Staying Active Past 40

I find many friends to be inspirational. Friends who have decided to run marathons and triathlons past the age of 40. It requires such effort for me to make time to get to the gym even twice a week so those who train very early in the morning and run their miles despite weather conditions I find truly remarkable.

If you feel sluggish or totally uninspired, go to a marathon or triathlon and watch the competitors. You will see people of all ages, father/son, mother/daughter competitors, driven to complete 26+ miles for an unknown cause that is very personal to them. Whether they are competing in someone's memory or as a personal goal, watching these competitors even at halfway mark towards the finish line left me in awe.

At the recent NYC Marathon in November, I clapped for every person over the age of 40 who ran by me as I watched from 1st Avenue and 90th Street. My hands were sore from clapping. You can see the internal mental and physical struggle they are contending with from their faces. You can also see the determination, happiness, and thrill of the competition in their faces. I came to catch my friend Rob Le Bras-Brown run by, and wound up clapping for and doing my best to encourage people whom I've never met before. I screamed "Whoo-hoo" for all of them. I wish I could interview that 50+ lady who ran by me or that 60+ man who made running look simple compared to the 20-somethings next to him. In the next couple of days, I will attempt to interview some of these friends and try to get to the heart of their motivation and what drives them to succeed.