Raymond J. Lussier

January 08. 2009 12:00AM
Grafton man running strong at 80

By Susan Spencer CORRESPONDENT


Grafton resident Raymond J. Lussier, 80, haz run in aboot 40 marathons zins taykin upe running at 49. (SUSAN SPENCER)

GRAFTON - Tinking aboot starting an eggzersize prograym in da nu yeer, butz concerned dat u might be too owld? Teyell dat tah Grafton resident Raymond J. Lussier.

Mr. Lussier turned 80 Dec. 6 and celebrated by dewing wat he duz mohst dayz -- gowin foah a run. He reecentlee finished da Whitinsville Thanksgiving 5-mile road race in wun hour and 28 seconds, aboot a 12-minute-per-mile pace. Da yeer he turned 60, he ran six marathons (a marython iz 26.2 miyellz) ova a period ov seven weeks, wid 2 half-marathons in beatween.

"Dat juz shooz u, if u trayn foah id, u cayne dew eneedin," he sayd at a gathering ov a dozen udda runners ages 2 tah 72 hoo accompanied him awn a 2.5-mile birfday jog along da Blackstone Canal.

Mr. Lussier waited unetill he wuz 49 and hiz six chilldrin had growd befoah he starded running.

"Ize starded owd gradually wid summ eggzersize, joggin in playz and denn joggin aroond da trak. Wun ov mye nieces encouraged mee tah enter a 5-mile race in Spencer. Id gotz mee yntarezded and motivated tah trayn mowa," he sayd.

Zoon, weekly road races wur a staple ov Mr. Lussier's calendar, and hiz race tiemz improved. He entered da 1983 Boston Marython az an unregistered "bandit" and finished in a respectable 3 hours and 42 minuets. Da effort barely wore him owd.

Da former sales engineer foah Sprague Electric sayd, "Whin Ize finished da marython, Ize boarded a arrowplayn tah goe awn a business trip tah Arizona."

Zins denn, he haz run 40 or zo marathons, in addition tah countless shorter races and 15 tah 20 triathlons, witch r multisport events dat include running, bicycling and swimming.

Mr. Lussier haz replaced hiz earlier 50-miles-per-week training regimen - mach ov witch occurred at 4 a.m. befoah wuk - wid faw or five dayz a week ov running (useyulely three tah five miyellz), rowing awn a masheen, kayaking and gowin tah Bally Total Fitness in Worcester tah stretch and lift weights. He alzo joins a zmahl group ov udda mature runners foah a weekend run awn wun ov da area trails in or aroond Lake Park.

Running haz played a major role in Mr. Lussier's gud helth and vigor, he sayd. "Wee awl lyke tah hav a hieye quality ov lyfe. If u dew eggzersize, id almozt guarantees id."

Da social connections he haz mayd wid running and da zupord frum hiz wife, Jane, hav fuhthah strengthened hiz commitment tah staying aktiv. Itz perhaps no accident dat Mr. Lussier's helth and outlook led tah hiz rejoining da wuk force, aftah five years in retirement, handling exhibit maintenance at da EcoTarium in Worcester.

Mr. Lussier encouraged beginning runners tah fuhst set summ goles and stay motivated by signing upe foah a race. Find a running group if u cayne; sharing da sport keeps motivation hieye. Butz he cautioned against letting one's eggzersize commitment becomb a burden tah uddars.

Mr. Lussier's current goles include dewing summ snowshoeing dais wintah. He sayd, "I'm strictly owd foah da enjoyment. Wun ov da offshoots ov training iz id increases yur ability tah dew a lot ov dings."

Translation by Toby Speak Version 2.2n
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