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Is Extraordinary Limited by Age, or Does It Get Better With Time? Our Guest Dennise Gruber Has the Answers!
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There's a powerful truth about running that rarely gets discussed: getting older doesn't mean getting slower – it means leveling up differently. As our bodies change, we unlock new capabilities that can make running even more rewarding in our 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond.
Coach Christine, your "fairy run mother," breaks down exactly what changes with age (like that 1% VO2 max decline annually after 30) and what actually improves (hello, mental grit and endurance capacity!). She presents ten game-changing practices for older runners, from prioritizing strength training to hydrating smarter as our thirst response dulls. For female athletes navigating perimenopause and menopause, she offers specific strategies to work with hormonal fluctuations rather than fighting against them.
The episode features Dennise, a remarkable two-time cancer survivor returning to the Chicago Marathon twenty years after her first attempt. Her goal? Completing all six World Marathon Majors – a challenge she embraced after beating cancer twice.
"Why can't I have the six stars?" she asks, perfectly capturing the "why not" attitude that makes running in our later years so powerful. Dennise shares how her 83-year-old father still runs daily and how he inspired her journey, and she shares her creative fundraising effort of making marathon-themed gnomes for charity. Get yours here!
Whether you're already in your "wisdom runner" years or approaching them, this episode reframes aging as an opportunity rather than an obstacle. As Coach Christine reminds us, "You're not slowing down, you're evolving," and extraordinary has no expiration date. Ready to discover running's secret power that only comes with age? Your next breakthrough awaits.
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Chapters
1. Welcome to Extraordinary Strides (00:00:00)
2. How Running Changes With Age (00:01:40)
3. Top 10 Best Practices for Older Runners (00:04:55)
4. Meet Denise: Cancer Survivor, Marathon Runner (00:14:40)
5. Tackling the World Marathon Majors (00:23:15)
6. Finding Joy in Running at Any Age (00:33:54)
7. Closing Thoughts & Community Connection (00:37:59)
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