You may want to consider this story if this gloomy Monday (at least, in Toronto) has you wanting to skip your post-work workout.
While many of us were busy sleeping the day away or stuffing ourselves with greasy goodness at brunch yesterday, 85-year-old Ed Whitlock was setting a world record at Toronto’s Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon.
The Milton, Ontario man – an octogenarian and champion runner – set a world record for his age when he crossed the finish line with a time of three hours, 56 minutes and 33.2 seconds at the marathon that consumed city streets.
Did we mention that he is 85?!
Image: CBC
Despite this insane accomplishment, Whitlock wasn’t entirely happy with his performance, as he told Metro Morning host Matt Galloway.
“My goal was to run around 3:50,” said Whitlock. “Things fell apart in the second half of the race.”
He said he had doubts about how he was going to finish the race at around the halfway point.
Compared to his previous world records, Whitlock said his performance yesterday was less impressive than his earlier record. That was set 12 years ago when he was 73-years-old and ran a marathon in just two hours and 54 minutes.
The record still stands today.
Image: Wall Street Journal
Another impressive fact: Whitlock didn’t even take up running – something he did as a teenager – again until he was 40-years-old.
Whitmore told Galloway that the incentive to set records motivates him to keep running.
He says he doesn’t need to buy a new pair of runners each season either – he’s been wearing the same pair for 20 years.”I wear them well past their due date,” said Whitlock. “I’m not a fan of the current shoe design, and I have a small supply of this particular model of shoe.”
Naturally, Whitlock is feeling the marathon in his body today.
“My legs are shot today,” Whitlock said. “I seemed to be OK yesterday after the marathon, walking around and that sort of thing, but rigor mortis has set in now.”
He says he will keep on running as long as he can.
If this man isn’t #fitnessgoals, we don’t know who is.
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