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The Mature Runner: And A New World Record For…Cyborgs?!

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By David Summerfield

While speaking with a fully documented “senior” BSWD runner (Greg Young, now in his 60’s) I was interested to hear his take on last month’s article. Sorry to get personal Greg … but you read it, and I listen. Greg and I (and others I’m sure) are seriously looking for ways to keep running well, and more than “well,” like being faster than all the other 60-year olds (or whatever age-category you’re in). And Greg divulged that even running well into his 100’s. He’d have a heck of a time breaking any records. In fact, it came out that his streak of strong marathons is perhaps coming to an end…I remember hearing something like “I think the Half Marathon is better for me now.” This explains his interest in any and all methods of running strong (…meaning fast and most probably stronger than he is now). I had mentioned that as the coming technological singularity occurs, the smarter-than-human computers will have figured out how to completely reverse the aging process. And this will include the taking of a wild cocktail of newly invented anti-aging chemicals/pills, as well as having one’s personal DNA sequenced – with the end result being sent a daily “read-out” which is received via smartphone, all thanks to having a monitoring chip in the brain sending constant signals to a lab somewhere. You’ll know what supplements you need to take when you get up the next day by just viewing the app. (How tedious! Isn’t there some software somewhere that can trigger the insertion of pills you need automatically while you sleep, for heaven’s sake!) This simple process will easily correct (or change/modify/eliminate) offending nucleotides or cells, which allow the body to age! An arresting thought! And this is not to just make bodies not age but to eliminate all disease, so the thought of running sub-three hour marathons would be common among us more mature athletes? Isn’t that what all Mature Runners desire? Hmmmm, wouldn’t rules have to be established to keep the playing field fair, or would world records become meaningless at this point?

On the news this week was a story of a 105-year old woman (Julia Hawkins) who broke the world record for the 100-meter dash in 62 seconds (105-110 year category). A retired schoolteacher from Baton Rouge, LA, she was quite upset that she didn’t break one minute.

So, I tried picturing myself running a 100-meter dash. Up here in the Beartooth Mountains, I can jog a 14-minute mile pace for a while (when I’m warmed up, “feeling good,” and on a paved road down in the valley) and that would be a 52.5 second 100-yard dash. Oh, and 105 years is only 30 years away…so keep it up David 🙂 And Greg, you have to not slow down to a 8:25:17 marathon when you’re 100 (Fauja Singh’s record) and at 90 years, you have to beat his 5:40:01. Just how strong is this desire to run faster times for all distances? Suddenly, the ‘ole brain is telling me would it really be THAT bad to have a “smarter-than-human” computer (and don’t call it a robot/AI, that’s too scary!) come up with what we all need? What if the best solution will be to interface one’s physical body with computer technology? I’m referring to having a computer hooked up to my body somehow … besides “just” having chips inserted here and there…so when something in the body triggers a signal at some Medical Terminal Lab which in turn arranges for various serums/chemicals to flow into the bloodstream while I’m sleeping… Wow – if the goal of running strong and well to break records is that important to us humans (and something tells me the human is absolutely capable of allowing this to happen) will we really go that far? Cyborg-land, here we come? Now, that IS scary!

Let me tell you about “scary”! While writing this I remembered a kind of nightmare I’ve had from years ago. It happened while watching Star Trek: First Contact movie 25 years ago. I had forgotten how deeply the character Borg had bored into my psyche. Most of you have watched this movie, but as a memory refresher, Borg uttered the following:

“We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile.” (quotes-gram.com/borg-quotes).

I can still hear the Borg’s voice. Chilling. Digging a little deeper, I found some very disturbing facts. Most of us are already cyborgs, by definition. Don’t believe me? This is NOT science fiction. A cyborg is a cybernetic organism, which is a being having both organic and biomechatronic body parts. Or, a person whose physiological functioning is aided by or dependent upon a mechanical or electronic device (Collins English Dictionary). Now that’s getting pretty close to exactly what’s happening more and more these days! I won’t name my friends who have already had artificial body parts put in! Furthermore – a cyborg is a human linked to a mechanical device for life support (Lexic.us). Yes, this happens every day – it happened to my brother! The Oxford Dictionary simply says “a fictional or hypothetical person whose physical abilities are extended beyond normal human limitations by mechanical elements built into the body”. That makes some articles seem not so far out. My constant use of an iPhone can make me a cyborg. Ingesting ibuprofen to thin my blood which reduces the pain during my physical exertions makes me….a cyborg? I don’t have any artificial limbs or body parts yet, but that’s perfectly normal these days. Wait – I got rid of cataracts by having new lenses put in my eyes. There you go – I’m definitely a cyborg. My physical ability to see was “enhanced” by inserting 2 little non-organic pieces of plastic into my body. Of course, the list goes on, and I doubt there are many (any?) people reading this who are not cyborgs in one way or another. So, we better get used to it, and we just need to refrain from ever saying “Resistance is futile, Earthling”. I really didn’t think this article would go this far when I started. That’s what I get from using a laptop and googling everything I want to know. And, after all, I haven’t agreed to have some high-tech company (see Elon Musk’s TechLink for example) install a port somewhere…like behind my head…so people don’t notice it too much…and once plugged in, it would simplify writing this article, right? Good grief ….

