Yeah, as you say, it is very easy to compare and say, well, last year, what 10 years ago

I could do this time in a race.

Now it is 5% slower.

What's the point?

But if instead you're looking for adventure, you're looking for new ways to test yourself.

And importantly, that you're thinking of us motivate us, enjoy running, become better runners, and maybe that translates into being better human beings. Today's another edition of our aging athlete series. We're going to talk with Ian Charmin and Chrissy Mayo about what can we do today to make sure we're running even stronger with more joy tomorrow. Hey Don, quick question. When's the last time you replaced those beaten up old tights? I think these babies have seen more miles than my car. Well good news. Our friendship, John G are making it easy right now to upgrade. John G's Black Friday sale runs November 17th through December 1st with up to 30% off. On jackets, shorts, tights, even the stuff I probably don't need but really want. And if're not a member yet You can join right on their site. It's free that includes favorites like the women's pay shorts Men half trail tight and trail ties for both women and men Perfect timing for winter training or Gifting your favorite trail partner and aunt and a bonus fornation listeners, get 10% off your order with the code trail runner. Check it all out at johng.com. Welcome to another edition of trail runner-nation. My name is Don Freeman. I'm Scott War. Welcome back to the aging athlete, our trail runner-nation mini-series co-hosted by ultra-running legend legend Chrissy male, whether you're in your 20s, 30s, 50s or even pushing into your 70s, this series is about embracing how our bodies and our minds evolve and how we can keep running strong through every stage of life. And let's be clear. and Don is always cautious about this. This series is not just about old people. It's about young people that are obviously getting old too. So the evolution of our age, it's for everyone who wants to run long, healthy, and happy throughout their life. Over the past six previous six episodes of the aging athlete, we've talked about training smarter, not harder, covering everything from adapting, training plans, optimizing hormones and navigating menopause to shifting recovery strategies to dialing in the fuel that supports performance and longevity. Now, in this seventh episode, we're joined by Coach Ian Sharman. He's an elite ultra runner, a high respected coach. And soon to be author, we're going to talk about that here in a minute. Ian has more than 20 years of racing experience with an incredible streak of marathon and ultra wins that now span two decades. Yes, 20 years, 62 wins, 29 course records. And he just happens to also be a coach. He's been doing that now for about 15 years at Charmin Ultra. Today we're going to dig into his perspective on sustaining your love for running, keeping adventure alive as you as the year stack up, and making the sport a lifelong pursuit that brings joy, meaning, and balance to your life. Ian, thanks for coming on and helping us with the aging athlete series. Always good to be back. I'm aging now, given I'm just 10.45. So questions and the things in this entire series, entire series are what I talked to people about the whole time and also for myself that I've been considering now for a few years. The whole clarifying on the aging athlete, it's not a certain age that we reach and therefore we are now aging. Like the reason this whole thing came to be was as an athlete through my as an ultra-runner in athlete as my 20s, 30s, 40s, looking down the barrel of 50s and that progression over the decades. That's where, and so for someone in their 20s listening, they can get wisdom of what can I do now that holds me through all these decades going forward. So yeah, we're kind of balancing this aging word as like, I think it's a great

thing and there's kind of pushback on it sometimes too.

I totally agree then and that's the point. When I first started, I didn't want to be in this and like, oh, how do I peak and then blow up and I can't run past that point? I think some people are willing to do that trade off. That certainly seemed to be the way runners would be in kind of like the eighties of you do as much mild as possible, you hammer it

and by the time you're 30 you're done because your body just can't keep doing it.

But uh... to be the way runners would be in kind of like the AT's of, you do as much mild as possible, you hammer it, and by the time you're 30 you're done because your body just can't keep

doing it. But I'm not a high mileage person. So it's something where it's been a gradual transition of changes, but you think ahead. And I think that's exactly what you're talking about there, Chris. You don't just keep doing the same thing and then it doesn't work and and you go, oh, my body works differently.

You try and adjust for it.

It's not the aged athlete, it's the aging athlete.

So, come. and then it doesn't work and you go, oh, my body works differently. You trying to just for it. It's not the aged athlete, it's the aging athlete. So kind of look at that word a little specific. Don, did you have something? No, I had something to say while back when Ian had said that he's 45 now, but he's just put down some serious time on a marathon. I remember reading that. Tell us about that, Ian, if you could, or maybe I'm way off.

Not a serious time.

I mean, in the last couple of years, I've been doing some downhill one. So it was, again, thinking ahead to the fact that I was a agent. I knew that there's only so much time, like you keep getting quicker. I'm pretty much at the limit of that now. So from this point, I will gradually slow down.

But I want to take advantage of this.

That's why I did more road running, marathons and things

like that.

Last year I did a 103 half marathon downhill, which is way quicker than I ever gone before. But just a week ago, just right after I turned 45, I got a road marathon that was at 242. So not too far off what I'd expect. We don't go, that's not focused on that completely. But the point being you can still do fast stuff, you can still push yourself, but it's just broadening your definition of what success is and what to aim for. And that's a big part of what I want to talk about today. Yeah, I'm gonna make one last comment before we dive in to this book and some of these topics. As I think about the scale of balance. And one side you have youth. On the other side you have wisdom and experience. And at some point there's a peak where those two intersect. You have to have enough youth and strength and power and it needs to intersect at the right time with enough experience and wisdom. And that wisdom goes a long ways. It can pull you through a lot of races,

not making mistakes that maybe a younger runner

that doesn't have the experience.

...