annette was to marry a well performed triathlete, Paul Dwyer, and became the better performed of the three sisters, representing Australia in distance running and triathlon. Annette’s competitive record included multiple Australian singlets for Ekiden Road Race events and twice representing Australia at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships (1988 and 1990). Annette’s record in the triathlon was just as impressive, when triathlon associations were in their infancy and there was virtually no support for women (the first state association was formed in late 1984 and a national body was only created in 1986). Of note, Annette won the iconic Nepean Triathlon in 1985 and 1986, Gaylene Clews having won in 1984. The ’Nepean’ holds a special place in the history of triathlons as a proving ground for Australians aspiring to international triathlon competition.

‘Michelle was the better performed during high school years, had as much talent as Annette, and was more driven, but beyond high school she was not that keen. Annette achieved all the things I wanted to, with little fanfare. She was not a showboat. She was chilled. There is not one trophy on show in her house, and she has many.’ As a sign of the closeness of the sisters, during their teens there was never any tension between them about their respective distance running aspirations.

3. The Sydney Scene

‘I only started to set goals when I arrived in Sydney in 1976, but it was still a bit hit and miss. I was invited to join the UNSW athletics club but declined. They told me the furthest racing distance was 800 metres so I said “call me when you start holding five kilometres events and longer.” And I started competing in fun runs. They were a great pathway for women wanting to experiment with longer distance racing.’

‘At this time Georgina ‘Georgie’ Moore owned the Randwick Runner’s Shop and I lived down the street from it. Georgie was to win the 1977 City to Surf. She was a member of St George Athletics Club and I met her through Bob Talay. I remember when we first met. I was at her shop late one afternoon and she asked me if I was interested in going for a run with her. She didn’t mess about. It was to be my first ever long run of 16 kilometres. Later, when Bob and I had the shop, it became a regular thing, as a Wednesday night hard hit out. Georgie was a real character, a tough competitor, and someone I looked up to. She had been competing in open men’s distance races for many years, as there were no opportunities for women to race longer events, and she eventually ran under three hours for the marathon.’

By 1978, Georgie’s shop had closed and due to a combination of circumstances, Margaret commenced a business partnership with Bob Talay, as joint owner of Talay’s Runners Shop at Randwick. Unbeknownst to Margaret this was the beginning of a long-term relationship with running shops, archiving her formal educational qualifications. ‘I formed a strong and enduring friendship with Bob, who was a top NSW distance runner in the 1960s and 1970s, and represented Australia in the 1975 International Cross Country Championships at Rabat, Morocco. Prior to taking on the Runner’s Shop I was helping Bob with his corner shop and milk run. During my studies I’d failed a subject at Uni, lost my scholarship for six months and had to get a job, so I just fell into the arrangement with Bob.’

‘We hired many runners over the years as casual employees. We were always looking for people who were really passionate about running. In the early days Andrew Lloyd and stalwart Fred Howe (a 2:22 marathon runner and ex-England international) became mainstays, and permanent employees. Andrew stayed with us for three or four years before his running career took off. Danny Boltz was often hanging around the shop. The place was a bit of a hub for the younger running set. It was long hours at the shop and fitting running in. Bob and I worked together for up to 18 hours a day. It was hard work, but also fun, just life. With little capital behind us, the shop was operating on a shoestring.’

The Talay’s ideology was naïve in many ways. ‘We weren’t out to make a lot of money. We gave elite runners discounts that we really couldn’t afford. We supported the women’s running movement. We tried to work in partnership with Athletics Clubs, encouraging participation and involvement in their club races and sponsoring community events. It was grass roots stuff that we thought was making a difference. But eventually we had to apply greater business acumen to management of the shop.’

‘Most people these days don’t know what it takes to run a business like that: no computers and bookwork until midnight. It was unrelenting but we loved what we did. It was shut the door and out for a run after a day’s business, sometimes very late at night. We were a mobile business, taking our van to community and NSW association distance running events and track meets. Initially we were given short shrift by the athletics association. It took a while to obtain approval to sell within the grounds of ES Marks Field. Early on we had to hustle, even got a hawker’s license. When Little Athletics opened up their doors to us business began to flow a little easier.’

Despite the obvious business risks, shop arrangements were expanded through franchises, something that Margaret and Bob were warned against. In true entrepreneurial spirit, additional shops were opened at Ultimo and Parramatta, plus franchises in Hobart and the Gold Coast, and agents across four States. By 1984 Talay’s had introduced the Talay Twosome, a road relay event through Centennial Park. The inaugural event was 11.4 kilometres consisting of two-person teams racing legs of 3.8 and 7.6 kilometres. The ‘twosome’ lasted three years and gave Margaret her first exposure to race directing, something she would take up with greater gusto in future years.

Margaret’s life was full of running. Perusal of Fun Runner issues of the late 1970s finds her name appearing in events all over the state. However, it was in 1979 that Margaret started training in earnest, knuckling down to what she once described as her first year of ‘big running’. And ‘from about 1980 onwards I trained every day, big miles, with one track session per week and a race on weekends. I also did a Sunday morning run of 25 to 30 kilometres each week with the Eastern Suburbs guys, to Watson Bay and back.’

‘I had specifically wanted to join a club that accepted men and women members so with Mick Little’s recruitment efforts, I ended up joining the Randwick Botany Club but only stayed one year. Tess Bell, the first Australian woman to officially break three hours for a marathon [authors note: achieved in 1975], and Penny Just, were also members. I didn’t feel as well looked after as I had hoped, so I went on to join Eastern Suburbs. I wore its membership like a badge of honour, as it included many of the top NSW female distance runners of the day such as Eleanor Cody, the Ganzevoort sisters and Kerryn McCann.’

‘Well known Sydney coach, Jack Pross, noticed me and invited me along to his group occasionally to do hill repeats but due to my shop commitments I wasn’t able to attend that often. He told me that I was “running with my bum on the ground” and he wanted me to do drills to get up on my toes. I was always too tired and fatigued from training and often chewed out the back of my shoes from all the miles run. His advice helped a lot. Though in hindsight I trained daily on the very hilly terrain of the Eastern Suburbs, so in a sense I did do some hills. Anyway, that’s how I justified it. Later, my husband, Robert Beardslee, actually encouraged me to do speedwork and he found it surprising that I could never break 30 seconds for 200 metres.’

‘I met Robert at the 1982 Australian Cross Country Championships in Brisbane. He had taken a franchise shop on the Gold Coast, in addition to manufacturing the Bill Rodger’s clothing line to distribute in Australia. He negotiated a merchandising arrangement with me, for the Randwick shop. However, we were soon living together and after three years of being a couple we married in 1985.’

Robert is an American, hailing from Groton, Connecticut, New England. A 4:07 miler, he managed to run 2:32 for a marathon. He went to school and trained with the likes of Amby Burfoot and Bill Rodgers, Boston distance running legends. Rodgers actually stayed at Margaret’s home in 1982 as part of his Australian trip when he won the Melbourne Marathon. Prior to settling in Australia, Robert spent some time training with Arthur Lydiard’s group (1968), and later was coached by Murray Halberg (1972), travelling back and forth between New Zealand and the United States. To this day Robert has strong family connections in New England. When Robert moved to Sydney, he worked at Scots College where he had a lot to do with high school basketball and the commencement of Sydney’s Great Public School (GPS) cross country circuit.

Reflecting on the personalities of the Sydney scene, Margaret has a high regard for Frank McCaffrey. Frank was expat Irish who joined the British Navy just prior to World War II and found himself a prisoner of war for four years. He was an avid writer for Fun Runner magazine and wrote his life story “With the Sun on My Back”. She describes him as ‘an ideas man, who was smart, funny, and humble to go with it. Frank was an absolute gentleman. He’d go about his business quietly in the background, sponsoring and helping others, particularly aspiring young athletes who needed financial assistance to get to a race. He was able to generate enthusiasm by his presence. He’d turn up everywhere in his combi bus promoting people and race events.’ Margaret considers he was a major influence on the Sydney and NSW scenes, particularly due to his contributions to the iconic Fun Runner magazine.

4. Equality and Other Things

At the turn of the decade, late 1970s to early 1980s, there was a group of younger women distance runners like Margaret mixing it with an older generation who had been trying to break the ‘gender barrier’ in NSW for some time, but they were not really taken seriously. These women had been pushing the boundaries of the Women’s and Men’s Amateur Athletics Associations by joining the men’s association and entering men’s races, some maintaining dual membership. They also participated in mixed races in fun runs and open club races (men’s and women’s associations were to amalgamate by April 1982). The participation rate for women, even in mixed races, was very low, generally less than 5% and occasionally hitting 10% for larger events. However, the advent of women’s only road races in Australia sponsored by Avon and Sussans helped to move things along and there was a rapid increase in women’s participation and a tangible improvement in women’s distance running standards from 1979 onwards. Margaret was an avid participant in these women’s only series, an integral part of the distance running sisterhood that was gaining momentum and exploded into the eighties.

Margaret puts it this way, when describing the late 1970s: ‘The early female distance runner’s performances were unsung and not really acknowledged. Race results were male centric. There were no separately listed female results, apart from the first female, if you were lucky. You had to dig into the results searching the lists for your peers by name and initial. Typically, full results were published for the top 10 men and only the winner of the women’s category got a mention, and maybe the positions of some others like the second and third placegetters. It was not unusual for times not to be provided for women, or for women not to be identified separately within results. You just had to fit in with the men’s world.’

Apart from competition, throughout her life Margaret has been engaged in civic activities, charitable organisation and sponsorship of good causes, something that stems from her upbringing. One of many examples is Margaret’s participation in a team of ten NSW women runners in 1979 that ran a ‘relay’ from the Melbourne General Post Office to Sydney’s Martin Place, a distance of 889 kilometres. The relay was organised by Fred Hollows to provide funds for the Aboriginal Medical Service. Though it was 45 years ago, the names of the participants fall from Margaret’s lips like it was yesterday: Merri Tindale, Caroline Vaughan, Nancy Johnson, Brenda Sheens, Jean Medlock, Penny Waters, and Mora Main, Anna Schroeder, Mary Murison and Sandra Fleck reserves. All of these women were prominent in the distance running scene, one way or another. The relay arrangements meant that each woman covered 5 kilometres in team rotation for an individual total of around 30 kilometres per day over three days. The women raised $25000 via sponsorship from Myer and beat the ‘record time’ that had been set by a team of firemen from Melbourne.

The kookiness of the 1970s and early 1980s brought with it some investigation of how a woman’s biology is affected by endurance running. Margaret recalls her involvement in a study into this very issue, by Cumberland College, and later Boston University. Margaret and other running colleagues were used as ‘lab rats’ for want of a better term. You have to remember that this was when the furthest Olympic distance race was 1500 metres and women’s experimentation in marathons was receiving global attention.

5. Racing

Margaret’s personal bests were:

3000 metres 9:59.7, Sydney, 1983

10,000 metres road and track: 36:18 and 36:05, respectively, both in Sydney, 1982

City to Surf: 52:33, Sydney, 1985

Half Marathon: 81:20, Rochester, England, 1983

Marathon: 2:54, Boston, 1983

While Margaret raced well and was always vying for top honours in NSW, her lack of targeted training, and faster work, limited her to the second tier of women’s distance running performers nationally. As evidenced by her personal bests, the further Margaret raced, the better she performed comparatively. However, despite any deficits in training, she did represent NSW in the marathon (1980) and on four occasions at the Australian Cross Country Championships, 1982 to 1985 inclusive.

Margaret raced regularly in all of the popular NSW open/mixed events of her era like the Harbord Diggers 30 kilometres, the Sutherland and Sydney Striders Half Marathons, the Randwick Runners Club 22 kilometres, the Parramatta 10 miles, and of course, the City to Surf. As she says ‘I raced a hell of a lot of half marathons.’ After placing third in the inaugural Striders Half Marathon of 1982, 84:30, she performed consistently in this difficult event improving to 83:24 by 1986, placing fifth. Margaret’s 22 kilometres time of 82:55 in the Randwick race of 1982 is easily equivalent to a sub-80 half marathon. She loved the Parramatta ten mile classic, achieving a PB of 60:05 in this event. ‘I so much wanted to get under 60 minutes but it was not to be.’ She ran it many times finishing behind such winners as Liz Hassall and Angie Cook.