The Wind Drinker: December Club Announcements

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Although it may not feel like it, winter running is here! We had a great Thanksgiving morning at Huffing for Stuffing! Big Sky Wind Drinkers helped with this year’s Smoke the Turkey awards. The annual event and Bozeman tradition helps raise money for the Gallatin Valley Food Bank.

Upcoming Winter Fun Runs

Jingle Bell Jog

Saturday, Dec. 18 at 9 a.m.

This year we encourage runners to help us live up to the name of this fun run. Let’s make a cheery racket! Bring your bells: jingle bells, cow bells, school bells, hand bells, bicycle bells, service bells, crotal bells, chimes… anything that rings in good cheer! Let’s see how many smiles we can create out there!

The run will start and finish at the Gallatin Valley Land Trust patio on 212 South Wallace near Olive Street. Thanks, GVLT! The routes will predominantly follow nearby trails from there. Bathrooms will be available, if needed, for anyone willing to mask up. Feel free to bring cookies if you like but definitely bring a bell!

We need volunteers!

Volunteers are critical for us continuing winter fun runs. Our race directors are working hard to keep them going but would sometimes like to run themselves or have a helping hand with timing participants. Sign up here: https://winddrinkers.org/trailhead/fun_runs/volunteers/?sheet_id=40

New Year’s Resolution Run: a Fat Ass 50K

Saturday, Jan 1 at 9 a.m.

Out Fat Ass 50K is Jan. 1 at Headwaters State Park, just in time to kickstart those New Years Resolutions. Come by at 9 a.m. and do as many 5 K loops as you want!

Don’t want to run? We need volunteers!

We are in need of a route marker as well as a couple people from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to help pass out hot cocoa and tally incoming runners. Contact Kathryn at kathryn.hohmann@gmail.com to sign up for a shift!

What Happens If A Mature Runner Lives Forever?

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By David Summerfield

Let’s be honest here—how many of those who read this Mature Runner article (you loyal BSWD’ers) are out there running, walking, biking—doing whatever the body can handle, and all that just to live longer? I challenge everyone to be ruthlessly honest. We all know we are physically active because it makes us feel good…and we all love living an active lifestyle…but what part of that reasoning also includes that little nagging thought, “This will help me live as long as I can” or rather “I want to keep running as long as the ‘ole bod will allow it”?

Now that that’s settled, what if you found out modern science has suddenly come out with an anti-aging discovery that makes dying highly unlikely? (See my series of articles (Sept, Oct, Nov 2020) about Dr. David Sinclair and his Harvard Medical School research which predicts we’ll be living at least until 120 in good health). Living forever? How does that sound? And it only includes moderate exercise with plenty of rest and good food! (I suppose consuming such good foods as donuts and ice cream isn’t on the list…but who knows?). Something tells me this is more “just around the corner” than we think!

While doing some research on what’s called the technological singularity, I’ve opened up a real Pandora’s Box! Quantum scientists have been studying black holes (no, those aren’t chocolate donut holes) and how matter gets sucked up into them. (Many excuses to the real scientists in the running club, Rob Maher! I know I’m oversimplifying here…). Now these scientists think the vast majority of what constitutes the Universe is mostly made up of black holes. And in the process of this work, they have developed highly advanced computers, which I’ve learned is just another name for artificial intelligence, or let’s just say it—robots. And they are being programmed to be “smarter” than humans. This has opened up a whole new branch of science dealing with the singularity—the term for what happens to celestial objects (suns, galaxies, etc…like donuts) which gain infinite weight as their mass becomes infinitesimal, thus reaching what’s called the “event horizon.” Telescopes have watched this happen, and these objects just disappear into the black hole (along with my promise of fewer doughnuts).

Anyway, these supercomputers, while still being willing to help humanity solve its problems (instead of just getting rid of us), they are figuring out the whole aging process and how to reverse/stop it. One scientist who really stood out (Ray Kurzweil) has come up with the year 2045 as the year humanity will be at its own “event horizon.” This implies the technology will have accelerated so much, we will have reached the land of “no more dying.” I even found a more recent estimate of our singularity as being between 2027 and 2029. They are serious enough to advise financial planners to change their calculations on their clients’ longevity. This means to make sure cash is available for living way past 100 – and in good health. And something tells me it will include cutting back on extreme endurance sports, extreme eating, but who knows?

