Imagine yourself when you're in your 80s. Maybe you're already there or past. Winning the 80-90 age category in the New York Marathon might not come to mind as a goal for you. But, for one woman, it's a tradition.

It was this year that the Wall Street Journal published an article on 81-year old Joy Johnson. She would be defending her title in the New York Marathon 80-90 Female category against a past and fast New York City Marathon participant, Bertha McGruder, who'd aged into Johnson's category this year.

In the end, Joy Johnson won, and not only did she win, she shaved an entire hour from her previous year's time to win in just over six hours. It is really outstanding at this age that she cut that much time in just one year, especially considering the impact aging plays to your physical health. Dr. Alexis Chiang Colvin, a sports-medicine expert at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, said in the article, aging affects every system the body uses in long-distance running. Muscle strength generally peaks at age 30. After 70, it declines 30% per decade.

Therein lies the wisdom Johnson possesses - mind over body. "The thing about life is you have to accept what comes along. You don't have to like it. But you have to learn to live with it." It was stated that Johnson knows how to push her body to the limit, but not beyond, resulting in a mix of running and walking during her marathons. In another interview, she said, "When you wake up it can either be a good day or a bad day. I always say, It's going to be a good day."

Today, we're faced with times unfamiliar to many of us, and threatening to those who have been there before. Job loss, tight budgets, the fear of losing a home, illness - everyone has a dread lurking just inches away, and we're beginning as a society to accept the notion that this isn't short-term. The world has not come to an end, nor a halt, but the bounce in our step has dissipated and faces on the street are glum and morose.

Inspirations like Joy Johnson represent resilience and a determination enviable to all. While you may not like what is given to you, what you choose to do with it is still your decision. Had Joy listened to popular advice, she would have heard that she's too old to run such a distance (she's run over 50 marathons and didn't even start running until the age of 58), it's too damaging to the body (she attended a running camp this last year to increase her speed), too dangerous to her health (Two Stanford students who wanted to do a bone density test on her thought their equipment wasn't working properly because the results were too good. After a second test, the results were in fact just that good).

In the history of marathons, women weren't even allowed to participate officially until 1971 because it was thought that women were too fragile and physically unable to run a marathon. It was against popular advice that Katherine Switzer set out to prove this theory wrong in the well-known "Boston Incident", having entered the race in 1967 under the entry name of K.V. Switzer. She finished the race, despite several attempts to push her off the route and a flock of media, but her finish was not acknowledged as official by the Boston Marathon. It wasn't until 1971 when the New York Marathon finally allowed women to officially participate, and the Boston Marathon followed the next year. The thought that women couldn't run marathons has since been destroyed, given that in 2007, over 160,000 women completed marathons, making up 39.5% of the total number of marathon finishers for that year, including women over the age of 80.

You, too, must observe and listen carefully. You can choose what body of advice to listen to. For example, if you're later in your career and have been laid off, you might be hearing that it's too late for you to get another decent job. Let's visit the example of another woman. She was in her 50s and had recently been laid off after a long and successful career. She decided to look at this situation as an opportunity. Her children were grown, she and her husband had always wanted to move somewhere warmer, and here was an open door. She decided to go back to school for additional degrees, pursue internship opportunities (paying and non-paying), and examine the possibility of moving to Arizona once she completed school. It's not what she'd ever envisioned she would be doing at this point in her life, but she's pleased with what she's decided to do with the situation and excited for what the future will bring.

As the saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. One important step to consider is who you're listening to and what you choose to do with that information. It's never too late to begin something new. In the example of Joy Johnson, she didn't pursue running until the age of 58 despite a career as a gym teacher. But one day in 1985, she took a three-mile walk that energized her. She continued to walk, then run, then race in 10-kilometer road races. The story continues from there. While today she is running marathons, 23 years ago she was going on 3-mile walks. You, too, have the power to determine what will come to you from today's challenges.

Sources:
The Wall Street Journal, October 31, 2008, by Matthew Futterman, "Over 80, It's Anyone's Race"
http://www.mercurynews.com/sports/ci_10938496
http://www.marathonguide.com/features/Articles/2007RecapOverview.cfm
http://www.hickoksports.com/history/marathonw.shtml
http://www.katherineswitzer.com/life.html