 Though 10000 metres was Margaret’s preferred distance her performances fluctuated. One of her best performances was sixth (and second NSW counter) at the 1982 Australian Road Championship in Sydney, won by Victorian Sally Pierson in a canter, 33:57. Margaret ran 36:18, 42 seconds behind second place Janis Ham of South Australia, with Quelch finishing 10 seconds ahead of her in fourth. NSW won the team event.

Margaret ran the City to Surf on 15 occasions from 1984 to 2009, only missing this event due to injury or other state and international endurance racing commitments. Her best time was 52:33 in 1985 for ninth and her best placing was seventh in 1984 in a time of 52:49. In the 1996 event, aged 38, Margaret was competitive in the W35 age category, finishing 22^nd woman in a time of 53:21. Of interest, Annette’s performances included 49:54 in 1987 for fourth, and 49:39 in 1990 for fifth, 10 years later running 52:35 for ninth, aged 39.

5.1 Cross Country

Margaret had a long association with cross country in NSW, consistently placing in state championships, and even winning the short course championship in 1999, aged 41. Margaret adapted to, and raced comparatively well, in cross country events. She loved this discipline and harboured a lifelong goal of making the Australian Cross Country Team. Her biggest disappointment was not making that Australian team. At her best in 1982 and 1983, the women were ‘only running 3000 metre track events. The 5000 metres was not something that we raced and as my 3000 metres best was comparatively slow, I think that due to this, any claims I had for selection were discounted by the Australian selectors during this period.’

Margaret entered the national cross country fray in 1982. Racing barefoot, she achieved her best placing of seventh for the Australian Championship at Hobart where the distance was 4000 metres. She also placed seventh in 1983 at Brisbane where the distance was 8000 metres and she was first NSW counter. In 1984 at Perth, over 8000 metres again, she managed tenth. In 1985, on home turf at Lansdowne, Margaret finished 21^st. This was a rare occasion, where she beat her sister by 12 seconds. Annette went on to place fifth in 1987 (second Australian) and 1990, and second in 1988 and 1989.

Examining the fields for these four races there was a mix of track, road and marathon exponents, young and older, middle and longer distance exponents, that cross country tends to attract. In real terms, Margaret’s best performance was probably 1982. In a large field she finished only 26 seconds behind the winner, Megan Pye (nee Sloane) of Victoria and 12 seconds behind NSW track speedster Alison Quelch who finished third. Margaret had finished ahead of all her other NSW teammates, notably Jenny Ganzevoort and Penny Just, who had thrashed her in the NSW Cross Country Championship. Pye represented Australia in track, cross country and road disciplines, achieving a 2:37:50 marathon and competing for Australia in the 1983 World Championships marathon at Helsinki. In hindsight, Margaret considers that all the lead up ‘marathon training’ gave her strength for this race, countering her lack of speed.

5.2 Track

‘I wasn’t interested in track. I was not so good at it. Two of my most memorable track races were a 9:59 for 3000 metres, finally breaking 10, and a 36:05 10000 metres, both at Sydney’s ES Marks Field. During the 3000 metres I had great track side support from Con Hadjidakis, Lawrie Whitty’s coach and shadow, urging me on that “you can do it”. During the 10000 metres, which was a mixed race, I had to be cajoled to stay in the race. I pulled over to the side of the track to withdraw, as I felt outclassed and had been passed multiple times by male competitors. But I was encouraged to stay the course by Bob Talay and Fred Howe. I was quite pleased with the outcome.’

Margaret recalls racing in a 10000 metres invitational track race in Melbourne in December 1983. There had been a big build up as part of a national track series promotion but it all fell flat. The race was run at 9:00pm as Victoria was in the middle of a three day heatwave. Despite being nationally televised, only a small number of competitors arrived at the start line. The field included Penny Just, Kerry Saxby (NSW, of international racewalking fame), Shane Barrett and Kerry Whannell (both Queensland) and a Kiwi who came especially from over the ditch. There were no Victorians! The Kiwi won in 35 plus minutes. Margaret describes it as an ‘embarrassing exhibition’ as everyone ran very poor times.

5.3 Marathons

Margaret ran quite a few marathons during her early to mid-twenties. ‘In training I used to log big miles, consistently in the 80 to 90 miles per week range, with no speedwork to speak of. My training sat at this volume all year around for four years until 1985/86, when I suffered a neuroma of my right forefoot. My marathons used to really hurt because although I was doing the miles, my lack of hard faster work affected how I felt in a race. I didn’t really know how to train properly for marathons. Sometimes, if I didn’t hit my planned weekly mileage, I was tempted to get out at night on the last day of a training week to hit the mark.’

Margaret’s first marathon was the Sydney Avon Marathon in 1979, aged 21. ‘I ran 3:13:17 for fourth’. By the age of 27 Margaret had raced nine marathons. This included three Sydney Avon events (1979, 1980, 1982), two Australian Championships (1980 and 1985), Gold Coast (1979), Boston (1983), and New York (1985). Combined with racing the Diggers 30 kilometres, ‘I became well and truly sick of running that Manly to Palm Beach stretch of road.’

Margaret had a casual attitude towards the marathon, never really chasing the elusive sub-3. She always thought she would break 3 hours. ‘Sub-3 gave you bragging rights in the women’s distance running fraternity, and I thought it was just going to happen as a matter of course.’ But Margaret was to learn the hard way that it just doesn’t come that easily, achieving sub-3 only once in her career, on her seventh attempt, under difficult circumstances, at Boston.

There was much excitement about the advent of the Avon Marathon series in Australia. However, the first running of this women’s only event in Sydney on 8 July 1979 showed there was still a long way to go before women’s distance running achieved a higher level of legitimacy in Australian athletics circles and the broader community. Peggy Smith’s race report in the Victorian Marathon Club newsletter of September 1979 shines a light on how it was:

‘Starting from Manly, the course commenced with a loop of about 4km and then went along Pittwater Road to Bayview and back. Although the course had been described to me as flat, two of the hills we encountered were anything but. There were numerous intersections to cross, these were not too busy when we started at 8:00am, but by the time we reached the turn the road was too busy to run on, and we spent most of the way back dodging pedestrians, kids on bikes and dogs along the footpath. Under normal circumstances, if there was a large field in the marathon, I don’t think these things would have been noticeable. As there were only about 20 starters it meant that by the 20 mile mark it was possible to have been running for the previous 5 miles without glimpsing another runner. This feeling of isolation does not make running marathons any easier, that’s’ for sure!!’

Notably, the first drink station was at the 5 miles (8 kilometres) mark. While the runners were treated like royalty post the race and well looked after, the race organisation itself was rudimentary given the supposed status of this new event. However, learnings were gleaned and the Avon series was definitely the start of a new beginning for women distance runners, that Margaret was a part of. The first two placegetters ran well facing a headwind ‘on the way out’ in conditions that heated up towards the end: Tess Bell (2:55:37) and Sue Hill (2:56:58) won all expenses paid trips to Germany to compete in the International Avon Marathon. Mary Murison was third in 3:08:04. Sue Beisty, first Masters runner, was fifth in 3:17:54 not far behind Margaret, having raced close to each other much of the way.

Two months later Margaret finished second to Murison in the inaugural Gold Coast Marathon, 2:58:17 to 3:09:08, the third placegetter, Zenda Malanga, nearly 40 minutes behind Margaret in 3:47:53. Business partner, Talay, finished fourth outright in 2:36 plus. Run over a six laps course, newspapers reported that competitors were affected by a strong headwind when running south. As a side note, Carolyn Sigmont, wife of the race winner, Eric, a well-known Glenhuntly distance runner, finished fourth in 3:49:14. And maybe this is not a fair comparison, but 3:47:53 would have placed 365^th in the women’s category of the Gold Coast Marathon in 2023.

The next year Margaret ran ‘Avon’ again at Manly. This was the selection trial for the Avon International event in London. Margaret finished ninth in 3:04:23, nine minutes faster than her 1979 performance, but five places back. NSW big guns Liz Hassall and Angie Cook were first and second in 2:45:32 and 2:50:26. Victorian Joan Cameron who was also selected for London, ran out of her skin to break three hours for the first and only time in her career with 2:53:37 for third place.

Margaret played a role in a little bit of Australian distance running history, finishing sixth in the 1980 inaugural Women’s Australian Marathon Championship at West Lakes, Adelaide. In the absence of Cook and Hassall, Caroline Vaughan, Beisty, and Margaret represented NSW. Held in wet, windy and frosty conditions, they finished fifth, sixth and seventh respectively one minute covering all three, 3:06:58, 3:07:12 and 3:07:58. The first three placegetters were all Victorians, Jane Kuchins 2:53:23, Megan Pye 2:56:08 and Barbara Byrnes 3:00:10, with Queenslander Kerry Whannell, 3:02:47, splitting the Victorians and New South Welshwomen, in fourth.

At this time, women’s marathon fields exhibited a wide range of ages and abilities. It was a time of experimentation. For instance, if you examine the three NSW reps in this race alone, there was a twenty years age difference between Margaret and the 41 years old Beisty, Vaughan sitting in the middle and also a relative novice to running. This was typical of the fields at this time, many ‘coming and going’, testing themselves through a period of marathon racing, at the beginning and ends of their careers, or somewhere in-between, some regularly achieving low 3s and then like shooting stars, such as Cameron’s experience, eventually smashing sub-3 as a one off and career best, and petering out thereafter. There were just as many others competing frequently and over longer periods, never quite getting there but enjoying the new challenges that a marathon presents. ‘Tracksters’, middle and long distance exponents, road racers, and cross country specialists all having a go.

In 1982 Margaret ran her third and final Avon Marathon at Manly, finishing sixth in a time of 3:01:17. Race reports comment on the superb organisation of this event, an improvement since the 1979 edition, and the positive vibes for women participating, which included half marathon, 8 kilometres and 3000 metre races. The field was large compared to 1979, with over fifty finishers. Margaret ran a solid race against a good field, a number of more fancied competitors dropping out. In the final wash up, the first five ran under three hours, with Georgina Moore-Price, at 34 years of age, achieving 2:58:48, her one and only sub-3. In a close affair, the first three placegetters, were Barbara Byrnes (Vic), age 30, 2:50:49, Margaret Reddan (Qld), age 29, 2:51:01, and Dot Browne (Vic), age 41, 2:53. Reddan ran from the middle of the field, passed Browne at 35 kilometres and just failed to catch Byrnes. All three were pioneers of the Australian women’s marathon running scene and became prolific sub-3 runners throughout the 1980s. However, for Margaret, her best was yet to come.

5.3.1 Boston and Marathon Wind Down

Margaret ran the 1983 Boston Marathon with her husband (he ran 2:32). She smashed her personal best by seven minutes, hitting 2:54 dead at the finish, but knowing it took her one minute to pass the starting line because of the narrow roads and large number of entrants. Apart from complications at the start, she was fortunate to achieve a sub-3. Naively, Margaret raced in new shoes, and had to stop twice to take her shoes off to check on massive blisters that had developed in her arches! Margaret went into it thinking it was just another marathon and couldn’t understand why Robert was so excited about it. She recalls how wrong she was, describing how this race was an eye opener, and today uses superlatives like ‘it is a big deal, it is the mecca, the pinnacle, the heart and soul of running in New England’. Margaret couldn’t get over the size of the crowds lining the streets, shouting and chanting her name, compared to her local experience of ‘dodging surfboards along Manly foreshore while racing marathons.’

If she was ever going to achieve a sub-3 it was going to be at Boston. As evidence of how much standards had improved in Australia, this performance ranked Margaret 19^th nationally for 1983/84. Post Boston, Margaret consolidated her career best road form, winning the Rochester Half Marathon in England, in a lifetime personal best of 81:20.

In her next marathon, two years later, Margaret finished thirteenth in the 1985 Australian ‘Wang’ Marathon Championship held at Sydney in 3:01:40. Eleven women achieved sub-3, Kiwi, Ngaire Drake winning in 2:38:48 from American Laura Albers, 2:40:41, and third place filled by Queenslander Elizabeth Patmore, 2:45:47. Robert ran with Margaret the whole way, finishing in the same time.

By this time, the improvement in Australian women’s standards put paid to any notion of women claiming bragging rights for a sub-3. The world had moved on. Though something to aspire to, sub-3 was now commonplace, and viewed in a similar light as the men’s sub 2:30.