Even more chilling is the possibility that this technology has already been developed, but is being kept from the general public since it would completely upend civilization as we know it. There are well-thought-out articles on solving the problem of over-populating the world if no one ever dies, and they are convincing—to me, at least. I know when I spent those three months trying to explain Dr. Sinclair’s work in the Wind Drinker, I was fairly light-hearted about it all. But now I see this is much more serious stuff. Ray Kurzweil’s articles and books are so darn convincing. He’s not a “mad scientist”, which you’ll see if you look up his credentials. He has been called the modern Thomas Edison—inventing all sorts of advanced tech stuff. So, it’s natural for him to encourage the general public to approve the joining of AI (artificial intelligence) with the human…which means infusing our bodies with chips and whatnot so we can interface seamlessly with our computers or with ICC (Intelligence Central Command – I made that up, I hope). I’m still trying to keep a straight face while typing this article out. And I keep assuming in my rational brain that all this will never happen….until I read that a robot named Sophia had just been made a citizen of Saudi Arabia!

How does that grab you? I watched her interview, which was straight out of a scifi movie. So, this is happening now 🙂 Where do we go from here? All I can come up with is to follow the science and be informed. I’m still trying to eat good food, exercise as usual, be happy and not stressed, sleep well, and yes, eat the donuts I come across.

Confession: Stacy and I have been on a 2-week trip to New Mexico, and in a little out-of-the-way grocery store we found a box of mini cinnamon donuts, $4.99. Boy did I snatch that up quickly! But then while the box dwindled away, I felt bad about not eating “good food” and left the remaining 3. Today, I found the box with 3 rock-hard mini-donuts in it. Could I throw them away? NO WAY. I nearly broke a tooth trying to bite into them, but with a little help of a cup of coffee, I got them down. Donuts rule – if it kills me 🙂

The lowdown on Winter Fun Runs

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Hankering for those winter runs where you can’t feel your fingers or your toes? Well, we’ve got ’em comin’ at ya! (How’s that for a sales pitch?)

Our Wind Drinker winter fun runs kick off Nov. 6 with the Bon Appetite Run. We meet at the old Sports & Courts location (Elks Club parking lot—behind Heebs Grocery), run a little (wherever you want!), and then go out to breakfast to socialize and eat—breakfast location determined by group consensus when we meet that morning!

On Nov. 20, we’ll have our annual Jim Banks Turkey Trot, starting from the Foothills Fellowship church in Spirit Hills. This is a no-watch, predict-your-time run. We give away turkeys to the runner in each distance who finishes closest to his/her predicted time—and a few more via random draw! Come on out, have some fun, and maybe win a bird!

Our Jingle Bell Jog is on Dec. 18, and will be held on the Gallagator Trail system, departing from the vicinity of the Bozeman Library (specific location to be published soon). This is a festive run, with a fun holiday cookie exchange afterward!

We kick off 2022 with our Resolution Run. This low-key event is held in traditional “Fat Ass” style—no t-shirts, no timing, no support (well, we might brew up some warm soup, if it’s really cold!). Come out to Headwaters State Park, and run as many laps of our 5K course as you like—up to the full 50K, if you want! (NOTE:  We have a tentative date of Jan. 1 for this run, but there may be a conflict at Headwaters that day, so it may get moved to Jan. 8).

Feb. 5 and March 5, 2022, will be the dates of our Froze Nose and Handicap Runs, respectively. These runs are done on the same course, with the objective of seeing who can improve their time from February to March. From your February time, we’ll calculate a handicap time for you, that will determine what time you will start the March run; the fastest runners will start last, so everyone should finish at about the same time—should lead to some exciting sprint finishes! We are looking for new courses for these runs (last year’s runs at Glen Lake didn’t work out the best), so stay tuned for location information to be posted at a later date!

We’ll finish up our winter season on April 16 with our Back From The M runs, using the M and Drinking Horse trails, and the Bozeman-to-the-M trail to Story Mill Park.

All of our winter fun runs start at 9 a.m. (start times for the Handicap Run will be calculated and published after the Froze Nose, but the earliest start time will not be earlier than 9:00). We intend to run these events cup-free, so please bring your own water bottle to the runs!

We are still ironing out some of the details for these events, so check out the event listings on our website (https://winddrinkers.org/events/) about a week before each run, for the most up-to-date event information!

Setting the standard for participation – Introducing Leonard Baluski

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By Gary Hellenga

In my time as a Wind Drinker, I’ve come to recognize those who I consider “core” members – regular attendees at our Fun Runs and races. Some I see at pretty much every summer fun run I attend, others might be “missing” a couple of weeks (“where’s [insert name here] tonight?”), until I’m told they are on a family trip or out of town for a race. And then, there’s Leonard …

Those who’ve attended one of our weekly Fun Runs have probably noticed Leonard Baluski there, because … well, he’s always there! Leonard sets the standard for participation in our Fun Runs and I’m sure he has at least one of every type of BSWD swag we’ve ever offered over the years as Participation Awards.

 

Longtime members of the club may remember Tim Dumas. He was a great runner, he was also a talented sports reporter for the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Back in 2008, Tim profiled Leonard and his numerous running streaks – at the time, he’d run 21 straight Governor’s Cup 5Ks, and the same number of consecutive Sweet Pea races. He’d done Bloomsday 18 times in a row, and he’d also done 188 straight Wind Drinker Fun Runs! Tim’s article is still available to read here. (I hope it’s not behind a paywall for those who don’t subscribe).

