{"id":794674,"date":"2026-10-07T09:28:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T09:28:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/794674\/"},"modified":"2026-10-07T09:28:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T09:28:13","slug":"how-i-keep-my-workout-routine-smart-and-sustainable-at-54","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/794674\/","title":{"rendered":"‘How I Keep My Workout Routine Smart and Sustainable at 54’"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Estimated6 min read<\/p>\n

Being active wasn\u2019t just something I loved growing up\u2014it was all I had. I grew up poor in an unstable household, watching my father use his strength to have power over my mother. I had to decide what strength would mean in my life, and decided to put it into sport. I learned that I had the power to become who I wanted to be, and when things felt beyond my control, I relied on my body and its abilities. Running became my constant\u2014I was naturally fast, but more importantly, I loved how it made me feel. It gave me a sense of freedom and taught me that even when I couldn\u2019t control my circumstances, I could control the effort I put in.<\/p>\n

Then, when I was 19, I was hit by a car while riding my motorcycle, crushing my foot between the two vehicles. I underwent countless surgeries over the next two years, but ultimately had to have my left leg amputated below the knee at 21. The accident changed how I saw my life\u2014I suddenly had to figure out how to live in a new body while building the life I wanted. My world was turned upside down, but I knew I had to pivot my mindset from focusing on what I lost to what I could still do.<\/p>\n

So, once I was cleared to start walking again, I taught myself how to move with a prosthetic leg. (I wasn\u2019t able to work with a physical therapist on a structured rehab program.) Over the following months, I slowly increased my walking distance while building stamina, stability, and coordination. I kept trying to run, which felt painful, foreign, and exhausting, but I continued showing up and was eventually able to run longer distances.<\/p>\n

For the next several years, I ran almost every day. It was a source of peace, giving me a sense of clarity and stability. But when I was 32, I was ready to kick it up a notch, so I trained on my own to run my first half-marathon<\/a> by continually increasing my mileage; I even placed second in my division. From there, I progressed to full marathons<\/a> and triathlons, even breaking records for a below-knee amputee in the 2006 Columbus and Chicago Marathons. Two years later, I ran my first 100-mile ultramarathon.<\/p>\n

Since then, over the past 18 years, I\u2019ve run countless races\u2014but the goal has never been to collect medals. My goal is to never be the same athlete I was yesterday, but instead, to become stronger, smarter, and more capable. Along the way, that consistency in sport has changed far more than my athletic abilities\u2014it is tied to how I mother, how I work, how I help others, and how I respond when life hurts. But sport has also given me an outlet for stress and a sense of purpose and confidence. The discipline of showing up, even on days when I don\u2019t feel like it, has carried into all areas of my life, teaching me that small, consistent efforts can add up to meaningful change over time.<\/p>\n

Now, at 54, I train for races by combining running with full-body strength training and conditioning.<\/p>\n

Over the past year, I trained for the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) World Series, an ultramarathon through the Alps that runners have to complete in 46 hours and 30 minutes. I had attempted it three times before, but each time, I came up short. This year, I went back stronger and more determined than ever.<\/p>\n

To prepare, I prioritized training strength and endurance with my incredible coach, Evan Amendola<\/a>, at OG Training Academy<\/a>, a local group training club in Lindenhurst, New York. For most of my life, I trained on my own, but I wanted a more tailored approach to my goals. I also wanted a teammate who could safely push me beyond my comfort zone while helping me build strength and endurance in a smart, sustainable way.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what a typical week of exercise looked like:<\/p>\n

I approached every workout, set, and rep with the same mentality: push beyond where I was the day before. I didn\u2019t expect every workout to be a breakthrough, but I needed each one to move me forward. Evan always brought it back to one question: \u201cDo you really want to stay the same?\u201d Difficulty isn\u2019t always a signal to stop\u2014sometimes it\u2019s exactly where I find out who I can become.<\/p>\n

Recovery was just as important as the training itself. I stretched daily and did at least one myofascial release session each week, a hands-on therapy using targeted pressure to release tension in the muscles. I also paid close attention to my nutrition, focusing on whole foods with plenty of protein and carbohydrates. Lean meats, rice, sweet potatoes, and oatmeal were my go-tos.<\/p>\n

\"Ellipse\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I need a shoe that can go wherever I go, for whatever distance I decide to take it. These provide the cushioning, comfort, and support I need to feel good mile after mile.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately though, I didn\u2019t cross the finish line at UTMB because of an issue with my prosthetic. After 91 miles and 39 hours, my race came to an end. That hurt\u2014I didn\u2019t travel across the world to see how far I could get; I went there to finish and was extremely disappointed. Still, the experience showed me how much my training had prepared me and gave me insight about what I need to work on before I go back next year.<\/p>\n

These three factors help me stay strong as I train:1. I surround myself with people who are willing to go the distance with me.<\/p>\n

For most of my life, I trained on my own. I taught myself how to walk and run with a prosthetic, built my own training plans, and coached myself through every setback. But I\u2019ve found my people in Coach Evan, my family, and the crews who have stood beside me when I had almost nothing left. I don\u2019t need people who look at something difficult or different and ask, \u201cWhy would you do that?\u201d I need people willing to ask, \u201cWhy not?\u201d They challenge me, believe in me when I\u2019m struggling to, and help me figure out a way forward when my original plan falls apart.<\/p>\n

2. I break big goals into smaller, more manageable steps. <\/p>\n

After my accident, I had to learn to stand before I could walk, walk before I could run, and run before I could race. I still attack enormous goals the same way. During a Spartan Death Race (a mental and physical endurance race) in Vermont in 2019, I had to lead exhausted people through 3,000 synchronized burpees after more than 40 hours in the wilderness. Later, I spent roughly 12 hours crawling under razor-sharp barbed wire with one leg. I learned to stop thinking about the whole race and just do the next burpee, keep crawling, or simply take the next step.<\/p>\n

Whether I\u2019m facing 250 miles, 30,000 feet of elevation, or simply a hard day of training, I don\u2019t need to know exactly how I\u2019ll get to the finish. I just need to focus on what\u2019s in front of me.<\/p>\n

3. I don\u2019t let failure stop me\u2014I pivot.<\/p>\n

Failure hurts. Injury hurts. Watching something I worked for disappear hurts. But when I fail, I learn from it, change what I can, and get back to work.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned that progress rarely comes in a straight line. I\u2019ve had races I didn\u2019t finish, goals that took longer than expected, and times when my body forced me to change how I trained. But each setback has taught me something, whether it was the need to recover more, train differently, or simply be patient with the process. Instead of seeing those moments as evidence that I can\u2019t do something, I see them as opportunities to learn and adapt. For example, after coming up short at UTMB this year, I used the experience to identify what I could control, adjust how I prepared, and come back better equipped for my next attempt in 2027.<\/p>\n

For me, strength isn\u2019t about never failing or always being at my peak. It\u2019s about being willing to start again, change course when necessary, and keep finding out what I\u2019m capable of. Strength is protecting the little girl I was before the world told her what she could not be, while fighting for the woman I have not become yet. I will fail. I will get hurt. I will pivot. But I will never let any of it dim the light inside me.<\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Andi Breitowich is a freelance writer who covers health, fitness, relationships, beauty, and smart living. She is a graduate of Emory University and Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Her work has appeared in\u00a0Women’s Health,\u00a0POPSUGAR,\u00a0Food & Wine,\u00a0What To Expect,\u00a0Cosmopolitan,\u00a0Men’s Health, and elsewhere.\u00a0As a\u00a0former collegiate pole vaulter, she loves all things fitness and has yet to meet a group workout class she doesn’t like.<\/p>\n