MARATHON MAN: World-class marathon runner started quest at age 57
SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2007
BY ANALISA NAZARENO
SPECIAL TO THE EXPRESS-NEWS
Dan Shuff eats, sleeps, wakes and travels just so he can run.
It's easy to think he'd been dreaming his whole life about becoming a world-class marathon runner. But he hadn't. It just happened.
Shuff started running several decades ago just for the health of it. And a little like the Forrest Gump movie character, he kept on running because he was pretty good at it.
When he retired at age 57 from his work as a government computer programmer, Shuff settled in San Antonio. One day he decided to join a friend who was training for the city's marathon.
Today,at the age of 71, Shuff travels the world to compete in 18 to 20 marathons each year. He is one of the best - if not the best runner in the world - in his age class, running 9-minute miles throughout the 26.2 miles of any given course.
"There are a lot of people who run as many marathons or more than I do, but most of them are younger than I am and they don't run as fast as I do," Shuff said. "I run pretty fast for someone my age."
Indeed.
In November in the San Antonio Marathon, Shuff outran competitors half his age and placed first in his age class of 70 and older, placing 314 overall among 3,000 runners. It was his 11th marathon in San Antonio.
"One doctor here said I was too old to be running like that," Shuff said. "I figured I was in better health than most his patients, so I have continued to run."
Though most are content to rest after a long life of work, doctors say Shuff is among the exceptional, but growing class of senior citizens who are passionately pursuing athletic endeavors.
"This is something we're· encountering much more frequently with people who are in that baby boomer age demographic," said Dr. Michael Maloney, an orthopedic surgeon and director of athletic medicine at the University
of Rochester Medical Center. "They are trying to maintain a lifestyle and a recreational habit that is very different from what people at that age were doing just a few generations ago.
"Probably one of the biggest areas of growth in orthopedic and sports medicine is the athlete in their 50s, 60s and 70s coming in and saying 'We're not willing to give up our hobby or our competitive recreational pursuits.' And they say, 'Doctor, fix me and help me get back on course or field and track.' "
Shuff has suffered a foot fracture, strained muscles, illnesses and other minor health problems that would have been good excuses for anyone 20 years younger to stop running.
But he continued to pursue his sport aggressively, while also taking precautions.
"For running, you have to have a good diet and you have to do a lot of training. And then there's the thing that most people don't pay attention to that's very important, especially when you're older, and that is recovery,"
Shuff said.
Shuff said he pays special attention to following a cool-down, rehydration and resting ritual after every marathon.
"There's a real tendency to want to celebrate after you run a marathon, but it's not always the best thing to do," he said. It's a process that has helped keep him ready for the next race.
For this winter, his plans are to run a marathon in Argentina and another in Antarctica so he can complete
his goal of having run a marathon on every continent.
While Shuff's goals are unusual and outstanding to most bystanders, he isn't alone in his post-retirement marathon pursuits.
"We have people who are in their 80s who run 30 marathons or more a year and make it look normal," said Steve Boone, co·founder and treasurer of the Houston-based 50 States Marathon Club.
Shuff is one of 43 runners nationwide older than 70 years who belong to Boone's elite club. The oldest member of the 50 States club is 87.
To qualify for membership, a person must have run a marathon in at least 10 states and be attempting to run one in all 50 states. Shuff completed that goal in December 2002.
Boone said each of these older runners, whether they run fast like Shuff or are just focused on finishing, is "an inspiration."
"I hope to be running marathons when I'm 100," said Boone, who is 57. "I'm a firm believer that being 70 years old is not a barrier. You're free. You're retired. You can do what you want to do and you can do it aggressively. It's not a time to sit around and wait to die. You can enjoy your life better than a 40-year-old who is scrambling around
just to survive."
For many casual or serious runners considering marathons, the main barrier for completing the punishing cardiovascular challenge - after physical fitness --is mental confidence.
Shuff - whose flourishes in his simple, spartan North Side apartment are only his many marathon trophies, medals and certificates - doesn't get caught up in thinking about failure or success and their opposing consequences.
"Some of the advice I've' heard and read is that you need to stay in the present time. And that's what I do," Shuff said. "I don't think about finishing a marathon. I think about doing it a mile at a time - this mile
arid the next mile and the next mile."
SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2007
BY ANALISA NAZARENO
SPECIAL TO THE EXPRESS-NEWS
Dan Shuff eats, sleeps, wakes and travels just so he can run.
It's easy to think he'd been dreaming his whole life about becoming a world-class marathon runner. But he hadn't. It just happened.
Shuff started running several decades ago just for the health of it. And a little like the Forrest Gump movie character, he kept on running because he was pretty good at it.
When he retired at age 57 from his work as a government computer programmer, Shuff settled in San Antonio. One day he decided to join a friend who was training for the city's marathon.
Today,at the age of 71, Shuff travels the world to compete in 18 to 20 marathons each year. He is one of the best - if not the best runner in the world - in his age class, running 9-minute miles throughout the 26.2 miles of any given course.
"There are a lot of people who run as many marathons or more than I do, but most of them are younger than I am and they don't run as fast as I do," Shuff said. "I run pretty fast for someone my age."
