Pepi Sánchez (Josefa Sánchez Quintana, Antequera 1950), breaks all stereotypes about when to start exercising. At 56 she climbed onto a bicycle for the first time without knowing how to ride. “I crashed into all the containers that were on the fairgrounds, but I learned.” Afterwards she rode across Europe on bike and, at 60, she began to run. Now retired, she met her trainer, Malu Baena, and discovered track competition. Today, at 76, she still trains six days a week. In 2020 she was Andalusia and Spain champion in the 400 and 800 meters in her category. Pepi proves that age can add experience, but it doesn’t have to subtract enthusiasm, strength, or the desire to improve. Recently she made headlines by earning the world title in the F75 category for 400 meters, a title she won in Daegu (South Korea).
Train to Stay Strong
Her week blends two track days, two gym days and two days on asphalt, with ups, stairs, intervals and pace changes. She also does easy runs, active recovery, and cycling, an activity she keeps up almost daily.
“I do two strength sessions. Squats with a bar, deadlifts, jumps and machines. Strength not only helps you run faster, it also protects the joints, prevents injuries, and keeps you independent as the years go by.”
Her essentials are clear: strength, mobility, running technique, active recovery, and listening to the body.
Eat Simply, Train, and Keep Learning
Pepi opts for a simple Mediterranean diet: legumes, vegetables, salads, potatoes, rice, eggs, chicken, fish, tuna, and sardines. Dinner early and she usually undertakes fasts of about 16 hours. Among her supplements is creatine, taken daily, and magnesium at night. “I really notice the creatine since I started taking it.” She also knows what it means to stop. She has suffered plantar fasciitis and a hamstring injury that forced her to rest and undergo physiotherapy. “I’ve recovered and I’m perfectly fine.”
“Getting Off the Sofa Is What Matters”
For Pepi, longevity isn’t merely about adding years; it’s about keeping the will to live. She continues learning English and computing, participates in Antequera’s Heritage activities, rides bikes with her friends, and enjoys sewing.
“There are days when it’s hard for me to get going, but I push myself because I know in five minutes I’ll pass and I’ll be running.” And she is clear about the message she wants to convey to those who think they are too old to start: “Get up from the sofa and do something. You don’t have to run: walk, Pilates, cycling… whatever you enjoy.”.
Her secret, she says, is simple: “My will to live. I love training, and I like getting up and feeling no pain.”
HER ACTIVE WEEK
2 days · Dirt track
2 days · Gym and strength
2 days · Hills, stairs, intervals and pace changes
+ · Cycling, easy runs and active recovery
1 day · Rest or very light activity
HER QUOTE
«Come on, Pepa, run, run. The more you run, the sooner you arrive».
