DNF-Old
When not running is the best decision you can make
One of the interesting things about aging is that it comes on slowly over a long period of time, gradually claiming muscle fiber and joint flexibility with each passing year. Little things we used to take for granted, like reaching for a box of cereal on the top shelf, induce curious groans and strains that linger ominously in the background of our everyday lives.
It’s hard to pinpoint when we realize we’re not just getting old, we’re actually old-old, but it’s important to recognize the significance of the moment if we want to remain active. Ignoring it, and continuing on as if nothing has changed, is simply not a sustainable option.
When confronted with our athletic mortality, we do have several useful alternatives at our disposal. Among them: strength training focused on core and mobility work, a renewed interest and dedication toward nutrition, along with reframing rest and recovery days as necessary measures rather than annoying inconveniences.
Perhaps the biggest tool in our aging gracefully kit involves developing a keen understanding of the difference between pain and soreness. This is a difficult concept for most people to wrap their heads around, but it’s especially challenging for runners who have spent years training themselves to manage physical discomfort.
We take pride in our resilience and comfort ourselves with the knowledge that we’re out here doing something that many of our peers think is just too hard. Maybe for them! For us, aches and strains are all part of the package, and we wear them like merit badges.
While there’s something to be said for working through difficult moments in training, not enough is made of cultivating the wisdom and discipline to know when it’s time to stop and save yourself for another day. There is no shame in cutting off a run when you feel physically compromised, especially if it allows you to continue training without incurring a serious injury that puts you on the disabled list for weeks, if not months.
So, how do you know when it’s time to back off and save your body for another day? As fate would have it, I experienced that very scenario during a recent outing. My plan was to run 10 miles, but as we’ll see, I made it halfway to my goal before making the difficult decision to take a DNF-Old in the box score.
Let’s set the scene just as dawn was breaking.
