Sunday, June 5, 2011

Growing Old Disgracefully

I went out for a little run today - the first in what seems like forever (okay it was only 6 days but it felt like forever) Can you forget how to run in such a short time?

I started off and my legs felt like I'd borrowed them from a wino who'd been hitting the sauce pretty hard. They felt wobbly - and not in a I've-piled-on-the-pounds-and-got-massive-cellulity-thighs kind of way. They just didn't feel quite normal. But they did warm up quickly and my lungs behaved themselves perfectly well. And apart from an unscheduled toilet stop (what the? I'd gone before I'd left home and this was only 2.5k in) it turned out to be not too bad a run. I am, however, expecting tomorrow's speed session to be challenging.

One of the reasons why I enjoyed my run today (apart from the fact that I've been incapable for a week)was because of the inspiration I got from a story that my sister told me yesterday. My sister, Julie is a rower and has been competing at the master's championships down in Tasmania. Tasmania is our southern-most state and is definitely our coldest. They were competing on Lake Barrington where the water temperature is 2C. One unfortunate 75 year old lady ended up taking an unexpected dip just before her race was to start. It took a while to fish her out but once she was out she didn't retire to a nice warm spot to prevent hypothermia. She got herself back into her scull - wet clothes and all - and waited for the starters horn. She won her 1000m race by 20 seconds but she wasn't done yet. She got out of her scull ran over to a pontoon where her teammates were waiting for her and proceeded to race in a quad scull. She won that one too.

Most 75 year olds I know are starting to get old. They might already be in retirement villages - not her. This woman was a testament to the importance of keeping active and having a never-say-die attitude. I really want to be like her when I grow up.

12 comments:

  1. Good story! I love older athletes who have such spirit.

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  2. SHE is 75? Man, she looks incredible!! Excellent story...and I agree, I'd love to be competing at 75...hell, I'd love to be competing right now at a very slighty younger age!! :)

    You weren't talking about me with the "I've-piled-on-the-pounds-and-got-massive-cellulity-thighs" by chance, were you?

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  3. I want to be like her when I grow up, whenever that will be.

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  4. Nice post! What a great athlete considering that she is 75 yers old!
    Have a nice training!

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  5. Old people like that always inspires me. I hope I can inspire people when I'm 75 as well.

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  6. When I am 75 I want to be dead...

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  7. Now THAT is some motivation right there! I am going to remind myself of that story when I need to SUCK IT UP!

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  8. Loved this. Awesome.

    Love the hippo/sauce analogy. :)

    Our family [we've never met] is in Brisbane. In the mountain area, apparently.

    Can't wait!!

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  9. i really believe that we get stronger in many ways as we age because our mental toughness grows

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  10. Met too! I want to be like this when I am 75! :) Great topic here! :)

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  11. I needed to read this so thanks. Age is a number not a way of life. She does look amazing! Bet her Luna Moons are nice too! :D

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