I love books. I love to read them and I love to write them. I’ve published three, MARATHON QUEST, RUNNING TO THE EDGE and THE SECRET MARATHON. My fourth, THE AGELESS ATHLETE was in collaboration with my friend and running coach Malc Kent. Things were going well. The contract had been signed and the manuscript edited.
Unfortunately things didn’t work out so Malc and I took back the rights. What do we do now? Maybe it was time to try something completely different. So, in for a penny in for a pound….THE AGELESS ATHLETE is being be posted on my website in 25 blogs, weekly, finishing the end of July 2024.
This is the virtual back cover: Is it possible to turn back the hands of time? Can an athlete, at the age of 62, beat his personal best times set 15 years ago? This thought provoking memoir asks these soul searching questions and takes us on a journey with a runner and his coach to find the answers. In May 2017 Martin Parnell tackled the Calgary 150km Ultra Marathon. He didn’t finish.
Martin realised that he had to do something drastic. He noticed that he had run his fastest 5k, 10k, half marathon and marathon all in the same year, 2003. Could he beat those times in 2018? Could he run faster at the age of 62 than he ran at 47?
To accomplish this feat Martin realised he would need the best shoes, best gear, best nutrition and of course the best coach. Martin knew just the trainer and he lived in Cochrane. Malc Kent is a highly experienced coach and one of the leading experts in the world in remote and wearable gait analysis. He has coached athletes in more than 10 countries and performed more than 4000 gait analysis on runners of all levels, all over the world.
In December 2017 the training began for “62 beats 47” with Malc taking Martin through sessions of strength, stabilization, speed and endurance. In this book Martin and Malc show the importance of the runner / coach relationship especially in terms of the older athlete.
This book will resonate with anyone who wants to challenge themselves. It’s never too late to take on a goal and learn something new. Remember: Age is just a number!
To read the whole story go to: https://www.martinparnell.com/martins-blogs.html and, every Wednesday, follow the adventures of The Ageless Athlete. One blog at a time.
© 2024 Martin Parnell
