experiencelifemag.com

Print › | Back ›

Lauren Fithian, 50

Ultradistance athlete, Minneapolis, Minn.

After completing at least 20 ultra-endurance competitions, Fithian has adopted a new term from one of her fellow ultradistance racers: “flast.” Because she is often the only woman in her age category — occasionally, in the whole race — she often comes in first and last.

“One of my main goals as a 50-plus-year-old is to help others, especially women, find athletic outlets and fitness models,” she says. “I hope to be out there in many different ways to help show that we can.”

She is currently training (by teaching fitness classes or working out two to three hours a day) for a 200-mile cycling race, a 508-mile cycling race through Death Valley and another Hawaii Ultraman — where she expects to compete against at least one other 50-plus woman.

She’s most proud of her athletic range: “I can kick butt in a cardio kickboxing class — figuratively speaking — or in an ultradistance run or a 400-mile bike race, or by braving the Pacific Ocean for a 10K swim, or by sharing my sheer love of athletic movement through teaching,” she says.

When she’s not training, she spends time with her kids — she has five (spanning 15 to 24 years old). “I like to be extreme in everything I do,” she jokes.