Hey all! I’m back and doing more crazy shit. I know what you’re thinking, did you ever really stop doing crazy shit? Well, I did take a pretty good break from lifting, and due to a knee injury, I had to take time away from my beloved running. That’s all changed now. I’m back to the gym on a regular basis working on getting all the necessary muscles firing again so that I can take on my next challenge. If you’re ready, I’ll share what that is.

A good friend, and neighbor of mine stopped me one morning while I was walking my dogs and posed a question that has changed my focus for this year. He said, “how would you like to do the Ironman Ohio with me this year?” I kind of snickered and said that my swimming was not the greatest and I’d probably die…lol! He said “well, they have a relay team that we could sign up for. I can do the swimming and bike, but due to my knee replacement, I can’t run…that’s where you’d come in.” My eyes lit up! Run, in an actual Ironman competition, Oh Hell Yeah! That, my friends is where the fire was lit!

We started chatting more about a team name and threw around a few different ones. His wife came up with the idea “The Silvermen”! We’re both aging athletes and have silver hair, so it was perfect! The Silvermen it is. I have to share this, as I feel it’s very important for this blog posting. When I say we’re both aging athletes, that’s for real. I’m 56, turning 57 this year, and Tim is 69, turning 70! Yeah, and he’s the real deal athlete! I share this info because I hear so many dismiss doing things in their life because they feel that they’re too old. I say the same every time. “You’re never too old to learn something new or take on a new challenge.” Don’t shy away from something because you sell yourself short. Dig deep and find that fire within!

The idea of doing any part of an Ironman competition is intimidating for me. I questioned if I would “fit in”. Do I really even look like I should be at the starting line of this competition? So many things were rushing through my brain. I decided to take the approach that I need to evaluate myself honestly and make the changes that will make me both happy and healthy. First order of business was to get my diet in order. I hired a dietitian to take a look at my nutritional needs and short falls. She specializes in athletes, so it was a great fit! We formulated a game plan and put it into motion. My goal was to make sure that my insides felt good, so that I could perform everything I needed to do to make the outside better. I’ve been weight training for months now after a long dry spell, and have never stopped walking. I needed to get back to running again, and it scared me a bit. After my last knee surgery, the doc said I needed to consider doing other things. I know that my running career is in it’s twilight and that eventually I’ll have to step out of the sport or cut it down drastically. I had to find a way to bring my miles back up, but not put too much stress on the body. Next part of this journey. I decided to take up Yoga. I found a fun local place called (Downtown Yoga 419). Owned by a wonderful instructor, and full time happy person Holly. Holly shares the love for running, so for me it was a no brainer to start hitting her classes. Flexibility and stretching have never been my strongest, but it was time to change how I train and think.

This is where we’re at right now. I’m down 5 lbs., which was needed. My insides are already starting to feel better, and I’m excited to train again. The Ironman is in late July, so I have time to reach the goals that I’ve set for myself. I have smaller goals that I set along the way to keep my brain happy and challenged. My current short term goal is to get this whole Yoga thing down. I’m kind of a hot mess in class, but driven to become good at it. I will succeed!

Whatever it is that you want to do, don’t waste time, get after it! We humans are so good at wasting what is most precious, time and talent. Yeah, I read that on the internet somewhere…lol! It’s a very true statement though, and we need to keep changing for the better. I’ll continue to do updates on my training, and do my best to keep you all entertained along the way! It’s time for me to go to the gym and take a walk. Yoga tomorrow morning and then another quick run before my work day happens. By all means, feel free to reach out, ask questions, make comments about anything that grabs you in my blog. I respond to everything and I’m always willing to share information. That being said, I’ll close this out and go get busy!

I’ll see you on the road…

Zombie