Margaret’s last competitive marathon was 3:04:52 at New York in 1985, aged 27, the neuroma curtailing future distance racing aspirations. Thereafter, Margaret transitioned to multisport events. Margaret states that apart from the renewed enthusiasm to run in Boston’s Centenary race in 1996 she had lost interest in marathons. She came out of marathon retirement in 1995 achieving a time of 3:18:30 in the Sydney Marathon to qualify for the Centenary. She states that she ‘went for the experience’, running the first half erratically ‘like a dog weaving through a crowd’, before hitting a steadier pace to finish around 8000^th in 3:35. From a field of 40000 registered competitors, plus a large cohort of unregistered ‘bandits’ (everyone wanted to run Boston), this was no mean feat.

While Margaret had a rich background in marathon running, she has always been circumspect about racing them at a young age. She was sometimes quoted by Frank McCaffrey in Fun Runner discouraging the under 25s from racing them. Despite, or more likely because of her own experience, Margaret maintains this stance in her coaching advice to others. One of her central concerns is the potential damage to a person’s bone development. As she says ‘bones haven’t formed properly’ at a younger age. ‘The mileage needed in training places a lot of stress on younger athletes, and there can also be undue mental exhaustion because of the toughness of the event.’

6. Multisport Transition and the United States Experience 1987 to 1991

Post her marathon experiences, and no longer able to run at previous levels due to the neuroma, Margaret took up triathlons. ‘Paul Dwyer, Annette’s husband, encouraged us to have a go at them. Annette needed someone to train with, so that’s a big reason why I made the transition. But I wasn’t a strong swimmer. I would smash the cycle and run legs, but it was such a lonely race time trialling toward an occasional podium. This was a big discouragement, so eventually I settled on duathlons [author’s note: international standard is a 10km run, 40km bike ride, 5km run]. However, we both competed in the first Mutual Benefit Half Ironman triathlon event in Australia, held at Manly. I’m pretty sure we were the only women competitors and we finished together to share the win. Annette went on to win the first Ironman race, the 1985 Triple M Triathlon – a 2.8km swim, 180km bike and 42.2km run – finishing ahead of her husband.

Needing a change from the Australian running shop business, from 1987 to 1991 Margaret and Robert relocated to Robert’s home town of Groton Connecticut in the USA. Here, Margaret ended up working at a bicycle shop. This was largely on the recommendation of local running identity, John J Kelley, the 1957 Boston Marathon winner and owner of the local runners shop in Groton. John had been Robert and Amby Burfoot’s high school running coach. Robert took ownership of an antique auto business.

‘As it happened soon after we arrived the Bud Light National series race was in Boston, so I entered it, my race performance affected by an inferior swim. At this time Coors Light sponsored a National Duathlon series of 5km run 30km bike and 5km run. This suited me perfectly and after fifteen races across the Nation, I finished second in the series in 1989. Sadly, in the next year just six weeks before the Series started, I suffered a badly sprained ankle that compromised my season. I managed to finish sixth in the National Series. For these two years I was ranked “All American” by Triathlon USA. This was a huge honour! The beauty of this Series was the offering of equal prize money.’ However, during four years of living and racing ‘on tour’ in the USA, Margaret only earned enough from the circuit and additional races to cover travel costs and accommodation. She made some great friends and was inclined to remain in the United States, but family ties and better job prospects meant a return to Australia.

Margaret was of an era where all well performing women athletes needed to be active in attempts to improve women’s equality. Margaret and her sister, along with many others such as Gaylene Clews, were part of a movement that broke new ground. Women who were competing as part of elite team arrangements were initially receiving less or frequently no prize money whereas men were better catered for in this department, but this changed over time, to equal prize money, and the depth in women’s standards improved in tandem.

Margaret reflects that she suffered more serious injury from multisport events, than during her running specific career. ‘By owning a shop, I was exposed to a lot of running magazine articles and books about injury prevention and cure and rehab injury techniques. Since being on the Coast I have always maintained an ongoing relationship with local Central Coast physios, podiatrists and sports orientated doctors. This has helped me get around injuries and maintain fitness. Since a young age I have liked to use water rehab strategies. I know that elite athletes such as John Walker ran in water and Mary Slaney used a water belt. Sydney distance runner Dave Brennan ran squads in water running and early in my career I used to swim in the cold waters of Clovelly beach during winter.’

‘Except for an anterior cruciate ligament injury in 2000 as a result of a steeplechase race, overall, I was lucky throughout my running career. I didn’t have too many issues apart from the neuroma. Just the usual niggles including ITB syndrome that I had to manage. But some of the injuries I suffered in multisport were quite traumatic. I had two heavy bike crashes in 2001 that caused multiple injuries, including concussion and a broken collar bone, that I had to overcome and two years ago I broke my left knee (patella) in a bike fall.

6.1 Masters Multisport Achievements

Later in life, during an extensive period of multisport, open events and masters, Margaret competed with some success in International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Duathlon and Oceania Triathlon Union (OTU) Duathlon Championships. Highlights include:

participating in the ITU Duathlon World Age Group Championships at Huntersville North Carolina 1999, open event won by Jackie Gallagher;

finishing 37^th in the ITU Duathlon World Championships in 2000 (Calais) Elite women open race. Margaret was a member of the Australian Elite Team that included Jackie Gallagher;

winning the W45 age category of the ITU Duathlon World Championship in Geel Belgium in 2004;

finishing fifth in the W45 age category of the ITU Duathlon World Championship at Newcastle NSW in 2005, one second behind Annette and 28 seconds behind third placegetter. Margaret maintains that she crossed the finishing line holding hands with Annette, but officials split them in the results;

finishing ninth in the OTU Duathlon Oceania Elite race at Canberra in 2007, aged 49, 12 minutes behind the outright winner;

winning the W50 age category of the OTU Duathlon Oceania Championship at Newcastle NSW in 2008; and

winning the W50 age category of the Oceania 24 hours mountain trail bike race at Mount Stromlo in 2008.

7. Administrator and Community Leadership

7.1 The Central Coast

Arriving at the Central Coast in 1991 Margaret joined Terrigal Trotters for a few years before setting up Tuggerah Lakes Athletics Club in 1997, later renamed Mingara. She saw this as an important step in developing a pathway for younger athletes. Margaret has performed a range of administrative office holder roles at the club, Central Coast and state association levels since then. Notably, from 1997-2000 Margaret chaired a local committee to establish a synthetic track at Mingara, and was a driving force behind the development and opening of the Mingara Regional Athletics Centre in November 2000.

Margaret has played an integral role in the organisation of club and state championship events held on the Central Coast. This extended to an active involvement with athletes as a club coach. In 1995 Margaret started coaching a small elite group of triathletes, and expanded this to the Tuggerah Lakes Athletic Club in 1997. This group continues today. You will regularly find Margaret and Robert at the Mingara Synthetic Track mixing with a large group of enthusiastic runners aged from 12 to 80, whose preferred events range from 400 metres to ultramarathons.

As if this wasn’t enough, in 2009 Margaret and Robert bought the Central Coast Runners Shop, and in 2018 purchased the original shop in Randwick. Any aspirations for a teaching career were long forgotten, the intervening years from 1991 spent managing a store at Sydney University, running a screen printing business, and managing her brother’s computer shop. The runner’s shops are much more than retail outlets. Continuing in the Talay tradition, they are hubs for athletics and endurance sports information, a centre of encouragement for developing athletes and community relationships. Margaret states that given a tough business environment, ‘it is harder now to contribute in tangible ways to community outcomes but I think we have achieved a level of sustainable community integration. We do our bit by sponsoring local events such as the Bay to Bay, Bouddi Coastal Classic and the Great North Walk. And we are engaged with schools, the local triathlon scene, athletics clubs and coaching groups.’

‘I’ve been over-recognised‘. That’s how Margaret describes the accolades that have come her way. Ever present in Sydney and Central Coast running scenes Margaret is highly regarded for her supportive nature, encouragement of others and pragmatic outlook. During her sporting life, with Robert in lockstep, she has rolled up her sleeves and got things done.

The list of awards includes:

• Order of Australia Medal (OAM) 2016
• Life Membership of Athletics New South Wales (ANSW) 2016
• ANSW Country Club of the Year Award 2020
• ANSW Club Administrator of the Year Award 2020/21
• Athletics Australia Platinum Service Award for 40 Years Club Service 2022

Margaret states that performing administration and organising roles ‘can be a thankless task and you can never please everybody where competition is involved and there are winners and losers. There is always someone whose goals and aspirations are not met and this can sometimes generate grievances and bad feelings, unnecessarily so. If prize money is involved this complicates things further. But as long as you do a good job, the best that can reasonably be done in the circumstances, that’s all anyone can ask. It’s important that you not take things personally. For many administrators there is a recognition that if they don’t do it no one else will.’

Margaret is ‘not wanting pats on the back’ but when I asked her what she was most proud of, she mentioned the OAM. This award was attributed to her longstanding activity within the local sporting community. She stated ‘it was such a shock to receive this award, though I have to admit it did feel good to be appreciated. But really, I didn’t want a medal. What I needed was more helpers. Actually, Robert’s assistance was overshadowed by my award. We work as a strong partnership and he is much more than a sidekick to everything I have achieved.’ In terms of her life membership, she felt honoured but considers there are many others more deserving than herself.

7.2 Health

Margaret had a brush with breast cancer when approaching sixty years of age. From Robert’s point of view, as the person who knows Margaret best, he considers her advocacy for breast cancer survivors her most significant life achievement. Particularly, the bravery she exhibited by making her story known to others, and assisting in the education of women about breast cancer.

In an interview with Scott Levi, of ABC radio, in 2019, Margaret outlines the scenario she faced in an open fashion. In summary, Margaret told her audience that having trained for six months for a five days mountain bike race in East Timor, she had been avoiding her breast screening, but was eventually persuaded by a good friend to have it done. The screening found something and she was told she needed to have a second biopsy, but despite medical advice, she delayed it until after the race. She states that during the event she competed against women half her age, but on the fourth day she suffered heat stroke and ended up sitting out the fifth day. Margaret maintains that during the whole six months that she’d trained for the race this was the only indication her body may not have been coping, but apart from that fourth day she felt pretty good. In the same breath she acknowledged that breast cancer is a silent killer and in hindsight she recognises it was reckless behaviour to opt for the trip at the expense of more immediate medical investigation.

Two days after returning to Australia she had her biopsy and one week later she was advised a lump had been found that needed to be removed. Successful surgery occurred soon after and Margaret became heavily involved in education services about breast cancer in her local community. One of her awareness promotion activities included riding 60 kilometres on her bike, on her sixtieth birthday, while having chemotherapy. This was done with advice from her oncologist. She also contributed her story of discovery about breast cancer, and the value of exercise in the recovery process, to a compendium compiled by Dr Mary Ling, a Central Coast breast and general surgeon.

Margaret also recalls participating in the Great North Walk 50 kilometres race from Teralba, a suburb of Lake Macquarie, to Congewai in 2018. This was a post treatment goal that was important to her. Treatment ended in June and the event was held on 9 September. Accompanied by Suzy Woodbury, her friend and an employee of the Coast Runners Shop, ‘we made the distance, narrowly making the first cut off at Heatons, and then around an hour inside the final cut off for finishers at Congewai.’

Margaret’s example has been praised by media, and health and community representatives. Despite the uncertainty that surrounded her health and wellbeing, one thing that anchored her mindset was the benefit of exercise to her recovery, and the all clear she received from her oncologist and surgeon to stick with it. Five years on, though check ups continue, Margaret remains sanguine. She is feeling happy with life, while living the reality that once you go through such a process it never really leaves you. And of course, she continues to engage in endurance sports.

7.3 Key Message

Margaret reflects that despite any disappointments in racing performances, it is important to enjoy any activity you are involved in. Friendships and camaraderie will likely follow. Participate and compete regularly but don’t take things too seriously. Stay engaged with your community and look after your health, first and foremost, and the reward of deep personal satisfaction will also follow.

8. Concluding Comments

During the time it took to write this article, at 65 years of age Margaret underwent surgery to her knee for a torn meniscus. Typical of Margaret, this is something that she saw as an irritant, a minor setback that she would inevitably overcome. An outlook on life that is about grabbing what’s next with both hands.

Her life, in endurance sports, and more generally, encapsulates a fighting spirit where perseverance wins out. Margaret is altruistic to her core, watching out for others, downplaying her own successes and the level of commitment she has exhibited. With Robert by her side, she continues to support her community, despite all the barriers that have been put in her way.