 

In a summer where I myself was a most inconsistent Fun Run runner, I managed to make it out to our Sept. 15 Fun Run at Kirk Hill. It was a most unusual run (but an excellent set of courses, masterminded by our VP Neal Rainey!) it was super smoky, though it started with “Good” air quality, It got dark early, and a number of runners finished by headlamp. It was also pretty lightly attended (maybe for the aforementioned reasons). But Leonard was there. In fact, this run marked the 500th straight Fun Run that Leonard has attended! In honor of the occasion, a group of our members, led by Andrea Abrahamson, organized a small celebration of Leonard’s accomplishment, including a cake that was gladly consumed by the attendees at the end of the runs!

 

I’ve been running a long time – now 60, I started as a high school sophomore, so I’ve been doing it for more than 45 years. But though I’ve actually been running longer than Leonard has, I can’t come anywhere close to matching ANY of his running streaks – not even on the races that are only held annually!  I wish Leonard the best, and hope he continues to extend these streaks for many years yet to come.

The BSWD Annual Meeting!

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On Tuesday, Sept. 28, we held our annual Big Sky Wind Drinkers meeting, split off from our normal fun run and potluck event. President Gary Hellenga went over current club finances, board positions and a recap of this summer’s fun runs and races.

Fun Runs & Participation Awards

We had 158 different runners who participated in this summer’s Fun Runs! Although our volunteer participation was a bit low (check out our website to get involved) 13 Wind Drinkers qualified for our participation award—coveted Wind Drinker socks.

This year’s participation awards went to: Leonard Baluski, Rob Maher, Gail Cary, Robbie Lamb, Jean MacInnes, Kristin Harbuck, Andrea Abrahamson, Teresa Galli, Kay Newman, Tycho Ohler, Otto Ohler, Menno Ohler and Zolani Khumalo.

So far, this winter, we are planning to hold all the favorites: Jim Banks Turkey Trot, Jingle Bell Jog, Resolution Run, Froze Nose, Handicap Run and Back from the ‘M.’ Plus the Earth Day run in April. Stay tuned for exact dates.

Summer Races

We were able to hold all races as scheduled! This year’s races looked very different from last year’s (check out that comparison slide). Runners eagerly flocked to their favorites, including the Old Gabe, Bridger Ridge Run and John Colter. We were happy to host these runs once again and see everyone come out and participate.

New Officers

President—Frank Dougher & Toby Holleman

Vice Presidents—Robbie Lamb, Neal Rainey, Kathryn Hohmann, Danielle Skjelver, Katy Ross, Gary Hellenga and Angie Kociolek.

Secretary—Mira Brody

Treasurer—Jacki McGuire and Tracy Dougher

Membership Chair—Merel Ohler

Announcements

Since Toby is stepping into a co-president role, we will be looking for a new Equipment Manager! Be sure to contact us if you are interested.

Mark your calendars—our next board meeting is Oct. 18.

The Mature Runner – No, Not Another Singh!

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By David Summerfield

It might seem I’m obsessed with really “old” people doing amazing running exploits. Well, I AM, and I figured out why. You see, I’m NOT in the “really old” people category … yet, and the farther that milestone is from my age (okay, it’s the “over 100 years old” category I’m talking about) the longer I have to really get in shape and finally get into the World’s Whatever Category and be recognized by the Guinness people. There. That was pretty easy to admit, so now we can move on.

It seems the Singh family name is destined for greatness – in record books, in various outlandish athletic accomplishments. And before I go any further, I found out a 5-year-old boy (Budhia Singh) ran from Puri to Bhobaneswar, a mere 65 km (40 miles) in seven hours, two minutes. He became an overnight sensation, and spawned a movie about him (Born To Run). That year (2006) he ran 48 marathons, and then the authorities stepped in and enrolled him in a school and have kept him from competing. It’s quite a story. His father died when he was two, his mother sold him to a traveling salesman…who did not treat him well, so his mom asked a local Judo coach and owner of an orphanage to buy him back – and this man started training him right away. Having done something wrong, the little boy was punished by having to run…which he did nonstop for over five hours. Of course the coach realized his skills, and the story got very involved!

Okay, on to the next Singh:

Gharam Pal Singh Gudha. By now he must be around 124 years old, and lives in Gudha, India. The websites I’ve visited make him out to be devoid of ego, extremely poor and loves to run. He cannot provide a birth certificate – they weren’t being made when he was born, he didn’t go to school and other credible documents were of no interest to him as he grew up. His family was farmers, basically living off the land. He naturally became a farmer as well, mostly taking care of cows. One website said this:

“Gudha claims to have been born on 6 October 1897, comes from the village of Gudha in Meerut, and is a farmer by profession. He claims to have been running since he was a teenager.”

