Consider joining the FitOldDog club while it’s free (first 3 to sign up) and build our club. We’ll help you to become the best athlete and thinker you can be – it’s all in the body-mind!
Hi folks, welcome!
My goal is to inspire you to exercise your mind and your body for a satisfying and enjoyable old age. Yes! Old age, or other major health challenges, can suck, but you don’t have to give into them, do you?
I sure miss that cat, but I had to move on.
I love to read books on my Nook, but in the inside pocket of the cover I carry a picture of my old, now deceased, but lovely cat, Alobar – 18 years old when he died of cancer.
Every time I look at his picture, if it slides out of the pocket, it’s like a kick in the gut. Happened today! I still miss him after all those years.
NOSTALGIA!
Nostalgia doesn’t only apply to cats, it can also play a major role in your life in general. Nostalgia can be crippling, so move on but don’t forget the good times. You have to embrace your new life, or in my case a new cat.
Cat says, forget about that old dead cat, what about me – just like people, really. You’re right, Cat, I have to live today, not wallow in nostalgia for cats gone by.
I often hear people talk on and on about their sports achievements in high school or college, while their bodies are going to hell. But those days are as dead as Alobar. What about today?
The Boomers turn 50 in 2014, so they’ll be facing the nonsense I had in my head when I turned 50, about 20 years ago.
Here’s what my mind had to say the day I turned 50:
“Hey old man, accept the fact that you’re getting on in years, life is ending, you couldn’t find a new job if you lost this one, you’re being pushed out by the next generation, you’re looking at old age and retirement, so suck it up.”
What BS!
Since then I have enjoyed two completely different, and highly satisfying, careers in Science, and I’m now in a third career as I learn to be a businessman. During those 20 years, I also entered Ironman training, having finished six such races and many shorter ones since turning 60, qualifying for the World’s 70.3 Ironman Championships in 2013, and the Boston Marathon in 2008 at the Charlotte Thunder Road Marathon. I have several Ironman races planned for this year at age 70.
My life wasn’t over after all.
Here’s an old dog who taught me how to ride a bike – he’s pretending to think!
Consider joining FitOldDog in his life’s journey, and find your inner athlete and scholar?
That’s why I formed the FitOldDog club (also as part of my business plan, of course – you can’t do much good in the world without at least a little enterprise), which is designed for people over 50 years of age, wishing to overcome health challenges, and possibly undertake endurance training or another appropriate sport.
Trixie, the loveliest, most gentle dog, you ever met. Still miss her.
The FitOldDog objectives are to:
(1) change the World for the better one person at a time, in order to address FitOldDog’s two philosophical errors of Western Society (especially in the USA) (see below).
(2) promote aortic disease awareness.
(3) encourage people to get on with an active life after major health challenges, including old age.
FitOldDog’s two perceived philosophical errors being made by Western Society, especially in the USA, are as follows:
#1: When it comes to sports, the goal in our society, which starts in high school, appears to be to win at all cost. The objective should be to enjoy injury-free active sports into late old age.
#2: When it comes to academic education, the goal in many societies, including the USA, appears to be achieving high grades (straight A’s for instance). The objective of academic education should be to foster the joy of learning into late old age.
Oh, yes! Another goal is to enjoy debating such issues on Skype or over dinner after a race – I love to learn, I must admit, and what better way than debate with friends.
Cat says that everything I need to know I can learn from my cat, forget about dogs, old or young. That’s cats for you.
-k @FitOldDog
OK, I turn 51 in a couple of weeks, have been an interested and avid reader for a while, and am recovering from knee surgery. Have been a runner (City of Oaks 1/2 marathon 2010) and a cyclist for 7 years with numerous 100k and Century rides. I’m game – am I in the club? Bonus – I live in Durham and could come to Carroboro to your favorite haunts, beats Skype any day!
–Gary
Hi Gary, send me your e-mail address, to fitolddog@fitolddog.com and I’ll send you the password to the club site, which I am going to populate as we discuss our goals. I had three knee surgeries before I worked out how to run safely – I was a slow study, I guess, and qualified for Boston after that, so I finally got it right. I plan to meet in my house at 116 High Street, Carrboro, where a friend is temporarily staying (40ish, triathlete doing his first half). We’ll combine our meeting with his and do some cross-generational chat to plan the season. Looking forward to meeting you, and thanks for supporting my stuff – it’s much appreciated. Plus we can go across the road to Johnny’s for coffee. Cheers, Kevin PS what a lovely day.
Hi Gary, You’re in, and let’s meet. I’m off to Cleveland on Tuesday, back on Thursday. Let’s set it up. Look forward to meeting you. What was the surgery? Cheers, Kevin