DFL and Aging

by Dot Helling

I recently experienced my first DFL (“Dead ‘f’ing’ Last” as competitive runners say) at the Paul Mailman Ten Miler. It was okay. In addition to being the oldest finisher and the only 70+ female to finish, I managed the ten miles enjoyably. I never raced; I just ran. The course included a route through parts of Montpelier and Berlin which I had run thousands of times over the years when I lived downtown. On this day it felt like a joyous déjà vu, and not the repetitiveness I had come to feel about this route over the many years it was a standard. I had three goals: to breathe given recent struggles with asthma, to finish comfortably, and to break two hours, all happily accomplished with relative ease on a lovely warm and sunny day. I later saw in the results that I set the age group course record at this event in 2021 in a time almost 20 minutes quicker.

My joy in running has always come from the freedom to relax and enjoy beautiful places, and as a social activity. While working as a full-time attorney it provided time with friends and a break from the stresses of practicing law. Placing well in events and winning have been icing on the cake. As I age, it is a challenge to accept a slowing pace, sometimes as much as four minutes per mile, and to still call myself a runner. I now work to run one mile at a pace I used to maintain in 100-mile endurance runs. My Colorado friend Karen calls it going out for a “wog,” a cross between walking and jogging. I like to think it’s more a cross between jogging and running, “junning?,” although I doubt both my feet are ever off the ground simultaneously, which is a true definition of running.

Central Vermont Runners has a large contingent of senior runners who were at the top of their game back in the day and are still running. Bob Murphy, at age 86, is currently a national champion at the 5K distance. Eighty-year-olds Dick Ferno and Roger Cranse are running and racing. Dick still wears short shorts and maintains a svelte runners’ body. John Valentine, age 76, still beats males twenty years younger. Bob Howe (age 79) returned to the racing scene in 2025. Tim Hogeboom (74), John Martin (74) and John Hackney (79) are some of the male 70-79 competitors rounding out the Central Vermont running scene, occasionally challenged by a return to the roads of Jamie Shanley (73) or age group “newbie” Chris Andresen (70). A shared commonality between many older runners is replacement body parts, particularly hips and knees for which we like to claim ourselves “bionic.”

At age 76 I run with friends 20-30 years younger than I who don’t seem to mind what for me is a “race pace” and for them a slow training run. We can chat and run steep Adamant hills, a continuing acknowledgement that it’s a blessing to be running, no matter the style or pace. My local female 70-79 competition includes Elizabeth McCarthy (73), a National Senior Games champion, and Merill Creagh (73) who reigned supreme with overall race titles in the early days of Central Vermont Runners. Sometimes Ruth Blauwiekel (72) from the Burlington area or a black horse from down south shows up and beats us all. So far there are no competitive female eighty-year-olds, but I’m getting close and planning to be out there.

It used to be that I felt noticeable effects of aging into a new age category every ten years. After age 60 the changes in speed and curtailing of distance came more in five-year increments. Since turning 70, the decline occurs yearly and the dramatic slowdown requires a significant attitude change. Just five years ago I ran the Paul Mailman at a pace two minutes per mile faster than this year. My doctor’s counsel is “thankfulness” that I am out there at all when so many seniors can’t run or maintain any semblance of physical activity that supports fitness. C’est la vie.

For now, I’ll take the prescribed medicine – accept the slowdown, get more rest, and wallow in the benefits, eg. discounted senior entry fees. In fact, I’m taking advantage of an early start at the Adamant Half Marathon so that I’ll see more folks on the course rather than get left behind at the sprint start. How’s that for turning an age disability into a way to stay in the race and have more fun?

Dot Helling, Adamant April 28, 2026