Many might ask why someone approaching 50 arranges the entire liftestyle around the desire to be as fit and healthy as possible, to be able to compete against the best in one of the toughest events there is, Ironman long course triathlon.
Some time ago, I came across this statement...
"We dont Stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we Stop playing"
It is true, I am so certain...
Watch children, they seldom walk slowly.... They run, all the time...
And if you know running, you will see that they have great technical running skill, running naturaly on their forefoot with quick short steps, just like efficient runners do.
As children, most of us loved to play around, to run and climb trees, to explore the world around us.
So why do most adults stop doing so as they grow older?
Is that something inevitable for "responsible" adults?
I do have my clear opinion on the direction our society moves and its changing values, but this is not about that, it is about my journey.
I try to pursue my own path, a path that often takes me far away from the main highway, If I find myself in places totally alone or with few others (literally and metaforically), that tells me that I am on the right path.
To me, swimming against the current means that one is in control of the direction (life)
Moving with the crowd often means flowing downstream, the path of least resistance...
I have been fortunate to be able to pursue what I love throughout my life, meaning an active life where sports and being outdors has been my passion, competitive endurance sports like cross country skiing, bike and running has given me so much throughout, a lot more than just being fit, but learning not to quit when things get rough or uncomfortable.
Physical and mental toughness is for me a highly valued trait.
Pushing my body against physical boundaries is very important, it is what the human body is designed to do, not sitting still in front of a computer for long periods.
Also, I believe mental challenge is equally important, I believe learning is a constant and forever ongoing process.
If you neglect your body and mind, slowly detriorating is guaranteed...
Being in constant motion is what the human body is designed for, not only at early ages, but the entire life.
That is why I simply do not understand or accept the mindset of "I am too old for this"
When you start down that path, is the moment you give up on yourself, on life itself...
Yes, there are physical processes all fall under as years pass, recovery times increase, metabolic rate decreases... It is part of being human...
But there is nothing that indicates that one can not remain extremely fit long into old age, 60 year olds running 10K under 40 minutes, 89 year olds finishing full iroman triathlons in enxtreme heat,
55 year olds running marathons under 2:50
I dare any 25 year old out there to even manage 3km at 2:50 mara tempo... You' ll be surprised...
The thing is, knowledge is an extremely powerful thing, knowing how things work (even your body), and having the determination and self control to apply this can compensate for things that aparently work against you (like getting older)
At some stage in life, your performance will fade, but absolute performance is not my primary driving force, what matters is to fight on, to be the best you can be, never give up, to do the things you love to do...
So as a watched the 2014 edition of the Haugesund 70.3 Ironman, something inside of me just whispered... I need to do this....I can do this...
I could not swim freestyle very well, not more than 50 meters at some tempo, my skills sucked to say the least... Being able to swin 1900 meters in 1:10 was just SO far away....
The same with my left foot, althoug I have been running a lot up until 5 years ago, my left ancle simply could not tolerate more than 5 km before being very painful....
Ironman candidate....? Dident look good I must admit.....
(I will tell this part of the story on separate pages)
But I needed a new challenge.....
What I foumd was amazing, a sport that captured my heart completely....
It feels as if the sport was made for me, loving every part of it...
So the whole remaining summer of 2014, I did not do much but swim, and swim, and swim some more, I discovered that the water was no alien environment to me, in fact, I fell in love with open water swimming, having absolutely no fear of the deep dark murky water, even all on my own far from shore...
When I wasn`t swimming, I was on my bike or out running.
My original goal was to simply finish the 2015 Haugesund Ironman 70.3 triathlon.
As my training and commitment progressed throughout the winter of 2015, the Ironman at Zell am zee in Austria was added to my schedule.
Testing and training data indicated that there was significant progress made, maybe I could say that I aimed for a top third position in Austria...?
Even though I have been fairly successful and commited in sports for a long time, during the spring of 2015 at age 49, I surpassed my PB at 30 km cross country ski racing, a PB that was set decades ago...
As it stands now just before 2016 rolls in, I am currently holding an Ironman AWA (all world athlete) silver ranking, meaning that I am in the top 5% in the world in my age group.
Ranked third in Norway.
And I only competed in 2 out of 3 possible scoring races...
I still look at these facts and wonder how it could be possible!
Up until 2014 I had a hard time even getting top third in local cross contry skiing events.
For 2016, my aim is firmly at the Ironman 70,3 triathlon.
Starting in june at Kraichau, Germany, then in July at Haugesund and finally Vichy, France late june.
My mission for 2016? To acieve AWA gold status, top 1% in the world in my age group....
It`s crazy, I know... but thats the way I like it, definately upstream stuff :-)
For me, it is still very important to say that my ranking and spilt times are not the primary reason why I do this, competition day and rankings is the icing of the cake.
What really matters are all the the endless moments out in the free air during training, experiencing nature in all its beauty, I feel very lucky and priviliged to be able to do this, with a fitness level I never thought would be possible.
Approaching 50, I am in the best shape of my life, and THAT is my gift to myself...
So what is my idea with this blog?
It is in English as I have friends far beyond the borders of Norway and this is an international sport!
I think of the blog as my own diary where I gather my experience as of now and as the journey progresses.
As a source of inspiration and knowledge base for myself and others
If you want to join in, you are welcome to see, just remember that these are my experiences and strategies, not trying to suggest that what is here is the best way to do it for you :-)
Remember to always make up your own opinion, question everything and swim against the current!
