The Master Clydesdale

A few years ago our son persuaded me to participate with him in a sprint triathlon…thankfully it was a “sprint”and not the ironman! The event involved swimming four hundred meters in an indoor pool, biking the hills of central North Carolina for 11 miles, and finally…and I mean finally… a 5 Kilometer run.

At the time my weight was over 200 pounds and I was more than 50 years old so I qualified for the participant category designation of Master Clydesdale. I can honestly report that I finished the triathlon, but the last kilometer of the run really tested my perseverance. I really wanted to quit, but my family was cheering me on, so I kept putting one foot in front of the other.

Fast forward a few years now, and even though I am even further beyond the 50 year threshold for the Master designation, I would no longer qualify as a Clydesdale since I am now more than 25 pounds lighter than when I took part in the triathlon.

About 6 weeks ago I reconnected with another Buckeye football fan who invited me to ride bikes with him and some of his co-workers who were riding bikes regularly to train for the 114 mile ride—57 miles down on Day 1 and 57 mile back on Day 2—known as The Jack & Back, to Lynchburg, TN, the home of Jack Daniels Distillery (the event is a fundraiser for the Multiple Sclerosis Society).

Unfortunately, I had only ridden my bike on the roadway once in the last year, and for safety reasons, I don’t like to ride alone on the roadway. In spite of the lack of riding the past year, it felt good to be riding again, and the Tennessee countryside is beautiful this time of year.

Not only had the men I was riding with been riding regularly for some months, some were about 20 years my junior. At the top of one long, long, long…did I say long…hill they were all waiting for me. I sensed they had been discussing “me”. As I came to a stop and unclipped from the pedals, my friend asked me how old I am. I told him I would be 63 in a few months….they all just smiled.

I didn’t know the significance of the question and the group’s response until later. We completed the 26 mile ride at his home where he told me the group was impressed at my pace for not having ridden for a long time and my age. Knowing the type of wellness medical practice we have at Restore and the cornerstone being hormonal optimization (BHRT), he said, “I want what you’ve got!”

Needless to say, being OPTIMIZED feels good and is good for you!