As an “English American,” I was surprised to be so pleased to have the American flag against my name in these race results, but America has been extremely generous to me. You have to work to enjoy this country, but with a little luck you have a chance to do well.
In a way, I feel both American and English.
I came in after the 8:30 cutoff, but the race officials insisted on giving me a medal. Maybe this is alright, as in other races, such as the Boston Marathon, adjustments are made for the age of competitors. I still find it hard to believe that I am actually 80 years old.
I feel like a five-year old trapped in an old body.
I feel extremely lucky to be able to continue my favorite sport, Ironman triathlon, though I’m currently limited to the 70.3 distance, until I manage to overcome the challenges of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Fortunately, my abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) stent graft has kept me going since 2010, another reason for me to be grateful.
I had to make a number of adjustments to my training in order to overcome both the AAA, and more recently, PAD, in order to finish that race in Lahti, Finland.
I do wish physicians would take the following image more seriously. I just can’t seem to get them interested, as they offer me pills I reject. Exercise is almost always better than pills, when it comes to enjoying our later years.
Never give up, I say.
Cheers,
-kev aka FitOldDog of Wrong Name Books
way to keep going, Kevin!