Margaret was fortunate to witness, and participate in, the rise of some great distance runners and triathletes, men and women, in an era when things were much simpler, but not without its difficulties and disappointments. She has been a constant in the NSW distance running scene, always ‘giving back’ in some way, along the way. Yet she made her own luck by hard graft, in sport and business.

As I finish this article I reflect with amazement on the longevity of Margaret’s active involvement in endurance sports, and her attachment to the distance running community, how she has breached the years with pragmatism and a ‘can do’ attitude, and still does, for there is always work to be done. For a young athlete who started out with an outlook of winning is everything, Margaret’s sporting life showcases that it’s relationships and the experiences that go with it that matter the most.

Margaret hasn’t got time for nostalgia, she lives for today and looks to the future, and through it all, her sporting journey has brought her to a place of contentment.

Clearly, Margaret is a woman of substance.

Primary Sources

Athletics Australia Almanacs
Athletics NSW official records
Ausrunning
Australian Runner, various
Fun Runner, various
Recollections of Margaret Beardslee during meetings with author on 5 March 2024 and 16 April 2024
Victorian Marathon Club Newsletters, various
World Triathlon website
World Triathlon archives

Articles include:

Luke, D., Mingara Athletics Club named Country Club of the Year, Coast Community News, 17 May 2020
Margaret Beardslee Interview with Scott Levi, published online by Dr Mary Ling, 9 March 2019.
Nepean Triathlon, Atmosphere Health and Fitness Club, 2018
Swords, M., This Mum is on the Run, Sunday Telegraph, 6 July 1980
Way, P., Larry Thomson and Margaret Beardslee named among Central Coast’s six OAM recipients, The Daily Telegraph, 12 June 2016.
17 Years of the Otway Odyssey MTB Marathon – Rider Stories, Adventure Magazine, 18 January 2023.

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 ‘I ran my first track meet in May 1949. In May 1969 I was still running. I anticipate that I will still be running in May 1989 and May 2009. How can I ever die with the old heart perfect, the lungs perfect, the entire body machine perfect?’ (Grace Butcher 1978)²

 ‘The end comes when the spirit gives up.’ (Percy Cerutty 1967)³

This is my final article in the Practical Philosophy series.

In my introductory article I mentioned mortality as something we tend to push aside in navigating our day to day lives. As we age, by virtue of our running activity, we may observe the signs of our own demise more acutely than others. But simultaneously we remain in touch with the sensations of our youthful selves. This can be difficult to reconcile, for despite the inevitable slowing down, on the inside many of us feel the same as we’ve always felt. The engagement in physical activity being a buffer to the aging process.

In this brief article I discuss this duality and what it may mean to the mature distance running cohort. The reader may also recall that I gave a commitment to identify certain adages (short statements expressing a general truth) about those things that really matter to a mature age competitive distance runner, and no doubt to some of the general populace of the running fraternity. Therefore, I have attempted to summarise said adages as a potential value set, appearing at the bottom of this article.

1. What Do I Think? Don’t Let Go

 I write from the perspective of someone who commenced distance running at 12 years of age, had a sabbatical from a significant commitment to distance running in middle age, returning to a level of competition age 49 and continuing to run and compete towards his seventies.

Lifetime runners are a rare breed. I certainly was not able to manage it, the selfishness of the commitment dousing the fire of competitive desire and the level of dedication that lifetime running entails. Though a flicker remained through midlife, primed to become a raging inferno once I was ready again. I have come back to running, and I will not, cannot, let it go. This may sound melodramatic, and it is, quietly so, representing the flourish of commitment to a running life that faltered and is now renewed.

There are two main considerations as we age. When do we stop competing and when do we stop running? These are very personal decisions.

The end is where it ends, dictated by fate. It will happen to us, but it is not something we should think about. We just run and race until we cannot. The latter tends to come first in our demise but for some the aspiration to sustain the former never dies. At its base level, it is something we want to hold onto, the pure joy of movement without the baggage of competition.

In those really advanced years, even just the simple act of ‘holding on’ to the joy of running may require discipline and commitment, a dedication to oneself, not to give up. In the overall scheme of things, it’s a matter of weighing up if it is still worth it, and objectively assessing if it is still physically possible.

Many of us would miss it too much to stop, and that is what will guide our approach in later life. If we would miss it too much, we will exhaust all avenues, do everything in our power to continue. If after adopting such an approach we can’t return to our love of running, then, and only then, will we contemplate that ugly mire of ‘retirement’ from running.

2. A Basic Fact

Age 70 is generally accepted as a major milestone for a mature aged runner.

For all of the reasons I have discussed in this philosophy series and my series about main training principles for mature runners, the practical philosophers are unanimous that despite a mature endurance athlete’s best effort to mitigate the effect of aging, a decline in performance accelerates from age 70 onwards. Notably, women appear to experience this decline at a greater rate than men. This is our reality.

So, at this juncture many long-time competitive runners reflect on whether to continue competing hard or fall back into recreational running, or cease running altogether. Naturally such a decision is influenced by a range of life, employment and health issues. It is here that we invoke the intangibles of optimism, persistence and patience. For a running life is full of obstacles – societal, physical, psychological – that means it can always seem an uphill battle.

Ultimately, it may be an easier decision to cease competing than it is to cease running. Certainly, my personal preference is to ride out my life for as long as I can, still running, even if I cannot compete.

3. Existential Issues

 In academia much is made of existential issues for the elderly. I have said previously that one perspective is that the highly competitive mature age runner who engages in intense physical activity may be in denial of existential issues.⁴ Something that could pose challenges to identity management and psychological health in later life.

Within this framework, choosing not to be old can be viewed as not accepting reality. But this is how many of us get by, psychologically and physically. It is our bridge to vitality. A not unreasonable delaying tactic to our own mortality, as long as you understand there are no absolute guarantees.

Naturally, if the mature aged competitor is drawing an overly close relationship between their level of activity and longevity, or entering a phase of denial about their own mortality, that may not be healthy. But if kept in check, maybe it’s a reasonable coping mechanism? Sport can assist an individual to come to terms with an aging identity, generating a positive outlook on life, rather than accepting the alternative of a passive existence, and all of the psychological maladies that come with passivity as the years go by.

Academics Baker et al (2009)⁵ put it nicely: ‘..there is a fine line between pursuing large amounts of physical activity because of one’s passion for sport and desire for a healthy lifestyle, and engaging in too much because of one’s obsession with physical training or (in the case of older persons) feeling “they have to” keep active to age successfully.’

Everything in perspective, a balanced outlook, that’s the trick.

4. Concluding Comments

We are all practical philosophers of sorts as we run down the road of life. How long we can push out the boundaries of vitality are unknown, dictated by fate, but also influenced by how we choose to manage those things we can control.

If you are still competing at 70 you are in a very small minority. If you are over 90 and still running, never mind competing, your decision is visible for all to see, and is to be lauded, because there aren’t many left still standing, so to speak.

Negotiation is not required, because fate is the major player. And fate always wins out.

However, nothing can dilute the pure joy of running. It is worth fighting for, or that’s how I see it. So, keep on running, I say, for as long as is humanly possible and don’t be put off by the naysayers.

There is no end, just a running continuum until there is no more.

5. Adages of a Practical Philosophy

Whether recreational or competitive, the primary motivation to run is to feel good.

The motivation for success, that delivers longevity in racing performance and deep personal satisfaction, can only come from within.

Though racing success is married to satisfaction, a competitive runner’s natural state is to never be satisfied with their performance even if it’s a world best, for we are always striving for something better.

Motivation is about a search for near perfection as opposed to absolute perfection, the latter breeding anxiety.

Racing is not about compromise. If you think it is, you are not a racer.

The ideal strategy for mature age racing, physiologically, is an overall even pace or negative splitting.

Variety is the pathway to fun. It is the ingredient that gives us pleasure in our running, turning our daily routine into an exploration of our imagination, countering boredom and the stodginess of schedules set in concrete.

Despite all of our best efforts, we are not invincible. The frailties of the human body create barriers to longevity. As runners we are but a subset of our social and physical environments and affected by our ability to source and consume nutritious foodstuffs.

It is the mix of lifestyle factors (including strength training, exercise and nutrition), environment and genetics, tweaked by the individual’s biology (metabolism) and predispositions to infection, that appear to be most relevant to longevity. An equation that is tempered by fate.

Training should always be stretching but not exceptionally challenging.

Running is best for running. Nothing can replace it, the efficiency it drives in physiology and the economy of movement that results from the many miles you put in – which are also inherently beneficial to biomechanical alignment and injury prevention, enhanced by regular hill running.

It is that ‘one percenter’ arising from mental toughness that makes the winning difference.

Understand your limits but don’t be limited by them.

Optimism, persistence and patience are the intangible traits of a disciplined runner that dissolve the excuses not to run and deliver a pathway to longevity in running and achievement in racing.

You can’t run if you don’t exist.

As we age, we can always find an excuse not to run, but there is rarely a good reason not to try.

In everything you do, in life and running, listen to your body and always apply common sense.

There is no end, just a running continuum until there is no more.

6. Author’s Note

This article brings to a close the Practical Philosophy series. I trust that I was able to capture some of those things that may be of value to a mature aged distance runner. On a personal level it provided me with an opportunity to reflect and put my toe back into the water of an ocean of eminent running philosophers from years gone by. It could only be a toe for the ocean is vast.

Reference

1. Sheehan, G, Running to Win, Runners World, 1992, p199
2. Butcher, G, Chapter titled All the Miles of My Life, contained in The Complete Woman Runner, World Publications, 1978, p287
3. Cerutty, P, Be Fit! Or Be Damned! Pelham Books Ltd,1967, p135
4. Baker, J, Fraser-Thomas, J, Dionigi, R & Horton, S, Sport Participation and Positive Development in Older Persons, European Review of Aging and Physical Activity, published 9 December 2009
5. Baker et al 2009

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Brian’s developing years coincided with an explosion of fun runs in NSW. They provided an opportunity for the best in NSW, and other states, to compete against each other week in week out, complemented by club events and the NSW AAA winter competition. Brian raced frequently, winning and placing against top shelf competition, achieving Australian representation in the marathon.

Brian describes himself as versatile. His ideal range was 10000 metres to marathon. While he enjoyed cross country, he raced on rhythm, and found his style better suited to the road. A big mileage man, his performances below 10000 metres suffered due to a tendency to train through these events without easing down. He had a penchant for doubling up in races on the weekends. However, anyone who competed against Brian knows that on his day he was a tough competitor, so strong, a human metronome, who ground it out until you dropped.

Typically understated, and many times underestimated by his opposition, a NSW mainstay into the 1990s, Brian’s career was peppered with ill luck, intersected by flashes of what could have been. This is his story.

1. Personal Bests

1500 3:53, Sydney, 1975

3000 8:07, London, 1983

5000 14:07.1, Sydney, 1981

10000 29:00:8, Melbourne, 1982

Half marathon 64:26, Rome, 1983

Marathon 2:16:27, Vancouver, 1981

2. Career Highlights

Brian competed in 26 marathons and aspired to selection in the 1982 Commonwealth Games and 1984 Olympics. He was part of a burgeoning Australian distance running scene, an exciting time of renewal in NSW, in parallel with the rise of de Castella, who did so much to lift Australian standards. While he largely remained in the ‘supporting cast’ nationally, Brian featured prominently in some key races of that era. There were many runners of similar calibre, within NSW and around Australia, vying for international representation. Though there was a palpable camaraderie in the Australian distance running community, it was highly competitive, with an everchanging pecking order behind David Fitzsimmons and Chris ‘Rabs’ Wardlaw after Montreal 1976, and Rob de Castella and Andrew Lloyd into the 1980s. Not to mention the see sawing careers of such luminaries as Bill ‘the Living Legend’ Scott, Gerard Barrett, Steve Austin, Dave Chettle, John Andrews and Lawrie Whitty, many of this group affected by extended periods of injury.

Brian considers two fun runs as the most significant races of his early career, the Bacchus and Gosford to Terrigal events of 1977 and 1978, respectively. It is difficult to explain to the current generation how prevalent fun runs were in the 1970s and early 1980s. They were halcyon days, with frenetic weekend activity around the state(s). Today we have running festivals, well organised and full weekend events. Back then, particularly in NSW, there were multiple fun runs, held at many different locations, with little coordination. It was a packed calendar and as Brian said, ‘it was lucrative if you chose well.’ To emphasise the point Brian cited Andrew Lloyd and Danny Boltz who were flatmates and club mates, being secretive with each other about their choice of fun runs, and going their separate ways over the weekend to ensure they had a chance of winning. ‘Sharing the spoils.’

