The Inner Athlete

I’ve never been involved in athletics of any kind. I grew up in the 60’s & 70’s and I was always more closely associated with the “anti-jock” groups in school. I think the only activity that I’ve participated in that even resembles sport is bowling.

So imagine my surprise when, at the age of 50+, I’d been referred to as an athlete. In fact I distinctly remember attending a spin class and as an instructor commented on my abilities as an “athlete”, I started contemplating what it meant to be an athlete. I wondered if I really did fall into that category. I’m still surprised, but I do proudly and wholeheartedly embrace the moniker.

In the process of losing that 90+ pounds in 2005, I spent a large number of hours on the elliptical and the Stairmaster step machines. I was particularly fond of the Stairmaster because I believed it burnt the most calories and it would therefore get me to my goal that much faster. Many days I’d spend 60 to 90 minutes (and occasionally more) grinding out floor after floor. One thing I remember that had piqued my interest after my rather grueling workouts was the amazingly satisfying feeling I got at the end when the Stairmaster would spit out my workout statistics and finish the entire event with the large red flashing LED message: “GOAL COMPLETED”. I do believe that the regular victories associated with regular workouts are the beginning of embracing an athletic lifestyle.

It didn’t take long however until I started keeping score. 170 floors for 30min. , 220 for 45, etc. etc. I started keeping track and would find myself pushing for new records (I believe my best record was like 230 floors in 30 min.). My very first encounter with my inner athlete (I believe) was when I met the guy inside my head who would push up the Stairmaster level and make it harder even when I didn’t want to just so I could better my number of floors in 30 min!

After I reached my goal weight the last week of 2005, I was getting bored with the same grind on the elliptical and Stairmaster. I remember trying to run my first mile around my neighborhood. I was pleased that I could do it in less than10 minutes. My first organized race was the inaugural “Smile with Me 5k” in Strongsville. What happened there was a major encouragement to keep on running… I actually won my age group. Little did I know then that the time of 26:19 was really pretty average, but it did make it considerably more rewarding. I have to say that I have yet to see a weaker age group showing in any race since!

 No matter what the circumstances of that race were, I do still greatly enjoy drinking out my first place trophy mug that I won that day.

The reason I’d picked this topic today is because of my more recent experiences with finding this ‘inner athlete” and more importantly, what this discovery has meant in my life. I am convinced that every person has their own athletic persona that can make its discovery within ones self, in a manner of speaking, a matter of life and death. In making this bold statement, I’d first ask you to consider these two things I’ve discovered about life.

1. You can NEVER escape change.
2. Your change will ALWAYS involve only one of two possible directions. You’re either growing or you’re dying.

So, what I’m saying is that through the challenges brought about by a athletic perspective on life, you’re giving yourself an opportunity to continually GROW. Every time you achieve a new PR (Personal Record) in any particular endeavor, you are getting better in body, mind and spirit. So, when I commit myself to adhering to an athletic lifestyle, I’m talking about growth as a person. I’m talking about mental growth, physical growth, emotional growth and spiritual growth.

A living hero of mine and a perfect example of what I'm proposing is a Nun from Washington State. Her name is Sister Madonna Buder and she is an Ironman Triathlete. What makes her special to me is the fact that she only started running when she was 49 years old. It wasn’t long after that she started triathlons. She has HUNDREDS of various distance triathlons completed and has finished more than 20 Ironman distance events. Last year, at the age of 79 she became the oldest person to finish the Ironman distance triathlon.. That is a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile (Cleveland to Columbus+) bike ride, and a full 26.2 mile marathon, all in less than 17 hours from start to finish. I’m sure that Madonna would recognize the value that I attribute to the “inner athlete”.

In order to discover your inner athlete I can give the following suggestions:
1. Get out and MOVE
2. It doesn’t matter your times or distances… what matters is that you better you time/distance the NEXT time you go out.
3. You’re always competing against YOURSELF. The PR is the evidence that you’re actually improving. If you concentrate on competing with yourself, the numbers will ultimately show a respectable placement when you compete against others.
4. Track your times and PR’s and look back often. You’ll be amazed at your progress.
5. Always try new things. Learn to swim, ride a bike, play soccer, climb stairs, row, run, a 5k or attempt a triathlon. You’re NEVER too old to try a new sport or activity. Find a fitness regimen like Crossfit or the PX90. The goal is to keep growing… when you reach a plateau or a wall in one endeavor, move on to another and return to your jettisoned sport at a later date (you might be surprised where you’ll end up).
6. Never fear failure of defeat. My athletic failures and defeats are many. Each time I try a new endeavor, I KNOW with out a doubt that I’ll be better off than I was before my attempt. The only people who never fail are those that never do ANYTHING.

This has been an interesting “beerless week”. I’ve pretty much stayed on course with my fitness goals and have accomplished the following:

Versa Climber - 1 mile
Running - 11 miles
Swimming - 4,000 meters
Rowing - 27,093 meters
Biking - 70 minutes
Stairs 100 floors
Crossfit
WOD #1 - 3 Rds. 21/15/9 Body Weight Dead Lifts/Burpees - Cool down Grace x 2
WOD #2 - 4 Rounds 40 Wall Ball/20 Pullups (Kicked My A$$)
WOD #3 - 5 Rnds 10 Box Jumps, 15 Situps, 10 KB Swings each arm (alt. every 10)
Cool Down 500m row/rest 1m /500m row
My Current Weight is 162.5lbs.
16,882 kcal Consumed
7,256 kcal Burned During Exercise
9,626 kcal Net (Consumed - Burned)
Daily Goal 2,088 (maintenance)
Weekly Goal 14,616
Deficit 4,990kcal (about 1.5 lb of fat)