Aging Athletically

Board-certified sports dietician Claire Shorenstein shares extensive wisdom on fueling as we age, common misperceptions, aging athletes' ingrained focus on leanness over strength, and what to focus on nutritionally as the years pile up. Claire breaks down some of the mystery around supplements, the importance of movement overall, and changing needs of female athletes in particular. Find Claire on...

Host Hilary Cairns shares insights on the podcast journey so far, plus some updates on her foot injury, race decisions, and her daughter's marathon experience. She discusses adapting to injury, health updates, and lifestyle changes, and reflects on a long-ago childhood dream. Hilary also reflects on common themes from podcast guests including defying expectations, consistency, strength training, c...

Julie Billingsley, a lifelong endurance athlete, shares her journey from swimming to triathlon, highlighting the early days of the sport and her transition into triathlon. She discusses her endurance and resilience, the 50 State Quest, her training approach, and the definition of success in her races. The conversation covers the role of coaching in triathlon, the importance of community and social...

Mark Williams, a nationally accomplished master's runner, shares his journey of consistency, competition, and motivation. From the start of his unintended running streak to the impact of strength training, Mark's dedication to short distance races and the significance of his running streak are evident. His training routine, favorite event, and coaching experience at Blair Academy provide insights...

Gabby Rose, a two-time Olympian, shares her remarkable journey of retiring from elite swimming, returning to the sport in her mid-40s, and achieving personal bests. Her training, mindset, and motivation reflect a unique approach to athletic longevity and success. The conversation with Gabby covers a wide range of topics, including recovery and wellness, training and injury prevention, motivation a...

Ned Overend, a legendary mountain biker, shares insights on his career, training, and motivation. He discusses his evolution from mountain running to mountain biking, his success in triathlons, and his take on training and competition. Ned reflects on the impact of aging on his performance and the importance of balance and recovery along with his approach to competition, what keeps him racing at s...

Solo host Hilary Cairns sits down with her daughter, Page Lester, to discuss her athletic journey from a young athlete to a competitive long-distance runner today. Page shares her thoughts on competition, what sport means to her, what Division 1 running was like and how running for herself feels today. Page touches on getting older and what's ahead, friendship, goals, training, nutrition and her o...

Our first expert episode features Dr. Ankit Shah, a renowned sports cardiologist who delves into the relationship between exercise and heart health. We explore topics including atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, max heart rate, and the impact of exercise on heart disease. We also touch on training, sleep, and aging, providing insights into maintaining heart health as aging athletes. Enj...

Hear about Alice Greene's journey into track and field competition in her 50s, her training routine, and her achievements in senior games and national events. Alice shares her experience as a senior athlete, discussing her family's involvement in sports, her motivation, and her approach to training and competition. Alice is living proof that it's never too late to start exercising and competing in...

Join Hilary Cairns and Michael Wardian as they catch up on recent adventures, training, and insights from their latest interviews. They share personal stories, training tips, and reflections on staying active and motivated as they age.

Sixty year-old Tammy Albanese shares her journey from dance and cheerleading to bodybuilding and now powerlifting. She discusses the ins and outs of powerlifting, how she has set records, and the impact of injuries on her training. Tammy shares what motivates her, how she transformed herself after potentially career-ending injuries and other health issues resolved through hard training and a vegan...

Gene was a self-described mediocre runner in college, but he started racing again in his 50s and proceeded to get faster and faster. He improved his marathon times throughout his 60s, eventually running the fastest marathon ever by a 70 year old, a mind-blowing 2:54, which is 6:38 per mile for those of you wondering. In addition to his marathon prowess, Gene has set multiple age group records in u...

In this episode Michael and Hilary recap their races at Cherry Blossom--the USA Track & Field 10-Mile Championship--along with some other races and training. They also touch on coaching, books, and what's on their horizons.

Nicholas Thompson is the CEO of The Atlantic , an accomplished ultrarunner, and proof that getting older doesn’t mean backing off big goals. In this episode of Aging Athletically , Nick talks with us about balancing high-level work and high-level training, what still drives him to compete, and how curiosity, discipline, and endurance continue to fuel performance in midlife and beyond. He also shar...

Welcome to Aging Athletically! In this first episode we introduce ourselves and talk about a little of this and a little of that. Michael is a pro ultrarunner and Hilary is a long-time competitive endurance athlete in triathlon, running and most recently, Hyrox. Thanks for joining us at the beginning!

In this episode we go more in-depth on who we are and some goals for the year.

We interviewed our longtime friend and pillar of the DC running community, Chris Farley. We discuss Chris's history in the sport, what running means to him, how he keeps at it, while also learning about the growth of Pacers Running.

In this episode we interview Rich Rouhonen and learn how he defied expectations by competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics at age 54. He shares the physical, mental and strategic approach that has sustained his elite athletic career alongside a demanding role as a trial attorney. From curling strategy to courtroom psychology, Rich reveals how resilience, discipline and adaptability can unlock excell...

Today we interview Hyrox star and coach Amy Bevilacqua. Amy shares the athletic journey she started as a young girl all the way to her current passion at age 52. In addition to being an elite athlete, Amy is a mom of 5! We discuss all things Hyrox, training and taking on new challenges.

After the release of 4 episodes and time for some listener feedback, we check in about how the podcast is going, what's going on in our lives, and what's coming up.