Things I Learned From Running in My 30s…and What I’m Looking Forward to in My 40s
“You are never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream.”
As I sit down to write this blog, I am in the last week of my thirties—and as my fortieth birthday rapidly approaches, I feel excited and READY for the next decade of my life. As someone who works in fitness and trains/works with mainly clients and trainers who are younger than me, I wondered how I would feel as this transition into my forties approached; and honestly, I am very proud of myself for my eager anticipation.
As a human being, my thirties were a wild ride of mostly high highs (with some lows thrown in because nothing is perfect). Some of my highlights were meeting my then girlfriend and marrying her and making her my wife; experiencing our first pregnancy with my wife being due in June; getting both of our fur babies, our beautiful golden boys Charlie and Tommie; becoming a Chief Instructor and curriculum lead for Barry’s, which took me to different studios across the country, meeting and working with so many incredibly people; I started my run coaching business and have worked with thousands of amazing athletes; I embraced sobriety and have felt all the positive mental and physical changes that go along with it, and many more fun and exciting milestones. Life wasn’t perfect, but the highs definitely outweighed the lows.
As a runner, I also experienced many highs and many lows in my thirties. And as I look ahead to the next decade and what that means for me and my mileage, I wanted to take a moment to celebrate all the amazing running-related highlights of the last ten years of my life.
Age 30 (2016): MY PR YEAR! This will forever be one of my proudest moments. I trained hard the summer of 2016 to break the three-hour barrier in Chicago—and did! I ran a 2:58:08, which will forever be my fastest race and one of my most memorable finish lines.
Age 31 (2017): First European marathon! I ran Berlin for the first time this year, and while my big goal of PRing this race was an epic fail, experiencing a marathon in Germany and the energy there was absolutely incredible. Berlin remains one of my favorite marathons.
Age 32 (2018): A big learning moment happened this year. I trained (admittedly not as well or as preparedly as I did for Chicago two years ago) to PR at the NYC Marathon this year, and absolutely bonked. I ran outside of my ability, crashed and burned and had to go to the med tent at mile 17, felt the crushing pain of defeat, but rallied and still fought to finish this race, albeit thirty minutes after my goal time. This was the first time I really imploded at a race, and I learned some valuable lessons from this experience. In a different turn of events, I also won the Bunker Hill Road Race this year!
Age 33 (2019): This one has three unforgettable moments. The first one: I proposed to my wife while on a run in Charlestown this year and luckily she said yes! I purposely picked a run together because I told her whenever she hated running or got annoyed with me for running too much she could remember that moment! The second: I ran Take the Bridge in Boston two days before the Boston Marathon. This was a once in a lifetime experience. Take the Bridge was a completely unsanctioned and unmarked race that started after dark and the course was only told to us at the start of the race. It was so cool absolutely sending it through the city. Thirdly, I went to Nashville to obtain my USATF Run Coaching Certification, which launched my career as a run coach!
Age 34 (2020): This was a weird one, the Covid year. I ran a lot of masked, solo miles; lots of loops around Charlestown and the Esplanade; I ran the Boston Marathon course solo on the cancelled race day with my wife following me on a bike; I ran the virtual The Speed Project with an awesome group of athletes from around the world, which meant we had to continuously run for 24 hours and link our Stravas so that when one of us stopped, the next started. I remember running miles alone along a main road in Charlestown in the middle of the night for this. This year was a weird one for running because while all races were cancelled, it truly showed me the beauty of the long-distance running community and gave me a new appreciation for solo miles.
Age 35 (2021): Races were back this year and so were group runs! I officially launched my first community project, the 1.5 Star Run Club based in South Boston, the first of its kind in the city. I was determined to make this a social event, where pace didn’t matter but camaraderie did. The response was incredible - every Saturday we had a great group come together to share miles and brunch after.
Age 36 (2022): This was the year I got sober, which changed my relationship with running. Running became even more of an escape for me—I used running to replace nights out and alcohol and became my main way of socializing. I poured my heart and soul into my miles and my races and focused more on wellness than going out and raging.
Age 37 (2023): This was the year Emily and I ran the Berlin Marathon together! This will forever be one of my favorite memories. We returned to the race I ran in rain and terrible conditions five years earlier, and had an absolutely perfect race day. The city was alive, the spectators were incredible, the sun was out, and Emily ran her PR race!
Age 38 (2024): I ran my first ultramarathon this year! I found myself getting a bit fatigued with road racing exclusively, and wanted to challenge myself and my legs in a new way. I was also getting more and more into weight training and strength work, and found that ultra training was more about strength than speed, which was something that really appealed to me. In June 2024 I ran the Catamount Ultra 50k in Vermont, which was six hours of pure bliss on technical trails and steep mountains with beautiful views and a LOT of time alone with my thoughts. I was immediately hooked, and loved the laid-back atmosphere of an ultra marathon.
Age 39 (2025): I officially created KJWC Run Club LLC - I have been a run coach for years at this point, but took the next step to launch my official business, website, and this blog. As my identity as a runner changes, my love for coaching is consistent. I have been loving finding new and creative ways to spread my love for running and build a runner’s community.
And here we are, my 40th year and 2026. Looking back on everything that happened in the last decade really brings me so much joy, and also brings some desire for change in the next decade. I am currently signed up for three full marathons this year—Boston in April, the Maine Coast Marathon in May, and the Chicago Marathon in October. Chicago will be my 50th marathon, and I believe I will retire my full marathon legs after this race (but you never know!)
With our first child on the way in June, an upcoming move to Maine, and my fitness goals shifting more towards shorter road races, strength training, and ultras, I am excited to see where the next few years bring me.
One thing that won’t change? My love for this crazy, beautiful sport, and my desire to share it with anyone and everyone who has the courage to start running. I couldn’t imagine my life without miles, and I am forever grateful for all the joy every mile has brought me. Thank YOU for being a part of the magic that is running.
Xo