Benton: Trail runner

Run, run, run...

Dashing ancestors

Some schools of thought contend that it was actually running that propelled the human race forward.  Once upright, arms freed for other tasks, legs could come into their own.

Whether chasing a woolly mastodon for food, or scampering away from an annoyed mastodon whose sleep had been interrupted by an errant spear, running became helpful. 

What’s more, humans could cover, use, and claim far vaster tracts of territory by running than by strolling.

Fast forward 10,000 years and baby boomers are doing to running what they already had done to college, first jobs, and starter marriages - they are exploding it, transforming what had previously been sedate 'track & field' events into spectacles that lured thousands of participants to Boston, New York, Los Angeles, and the rest.  Not to mention those scores of 5- and 10-k races hosted by villages, towns, and cities world-wide.

(Remember the numbers we pinned onto our shirts?  A run (ha) on safety pins, to boot.)

Benton

Run, run, run.  That's what Benton has done most of his life.

A 64-year-old executive who manages a big data analytics business, Benton is a globe-trotter, spending as much as six months on the road.

“My whole life has been active, primarily running due to my personality.  No organized sports or track.  In the military, I ran, participated in fitness, triathlons, swimming.”

Eventually, however, his knees declared “Not so fast…we need a rest.”

So, Benton turned to bicycling.  As with running, he was all in, and subsequently became very successful.

“Bike racing taken up in Hawaii in 1992 through 2007,” he recalled recently. “I achieved elite amateur category two [here is an overview of cycling rider categories].” 

Competition was vital.  “I spent 750 hours a year just racing.  It was a way to push myself.  Being in that dynamic was fun.

“My first bike was a Cannondale(R) and I loved it. After that, I never bought a bike since sponsors gave me a new one every year and paid for all my stuff...Benefits to being good at a sport that generally fade with age.”

As far as training is concerned, the analytical Benton explains that “I’m a planner and thinker and there’s a methodical process of building yourself.  Plan to peak for a race, and aim for ten a year.”

That’s ten races totaling between 80-120 miles each, so just the racing part piles on the miles.

Continuing to describe his training philosophy, Benton adds, “There’s a lot of training periodicity.  Gradual slow miles with three month winter cycle, then increase intensity in six to eight week cycles plus one rest week.  I really studied training [required for each particular race] and would pick races with a certain amount of climbing.”

Return to running

But after several years of this, Benton decided to circle back to running, and explains why:

“I hung up my [bicycle] wheels because biking was always about competition, never about just riding around.”

(He actually doesn’t have any bikes anymore.)

In 2010, he continues, “I got into trail running, seeing a lot of the countryside.  Went crazy during COVID and ran almost 120 miles of trail in the Oregon Diamond Peak and Eagle Cap wildernesses. 

“I run wherever I am – Oregon three months of the year, Georgia three months of the year, rest of time traveling.  Sahara Desert running – can run a couple of hours without water, but did become dehydrated in a US run of only eight to ten miles in 100+ degree weather.

“…Have run in Hyde Park in London, on beaches, parks, trails.”

But the private pursuit of dashing through primitive areas is the key to his satisfaction.  Benton describes it as a “…very immersive experience of being in nature.  You almost become an animal running through the woods.

“I discovered I like being solitary and my connection to nature re-emerged.”

Trail running energizes him “mentally as much as physically.  Being in nature is super relaxing.  I can realign priorities."

Despite the rewards of solitary footwork, Benton also sometimes brings others into the activity. Last year, for instance, he and his kids ran 18 miles in Bryce Canyon National Park.  “It was a shared family experience,” he notes.

Competitive bike racing was then, and introspective trail running is now. He has discovered that “I am surprised that I don’t have an intense desire to compete.” 

There’s still an inkling of competition in the man, of course, at least in the sense of competing with himself.

“I am interested in doing a long course event with support.  You push yourself harder in such an event due to support.  I’m drawn to covering more distance and time doesn’t matter.  Sometimes you have to walk to cover ground.  It’s all about covering ground.”

Besides participating in long course events, Benton also has a goal of trying fast packing, which he describes as “backpacking plus trail running in which participants carry light packs and cover 30 to 40 miles a day.” 

He notes that the Appalachian trail is just one hour from his Georgia home and that he could take two to three days off work to cover several sections.

Bumps

There have been a few bumps along the way.

“Injuries are always low points,” states Benton.  “But injury is part and parcel of playing a sport.  I have learned to view injuries as mandatory vacations.  With age comes wisdom.”

Normally, he runs four times a week, at varying distances.  But these days, he is managing some achilles injuries. 

“I’m thinking now of [running again] next summer.  Finally went to a physician and he said the best therapy is a massive amount of stretching.  Seems to slowly be helping.”

Most of Benton’s equipment is what might be expected of a serious runner:

·         Hoka(R) shoes.  “I change every six months.  Worn same brand several years, but have been told I may need a different shoe and that this one is exacerbating achilles injury.” 

·         Salomon hydration packs 

·         Patagonia running gear

·         Garmin watch.  But he interjects that he is “pretty good at understanding route” due to intense planning.  “I’ve never gotten lost.”

More unexpected is the “trail equipment and lessons learned” required for the environment of dashing through the wilderness.

“I carry a lightweight knife and/or bear spray, depending on where I am. I also learned on a couple of occasions that wild dogs know what a knife is and will generally call it a day as soon as they see one. I experienced that with wild dogs in Guatemala and the Sahara. Farm dogs, not so much, but, fortunately for everyone, I never had to actually stab one.”

Fortunate all around, indeed…

WIIFY?

Know thyself.

Benton appreciates the benefits of solitude that running provides – especially trail running in which one may or may not come across another human being for the entire outing.

If you tend toward the introverted, running may be for you.  It need not be breath-gasping trail running in which you are pursued by dogs and/or bears, but could simply be an easy jog along a running track. 

Or, as Reynaldo, an Age-defying Athlete who competes in marathons in his 60s, advises: run for five minutes, walk for five minutes, then run again for five minutes around your neighborhood.  Over time, increase the runs to seven or ten minutes, while retaining the five minute walks.

Bicycling and swimming are also ideal for those interested in more solitary pursuits.

If you are more extroverted, a wealth of team sports awaits you!  Tennis, pickleball, softball, squash, ping-pong, and more.

That’s the great thing about sports for older adults – no matter your personality, interests, fitness level, or goals, you can find a game that fits.

What are you waiting for?