The Centenarian Ultra

The Long Run Mindset - For a Life Worth Living #11

The LLCR. 130 miles along the Leeds-Liverpool Canal, non-stop, one of the toughest ultras in the UK. It’s on my calendar, and it’s a massive milestone. But if I told you it was the “end goal,” I’d be lying.

I’m training for something much bigger. Something that scares the hell out of most people: The Marginal Decade.

I’m training for a 100-mile run on my 100th birthday.

And if I’m honest? I’m training to be the 100-year-old who can still stand in an airport queue without a wheelchair, lift his own luggage into the overhead locker, and climb the steep concrete stairs at Turf Moor to watch the mighty Clarets.

The Raw Story

Last week, I was doing strength work in my living room. No fancy gym. No chrome machines. Just me, some weights, and the floor. My knees were clicking like a geiger counter and my breath was coming in ragged stabs.

Why? Because a few years ago, my body broke. I was a CEO chasing money, and I nearly ran out of time before I ran out of cash. I realized then that the most expensive car in the world is useless if you don’t have the strength to open the door.

Most people “retire” and then sit down until they can’t get back up. They treat their 80s and 90s like a waiting room. I treat mine like a training camp.

The record for the oldest 100-mile finisher? It’s currently held by men like Wally Hesseltine, who crushed a 100-miler at 80 years old, and Nick Bassett, who is still setting records in his 80s. But the one that stays with me is Fauja Singh — the “Turbaned Tornado” — who ran a full marathon at 100 years old.

He didn’t start running until he was 89. If he can start at 89, I’ve got no excuse at 57.

If this resonates with you, there’s more every Tuesday in The Long Run Mindset — stories from 75+ marathons, ultras, a resuscitation ward, and 1,564 days of running without a single day off. Free to subscribe. One email a week.

The Lesson

The strength training I do at home isn’t just about the LLCR. It’s Functional Longevity.

When I’m doing lunges in my kitchen, I’m not thinking about the canal path — I’m thinking about the moment I trip on a curb in twenty years. If I have the muscle memory and the core strength, I stumble — but I don’t hit the deck. I don’t break a hip. I keep walking.

We spend our working lives chasing a “number” for retirement. But what’s the point of the number if you’ve run out of health?

As Dr. Peter Attia says: “If you want to be able to pick up a 30lb grandchild when you’re 80, you need to be able to do much more than that now.”

YOUR TAKEAWAY

Train for the Centenarian Decathlon. Pick 10 things you want to be able to do when you’re 90. Get off the toilet? Carry a bag of groceries? Walk 2 miles?

The world keeps turning. Your current crisis is just weather. Don’t wait for a gym membership. Do ten squats in your kitchen right now.

I’m training for the 100-mile birthday. What are you training for?

📬 WANT MORE LIKE THIS? I publish every Tuesday — stories from 75+ marathons, ultras, business failures, and a resuscitation ward. All exploring one question: What does endurance teach us about life and business? Subscribe free below — one email a week, lessons from the long run. 👇