[Editor’s Note: This article is part of an occasional series on the unique opportunities and challenges of growing older as a runner.]
Since finishing the 2025 Cocodona 250 Mile nearly three months ago, my main focus in running and in life has been on recovery. After such a monumental undertaking, both physically and mentally, I have felt as though my body and mind needed an extended period of recuperation. As a result, my running, which over the past several weeks has hovered around 50 miles a week, has essentially been a “run as you like” program.
That all changed late last week when, after talking it over with my wife, Shelly, I decided to sign up for the 2025 Javelina 100 Mile, the local 100-mile race that takes place here in the Arizona desert in late October. From that point on, it was like a switch turned on in my body.
Recovery was over; it was time to train!
AJW traversing the deserts of the 2025 Cocodona 250 Mile. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
What I typically do when building a training block for myself is to start with a benchmark workout. For me, a benchmark workout is a fixed-distance run, usually a half-marathon distance, which allows me to set a baseline of my fitness upon which I can build. And so it was last Friday morning, while temperatures here in Phoenix were still only in the double digits Fahrenheit, that I set out on a do-it-yourself half marathon to find my benchmark.
Over the first couple of miles, I settled into what felt like a steady pace, which, if all went according to plan, I felt like I could hold for the full 13 miles. Then, at about the four-mile mark, I felt myself gradually speeding up. My heart rate remained the same, but my per-mile pace just kept getting faster. By mile eight it felt like I was actually doing a good old-fashioned progression run, and by mile 10, I looked at my watch and realized I was on pace to run my fastest half marathon since my double hip replacement. When I returned to my house and stopped my watch, I saw that I had indeed run my fastest half marathon in almost five years, in 98-degree Fahrenheit heat, on a random Friday in late July.
AJW traversing the red rocks of Sedona, Arizona, many miles into the Cocodona 250 Mile. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
When I set out that morning, I had no idea what to expect. Rather, I told myself to just take what the day gave me. In this case, the day gave me one of my best runs in recent years and set a solid benchmark for my next 10 weeks of training going into Javelina. Of course, there will be times when the day might give me the opposite of what it did last Friday, as that seems to happen a lot as I get older. But when those good days come, I feel like I have to seize the moment, and so I did.
I think there is a good message in this for the rest of my life, as well. Sometimes I feel like I may try too hard to make things happen, to force the issue in my relationships, my job, and in my running. What my surprise half marathon taught me is that there are times in life when the best course of action is not to try to make things happen but rather to simply let things happen.
Bottoms up!
Three months after finishing the Cocodona 250 Mile, it’s time to get back into training. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
AJW’s Beer of the Week
This week’s Beer of the Week comes from America’s heartland. Alluvial Brewing in Ames, Iowa, is one of the state’s top craft breweries, and Jose Pomseco Sour, a fruited sour ale, is simply outstanding. With hints of passion fruit, orange, and mango, Jose Pomseco is deliciously balanced and not too much of anything, perfect for the dog days of summer!
Call for Comments
- Have you had a really good run that seemingly came out of nowhere?
- How do you get back into training after an extended recovery period?
