“You just got beat by an old man,” I joked with my workout partner.
We had just run the P-drill and I had beaten him by a gray whisker.
“I’m older than you,” he said as he caught his breath. “I’m 44.”
I laughed. “Gotcha by a couple years.”
The guy in front of me, a heck of an athlete I might add, turned around and said, “You’re 46? You’re in really good shape for your age.”
His compliment was good but started to slide downhill fast.
“No, what I meant was that a lot of people your age are really out of shape.”
Which is kind of sad, if you think about it. Why do you have to be out of shape in your mid 40’s? I do push myself hard and do look (relatively) young for my years. I don’t have gray hair (heck, I have hair) and I don’t have a gut. I can run 14 miles and still pound out 60 pushups at a time. Why? I figured out a few years ago that I am at a tipping point when it comes to fitness. I don’t want to be the guy at the nursing home who is running up big medical bills because I’ve sat on my butt for the last 35 years.
Yeah, yeah, I know I will have some wear injuries. I will have to replace knee or two along the way. But that’s OK. I’d rather wear out than rust out.
I do PLS because my mom has had heart surgery and has lung issues. My dad’s dad had heart surgery, too. Cancer runs in my family — I know, I’ve already had it. I’ve seen people my age drop from heart attacks. I chose to be weird.
I’m very Ben Franklin about this — an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. And it’s cheaper, too.
We went back to running. I struggled a little today (it is shoulder day and my shoulders are really screwed up from past injuries.) But as I ran off the field, I felt a sense of euphoria. It was a perfect way for an old man to start the day.