“When I was young, I used to run from my village to the neighboring village, which was about 600 to 700 meters away. I would run several laps. I did not know how to run then, the technique of it, but I did it on instinct,’ he says. He gets up at 4 a.m. and runs four kilometers daily. He takes part in Inter-State level races for Veterans in the 100, 200- and 400-meter categories. To date, Gudha has taken part in more than three dozen races in different parts of the country.”

“Gudha has lost count of the number of marathons that he has run. However, he recollects running at marathons in Allahabad, Nainital, Uttarakhand and Chandigarh, and claims to have run in 50 others. He states that he ran his first marathon in 1970.”

“In 2017, National Geographic did a special episode in their Explorer series investigating his life and success as a runner in such an advanced age.”

“When asked about his continued fitness, he says it is all about having a controlled diet. He has led a strict healthy lifestyle since childhood and gives credit to his balanced diet of self-prepared chutney along with mineral water and lemon juice for his longevity. ‘I eat a strict and balanced diet and have no illness. I stopped eating ghee and other fatty items almost 40 years ago, neither do I drink or smoke,’ he said. He has been a strict vegetarian since birth.”

An American film director, David Freid, has made a documentary on DharamPal Singh Gujja, The Never-Ending Marathon of Mr. Dharam Singh, in 2017. He traveled to India and Nepal to interview Singh. He mentions that Singh’s supporters include some who have been medically treating the runner for quite some time with homeopathic remedies, some of which are spiritual. In the interview Singh said he practices yoga and meditation, and that his diet consists of “a concoction that I make from leaves from various plants and trees.” He goes on to say he forages in order to make a vegetarian chutney”, and “he believes his healthy lifestyle enables him to continue his international athletic exploits.” He further says “I am running to bring pride to India…I run in the streets of the village and the kids run along with me. As long as I’m alive, I will keep running. I’ll run until I die.”

I have to admit that my sources seem to use different names for him, from Dharam to Gharam, or Gujja to Gudha. Anyway, I believe this is all the same person. My take on the Indian runner? I like him a lot. I watched a film of him removing his usual white cotton tunic with a long scarf, and donning a Nike type synthetic top. You know he always runs in sweltering heat! He has remained as a cow-herder in his village, and doesn’t seem to be doing this to work his way out of the Indian “slums” (as they are always referred to).

He does accept donations which allow him to travel to competitions, but since he can’t produce a valid birth certificate, he remains “under the radar” by the media. Frankly, I can sense a hint of disbelief that someone in such normal shape, unaffected by the usual disabilities associated with people over 100, that it must be a mistake, and he’s lying. I want to believe that what he’s doing is totally possible. However, it looks like there’s a price to pay here … hmmm … lemon water, chutney and leaves. Where are you on food, oh you Mature Runner you? My biggest concession lately was using whole-wheat pasta last night. Whoopdeedoo! Oh, and whole-wheat toast to hold my peanut butter and honey. And I’ve stopped putting salt and sugar in my oatmeal. But the quantity of food is astounding by comparison.

Oh, and I’ve moved out of Bozeman to lead a more simple life, does that count? It’s not that I’m trying to see how long I can live, but I want the body that can keep going down the road by my own power. And, I really don’t want to live on a farm in India. Overlooking the Beartooth Mountains is just fine for me 🙂

The Mature Runner – Does the mature runner have a future?

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By David Summerfield

Realistically, what DOES a mature runner have to look forward to? That’s a subject I’ve been avoiding for many decades. I keep reading about those runners who are much more my senior (in their 80’s, 90’s, and 100’s) who keep doing amazing things. It’s encouraging, but also daunting. How the heck will I ever be able to do those things 20-30 years from now, since I can’t even do them now?

In writing this September 2021 newsletter article, I really didn’t have a whole lot of inspiration to keep training to be a good “Mature Runner”. Every breakthrough “run” has always been followed by long periods of recovery, which is discouraging. Is this what I’m looking forward to every day from now on? Then I remembered this amazing Indian runner named Fauja Singh. This article should settle all doubts about what lies ahead – a life of constant inspiration for others, as Fauja has done for me. Read on in his own words:

“I was born in a village in Punjab in India in 1911. My memories are of a simple life without the stresses that people all over the world seem to have nowadays. I came from a farming family, and we learned to live within our means after working hard and honestly. We remembered God and were thankful to him. We shared with others less fortunate than ourselves. This is in keeping with the three tenets of my Sikh religion. I had a happy childhood and I was nurtured because I was weak. I couldn’t walk until l was five. I wanted to be sporty, but until then, I lacked the strength. But I enjoyed watching all the simple sporting activities that were prevalent in the rural environment at the time. And I remember the joy all around me when I became strong enough to be able to walk.

My last race was the Hong Kong 10km in 2013 when I was 101

As I never went to school, I farmed all of my working life. It was always handy to be able to run after straying cattle, but that was about as exciting as it got.

I didn’t really run competitively until I arrived in England 20 years ago.