Some of Brian’s best memories include placing third in two of the Big M Melbourne Marathons and twice placing amongst the top three domestic runners in Australian Marathon Championships, winning the Vancouver International Marathon of 1981, representing Australia in other international marathons (Philippines 1980, Montreal 1981, Vancouver 1982, Macau 1987) and racing in England and Italy for Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers in 1983.

Brian’s career can be broken into four distinct phases: running as a kid and developing into someone of potential up until 1977, making the grade as a young elite 1978 to 1981, attempting to make Games teams 1982 to 1984, and a resurgent phase from 1987 onwards after two years of debilitating illness.

3. Some Personal Information

Brian has always lived in Newcastle and Hunter Valley environs. Born in November 1955, he grew up in Waratah, one of the oldest working-class suburbs of Newcastle. After high school he fell into teaching (primary), also his wife’s vocation, Sue (nee Jones). Sue was to become a respected principal in the Catholic School system. Though Denman born, she resided in Lake Munmorah (Central Coast) when they first met. Sue was a middle and longer distance runner, her father also a distance runner. Their lifetime partnership has been a source of great strength to Brian in managing his running career, navigating the challenges of life and overcoming adverse health.

By the early 1990s Brian had scaled down his training in concert with Sue’s career advancement (principalship). Any thoughts of running ended dramatically as poor health took hold, and other life priorities became more prominent. He suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) upon turning 40: ‘I couldn’t get myself out of bed.’ By 1996 he had ceased running altogether and was confined to a wheelchair for six months. ‘It took 10 years to fully recover from CFS.’ He reflects on this as a difficult period in his life, but that ‘you just have to get on with it and maintain a positive mindset.’

Brian observes that a range of vaccinations required to travel to India in 2006 on a Social Justice Immersion Experience with colleagues from the Maitland/Newcastle Catholic Diocese seemed to have a positive effect on his condition and by 2007 he felt much improved. The next year Brian and Sue managed a group of Year 11 students from the Diocese on an Indian Immersion Experience. Thereafter his improving health enabled a new phase in his life and the eventual creation of their not-for-profit association, SIM’s (Schools Immersion Mission) Cambodia Inc.

Its aim is to break the cycle of poverty by creating education infrastructure (including new buildings and renovations) and delivering education support services to remote and jungle communities of Cambodia. SIM’s Cambodia Inc. also provides water and sanitation to remote villages with support from Rotary Australia World Community Service (RAWCS).

Though Brian no longer runs, he enjoys recreational bush walking.

4. Philosophy, Influences and Insights

Brian was, and is, of his community, a runner who supported and raced in Newcastle and NSW events. As a young kid coming up through the ranks in the 1970’s he was a regular competitor at the weekly Newcastle cross country and road events and NSW AAA winter races. This never really changed. ‘Is Brian running?’ was the first question asked at local races, a measure of the respect he garnered from the Newcastle distance running fraternity. He won with monotonous regularity against most local competition, from his late teens onwards. Only the later rise of David Forbes gave him any real concerns. He also challenged himself in NSW race fixtures and championships that included runners of the ilk of John Farrington, John Stanley, Rob McDonald and Dennis Nee, largely out of the places, but gradually working his way through to the top echelon of NSW distance runners.

Reflecting on his career, Brian provides the following insights:

He cites the connections made and relationships formed as key motivations. He states that those connections are life lasting, and talks warmly about the ease with which he has reconnected with fellow runners from the past as though it was yesterday. His advice to today’s runners is ‘to enjoy the journey, first and foremost.’

His racing ethos was simple: ‘I competed as honestly as possible. I tended to push the pace and run the legs off the others. I had no kick so I really had no other choice. I always gave it my best shot.’ While this was a successful tactic in his many wins, it generated variable outcomes in races against those of similar ability.

‘Back in my era, when NSW was trying to lift its standards, the Victorians had it over us, meeting at Caulfield Racecourse and the Dandenongs on a regular basis, and training in groups. I see the Kenyans train in large groups so there must be something to it. Though the top NSW guys did attempt to get together more often, the travelling to meet up and employment commitments were disincentives that couldn’t be overcome. We were a disparate bunch. Outside of racing I had the most to do with Rob McDonald, Wayne Brennan and John Andrews, Steve Poulton and Lawrie Whitty tending to do their own thing. I was also a loner and liked the immediacy of running from home, integrating the running into my life routine. John and I trained together a lot during 1976, when I attended Teachers College at Castle Hill, and later we kept in touch. We only lived one kilometre away from each other. Back at home I remember taking Wayne, Rob and John Maddison (local Newcastle runner) for runs through the Watagan mountains. Good tough courses. Rob and the others used to come up to Newcastle occasionally for training weekends, and at times the group would meet elsewhere in NSW, such as Freeman’s Waterhole and Jilliby on the Central Coast.’

‘I took my inspiration from the readings of Lydiard. As a teenager I grabbed everything I could from Clarke, Elliott, and Cerutty. I was impressed by Clayton’s mileage, especially considering he was working full time and I found the writings of Bruce Tulloh (Tulloh on Running 1968) effective in my mid-teens. During the first part of my elite phase, up until 1984, I fasted regularly, to detox and cleanse my system. One of my longest fasts was six days. I found it highly beneficial to my running. But this waxed and waned later, as my motivation ebbed, due to serious illness and changes in personal priorities from 1984 onwards. I experimented with a vegetarian diet for a while but gradually reintroduced lean meats back into my diet a couple of times a week which is still maintained.’

‘During my best years I was averaging 200 kilometres per week. Up until the age of 18 my training had been inconsistent and low volume, with some occasional long runs. Once I transitioned to a regular routine of high mileage, I became more competitive against a cohort of NSW aspiring elites that included the likes of Gosford’s Peter Bromley (current CEO of Athletics Australia). Actually, prior to the Montreal Marathon of 1981 I hit a couple of 240 kilometres weeks.’

‘Faster work was done on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (if not racing). Typically, mile or kilometre reps on Tuesday, 400s on Thursday and 2×3000 metres on Saturday. I ran twice a day on week days, usually 10 kilometres each morning and rarely eased up for a race, apart from marathons. In fact, in 1981 I ran my best City to Surf, finishing fifth in 42:28 (Deek 40:08) after a 20 miles training run the previous morning. I did weights during high school, but didn’t really continue with them, opting for yoga and stretching. My time was limited as Sue and I were teaching full time.’

5. Phase One: Developing Years

Brian talks fondly of his primary school years, ‘I was the fastest in the class.’ Aged eight years old he was involved in street races with other kids and ‘beat them all’. By ten years of age his best mate encouraged him to join an athletics club, Myers Park, but ‘Mum wouldn’t let me join unless I won my next race, which was an 800 metres Newcastle regional event.’ Having finished second the previous year, Brian won, and the rest is history, as they say.

In his early to mid-teens, Brian occasionally ran long runs of 25 to 30 kilometres, during family holidays on the sands of Forster-Tuncurry, sometimes barefoot. He had obvious talent, running 2:07 for 800 metres and 9:07.8 for 3000 metres, aged 14. He ran his first marathon at Newcastle, aged 15. This arose from a bet with a friend, Martin Pitts. Even at this age Brian set high standards for himself, describing his result as a ‘pathetic 3:28’. Pitts dropped out at 18 kilometres. The next year Brian ran it again in 3:01:48, having averaged 37 miles per week in training, vowing not to run another one ‘until I could run a good one.’

Brian progressed nicely during his teens, which included club racing trips to New Zealand where he achieved a New Zealand junior record of 6:02.4 in the 2000 metres steeplechase, that lasted only one week. On 31 March 1974 Brian surprised himself, finishing fourth in the Australian Junior (under 19) steeplechase championship, running 4:17.7 for the 1500 metre event off a very low training base.

In 1974 Brian recalls speaking to Tony Manning, 1970 Commonwealth Games steeplechase champion, during a training run, about whether to stick with the steeple. Injury prone, Tony was residing on the Central Coast and attempting a short-lived comeback. A good mate of Sue’s father, he was training with Steve Manuel’s group and competing in Newcastle cross country races. Tony told Brian to give it up, that the risk of injury was too great. A beautiful stylist who ran high on his toes, Brian has vivid memories of Tony wearing Dunlop Volleys with heel sponges in his shoes running through the hills of the Watagans.

Brian hit his first ‘100’ training week in 1974 (twice actually), aged 18, and found the increased winter mileage beneficial to his road racing. However, the combination of work and education commitments meant his training remained inconsistent until 1975, when he gradually introduced a regular 100 mile per week training regime. During 1975 Brian started to win higher profile fun runs in NSW, like the Newcastle and Fishers Ghost events, and was selected as first reserve for the NSW Cross Country Team, a signal that he was on the improve. By February 1976 Brian had placed in the NSW 5000 metres and 10000 metres track championships with modest times. He improved to 14:31.4 a couple of weeks later and 29:53.2 in November. In both instances he beat Nee, one of the ‘top dogs’ of the Sydney scene and winner of the 1975 City to Surf.

5.1 Bacchus Fun Run, 9 April 1977 

This race has a special place in Brian’s heart. In its early days ‘the Bacchus’ was a magnet for some of Australia’s top distance runners, with overseas trips on offer. In a quirky Newcastle connection, the Race Organiser for a time was Glyn Cox who represented NSW in the marathon and competed for the Newcastle University Club during the mid 1970s. Aged 21, the 1977 event was Brian’s break through race into the top elite level nationally. Billed as a matchup between Montreal Olympic 10000 metre finalists Wardlaw and Fitzsimmons, the advertised 12 kilometres road race was actually 11.6 kilometres. There were 450 starters and 380 finished. Wardlaw ran away from a class field that included a young Deek. Race reports say that Rabs coasted home uncontested from the top of the hill at nine kilometres.

Brian recalls that he ‘got caught up in the excitement of racing against these guys, and though I just followed I found myself in second place at three kilometres’, Deek and Fitzsimmons running next to him as his two shadows. Eventually Deek pulled away surging up the hills and Brian thought he had dropped Fitsimmons, ‘but Fitzie came back at me on the oval and passed me with 300 to go.’ Wardlaw and Deek beat Wardlaw’s 1976 race record (35:18) with 34:39 and 35:10 respectively, Fitzsimmons and Brian running 35:21 and 35:31. Top Victorian, Bryan Lewry, finished fifth in 35:45. One year younger than Brian (and the same age as Deek), Lewry had just returned from representing Australia at the Dusseldorf World Cross Country Championships, his first of four consecutive Australian Cross Country singlets. A portend of things to come, 17 years old Whitty finished ninth, 26 secs behind Brian. Brian had run himself right out, nothing left in the tank.

In the exuberance of youth, Brian backed up the next day to win the Up the Mountain event. ‘Australia’s steepest race’ was two kilometres of a near 2000 feet vertical climb from Thredbo Valley Terminal to Mt Crackenback Terminal. Ten years later Brian Lenton described the 1977 event as ‘…the most exciting finish ever in the history of the race, with only six seconds separating the first three placegetters.’ Brian ran 22:04 to Jim Box’s 22:07 and Gerry Van Der Ploeg’s 22:10. Recalling other experiences of this race, Brian remembers a Nordic skier leading one year – ‘he was a hulk of a man. He took off at the start but 50 metres from the finish line he just stopped in his tracks and I was able to pass him. It was a bloody tough event.’ Although his winning time was nowhere near Laurie Toogood’s race record of 21:07 set in 1972, given his race the day before and his previous best of 1976 (24:33), Brian’s performance was another supreme effort, showcasing a high level of racing resilience. Of interest, Poulton later achieved 20:08 before the course was changed.

Clearly Brian had arrived on the national scene, at least that’s what the Newcastle distance running fraternity thought at the time. Already a local hero, he was becoming someone to watch.

6. Phase Two: Making the Grade

6.1 Gosford to Terrigal Fun Run, 19 August 1978

The Gosford to Terrigal Fun Run of 11 kilometres was a premier event in the 1970s, offering overseas trips to the winner. The 1978 race was a loaded field including Deek, Scott (a future Moscow Olympian), Julian Goater (to become 1981 English National Cross Country Champion), and prominent NSW competitors. In the 1977 event Brian had run 33:05 to beat Nee, the previous year’s winner and current NSW Cross Country Champion, and a languishing 18 years old Lloyd who finished sixth. While he was expecting a difficult repeat race, he had no inkling the other three ‘outsiders’ had entered. In a hard-fought race that included Nee and local hot shot Bromley, Brian finished fourth in 33:32 behind Deek 32:24, Goater 32:46 and Scott 33:12.

