Fitness Files: Who’s that old lady? An age-graded champ
What do people look like at 50, 60, 70?
Running Thursday morning hill repeats up the same street for years, I’ve met the neighbors.
Grateful for a break from huffing and puffing, I stopped to pet the pretty brunette’s dogs, a mastiff and Chihuahua. “The Chihuahua’s the boss,” she told me. A Polynesian dancer, she has a 24-inch waist, a long, luxuriant pony tail and no wrinkles. I’d say she’s 40 ... or 30!
Then, she mentioned her 50th birthday.
No way, I thought.
Next, there’s my hiking partner, Laurie, who’s turning 60.
Another hiker, Muffy, asked, “Laurie’s having a big birthday, right? Is she 50 or 60?”
And listen to this one: A third hiker, Evelyne, made People Magazine’s World’s Most Beautiful List in May! She’s 59. No, it wasn’t “most beautiful seniors.”
Today, my 76-year-old husband returned from the podiatrist with a grin. His foot’s OK, but the smile was from the doctor’s comment, “Fifty-year-old guys would be happy to look like you.”
Last week, my friend Jan said, “Carrie, I had lunch with my kids. They said, ‘Carrie looks at least 10 years younger than 70.’”
Her kids are the smart kind with big jobs and “with-it blogs.” I’m often reprimanded for dismissing compliments, but this time I listened.
Finally, I went to the Divas meeting. (They’re a group supporting the opening of the Balboa Village Theatre.) They asked me to speak about winning first place at the 2014 LA Marathon. The executive officer, Steven Beazley, met me at the hors d’oeuvres table.
“I looked you up at the OC Marathon,” he said, “Do you know, age-graded, you came in 25th in a field of 10,000 runners?”
I didn’t, but later researched age grade.
Age grading scored me against other runners by comparing my finish time to the best achievable according to my age and gender. Then, statistical tables compared my performance to that of athletes of either gender and any age.
That set me thinking about this whole list of people who seem “younger.”
Genetics plays a part in the aging process, but people who devote time to fitness, who exercise curiosity about life, extend their “youth.” In fact, I observe that being a vigorous participant in the here-and-now, alert to new possibilities, trumps a gym rat’s body.
None of us looks like we did 10 years ago. Gazing into the mirror, my mom used to say, “Who’s that old lady looking back at me?” We join my mom in the aging process. Then we go on a run with friends, read a new book, take a class, hike or start a project. Looking our age (or not) is irrelevant.
My friend, the Polynesian dancer, just returned from a dance competition.
“How was it?” I asked.
“Oh, we didn’t win,” she answered.
“There’s next year,” I said.
“No more competitions, but I bought a ukulele,” she said, with a look of happy anticipation and a little anxiety. “First lesson’s tomorrow.”
Newport Beach resident CARRIE LUGER SLAYBACK is a retired teacher who ran the Los Angeles Marathon at age 70, winning first place in her age group. Her blog is lazyracer@blogspot.com.