Since then I have been looked after by one of my two remaining sons – this is the Asian culture where the parents are looked after by their children. I don’t speak English and not being able to communicate with those whom you meet does pose problems, but a smile always helps. I am usually accompanied, but over time I have become familiar with the routes and places I visit regularly. It must be equally frustrating for those who want to communicate with me. One thing is for sure: shouting or saying things slowly does not make it easier – this is what I observed from tourists visiting other countries! Being illiterate and monolingual does have its advantages – I am not aware of any abuse that may be directed at me. Anyone who is different sadly suffers this in the modern world.

When I attempted to run a marathon for the first time at 89, the reactions were mixed. Some were excited to see if I could do it and wished me well, others doubted I could do it. Those who have been constant in supporting me were my coach, Harmander; my running club, Sikhs in the City; and my family.

Training was easy: I just followed the instructions of my coach without question. If it was a training run, he never let me be exhausted as he said it is good to train but not so good to strain. When it came to the race, I was simply awestruck by the support from the crowds along the route. My coach always ran alongside me and held me back from exerting myself too much in the early stages of the race. He then encouraged me to keep going later on in the race, when the going got tough. I also then started talking to God to help me get through to the finish.

I don’t think I ran competitively in the true sense – it was simply a case of me finishing a distance as fast as I could. My records seem to be simply a by-product of my age. Records are meant to be broken and I wish the person who breaks my records all the best. If running a marathon at my age has inspired others to not give up then I am pleased to have had a positive impact on society. My last race was the Hong Kong 10km in 2013 when I was 101. Currently, I am not able to run as I have a hernia, but I remember fondly the feeling of freedom when I used to run not so long ago. I am just pleased that I am still mobile and independent. I still walk about five miles each day. Freedom for me is being independently mobile, and retaining a sound mind and a positive outlook. The rest is up to God.”

Fauja Singh has been awarded the British Empire Medal. He is thought to be the oldest person to complete a marathon, but as India did not issue birth certificates in 1911, the record is deemed unofficial. This interview was translated by Harmander Singh.

And here is more information and statistics Mature Runners thrive on:

“Fauja Singh was born in Beas Pind, Jalandhar, Punjab, British India on 1 April 1911, the youngest of four children. Singh did not walk until he was five years old. His legs were thin and weak, and he could hardly walk long distances. Because of this, he was often teased, and he was called by the nickname “danda” (Punjabi: ਡੰ ਡਾ for “stick”) for the next ten years. As a young man, Singh was an avid amateur runner, but he gave it up at the time of the Partition of India.

It was only after witnessing the death of his fifth son, Kuldip, in a construction accident in August 1994, that Singh returned to his passion for running, in 1995. The death of his wife in 1992, and his eldest daughter who had died from complications after giving birth to his third granddaughter, gave him the determination for this new focus in life. He emigrated to England in the 1990s and lives with one of his sons in Ilford.

At 89 years, he took seriously to running and ended up in international marathon events. When he first turned up for training at Redbridge, Essex, he was dressed in a three-piece suit. The coach had to rework everything, including his attire. Singh ran his first race, the London Marathon, in 2000. According to his coach, he used to run up to 20 kilometers easily and wanted to run a marathon, thinking it to be just 26 kilometers and not 26 miles (42 kilometers). It was after he realized this that he began training seriously.

At the age of 93, Singh completed a marathon in 6 hours and 54 minutes. This knocked 58 minutes off the previous world best for anyone in the 90-plus age bracket. In 2004, he was featured in an advertising campaign for sportswear manufacturer Adidas alongside David Beckham and Muhammad Ali. Singh holds UK records for the 200 m, 400 m, 800 m, mile and 3000 m for his age group, records all set within a single 94-minute period.

At the age of 100, Singh attempted and accomplished eight world age group records in one day, at the special Ontario Masters Association Fauja Singh Invitational Meet, held at Birchmount Stadium in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Timed by officials in Canada, he ran the 100 meters in 23.14, 200 meters in 52.23, the 400 meters in 2:13.48, the 800 meters in 5:32.18, the 1500 meters in 11:27.81, the mile in 11:53.45, the 3000 meters in 24:52.47, and the 5000 meters in 49:57.39, setting five world records for his age group in one day. Some events had no previous record holder, as nobody over age 100 had ever attempted the distance. Some of his marks are significantly superior to the listed world record in the M95 age group as well.

Three days later, on 16 October 2011, Singh became the first 100-year-old to finish a marathon, completing the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 8:11:06. As it took him over 14 minutes after the gun to cross the starting line, the official time submitted for the age group record will be 8:25:17.

However, Guinness World Records refused to include Singh in its record book because he could not produce his birth certificate to prove his age. Birth records were not kept in India in 1911. He was however able to produce a passport listing his date of birth as 1 April 1911, and a letter from Queen Elizabeth II congratulating him on his 100th birthday.

