Bassmaster Elite Series pro Aaron Martens turned 40 years old last Friday and he says he’s in the best physical shape of his life.
One of the main reasons for that is he started on a steady running regimen last year and he’s to the point now where he’s in the midst of training for his first marathon – the Philadelphia Marathon on Nov. 18.
“I’ve been talking about doing a marathon for 2 or 3 years,” he said.
He completed a half marathon in Birmingham, Ala., back in February, finishing in 1 hour, 42 minutes (a sub 8-minute-per-mile average) and that’s given him the confidence to take the next step.
“It was a hilly course and my goal was to get an under 8 (average),” he said. “Considering I couldn’t run and was terrible last year when I started, where I’m at now, it feels good.”
He said he picked up running as a way to stay fit since he’s not burning calories fishing the way he used to.
“It’s a good way to clear your mind,” he said. “I needed to get out there and do something besides fish. I need to stay in shape.”
He sticks to his regimen, refusing to take days off even during tournaments. For example, he ran 6 miles after day 1 of the Oneida Lake Elite Series at “race pace,” then had an “easy run” on Saturday before getting in 13 miles on Sunday.
When he lived in California, he used to mountain bike 50 miles a week and he’s been working that into his routine now as well. As for turning 40, it’s just a number to the two-time Elite Series winner.
“If you know me, it doesn’t mean anything,” he said.
