BARB ANDERSON: KEEPING PACE
For "The Minnesota Women's Press" and "Runner's World"
©1994 by Lisa Dietz
Barb Anderson picked up the pace as she made for the final stretch of the 10 mile race. At the finish line, race officials were telling the runners, "Good race," even to those who struggled in with ragged breath.
When Anderson came in, she was feeling good. But the official looked at her with concern and said, "Are you okay?"
Why?
"He just saw wrinkles," said Anderson, age 69, "not my condition."
This is not the typical reaction she gets when she's training. Most people are just amazed. When she goes to the grocery store, it's not uncommon for someone to stop her and ask, "Aren't you the woman I see running about the neighborhood?"
Although age has been a factor for Anderson, who suffers from arthritis, it has not stopped her from lacing on the tennis shoes and pounding out three to five miles. A Minnesota resident, she runs whether it's warm and sunny or snowing and twenty below zero.
"Some of my family say, ' you're old--you shouldn't be doing this,'" Anderson said. "But I have friends who don't do anything, and they have severe problems."
In 1992, Anderson was awarded the national "Athlete of the Year" after breaking the national record for the 10K run for 60 to 69-year-olds. She's also broken most of the state and local race records for the 5 and 10K races.
Even when she's not training for a race, Anderson keeps a strict workout schedule. She runs at least every other day for an hour. Because she believes cross-training is important, on the days she doesn't run, she works out at a health club. She starts with 20 minutes on the stationary bike, then 20 minutes on the treadmill and back to the bike for 20 minutes. She tops off her workout on the stretching machines. Twice a week she works with a trainer, lifting weights and learning how to refine her training.
Where does she find the time to keep such a rigorous pace?
"It's one of my priorities," said Anderson. "You find time to do what you really want to do."
As an English professor at a small, private college, Anderson was keeping a full schedule of classes when she starting running at the age of fifty-five. During interim, that year, she was tired of the inactivity from writing and research. So she decided to take a running class over the noon hour.
"I was in sports when I was young," said Anderson, "but they didn't even have track for girls then."
Anderson stayed fit throughout her adult life by gardening, doing yard work and visiting the health club. The winter she began running was very cold and snowy. The instructor laughed that she came to class for four weeks, with only JC Penny tennis shoes. The other students in the class were either experienced runners who pulled way ahead of her, or students who just didn't care and wanted to get their college fitness requirement over with. She was always alone when she ran, pacing herself between the two groups.
"I liked the feeling of wholeness," said Anderson, happy to be away from the constant onslaught of telephones and people.
Although she appreciates the freedom and solitude of running, she also loves to mingle with the racing crowd. Many younger runners have commented on the inspiration she is to them. One runner told her, "This gives me something to look forward to. I can still be out there after forty."
This kind of feedback is common. Still, she is occasionally annoyed by some comments. During one race, as she passed by a couple of younger men, they told her to slow down, she still had half the race to go. Anderson speculated that perhaps they were jealous.
Later in that same race, a woman pulled up beside her and asked how old she was. When Anderson told her she was 67, the woman looked at her, astonished and said, "You're shitting me!"
By the time she turned 60, she was winning all the races for her age group. But that's not the reason she does it.
"I don't feel that I've got to beat others. A part of it is just seeing how well I can do. . . Almost always, I feel like I won't even finish this race when I start out," said Anderson.
So far, she has always finished. But she has slowed down due to some cartilage damage in her knee and a foot injury. She waxes nostalgic about the old days when she was younger (early 60's) and could run the 5K at an average of 7:30 a mile.
Her advice to other people at any age, who are starting out: "Some people run because they want to lose weight, or they think it's healthy. I can't see doing it if you don't really enjoy it."
Anderson advises that all runners get a mentor, someone who understands running and can give advice. "And don't feel you need to prove anything," she says.
It wasn't until Anderson started working with a trainer that she really improved her speed and started winning all her races. She attributes this to her trainer's instructions to vary her workouts so as not to tax the same muscle groups over and over and to build in different areas.
Besides typical cross-training, Anderson has added variety to her health and exercise program by resolving to do something new every year. Last year, it was fly-fishing. The year before, she went winter camping with Anne Bancroft, who incorporated sled-dogs into their wilderness adventure.
Anderson has been able to use her experience as a runner and her motivated lifestyle to inspire others. Recently, she appeared in a documentary film about girls and women and growing up.
Despite the publicity and the excitement of racing, ultimately, Anderson prefers her solitary running time. Perhaps it is her introspective nature, perhaps it is the need to get away from the pressures of work.
"In the end," explains Anderson, "we all have to be alone."