Marysville man proves age is just a number

Larry McDonald, of Marysville, took second place in the 1,500-meter run during the Ohio Senior Olympics over the weekend giving him a shot at competing in the National Senior Olympics slated for next year.

Several athletes from about the state ventured to Westerville this past weekend to partake in the Ohio Senior Olympics 2022 State Games. It was a sunny day at Otterbein University making field and track conditions hot as the morning progressed.

McDonald, along with around 30 athletes, competed in the 1,500-meter run. The 68-year-old competed in the 65-69 age category and was joined by six others with the start time set for 11:30 a.m. Saturday.

The Marysville resident finished in the top four, claiming second place with a time of 5:52.06. He finished ahead of Tom Freeman of Kent (6:17.74) with Patrick Miller of Kettering taking first place (5:42.02).

While he qualified for nationals, the Oklahoma native was seemingly unsatisfied but happy he was able to finish in the top four.

“It was a mixture,” McDonald said regarding his second place finish. “I was a little disappointed that I didn’t win because I ran with the leader for two, laps and he started to really accelerate on the third lap.”

While he was unhappy with second place, he was happy with his level of performance overall stating, “I felt like I gave a full effort.”

It was a warm day on Saturday giving all competitors just another thing to worry about when it came to their events with temperatures around mid-80 degrees and sunny. The only good aspect of the weather was the lack of wind.

“I do not like to run into the wind,” McDonald said adding that winds were about 5 mph. “For any distance for me, that was hot… I would’ve preferred it to be 60 degrees than 85 degrees.”

Just like the famous musical depicts, the State of Oklahoma presents blusterous weather, something that McDonald got sick of during his days as a resident. He shared that he enjoys the days in Ohio when the wind goes down below 10 mph.

However, the heat at the state games became a factor he had to be wary of. Learning a few tricks over the years, he took a water jug to the event and poured cool water over his head as he started to prep his body for the race.

“Right before the race, I did that again just to keep my body temperature down,” McDonald said. “Plus… I made sure I was hydrated very well.”

Prior to Saturday’s event, the journey to the state games started about 10 years ago after McDonald chose to reignite his passion for running.

“It’s really good for me,” McDonald said. “I turned 68 [on Monday] and I started again back when I was 58.”

McDonald is no stranger to competitive running, however, with his passion starting when he was 15 years old as an athlete at Broken Arrow High School located in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

He then transitioned to the college level competing at Eastern Junior College before transferring his sophomore year to Southwestern State, an NAIA institution. Even after his college days, he kept churning those feet around his native state.

“I competed in local road races around the Tulsa area until my mid-30s,” McDonald said adding that he is a naturally competitive person. “I don’t just usually go out for a jog just for the fun of it… I have to keep a goal out in front of me to keep me motivated.”

The Oklahoma native stepped away from running in his mid-30s and did not run for the next 20 years. It was not until his late 50s when he chose to pick up running again after falling off the fitness wagon.

“I added some weight and was not in shape at all,” McDonald explained. “When I was 58, I made the decision to start running again and start getting in shape… what motivated me was to try and run a mile under six minutes at age 60.”

He went on to say that it took a long time for his body to get reacclimated and though his mind was sharp and ready for the challenge, some care needed to be placed on his vessel, which got stronger over time thanks to practice and repetition.

“It takes a long time in distance running to let your body build up the aerobic capacity to be able to do what I am doing now,” McDonald shared.

The 68-year-old’s next competitive running event, he thinks, will be the Dublin Dash, which is a one-mile race on the road, held in early August.

However, the next race he is slated to compete in will be Marysville’s next summer series meet set for July 13 — organized by the MHS track and field program.

“I plan on running the 1,600 meters there and the 800 meters,” McDonald said.

He will also continue to train his mile distance times before taking a break sometime this year. After his body recovers for some time, he plans on training for a 5K race this upcoming fall season.

The National Senior Games are slated for July of next year and will take place in Pittsburgh, according to the Ohio Senior Olympics.

“I will start building up again in December and hit it pretty hard in January with long-range goal of being in the best possible shape in July of 2023,” McDonald noted.

For someone who stepped away for their competitive side from several years, McDonald is focused now more than event with his sights set on being the best version of himself. For those in similar circumstances, he shared that the biggest aspect is “to be patient.”

“I was not,” McDonald said jokingly. “When I got back into running my mind kept thinking, ‘You can do this, you used to do this,’ and I had several injuries I battled through because I tried to do too much too soon.”