EP 787: Aging as an Athlete- What Climbers Know About Longevity That Runners Need

What if getting older doesn’t mean doing less, but doing it better? In this installment of the Aging as an Athlete series, legendary ultrarunner Krissy Moehl welcomes longtime climber and Patagonia ambassador Kate Rutherford for a conversation about longevity, purpose, and evolving with age. Kate shares how decades of climbing taught her that technical skill, efficiency, and joy can eventually outweigh youthful strength and endurance. The discussion explores everything from body awareness and recovery to nutrition, community, and why learning to focus on what truly matters becomes one of the greatest athletic advantages. Whether you’re a runner, climber, or simply hoping to stay active for life, this episode offers a refreshing perspective on growing older without giving up adventure.

Kate is a long time professional climber, artist, advocate for wilderness, eater of leafy organic greens, president of  Farm To Crag, and product line manager at Patagonia. Her passion for climbing has taken her all over the world including first ascents on Fitz Roy in Patagonia, Kenya, Iran, and Venezuela, a free ascent of El Capitan’s Free Rider. She has had the opportunity to work with some amazing organizations, including Patagonia, La Sportiva, Edelrid, Black Diamond, Clif Bar, the Access Fund, and the American Alpine club. The combination of climbing, a biology degree from the Colorado College, rural homesteading in Alaska, subsistence hunting and fishing, carrots from Mom’s garden, and watching organic regenerative agriculture’s ability to combat climate change, has led me to co-found Farm to Crag. It is the perfect blend of climbing, stories, farms, maps, organic greens, environmental activism, and dinner parties.

Check out Farm to Crag

Episode Sponsor:

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If we use yours on a weekly episode, you get a pair of the new Sanctum SL glasses!

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TimeStamps

00:00 | Growing Older Without Growing Smaller

Krissy introduces climber Kate Rutherford and explores how aging can expand our relationship with movement instead of limiting it.

09:00 | Community, Trust, and Doing Hard Things

Kate explains the unique culture of climbing and why shared challenges create lifelong bonds.

17:00 | Trading Strength for Skill

The conversation explores how technical ability, efficiency, and body awareness become greater assets than raw physical power.

28:00 | The Power of Staying Present

From climbing walls to mountain trails, focusing on the next move instead of the finish line changes everything.

39:00 | Why Power Training Matters More With Age

Kate shares how short, intentional strength work has helped her continue pursuing big mountain objectives.

48:00 | Fueling for a Lifetime Outdoors

Nutrition, recovery, and whole foods become central themes as the discussion shifts toward long-term health and performance.

56:00 | Building a Legacy Beyond Sport

The episode closes with Farm to Crag, environmental stewardship, and the idea that the greatest adventures are those that strengthen both people and places.