A bunch of people I know are racing in Ironman USA this Sunday in Lake Placid. These are dedicated (some would say obsessed) individuals who've put in at least a year of training so that they can have the privilege of swimming 3.8km, riding their bikes 180km and running a marathon...all in the same day!
Yikes!
The folks who do this kind of stuff are pretty special. A lot of them are life-long athletes who regard Ironman as just another extreme challenge to tackle. The majority though, came to this whole notion of fitness later in their lives. Take a look at the results from any Ironman, or even the K-Town Tri...the 40-60 year olds are the ones who drive this thing.
New stats out show that our population is not only ageing, it's doing it in ways your grandparents never imagined. People are getting fitter as they age, and they're taking up sports that used to be for young people.
I've had the humbling experience of having a 76-year-old man blast by me on the bike in a triathlon. Couldn't even catch him on the run! I hope I get to be him some day...I really do.
The world has done a weird flip in the past decade. Young people are becoming more and more sedentary, and are getting "old people" diseases like arthritis and type two diabetes at an alarming rate. Meanwhile, the codgers are running, swimming, biking, hiking, rock climbing and doing all kinds of other crazy endurance sports at an equally alarming rate.
There was a time in my life when I used to sit on the sidelines and watch in wonder as athletes took things to yet another level. I can still remember thinking "what a bunch of wackos" while watching the first K-Town tri.
Now?
Guess I'm just following a trend...as of this weekend, I'll be signed up for IM USA 2008. I'm not getting older...just trying to keep up!
Yikes!
The folks who do this kind of stuff are pretty special. A lot of them are life-long athletes who regard Ironman as just another extreme challenge to tackle. The majority though, came to this whole notion of fitness later in their lives. Take a look at the results from any Ironman, or even the K-Town Tri...the 40-60 year olds are the ones who drive this thing.
New stats out show that our population is not only ageing, it's doing it in ways your grandparents never imagined. People are getting fitter as they age, and they're taking up sports that used to be for young people.
I've had the humbling experience of having a 76-year-old man blast by me on the bike in a triathlon. Couldn't even catch him on the run! I hope I get to be him some day...I really do.
The world has done a weird flip in the past decade. Young people are becoming more and more sedentary, and are getting "old people" diseases like arthritis and type two diabetes at an alarming rate. Meanwhile, the codgers are running, swimming, biking, hiking, rock climbing and doing all kinds of other crazy endurance sports at an equally alarming rate.
There was a time in my life when I used to sit on the sidelines and watch in wonder as athletes took things to yet another level. I can still remember thinking "what a bunch of wackos" while watching the first K-Town tri.
Now?
Guess I'm just following a trend...as of this weekend, I'll be signed up for IM USA 2008. I'm not getting older...just trying to keep up!
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