In 1997 and 1999, I saw my first two Rolling Stones shows. They’re my favorite band for going on twenty-something years and back then, I assumed those concerts could have been part of their last tour. They’ve had several tours since then and this past weekend, I managed to see my third show. Even with a pre-sale access code, getting tickets to it was a marathon, not a sprint. To be more specific, from the moment I logged onto Ticketmaster to when I got the glorious message “The Tickets Are Yours” it took seventy-five minutes. This is seventeen minutes longer than the men’s half-marathon world record and eleven minutes longer than the women’s.
During my first two shows, some dismissed the band as “old” and past its prime. Two decades later, people marvel at their longevity as they defy time and expectations over and over again. They pack stadiums full of fans. The fervor of expectation sends all 70,000-plus into a frenzy as they start small pre-show tasks, like sending a sound-check man to the stage, or when they dim the lights and their appearance is only moments away. When they actually come on stage, the explosion of screams and dancing shakes the stadium to the point where it’s difficult to identify the opening number, and it doesn’t matter. You’re at a Stones concert and they are rock legends on multiple levels. They not only play from their deep catalog of favorites, they perform at high energy. While many classic rock acts still tour, none can be said to bring it like the Stones. They electrify the stadium for two hours.
How does this all relate to running? You’ll be there in about the amount of time it takes Wayde van Niekirk to run 400M. Mick Jagger especially defies all assumptions about aging as he struts, dances, and runs with remarkable agility around the stage throughout the two hours. There are several ways that allow him to accomplish this.
Despite a rock-star lifestyle of booze and drugs through the sixties, seventies, and early eighties, he has always been committed to maintaining some level of physical fitness. Starting in the nineties, he largely veered off the traditional rock star lifestyle and since that time has incorporated a variety of activities and dietary choices that keep him limber and in phenomenal shape. These include organic foods, extensive yoga, ballet, kickboxing, core and strength training, and running.
In preparing for a tour, he currently will run up to eight miles per day including distance and sprints. In the past, he reportedly ran ten miles or more per day in preparation. When you see him moving on the stage, you can see why he would need to do this. The stage is large and he goes to all parts of it multiple times during the show. There are varied estimates on how much ground he covers during a concert but it’s easily several miles and he’s doing so while singing. Lung power is critical and thus running is an ideal form of tour preparation to keep his legs in shape and lungs in sync.
Most of us don’t need to maintain that kind of endurance and eight miles a day is significant mileage. I suspect most medical professionals would say that some shorter distance or amount of time running would be adequate for fitness purposes for the majority of people. But, it points to the power of running that it forms a long-term and core segment of Jagger’s tour preparation. I can’t promise you’ll have moves like Jagger if you take up and keep a running routine, but it clearly can be a huge asset in maintaining fitness throughout your life.
Running food review of the week: (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race): Honey Stinger Vanilla: One taste of this took me back to the fall of 1998 when I was training for the Columbus Marathon and had mail-ordered, with a check, a case of Vanilla PowerGel. Fast-forward twenty-one years and to a different product that tastes the exact same and does a remarkably good job at energy delivery. I have no idea how it stacks up against the current PowerGel but the Honey Stinger version is one I would definitely use again and based on results, I don’t think it’s nostalgia.
Sources used:
https://www.quora.com/How-does-Mick-Jagger-stay-in-such-great-shape
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayde_van_Niekerk
*Title was shown twice. Post was edited to remove one of them.