6.2 Cross Country

Two weeks prior to the ‘Gosford to Terrigal’ Brian had finished second, an estimated 40 seconds behind Andrews in the 1978 NSW Cross Country Championships, and well ahead of everyone else. Though disqualified for not entering the race, after some argument, he was reinstated. This was one of a number of occasions when officialdom denied receiving Brian’s mailed entry form, causing undue anxiety. Mail from Newcastle to Sydney, how hard could it be? But the vagaries of Australia Post could play its part in a ‘country’ runner’s frustration with the bureaucracy back in the day.

On 3 September Brian finished 14^th in the 12 kilometres 1978 Australian Cross Country Championships at Hawkesbury Agricultural College in Richmond, 90 seconds behind a rampaging Deek. In a highly competitive field Deek outlasted Scott and Tasmanian Kent Rayner by two and 28 seconds, respectively. While Brian ran with the big pack early in the race, he fell back during the second half, finishing a hairs breadth behind Poulton and McDonald. In a fickle relationship with cross country, this was the second, and last, occasion Brian raced at the National Championships.

Not to be outdone, in an inspired attempt to make the 1979 World Cross Country Team, on 29 January 1979 Brian competed in the final National Selection Trial at Sandown Park. A race report within the Autumn Victorian Marathon Club (VMC) newsletter describes the hot and humid conditions for a select field of 17 runners. In a race of Australian distance running legends, Rabs won the 12 kilometres event easily in 36:55, with Austin, Scott, McDonald, Deek and Lewry in his wake. It was five laps of a 2.4 kilometres grass parkland, one rise and one low hurdle per lap. In his own words Brian explains ‘I vaguely remember coming in around 13th but a very ordinary performance. Rob McDonald had an outstanding run qualifying…I averaged 201km per week for 21 weeks prior…I guess I was overdone…though I did finish second to Fitzsimmons in the 5000 at the Australian Track and Field Championships so I guess some of the hard work paid off…’ McDonald was the only New South Welshman selected for Limerick.

While Brian had proven that he could mix it with the best, his results were less convincing over cross country and shorter distances. This was a turning point in deciding to concentrate on racing at 10 kilometres and above, focusing on the marathon. He was not alone, NSW colleagues Poulton and Whitty soon transitioning to this event, and Lloyd starting to experiment with marathons early in his career. All were young and developing quickly. Brian’s foray into marathon running began on 26 May 1979 with an easy ten minutes win (2:27:14) at Newcastle, backing up the next day to finish 28 seconds behind Lloyd in a 10 kilometres fun run at Toronto, south of Newcastle.

6.3 Melbourne Marathons and Other Things

Brian competed in three Melbourne Marathons finishing third in 1979 and 1980, and sixth (fourth Australian) in 1990. Held during October, the 1979 and 1980 editions were notable because in both years NSW runners were prominent, and it was part of a triple consecutive winning streak by Lloyd, who went on to win again in 1981.

While the 1980 race was Brian’s fastest, 1979 proved to be the most gruelling. Held in searing 29 degree heat it was a ‘baptism of fire’ introduction to top level marathon racing. Dubbed the ‘Highway to Horror’ by the media there was much toing and froing amongst the pack, with all three placegetters’ leading at different stages of the race. At 25 kilometres Lloyd and Brian were 15 seconds behind Horst Wegner. Things changed dramatically over the next five kilometres with Lloyd leading Brian by 46 seconds at 30 kilometres and Wegner a few seconds away. Lloyd continued his charge to the finish while Wegner rallied to repass Brian for second place. The slow times reflected the conditions, Lloyd 2:26:44, Wegner 2:31:20, Morgan 2:32:09. Wegner, newly arrived in NSW from Germany, was a 2:18 performer. According to a humorous race report by Brian Lenton, the NSW runners were unknown to the Victorian mainstream media, race commentators describing Lloyd as ‘Allan’ in one telecast until this error was realised at the 40 kilometres mark! While unsure of the veracity of this claim, it rings true about what can be a parochial Victorian sporting outlook.

Outside of these two marathons, Brian’s competitive reputation was improving with strong performances in NSW AAA winter events and fun runs, highlights being fourth in the 1979 City to Surf 43:14 (Scott 41:54), a win in the 1979 Parramatta 10 mile of 48:40 and second in the classic ‘Parra’ race of 1980, 48:02 behind McDonald’s 47:49, and beating Whitty and Poulton. He also managed fourth place (seventh outright) in the Australian Marathon Championship of July 1980; 2.23.57 behind Whitty’s 2:19:00 and South Australian Grenville Wood 2:20:26, Stanley third Australian 2:22:43 – in wet and windy conditions. To put this marathon in context, the Olympic marathon trials had been held three months earlier at the same location (West Lakes Adelaide), with Barrett, Deek, Rabs and Garry Henry running 2:11:42, 2:12:24, 2:12:47 and 2:13:11 respectively, the first three selected for Moscow.

As preparation for his marathons of 1980, Brian broke the Australian track records for 25 and 30 kilometres for this rarely run event. They were ‘soft’ records of 84:12 and 1:44:16.8 set by two Victorians, Eero Keranen in 1974 (when 18 years old), and Fred Howe in 1964, respectively. Held on 24 May at Newcastle Athletic Field on a warm and windy day, McDonald and Poulton did the early pacing, Poulton lasting until 10 miles in 50:40 before dropping out. Brian’s original aim was to run 12 miles in the hour then continue through to claim both records. This wasn’t an unreasonable ambition, given he had achieved 19.29 kilometres (49:53 at 16 kilometres) during a Newcastle one hour track race in 1978. However, on this day the difficult conditions saw Brian crawl home over the last five kilometres, dropping to 18 minutes plus, running 98:33.5 for the full distance and 80.31.4 for 25 kilometres. ‘It felt as hard as a marathon.’ There were only a few diehard spectators.

Thirty-three years later, to the day, Scott Westcott, running alone on the same track, with a small local crowd in attendance, broke these records with 80:18/97:10 and Brian was there to witness it. Although Brian does not rate his own performance highly at all and Scott’s records were quickly superseded by Tasmanian Joshua Harris in 2016 (79:56/96:37.9), Brian and Scott’s runs have become part of local folklore, a minor footnote in Australia’s distance running history. It has to be said that Brian and Scott’s times are much slower than they ran in other road events and the existing national records remain comparatively ‘soft’ measured against current and past international performances.

On 30 August 1980, only one month after the Australian Marathon, Brian achieved his first Australian singlet, competing in the Philippines International Marathon in Manila. The formal race invitation was made at short notice, and included Norm Osborne as Australian Athletics Union ‘chaperone.’ In sweltering heat and high humidity Brian finished third to experienced campaigner John Stanley, 2:30:05 to 2:47:03. Although they arrived in Manila three days prior to the event, and drinks were offered every 2.5 kilometres, Brian was not able to acclimatise to the conditions and suffered severe dehydration. It was an inauspicious start to his international racing career, but a valuable experience, that included a visit to meet Tony Benson at Baguio in his capacity as National Distance Running Coach for the Philippines.

In a late turn of events, flights were delayed and Brian and John were requested to stay in Manila for the upcoming President Marcos Marathon Running Festival held on 6 September. Only manager Osborne was able to board a return flight. Barely seven days since his 2:30, Stanley performed remarkably in the ‘Marcos Marathon’, running 2:27 in oppressive conditions. Brian opted for a 20 kilometres race held in conjunction with the marathon. Both won their events.

With the Philippines experience still in his legs, Brian returned to Australia and set himself for his second Big M Melbourne Marathon, winning a Newcastle 10 kilometres fun run and finishing third in a hotly contested Bathurst 8 kilometres event behind McDonald and Andrews, but ahead of Lloyd and Whitty. There was an early hiccup to his Melbourne plans when his flight was delayed and he missed the pre-event media launch the evening before the marathon. Race Director, Ted Paulin, assumed he was a ‘no show’ and gave his designated race number 3 to late entry Bill Scott, the hometown favourite and inaugural winner in 1978. When Brian turned up on the morning of the race, he was handed number 6799. Despite his third placing in 1979, this resulted in some commentary in Melbourne television coverage about how the ‘unknown’ number 6799 is running such a great race, well above his station.

Scott had run 2:11:55 in the 1979 Fukuoka. He was known for his relentless pace setting and did not disappoint. In a tight race, in cool conditions, Lloyd, Scott and Brian were bunched at 30 kilometres with Lloyd leading in 97:25. Lloyd and Scott remained together to 35 kilometres (having dropped Brian), until Lloyd edged ahead and gradually extended his lead to the finish. Brian suffering a bad patch fell back to fourth place, and was 2:20 behind the leaders at 35 kilometres. In a gutsy performance, he managed to stave off a late challenge from Victorian Rob Neylon, finishing strongly and repassing Neylon during the last seven kilometres.

Times for placegetters were Lloyd 2:17:37, Scott 2:19:26, and Brian 2:22:03. Amongst a sea of Victorians Lloyd, Brian and Arthur Kingsland (2:30:29 and 15^th), an expat Newcastle Harrier, were the only NSW finishers at the pointy end.

6.4 Vancouver International Marathon, 3 May 1981

After his mixed experience of marathons during 1980, Brian won the 1981 Vancouver International Marathon with a career best 2:16:27. This was also the Canadian Marathon Championship (as it was in 1980). Brian’s win completed an unusual hattrick of wins for Australia, Scott 2:15:56, and Henry 2:13:14, having won in 1979 and 1980, respectively.

Brian came to this event determined to defeat Whitty who had consistently beaten him in close races during the summer track season. In wet and blustery conditions on a difficult three loop course Whitty and Brian had a great stoush from half way onwards. Brian recalls that Whitty became fed up with parochial spectators yelling support for their’ favourite son’, John Hill. Hill, a Vancouver local, had won the 1978 event outright. Whitty surged from halfway with Brian hanging on and thereafter Brian and Lawrie traded the lead many times before Brian clawed Whitty back with two kilometres to go for the win. Whitty finished in 2:17:52. In the later stages the cold had set in, Brian was freezing and his arms became numb, and Whitty had bowel problems throughout the race. In a performance that ranked him sixth nationally for 1981/82, Brian always thought it was worth a 2:12-13, and raced his future marathons with that mindset.

In only his second marathon, ‘kiwi’ Roger Robinson, age 41, placed third in 2:18:45. Hill won the Canadian Championship finishing fourth in 2:19:16, Grenville Wood fifth, 2:19:50. Admittedly the course has changed over the years, but to this day, Brian’s result is the seventh fastest winning time ever for the Vancouver Marathon, an event that commenced in 1972. Henry’s time remains the event record and Robinson still holds the master’s record.

6.5 Montreal International Marathon, 13 September 1981

Post Vancouver, Brian continued to train and race well. ‘Two weeks before Montreal I ran the Gosford to Terrigal fun run again, breaking 33 minutes for the first time. I was in really good shape.’ Australian team members were Whitty, Poulton, Stanley and Victorians Graeme Kennedy and Rob Wallace, Trevor Vincent in the Team Manager role. This was a significant marathon, given it was a Nations Cup team event. All except Brian and Wallace ran sub 2:20s, Whitty the fastest in a career best 2:14:01 for sixth.

Brian relates that ‘Rob Wallace and I collided going into a drink station just after the halfway mark reached in 67:10. Rob retired from the race injured. Lawrie was in front of us and coming up from behind Steve Poulton rendered assistance. The mishap occurred near our accommodation so Rob was able to limp back to the hotel. Steve and I gave chase as our Aussie team was performing well. We eventually finished third behind Canada and Colombia. What could have been if the mishap had not occurred?’ Trevor Vincent states that Wallace, Australia’s fastest marathoner of the group, ‘tripped accidentally’, injuring his legs. He also concurs that the team was in contention to win the Nations Cup at this point but Poulton and Brian lost contact with the main pack as a result of the fracca, destroying their chances. Brian ran 2:21:46.