In October 2011, Singh, a vegetarian, became the oldest man to be featured in a PETA campaign. In July 2012, Singh carried the Olympic torch. Singh had stated that he would retire from competitive running after taking part in the Hong Kong marathon on 24 February 2013, five weeks shy of his 102nd birthday. He completed the 10 kilometre run at the Hong Kong marathon in 1 hour 32 minutes and 28 seconds, and said that he intends to continue running for pleasure, health and charity.

Singh was awarded the British Empire Medal in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to sport and charity. Singh is 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) tall and weighs 52 kg (115 lb). He attributes his physical fitness and longevity to abstaining from smoking and alcohol and to following a simple vegetarian diet. He has been quoted as saying “I am very careful about different foods. My diet is simple phulka, dal, green vegetables, yogurt and milk. I do not touch parathas, pakoras, rice or any other fried food. I take lots of water and tea with ginger. … I go to bed early taking the name of my Rabba (God) as I don’t want all those negative thoughts crossing my mind.”

Speaking about the marathon, he said: “The first 20 miles are not difficult. As for last six miles, I run while talking to God.”

Running Career

● Marathons run: London (6), Toronto (2), New York (1) 


● Marathon debut: London, 2000, aged 89 


● London Flora Marathon 2000: 6:54 


● London Flora Marathon 2001: 6:54 


● London Flora Marathon 2002: 6:45 


● Bupa Great North Run (Half Marathon) 2002: 2:39 


● London Flora Marathon 2003: 6:02 


● Toronto Waterfront Marathon 2003: 5:40 


● New York City Marathon 2003: 7:35

● London Flora Marathon 2004: 6:07

● Glasgow City Half Marathon 2004: 2:33

● Capital Radio Help a London Child 10,000 m 2004: 1:08

● Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon 2004: 2:29:59

● Toronto Waterfront Marathon 2011: 8:11:0

● London Marathon 2012 : 7:49:21

● Hong Kong Marathon (10 km) 2012: 1:34 (raised $25,800 for charity)

● parkrun uk 2012 – Age graded record holder: 179.04% with a time of 38:33

● Hong Kong Marathon (10 km) 2013: 1:32:28

Bridger Ridge Run 2021 – Perspectives

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It was a hot one this year for the Bridger Ridge Run 2021, but after a quiet last year with canceled races due to the pandemic, runners were eager to return to their favorite, local course. Perspectives are by first-place winner David Ayala and Ridge Run veteran, Darryl Baker.

By David Ayala

The start area is a warm scene, for every sense: smiles and nerves on people of many shapes and sizes.  Megan and I chat about dreaming.  Shane consolidates our intentions with some well-chosen words and prayer, which I summarize as “May we celebrate our vitality, as individuals and as a people”.

I hadn’t scrutinized the participant list, making it thrilling and unnerving to see the eager faces line up in this final minute before go-time — fist-bumps and nods in mutual camaraderie.  I’m invigorated by Tim’s pure enthusiasm.

I turn a sharp corner of the first switchback in that open bowl toward Sac with two others on my heels: Dylan and Jason.  My peripheral glance toward the forest reveals no other racers in sight — we’re already several minutes in the lead.

Just before the saddle North of Sac, Dylan blasts past me.  By looks, Dylan is a younger fellow.  Noting his bouncy stride, I tell myself I’ll pass him again sooner or later, and earnestly try to believe this in effort to remain calm.  Oop, now Jason is blasting by in chase of Dylan — he looks strong and ready for this event.  The Baldy Blitz with Jason affords me some delicate confidence that I can catch him on descents.  But, gosh, Jason is proficient with focus and compartmentalization of will, from years of competitive running and biking.  So, while this experience retains its welcome uncertainty, the race clarifies: it will come down to Jason and I descending from Baldy.

Two goats calmly, unblinkingly, watch me jostle from some 3 meters away.  I consider telling them to run for their lives and enjoy these closing days of their species, but wonder if they’re hoping to get something out of this event as well.  The sunrise from Sac, with the entire route in sight — Ross’ sheen — is superb as always.  I will eclipse the horizon drawn closer by smoke, we all will.  The scene is so warm, both in the familial sense and in temperature.

On the South ridge of Naya Nuki, I pass Dylan with flailing finality, and give my regards to sweeps Ana and Tommy.  I pass Jason shortly after gaining the foothills trail — he graciously steps aside for the exchange.  Jason passes me in the climb leading to Ross Pass — I step aside.  I’m already feeling an onset of cramps; my `training’ for this BRR has been just lots and lots of time-on-feet, hardly as regulated and explosive as previous seasons.  I hope Jason interprets my sluggish ascents as strategic.  I figure 5 minutes is the largest margin I could close on Jason in the descent from Baldy, so I commit to keeping him within 4.

I pass Darryl and his perpetual aura of kindness just after Ross Pass.

Tenuously cramping legs tool me uphill for a while.

At Bridger, Nikki says “You know the downhills” in a hushed voice.

I measure I’m 4:20 behind Jason on the ridge North of Saddle.

I commence my usual plan to run everything from that ridge on, and so implement my cramp-avoiding jostle which I’m becoming embarrassingly proficient at.

