Our October 2024 Iron Ager of the Month is Ian Tonks.
Ian has been into fitness his entire life. The past 40 years has been an ongoing journey between strength training and running – trying to find the right balance between the two that suited his lifestyle at the time.
Currently, Ian primarily works out with kettle bells. He typically runs 4 days week.
The kettle bell days (usually 2 – 3 times a week) focus on push, pull, hinge, squat and carry movements. His run days (usually 4 times a week) average between 5 and 10k distances.
Like many of us, he used to run and lift to chase PB’s, but now it’s more abut mental health, and to be there for the people who need him the most. He wants to continue the fitness journey, in some form, for another 20 years.
In 2022, Ian completed a Spartan Beast, which is typically 13+ miles with dozens and dozens of obstacles. He’s less focused on results these days – it’s all about preserving muscle mass and running for the love of it (“even though it’s hard”) … although the racing bug still shows up once in a while (he has a 10k race this weekend). He is also looking to get a marathon and an ultra-marathon checked off his bucket list – the 1/2 marathon has already been checked off multiple times.
Again, like many of us, injuries have occurred along the journey. He recently suffered a shoulder rotator cuff tear and shoulder bursitis – and has ben rehabbing for the past two months. In his younger days, he would have not taken much advice from a PT, but now he is relentless with his physio so he can get back to functioning the way he is used to (being active truly is crucial to his mental health).
Prior to his rotator cuff tear, he I could do a 32KG Turkish getup – “no problem at 58”! It’s his favorite movement because it requires an amazing mix of strength, balance, coordination , flexibility and awareness, “most people don’t realize what a beneficial movement it is when done properly.”
What lessons can Ian give to others on the fitness journey?
Three things (in his words):
- At my age now it’s not about chasing numbers or results – it’s about being as healthy as I can for those that need me and for living an active healthy life style as I age. I have always said, I do this today so I can still do this 20 years from now.
- I got away for years and years with an average diet and was still quite fit and active. There will come a time where you won’t be able to get away with that. For me it was around 52, and the reality set in that my ability to recover from a workout in a timely manner started to be dictated by what I ate. It becomes more important each year. I still struggle with this at times, to be honest.
- I have been doing this for years and the key has and always will be consistency and discipline. There is no secret formula or hack. Just go run, go lift something and repeat. Build the mindset that a run or workout is non negotiable. It’s for you, it’s an investment in your health (physical or mental). You can get a good workout or run done in 30 minutes. That’s all most of us need. Stick to the basics, stop getting attracted to all the fancy stuff out there and as Dan John would say “Eat like an adult.”
Follow Ian on Instagram: @ianrunliftrun
CLICK HERE to nominate someone (or yourself) to be featured as an Iron Ager of the Month.
BACK to Newsletter
…