7. Phase Three: Games Aspirations

Despite the Montreal debacle, Brian entered 1982 with confidence. Training was solid and big mileage maintained. On 8 March he placed 16^th in the Nagoya International 30 kilometres, 96:41. Dick Beardsley, inaugural victor of the London Marathon in 1981, was a DNF. Six weeks after Nagoya Beardsley raced Salazar at Boston in the ‘now famous’ Duel in the Sun. Just shows, we all have our bad days. Brian saw Vancouver 1982 as a stepping stone to Commonwealth Games selection. However, 1982 was to be a year of inconsistent race performances. Reflecting, Brian thinks he went ‘over the top’ in training, without adequate recovery. He had dispensed with his past routine of an ease down in volume every fourth week. A lesson learned that ‘more is not best.’

7.1 Vancouver and Brisbane 1982

Well regarded by the Vancouver Race Organisers, Brian was invited to defend his 1981 win. His aim was to beat the Commonwealth Games qualifying standard of 2:16. Unfortunately, in a largely domestic field, Brian had an off day, finishing twelfth in 2:29:56, 13 minutes behind Canadian winner Steve Pomeroy. Brian and Pomeroy were stride for stride at half way ‘in just over 67 minutes’ before Pomeroy accelerated to victory. Newspaper reports indicate Brian was ‘hampered by tight calf muscles.’

Though disappointed, Brian again attempted to achieve the qualifying time, entering the Australian Championship held at Brisbane on 25 July. This was the designated Commonwealth Games selection trial, run on the Games course. Solid winter performances, indicated he was in form. However, Brian concedes he had a ‘shocker’, finishing 23^rd in 2:30:32. Similar to his Vancouver race, he was amongst the leaders to half way but ‘struggling’ by 30 kilometres. No Australian beat the qualifying time, the winner being Fumiake Abe of Japan in 2:15:57, with Wallace (2:16:02), Wood (2:16:22) and Laurie Adams (Qld, 2:17:51) following. Wallace was to join Deek as ‘the Games’ marathon representative, along with Whitty who was selected for the 10000 metres. Wood, who later ran 2:12:50 in the 1982 Melbourne Marathon behind Bill Rodgers, was unlucky to miss out. The course was described as the ‘least hilly course Brisbane could offer’ (in the absence of using a loop arrangement in the outer Brisbane swamp/river flatlands), adversely affecting performances by up to three minutes.

7.2 Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers 1983

1983 was to be a year of reinvigoration. Facilitated by McDonalds’s relationship with Julian Goater, arriving in England in January, Brian spent ten months with Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers. Brian and Sue took two years leave without pay from teaching, which resulted in better general health for Brian. He reduced his training volume, introduced more sustained threshold training, and concentrated on racing. At one stage they managed a sports complex in Kent for three months but found the working hours onerous.

Fresh from a 29:00.8 fourth placing in the ‘Zatopek’ behind Andrews (28:09.7), Deek and Lewry, with 20 years old Monas back in eighth place, he was quick to make an impact at his new club. Despite advice to keep a low profile because club registration issues were not yet finalised, his first race was a leg for their B Team in a road relay, increasing the team’s placing from fourth to second.

Shaftesbury were a well organised outfit, serious about their club’s achievements but you could also ‘have a laugh’. I could see Brian’s eyes light up as he recalled getting to know Dave Bedford (ex-world record holder for 10000 metres and Race Director of the London marathon) and John Bicourt (independent race agent and dual Olympic steeplechaser). Bicourt was mates with Franco Fava, who holds a special place in the history of Italian distance racing. Based on this relationship, Bicourt coordinated a race schedule for ‘contracted’ international runners to compete monthly in Italy. At this time the core group included Dave Clarke (1982 English Cross Country champion), Martin Caldwell (New Zealand), John Graham (Scotland), with whom he became good friends, and 2 x Americans. It was a melting pot of international experience and a huge motivating factor for Brian to compete well.

Brian ran his half marathon personal best when finishing sixth in the ‘Rome to Ostia’ road race, in unusual circumstances. Invited runners included two Italian internationals, Englishmen Bernie Ford, Mike Gratton and the well performed marathoner Merv Brameld. Gratton was in form during 1983 off the back of third in the 1982 Commonwealth Games Marathon behind Deek and Tanzanian Juma Ikangaa. He was to win the London Marathon in 2:09:43 three weeks after this Rome race. On the start line Bicourt told Brian that because of traffic congestion a late decision was made to change the course and increase the distance to 25 kilometres! Brian managed to keep up with the leading pack to the half marathon, hitting 64:26 enroute. Later, when preparing for a strong finish with what he thought was 1500 metres to go to 25 kilometres, he was told to keep on running. In effect, the end distance was changed ‘on the run’ to 27.5 kilometres! Some would say this is typical of Italian disorganisation, prevalent in their road racing events of that era. Brian reflects on his performance as a missed opportunity to do something special. For the record, the final race positions were Ford, Gratton, 2 x Italians, Brameld, Brian.

During this period Brian won the Southern Counties 10000 metres Track Championship in 29:14.4, beating Keith Penny by four seconds. Brian is one of only three Australians to achieve this feat, the others being Dave Chettle in 1981 (29:26) and Martin Dent in 2003 (29:49.1). Penny, a seasoned international, had been a close competitor throughout the track and road racing seasons. On a mild Wednesday evening Brian showed his steel by putting in a 65 second lap breaking the field up with eight laps to go, and holding on. The following Saturday, Brian flew to Italy for the World Mountain Running Championships that was held on the Sunday. But that’s another story!!

His stint with Shaftesbury was an eye opener about what was required to reach the top. Apart from the monthly international road races, competing in the British road relay scene and exposure to ‘real cross country’ hardened his racing outlook. Before leaving Europe Brian spent two weeks training and racing in Italy with Bicourt’s troupe, and beat Graham in an Italian road race at Amatrice.

One fortnight later, in October, with plans to return to Australia via the USA, Brian ran the New York Marathon finishing 71^st in 2:21:01. He had secured an entry via Graham’s intervention. While unhappy with his placing (and noting that ‘training partner’ Graham finished fifth in 2.10.57) it was an exciting race to take part in, with lots of colour and fanfare generated by spectators. Readers may remember a rain-soaked Rod Dixon as the winner in a hard grind against Geoff Smith in 2:08:59.

7.3 Fateful Intervention

Although 1983 was meant to be a year of consolidation to prepare for potential Olympic marathon selection, Brian’s personal situation dictated a different path. Sue had fallen pregnant while in England. During their stopover in the USA, travelling to Denver via Atlanta, Sue fell ill in the transit lounge at Atlanta airport. Complications occurred with the pregnancy resulting in the very premature birth of their son (1040 grams) and the hospitalisation of mother and child – both for extended periods in different Atlanta hospitals. Baby Joel was in mortal danger caused by brain haemorrhage and Sue suffered renal failure and was on life support for a time.

Sorting out finances, Brian was housed in a hospital funded residence and spent many distraught weeks travelling between hospitals to visit wife and son. After nine weeks of this ordeal the Morgan family could fly home. On a brighter note, Brian recalls being told that Joel ‘was the lightest person to ever fly across the Pacific.’ He also commends the level of medical care provided by hospital staff, doctors and nurses in Atlanta.

7.4 Tilt at 1984 Olympic Selection

Arriving home late in 1983, Brian was affected by the emotional upheaval of the USA experience. Although his mindset was not quite on the mark, Brian asked my father, Jim, to coach him to achieve Olympic selection. The program set by his first ever coach was tough and included the addition of sustained threshold running over longer distances of up to 15 miles. 

The Olympic Marathon Trial was held in Canberra on 8 April 1984. For a variety of reasons, including injury and illness, top contenders such as Nick de Castella (Vic), Andrews, Whitty, Poulton, Lloyd, Chettle, Austin, Wardlaw, Adams and Colin Neave (ACT) were absent. Deek was a preselection. The Olympic qualifying time was 2:14, well within the reach of Brian and many other competitors. Some pundits felt 2:12 would be required to ensure selection. However, on a relatively tough course, a howling westerly headwind during the late stages of the race shattered the field’s dreams of selection. Wood was the victor in a solid 2:15:50, close to a minute ahead of Wallace, with Graham Clews (WA) another 30 seconds behind and Kennedy off the pace. Henry ran badly (2:27:08), as did Brian who did not finish, both having raced hard in the Sydney Striders half marathon three weeks earlier. The same applied to Kennedy and a number of others.

Brian states that ‘the wind was just so heavy, buffeting all the runners, that it became ridiculous and I realised that no one was going to qualify in this race, so I pulled out to save myself for the Australian Marathon Championship.’ VMC Secretary, Fred Lester, estimated the wind affected performances by three minutes. Although sub-2:14 had originally seemed on the cards, Brian was philosophical: ‘in the end it was a relief when I didn’t make the team.’

However, in an effort to salvage the rest of the year, continuing under Jim’s guidance, Brian aimed for the Wang Australian Marathon Championship in Sydney to be held on 10 June. Still smarting from his DNF in the Olympic Trial, Brian returned to the solace of his training routine and regained some form in winter events. A highlight included defeating Whitty in the Cooranbong Half Marathon on 20 May, 65:46 to 66:07. The course was a combination of country roads and dirt gravel through the Martinsville Valley, at the base of the Watagan Mountains. It was a picturesque setting, but not an ideal racing surface. With a withering final surge on a warm and sultry day over an undulating course, Brian ran negative splits of 33:25/32:21. He was back.

Although the selection trial had already been run, there was a muted sense amongst the distance running fraternity that the Australian Marathon Championship was a last opportunity to influence the Australian selectors. In his best performance since Vancouver 1981, and with some solid training and racing behind him, Brian finished sixth outright and third Australian in the National Championship. Never with the pack, on his own throughout, Brian ran an astute race to achieve his second sub-2:20 performance of 2:18:22. While a pleasing result given his poor form in recent marathons, his satisfaction was dampened by his failure to achieve a much better time. ‘My training indicated I should have raced much faster.’

Jon Anderson (USA) won in 2:13:18 from Lloyd 2:14:36 (a PB by three minutes) and Malcolm East (England) 2:15:04. Boltz, age 21 in his debut marathon, was fourth outright and second Australian in 2:15:45, with Alain Lazare (New Caledonia) vying for French selection, running 2:15:55. In a disappointing year for Australia’s marathon family, ‘fresh’ from a World Championship win in 1983, Deek was the only one selected for the Olympics.

Throughout 1984 Brian had underestimated the emotional impact of his ongoing personal situation. In the aftermath of the Wang ‘I declined an invitation to race in the Berlin Marathon. I realised that I needed to be less self-centred and focus on my family’s wellbeing.’ Any remaining Olympic ambition quite rightly took a backseat to the welfare of his family.

7.5 The Slump

On the up, and having regained some form, Brian was looking forward to a successful 1985, with a revised outlook to racing and training. However, it was not to be. Brian’s running was significantly affected in 1985 and 1986 by ill health. Carbo loading only exacerbated his condition and he became weaker. In declining health, Jim offered to help and organised a visit to the Australian Institute of Sport to consult with Dr Peter Fricker and Dick Telford. As a result of this visit and some follow up testing facilitated by Stan Barwick (Executive Manager of Lingard Private Hospital), Brian was ‘diagnosed’ with a form of lactose intolerance. ‘There was not much in the way of running training during this period but certainly much valued and appreciated support was provided.’ Attempting to race competitively, this was a frustrating period, as evidenced by an abysmal 31:22 10000 metres at Newcastle Athletic Field in November 1986.

8. Phase Four: A Resurgence

After this disastrous period, only partially recovered from his ‘unknown condition’, Brian entered a resurgent phase. While his ambitions had been doused by two years of illness, from 1987 onwards, at 31 years of age, he came back strongly to perform well across a range of distances. For many years he continued to win against stiff opposition, racing frequently in Newcastle and NSW events. Some notable race results were:

seventh outright, and second Australian, 2:20:07, in the 1987 Australian Marathon Championship, Sydney. In a field that included many top international runners, highlights included the novelty of beating the great Filbert Bayi, and winning a ‘consolation’ trip to the Macau Marathon; sixth in the 1987 City to Surf in 42:28 (Brad Camp 40:15), equalling his best ever time of 1981, beating Andrews and Poulton; third behind Barrett and Neave in the 1988 Canberra Marathon in 2:24:26; and winning the 1991 NSW Half Marathon Championship, on a changed and difficult Sydney Striders course, in 67:05.

Perhaps fittingly, one of his last marathons was the Melbourne Marathon of 1990. In an event that kicked off his elite marathon experience 11 years ago, he performed creditably, 2:24:21 for sixth outright, and fourth Australian. He was named Maitland Sportsman of the Year in 1990, evidence that he was still performing to a high standard. And to further emphasise Brian’s longevity, though not quite the event it used to be, he won Bacchus in 1988, 1989, 1992 and 1995 (aged 39).