Peder and Mike cheer me on from Saddle; their faces betray that something’s wrong with me.

Kristina stands brightly on some rocks just North of Baldy.  Be it true or not, she reports “Jason looked hot and tired.  You’re 4 minutes back.  Nobody is behind you.” — an expertly communicated anchor for will, though my insecurities mine concern in her voice.

Sam greets me on Baldy across from a petroleum palm tree.  In an outfit of flamboyance, Nick reports “4 minutes back” as he pours water into my handheld.  Brenden tries to guilt me into tasting some Bozone brew he and crew painstakingly hauled up in a pony keg.  I hear him chasing me “C’mon Dave!  Gotta have some!”  I’d be embarrassed if he catches me, so I pick up my pace.  As expected, I feel a heel blister, the blister grow, the blister pop, heel-juice soak my sock, heel-skin tear off my foot, then heel-skin crumple into its resting place like a bunched up sock in my shoe.  I measure I’m 1:10 behind Jason by the base of the scree field South of Baldy.

Now on flatter terrain, my legs cramp: I walk, then stumble, then am forced to lay down locked in cramp.  That descent was reckless for my condition. I chew a salt pill, and rise using contortions and maneuvers more familiar in Class 5 terrain, manually bending my legs. As I pass Justin, then Rachel, I rearrange my grimace into a passable smile. Cresting the Knob, I engage a dangerous pace — a dynamic trip, really. Jurro, at Half-Way, reports “3 minutes behind the leader.”  Just beyond Yoga Point, I see a flash of Jason; little below the now-burnt TeePee, I catch him. He graciously steps aside; I mutter “nobody behind us”.  I elect to hold my excruciating pace: my other heel comes off.

I cross the finish line to interested faces, and collapse with urgency in shade to remove my shoes.  Denise arranges an ice bucket for my demolished feet; physical therapist Dan relieves my cramps; Dylan fills my handheld.

Jason is placed on a bed while Anne and other medical folk buzz around him.  He demonstrates a limpness that I start to aspire to; I cherish the race-element afforded by Jason’s performance. Eventually, he comes to, and we make some nice conversation about the morning with the accumulating mass of half-familiar people.  The after-party hovers in the grass, mowed by Boz earlier in the week, under the shade of those great trees.  Emmiliese, in wedding white, and her friends, finish looking remarkably fresh as they celebrate her Bachelorette party.  I’m moved by the industrious and supportive human activity around me: the volunteers fulfilling each participant’s personal little journey, the participants each undergoing their own private acute experience, friends and family generating so much spirit and interest, access to this land and the profound consumption of resources, etcetera

 

By Darryl Baker

After we had a couple of requests this year for early starts for fear of smoke and heat, and being out there all day we decided to open up “The Heat Wave.”  One of the requirements was that you had to be in the 7 hour category.  We had 14 people sign up and then 2 dropped, including Pat Calis, who is now 83.  But he did tell me he’ll be ready for next year.  The wave started at 6 am so we missed the crowded start, but cashed in on a fantastic red Sacajawea sunrise and over an hour of cool running.

I more or less ran with Art Sanborg, the oldest in the Ridge Run this year (by a couple of months) to Ross Pass.  It was like doing a training run with no one else around till we got to Ross Pass.  I managed to come into Ross first and it was really awesome coming across the meadow alone.  Like doing a low key training run.  That by itself was worth it all, and maybe the best moment in my 16 times of doing this. I had written an Excell Spreadsheet to see when and where David would pass me.  You know “One train leaves the station at 6:00 pm going….The other train leaves..”  I had it calculated he would pass me at Ross and sure enough he flew by about 100 feet south of the Aid Station.”  At that point he was only a few minutes behind the lead runner.

I climbed “The Wall” out of Ross and I have to say I’ve always liked that bad boy. I never saw Art again and I felt great going through Bridger and over Saddle.  In fact I got to Bridger in 3 1/2 hours which for me is a pretty good time.  Since I can always do the second half faster I thought I would be under 7 hours.  But once I got over Saddle the heat set in and I had to slow it down. I had a guy bring up some ice at Bridger for my ice bandanna and that really helped.  I had ice on my neck to Baldy, where I got a refill there.  We flew a bunch of ice to the private land corner on the ridge just below Baldy and had it packed up.  There was ice and ice bandannas for everyone, which really helped when it got hot.

It was a pretty slow go from Baldy down.  No dangerous pace for me. In fact I sat down for a minute at the new (the old one burned out) 1/2 Way Baldy station where another guy was laying down and really out. But we have a doctor there and she was working on him. They had packed Otter Pops up and Don Rodgers slipped me a couple extra as I was leaving.  Those things are amazing.  I finished just over 7 hours, second in my age group, soaked my feet in the cold trough and then really didn’t feel too bad.  But then I had to pick up the finish line, so by the time I was done with that I was beat.  Glad to see what David wrote and now I have even more respect for him because he helped pick up the finish as well.  And he didn’t even have feet.