Indeed.
In November in the San Antonio Marathon, Shuff outran competitors half his age and placed first in his age class of 70 and older, placing 314 overall among 3,000 runners. It was his 11th marathon in San Antonio.
"One doctor here said I was too old to be running like that," Shuff said. "I figured I was in better health than most his patients, so I have continued to run."
Though most are content to rest after a long life of work, doctors say Shuff is among the exceptional, but growing class of senior citizens who are passionately pursuing athletic endeavors.
"This is something we're· encountering much more frequently with people who are in that baby boomer age demographic," said Dr. Michael Maloney, an orthopedic surgeon and director of athletic medicine at the University
of Rochester Medical Center. "They are trying to maintain a lifestyle and a recreational habit that is very different from what people at that age were doing just a few generations ago.
"Probably one of the biggest areas of growth in orthopedic and sports medicine is the athlete in their 50s, 60s and 70s coming in and saying 'We're not willing to give up our hobby or our competitive recreational pursuits.' And they say, 'Doctor, fix me and help me get back on course or field and track.' "
Shuff has suffered a foot fracture, strained muscles, illnesses and other minor health problems that would have been good excuses for anyone 20 years younger to stop running.
But he continued to pursue his sport aggressively, while also taking precautions.
"For running, you have to have a good diet and you have to do a lot of training. And then there's the thing that most people don't pay attention to that's very important, especially when you're older, and that is recovery,"
Shuff said.
Shuff said he pays special attention to following a cool-down, rehydration and resting ritual after every marathon.
"There's a real tendency to want to celebrate after you run a marathon, but it's not always the best thing to do," he said. It's a process that has helped keep him ready for the next race.
For this winter, his plans are to run a marathon in Argentina and another in Antarctica so he can complete
his goal of having run a marathon on every continent.
While Shuff's goals are unusual and outstanding to most bystanders, he isn't alone in his post-retirement marathon pursuits.
"We have people who are in their 80s who run 30 marathons or more a year and make it look normal," said Steve Boone, co·founder and treasurer of the Houston-based 50 States Marathon Club.
Shuff is one of 43 runners nationwide older than 70 years who belong to Boone's elite club. The oldest member of the 50 States club is 87.
To qualify for membership, a person must have run a marathon in at least 10 states and be attempting to run one in all 50 states. Shuff completed that goal in December 2002.
Boone said each of these older runners, whether they run fast like Shuff or are just focused on finishing, is "an inspiration."
"I hope to be running marathons when I'm 100," said Boone, who is 57. "I'm a firm believer that being 70 years old is not a barrier. You're free. You're retired. You can do what you want to do and you can do it aggressively. It's not a time to sit around and wait to die. You can enjoy your life better than a 40-year-old who is scrambling around
just to survive."
For many casual or serious runners considering marathons, the main barrier for completing the punishing cardiovascular challenge - after physical fitness --is mental confidence.
Shuff - whose flourishes in his simple, spartan North Side apartment are only his many marathon trophies, medals and certificates - doesn't get caught up in thinking about failure or success and their opposing consequences.
"Some of the advice I've' heard and read is that you need to stay in the present time. And that's what I do," Shuff said. "I don't think about finishing a marathon. I think about doing it a mile at a time - this mile
arid the next mile and the next mile."
GETTING STARTED
Doctors recommend exercise for everyone -- including older individuals. The key is finding the sports or exercises that are compatible with a person's current level of health. Dr. Michael Maloney, Director of Athletic Medicine at the University
of Rochester Medical Center, gives these pointers:
.• Consult your physician to talk about possible concerns, such as osteoporosis, arthritis and cardiovascular fitness.
• Connect with a personal trainer or physical therapist, who can recommend types of exercise and make sure you're doing techniques properly.
• Consider swimming, wading or other aquatic exercises, which alleviate pressure from joints and bones, if you have concerns about falling or fragile bones.
• Cross-train, in other words vary your exercise routine. For example: walk one day and swim the next, to avoid overtaxing muscles and to give movement to others.
• Start slowly, evaluate how your body responds and progress to more vigorous exercise if that's your goal.
• Use common sense - if your body feels overly stressed, consult your physician to make sure you're not doing any harm.
- Analisa Nazareno
Doctors recommend exercise for everyone -- including older individuals. The key is finding the sports or exercises that are compatible with a person's current level of health. Dr. Michael Maloney, Director of Athletic Medicine at the University
of Rochester Medical Center, gives these pointers:
.• Consult your physician to talk about possible concerns, such as osteoporosis, arthritis and cardiovascular fitness.
• Connect with a personal trainer or physical therapist, who can recommend types of exercise and make sure you're doing techniques properly.
• Consider swimming, wading or other aquatic exercises, which alleviate pressure from joints and bones, if you have concerns about falling or fragile bones.
• Cross-train, in other words vary your exercise routine. For example: walk one day and swim the next, to avoid overtaxing muscles and to give movement to others.
• Start slowly, evaluate how your body responds and progress to more vigorous exercise if that's your goal.
• Use common sense - if your body feels overly stressed, consult your physician to make sure you're not doing any harm.
- Analisa Nazareno
