Will I Still Beat You, When I'm 64...

Nolan Shaheed

Nolan Shaheed Continues to Break Records:

"...Almost 63, Shaheed is running times that would still win many high school races. 'It's amazing,' he says. 'I still feel the same as 15 to 20 years ago and don't feel slower. It's just a matter of getting over the disappointment when you look at the clock.'"

He's disappointed, I'd be thrilled to be running those times. Gotta get working!

This is great confirmation of the point that McDougall makes in Born to Run; that your fitness at 64 should be the same as your fitness at 19.

"...Although he doesn't count miles, Shaheed estimates that he drops down from 50-55 to about 35 miles a week during the track season. However, to the extent that high mileage training helps burn calories and keeps the weight and body fat percentage down, Shaheed apparently doesn't need the mileage. When running, he eats only one meal a day with no snacks the rest of the day, just water. During his one-month off from running, he eats only one meal every other day. At 5-foot-9, his weight has remained at 123 pounds since his high school days. 'But I have begun eating a little fat now and then, avocado and whole milk, that kind of thing, and I think it has helped me somewhat,' he says. 'It's really hard to know for sure.'..."

That's pretty fascinating. Intermittent fasting and a high-fat, ketogenic diet plan seem to work great for him. (When you're not eating anything, most of your calories come from stored fat and ketones... A ketogenic diet provides calories from the same sources.)