This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sir Christopher Ball. It has been edited for length and clarity.
In the few years before my 70th birthday, my doctor informed me I had become a bit overweight and had high blood pressure. This came as a shock to me, considering I thought I was healthy and fit for my age. She urged me to lose weight, saying I needed to eat less and exercise more.
I’d always been a fairly active person. Raised during World War II, when our food was rationed, I learned early on to eat only what I needed and never to excess.
After joining the Army, I stayed fit during my service, always marching and running about. Despite my age, I remained active even after retirement, but I clearly needed to do more to maintain a healthy weight.
I started running
I easily could have ignored the doctor’s advice, resigning myself to the fact that I only had a few more years left to live anyway, but I didn’t want just a few years more — I wanted to live until well over 100.
The only way to live that long would be to take my doctor seriously. I decided I would focus on running, as it felt a bit boring to eat less food.
My daughter took me to a running shop, and I quickly selected a pair of running shoes that were very comfortable.
The staff person helping me said, “You don’t think I’m going to let you buy those shoes without seeing you run in them first?” She made me run outside in them, me in my suit and these new shoes. I told her one day, I hoped to run a marathon, and she sold me a book that would go on to become my Bible, called “The Non-Runners Marathon Trainer.”
Although my first run was difficult, I quickly got up to 10 miles and decided I could definitely run a marathon, which I did later that year, when I was 67.
I had a heart attack in my 70s
I worked my way up to running back-to-back marathons, one on a Monday and then on Tuesday, and then to seven marathons in one week, and finally, 10 marathons in 10 days.
The weight dropped as a result of all the running I was doing.
In my late 70s, I suffered a heart attack and then had to have a triple bypass. It obviously slowed me down for some time, but I tried to see it as a fascinating setback, rather than an end to my running — it was part of having a positive mindset. I started running again, slowly but surely.
Part of the reason I think I have aged well is down to mindset. In my later years, I’ve always looked on the bright side, seeking a silver lining in every cloud, and I’ve enjoyed life.
Meeting and talking to positive people has hugely helped to maintain this positive outlook. It doesn’t necessarily come naturally — several people in my family actually suffered from depression — so it’s something I have to actively work against.
I switched my diet to vegan
My granddaughters asked why I ate animals. They said it wasn’t kind to eat animals and that raising animals to eat wasn’t good for the planet. It was following these conversations that I began eating a vegan diet. I didn’t expect such health benefits, but eating this way, alongside exercise, enabled me to maintain my weight.
In addition to moving, eating well, and maintaining a positive mindset, I’ve made sure to plan projects, connect with people regularly (including my wife), and take daily cold showers, all while reducing stress whenever possible.
I’m still running, although I haven’t planned to run another marathon. Instead, I’ve planned to run 10K on 10 successive days.
When I talk to others about how they, too, can live long and well, I encourage them to make the process gradual. Set reasonable goals and plan stages to work through to meet the goal. It isn’t a competition with other people — it’s about living your best life while you still have it.
