Photo by Flickr user Brian Bald
This Saturday, Jay Martin will pull up his socks, tighten his sneakers, and run the St. Jude Memphis Marathon. He’ll be doing so with thousands of other runners, but not all that many who, like Martin, have run this race 15 years in a row, each one alongside his wife, Sandra. Now 73, Martin — the founder of Juice Plus+, presenting sponsor of the marathon since its inception in 2002 — ran his first marathon at age 50. Here are five tips Martin would offer a novice marathoner.
Run with purpose.
St. Jude is an organization that has always been near and dear to me. I have such a heart for children and believe they each deserve the chance to live a long, healthy life. That’s the reason I run this marathon — for them. As you prepare for race day, choose to run with a purpose. Completing a marathon is a great achievement for anybody. But when the possibility of changing someone’s life is added to each stride, the sense of pride you feel is an experience like no other.
Find a running buddy.
My wife Sandra and I have been running together for 30 years. Between the two of us, we’ve run 40 marathons. There are days when I’ve been tired or in a bad mood, and she gave me the extra push that I needed to hit the pavement. Find someone who is committed to training and motivates you to keep going.
Don’t worry about finishing — focus on starting with a smile.
Approaching the race with a positive outlook is one thing that allows me to come back year after year. Instead of viewing the marathon as an obstacle, I look at it as a way to challenge myself. I started running at age 50, and like Bob Dylan says in My Back Pages, “I was so much older then; I’m younger than that now.”
Jay Martin
I don’t think about how old I am or the time I post; I just do it. And having my friends and Juice Plus+ family there — whether traversing the streets of Memphis alongside me, or cheering from the sidelines — is the best motivator. This will be the 15th year I’ve run the St. Jude Memphis Marathon, and as long as I can put one foot in front of the other, you will find me at the starting line for St. Jude every December.
Keep health before fitness.
It’s important to adjust training to accommodate your body and to avoid injuries. While part of staying healthy and training for race day is maintaining muscle strength and flexibility, another critical factor is nutrition. I’m committed to a healthy lifestyle, but I don’t obsess over it.
My best advice is to remember moderation is key. Set reasonable goals and log them every day. Logging the positive changes you make is extremely important, even if it’s small, and will keep you motivated until eventually the small changes become habits.
Listen to your body.
This is one of the golden rules of running, no matter your age. If you find yourself thinking that something doesn’t feel right, slow down or stop and see your doctor. If an injury prevents you from lacing up on race day, fundraising or making an individual donation is a great way to support the kids at St. Jude from the sidelines.
