[Author’s Note: This article is part of an occasional series on the unique opportunities and challenges of growing older as a runner.]
Last weekend at the Fat Ox 24-Hour Run, the 2024 USATF National Championships race, I looked on in amazement as 20-year-old Kaylee Frederick from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, completed 136.1 miles in 24 hours, to finish second and qualify for a spot on the U.S. National Team at the 2025 IAU 24-Hour World Championships. What made her result even more amazing to me was that she did so after completing 125.8 miles at the 2025 Hainesport Endurance Run in Hainesport, New Jersey, just six weeks earlier, and a mere four months after completing her second Badwater 135 Mile! All at the ripe old age of 20.
A couple of days later, I was describing my amazement with Frederick’s performances — and specifically, her quick turnarounds between three such hard efforts — to my wife Shelly, and as she so often does, she replied matter of factly, “Well, Andy, remember that time 20 years ago when you got fourth at the Western States 100 and then won the Vermont 100 Mile three weeks later? I know you probably didn’t realize it at the time, but young people just recover quicker.”
The author on a chilly run in Silverton, Colorado. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Of course Frederick is also an exceptional athlete regardless of age, but in terms of the speed of recovery, Shelly was right. As I sat there watching Frederick run at Fat Ox, I could not in my wildest dreams imagine doing anything close to that. In my own current world, I ran the Javelina 100 Mile back on October 25 and, for me, it was a great race. But, as I sit here over a month later, I feel like I still have a long way to go until I would consider myself recovered and probably an even longer time until I toe the line at another race. Such is, I suppose, the inevitability of aging in long distance running.
Undoubtedly, as we age, recovery from hard and long efforts takes more time than when we were younger. Additionally, like many parts of ultrarunning, the highs and lows of that recovery process vary from person to person. To me, the most important thing to do is to pay attention to the little things in the recovery phase. Sure, running will be difficult and more laborious on a daily basis, but focusing on diet, sleep, the impact of life stress, and overall wellness I have found can also help to speed up my recovery, or at least allow me to accept that it’s going to take a while. And that’s exactly where I am now and someday most of us will likely be there too.
The author at the 2024 Javelina 100 Mile. Photo: CTS Ultrarunning
At the end of the day, I choose to sit back and accept the passage of time and its effect on me. I am content just getting out there, 25 years after my prime has passed, as confronting the opposite of that would be far worse. Inspirational performances like Frederick’s are enough to get me out the door, however hard that may be, and if that makes me just a little better version of myself, I’ll take it.
Bottoms up!
AJW’s Beer of the Week
This week’s beer of the week comes from Kaylee Frederick’s hometown of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Stone Bridge Beer Company makes one of the best Breakfast Stouts I have ever had. Brewer’s Breakfast is a classic Oatmeal Stout that pours a deep black and features a chocolate finish that is perfect by the fire on a cold winter’s night in Western Pennsylvania.
Call for Comments
Do you find your recovery takes longer as you get older?
