I posted about a book sometime ago on ageing and its impact on exercise. I have been rereading the book simply because it contains so much data. This can be too much to process at first reading. It mentioned oxygen saturation and how this declines with age. When Ann and I returned home after a run we jabbed our fingers into our oximeter. My reading was 99% and Ann’s 98%. The book suggests that people of our age average only 94% so that was encouraging. However, that is a little good news in a lot af bad. It reminded me that I have become aware of a massive change in my body. I could also say that this is a fundamental change to my life, a moment when things take a genuine turn, like marriage or a first child. Exercise and ageing have suddenly formed a life changing pact.

What is life?

Exercise has always been an important part of my life. Well, for most of it. With my first paypacket I bought a racing bike and it gave me freedom. I never looked back. The body is a machine and I gradually learned how to use it. Running over mountains became my second love. However, the hidden benefit was my ability to eat what I liked. I enjoyed food and ate a big diet because I ran off the calories. On holidays I put on weight, and over winter I put on weight. Consequently, I varied between 10.5 stone, racing weight, and 11 stone. Life was wonderful. Whatever, I could reduce my weight with ease, always able to run more or faster and bring it down. That is a certain form of confidence, proof that I was in charge at all times.

Exercise and ageing

When I had my last health check, it was noted that I was pre pre-diabetic. A little warning that I did not need. Reading the book on running and ageing had told me what I could expect. However, it only came to me in dribs and drabs. I had already realised that on running days, I found it hard to do much gardening. In the past I ignored such feelings, confident that my body would respond, that it would strengthen in adversity. No longer! At 78 years of age, if you pile it in you get tired and just more tired. The fact is that you cannot build muscle any longer or put more glycogen into those muscles to fuel yourself. It is a new experience, a huge change. Consequently, the running must be managed so that what remains is nurtured rather than strained. Call this resilience. Whatever, those heather moors need running over and that is still my objective.