From Brian’s perspective his last year of elite competitive racing was 1990, which happily coincided with another addition to the Morgan family, one baby girl, Hayley. ‘Although I still raced until 1995, and was winning overseas trips, I was in wind down mode from 1991, and the volume and intensity of my training had eased considerably. I still enjoyed this period, racing in NSW, and competing in international marathons such as Noumea and Phoenix, but my focus on serious competition had dissipated.’

9. Concluding Comments

Brian competed at a comparatively high level for 20 years, 1975 to 1995, across three generations of developing elites, each generation building on the performances of the previous generation. He was a distance running journeyman, always in the thick of it. He raced hard frequently and in many different places. His attitude to training was zealous, uncompromising. He was largely uncoached and trained alone most of the time. In hindsight, these factors proved to be strengths and weaknesses.

Brian’s experience mirrors many of his era, top performers, ups and downs, missed opportunities and flashes of brilliance. That’s what was so exciting about racing in that era and witnessing racers such as Brian competing, no holds barred, when ‘anyone could win on their day.’ Brian set high standards for himself, and not surprisingly, given his matter-of-fact manner, he downplays many of his best performances (too many to mention all of them in this article). His racing career is about persistence beating adversity. He never lost hope, and always gave of himself honestly.

1982 to 1984 was when he should have made his mark, and he was given no second chances in 1985 and 1986. Whether Brian’s high mileage and ongoing level of experimentation with diet, vegetarianism and fasting affected his health somehow is not clear. He does acknowledge that throughout his running career he had some extensive periods of higher quality training that were marred by ‘inconsistent’ race performances that he couldn’t objectively understand. But then again, luck and misfortune are a runner’s lot.

Brian is defined less by his unsuccessful Games campaigns, more by his ability to overcome disappointment and debilitating illness that affected his quality of life. Through it all, Brian remained loyal to his roots, encouraging local runners by his regular presence and willingness to compete, and in later life by giving back to his community.

In a career where he had his fair share of brushes with the fast and famous, Brian Morgan remains a Newcastle legend, a living treasure.

He is the archetypal local boy done good.

Primary Sources:

Association of Road Running Statisticians

Athletics Australia Almanacs: https://athletics.possumbility.com/almanac/index.htm

Ausrunning

Australian Runner, various

Australasian Athletics, Official Journal of Track and Field, various

Australasian Track and Field Athletics, various

Bacchus results

Fun Runner, various

Great Britain Athletics

Lenton, B, Distance Running in Australia, 1978

Lenton, B, Unfit for Publication, 1986

Recollections of Brian Morgan during meetings with author on 7 November 2023 and 8 December 2023

Results Book for Health 84 Cooranbong Half Marathon

Results Book for 1979 Big M Melbourne Marathon

Vancouver Marathon website

Victorian Marathon Club Newsletters, various,

Vincent, T, Team Managers Report, Montreal International Marathon 13 September 1981, sourced through Ausrunning.net

The majority of Australian race reports were obtained from five main sources: Fun Runner, VMC Newsletter, Australian Runner, Australasian Athletics: Official Journal of Track and Field, and Australasian Track and Field Athletics.

The post Brian Morgan: Local Boy Done Good appeared first on Runner's Tribe.

‘Too many runners give up on their training when they reach an age where they start slowing down noticeably. The stopwatch is a cruel master, and it can rob you of your motivation. But this is precisely the time when, because of illness associated with aging, you most need to maintain a high level of fitness’. (Amby Burfoot 1999)²

‘..persistence takes the champions ninety percent of the way. It is often referred to as tenacity and heart. It is a critical factor in performance because the moment you lose it your performance will deteriorate.’ (Rudi Webster 1984)³

‘More athletic moves go bad because they’re launched too early than because they’re too late. As a canny old pro once told me, you have to have the confidence to take the time. The complexity of this athletic truth grows on me daily.’ (John Jerome 1997)⁴

‘We control the quality of our days within us. Positive thinking makes good things happen.’ (Earl Fee 2005)⁵

‘Those with little or no commitment see setbacks as justification to abandon their dreams.’ (Jerry Lynch 1987)⁶

‘Most important of all is the necessity to get your mind positive….The mind can happily create a thousand things which have gone wrong or which have not been done correctly.’ (Alan Lewis 1985)⁷

In today’s article I examine three ‘intangibles’ of optimism, persistence and patience (OPPs) that are critical traits of a positive mindset. They are the guiding lights for a mature athlete who seeks longevity in distance running and competition. They are married to each other, yet stand alone.

Yes, they could be described as factors of resilience, a term I have come to dislike as an overused ‘catch all’ for all manner of just living life. OPPs are the glue that holds everything together as the mature distance runner faces the inevitable setbacks that will occur. They are the bedrock for determination, for it is all too easy to give in or give up.

1. Why OPPs?

The reader may think this a random choice. However, I have thought long and hard about what contributes most to a positive outlook, recognising the reality of a mature person’s lot in their day-to-day life, running and non-running. Optimism, persistence and patience combined are the essence of ‘we shall overcome’.

In a running context, for a mature person who wants to compete, there are a range of considerations within a [psychological mindset|physical capacity] duality, that can be represented on a graded upwards scale as follows:

Do I want to run?|can I keep running?

Do I want to train?|can I keep training?

Do I want to race?|can I keep racing?

I have differentiated between running and training. Training infers that you likely have a race goal, whereas running purely denotes the physical act of being mobile at more than a walking pace, without any race goals. Many mature runners are happy to sit at the bottom of the scale wanting to run and keep on running, and are not too fussed about racing, but the competitive amongst us want to hit the top scale of racing and keeping on racing.

You can go up and down this scale depending on mindset and physical wellbeing. If I am seriously injured, I may drop quickly from [Yes, I want to race/Yes, I can keep racing] to [No, I don’t want to run/No, I can’t keep running] throwing my hands up in the air in despair. Alternatively, if you are an optimist, firm in adopting a positive mindset, you may drop to [Yes, I want to run/No, I can’t keep running for the time being]. So, what can I do about it? There are always qualifiers to what you may be able to do, dependent upon age and the nature/seriousness of the injury or condition, but generally you can do something.

The trick is to find that something, remain optimistic and take positive action. We have to be realistic that age and concomitant incapacity, whether through injury or other reasons, may come upon us. And although typically when your racing ego gets too big your body smacks you down – it is the great leveller – we can draw upon our patience and persistence in the long haul back to full race fitness.

At times, it can feel like you are always coming back. The challenge is in the ‘getting back’ and the deep satisfaction of ‘overcoming’.

2. Digging Deeper

Many, many years ago Runners World publications oft quoted the research of Drs Ogilvie and Tutko and the development of their Athletic Motivation Inventory.⁸ They described a range of qualities of ‘Championship Character’, highlighting determination as one such quality – and within this quality described traits such as ‘Persevering, even in the face of great difficulty’ and a requirement to be ‘Patient and unrelenting in his work habits.’⁹

2.1 Is it Persistence or Perseverance?

When preparing this article, I noticed that some practical philosophers use persistence and perseverance interchangeably. This caused me to pause, to understand if a difference exists between the two terms. And lo and behold it is so. I came across the teachings of Christopher Mance, American sports psychologist and mental skills coach.¹⁰

He states that persistence is ‘simply the act of pursuing a course of action with the same energy and consistency’, while perseverance is ‘the ability to maintain the same energy and consistency through the process of overcoming painful circumstances’ [authors italics]. I note with pride that my friend ‘consistency’ appears within his definitions of both terms. We can never underestimate the importance of consistency to maintain performance and overcome obstacles. For nothing ever happens if you don’t do something.

Summarising Mance, he explains that ‘persistence in the absence of pain is nothing special’ and once the pain of failure, fatigue, boredom, fear or trauma becomes part of the process it takes more than persistence to continue a particular course of action, it takes perseverance. And perseverance requires the use of willpower not to quit and/or not give less effort. He concludes that ‘a persistent person can be stopped but a person who is both persistent and who has the will to persevere is unstoppable.’

Within some theories of motivation persistence is considered to be a key component and can be defined as ‘the continued effort toward a goal even though obstacles may exist.’¹¹ However, this definition appears to contradict the distinction Mance makes between persistence and perseverance, where he attaches the overcoming of obstacles and exertion of willpower moreso to perseverance. A fine distinction to make, maybe one for the academics to mull over?

 

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So, to my way of thinking, perseverance sits on the shoulders of the base trait of persistence. And if obstacles do not exist, it doesn’t mean it is any less demanding to maintain a commitment to continue doing what we need to do to be successful. When all is said and done, persistence requires discipline and is the first step towards perseverance.

2.2 Optimism

Under the quality of mental toughness Ogilvie and Tutko list the trait of ‘Can bounce back quickly from adversity’.¹² Though this may fall under mental toughness (or even resilience) I would argue it is a central trait of the eternal optimist. The latter is someone who always sees the good in people and situations.

The dictionary definition of optimism is ‘hopefulness and confidence about the future or the success of something’ while positivity is ‘the practice of being, or tendency to be positive or optimistic in attitude.’

Together optimism and positivity breeds confidence, in oneself and to overcome an adverse situation you may face, or simply to maintain the status quo by maintaining a consistent effort. So, you can see that even optimism requires an underlying level of discipline.

2.3 Patience

Patience is a curious thing. It is like a mothering of your psyche; reminding you that you will get there in the end, achieve your goals and be satisfied with your performance only if you take the time to look after yourself along the way. It requires a clear understanding of where you are heading and why you are persisting. The answer to the latter can be explained by where you currently sit on the graded scale and what you really aspire to. Its about the mix and match of the psychological and physical as you focus on that something that you need to do to progress, however you want to define it.

Patience presents a particular challenge for a mature distance runner, for as Tim Grover says ‘the biggest mistake in life we make is thinking we have time.’¹³ The underlying urgency we feel to get back quickly has to be smoothed by a common-sense approach, to prevent the ‘one step forward two steps back’ outcomes that generate frustration in the aging athlete.

Ultimately, you need to be persistent, but you can’t rush it.

3. What does it all mean?

I note that in their testing Ogilvie and Tutko measured 11 qualities they considered most important for championship character within their Athletic Motivation Inventory and identified a massive 55 traits underpinning these qualities.¹⁴ And I have chosen but three. Why? Well, I think the OPPs are the most effective traits for a mature distance runner. They are the wisest, and only sustainable way, to counter the ‘time is of the essence’ quandry we can find ourselves in as we age.

With our higher need (than the younger set) to overcome a range of running and non-running specific lifestyle factors, often complex, the OPPs are the critical base traits to the development of racing success or a championship character for the mature competitor. They steady the ship of our mature running lives, keeping our souls anchored in what we need to do, as the clock keeps ticking.

You can’t see these intangibles, or touch them, but you can hear them, echoing in your head as a reminder of what you have to do, that something. They are as concrete as the roads and tracks you run on. They are the fabric of your running psyche. The truly great distance runners nurture these traits when young, develop them throughout their lives, and hang onto them for as long as they can, whether still running or not, into their later years. For without them everything else falls apart.

4. Concluding Comments

As we age, we can always find an excuse not to run, but there is rarely a good reason not to try. To run is not a matter of obligation. If you think it is, then you are unlikely to continue. Examining the OPPs took us to some other places like determination, discipline, confidence, consistency and understanding what we need to do, identifying that something that keeps us running.

The OPPs are always there, during in the moment racing challenges and as part of your long-haul training routine. The careers of Mimoun and Benoit-Samuelson are proof enough.

Optimism, patience, persistence. If you get them right, you can’t go wrong as you work the scale for you and navigate towards a longer lasting running and/or competition journey.

All I can say is, when it comes to OPPs, there are no excuses, only a path to achievement, and to finding that something, whatever that means to you.

References:

1. Orlick, T, In Pursuit of Excellence, 2008, p4

11. Cherry, K, Motivation: The Driving Force Behind our Actions, verywell mind, 3 May 2023, available here.

12. Henderson, 1972, p10

13. Grover, T, Winning, 2021, p216.

14. Henderson, 1972, pp9-11

The post The Mature Distance Runner: A Practical Philosophy Part 7: The Intangibles: Optimism, Persistence and Patience – Finding that Something appeared first on Runner's Tribe.