The Chronologically Blessed

[wildross]

Hi!  This cross-guild group is intended for those who are a bit older than the average here on NF.   I want it to be a place where we can commune among ourselves, stroke our grey beards, brush our grey hair and enjoy ourselves while we provide age appropriate encouragement and accountability for each other.  

 

You are Chronologically Blessed if

1) There are NF members young enough to be your children (or grandchildren even)

2) You have thought at least once "Wish I had found this x years ago" and x is measured in decades

3) You find it difficult to be 'inspired' by someone who is half your age

4) You've ever thought, "Yeah, if I was x years old, I could do that too"

5) You can remember...well we're not going there.

6) I'd say 45 or older is a good place to start...

 

As a start, I am wildross, born in late 1959, so just barely a baby boomer.   My wife, Christartist and I have 5 kids, ages 32-26 (2b,3g) and 4 grandkids (3b,1g).  We've been married for 34 years and known each other for almost 40 years.  I've been on NF since January of 2011, so I count as one of the oldest rebels as well.  Christartist and I currently reside in central Florida where I work as a technical sales engineer for a large software company.  I hangout in the Warriors guild while Christartist is in the Adventurers (I think).  Until some of the younger folks started getting serious about lifting, I was the Bench Press Champion.  I still place in the top 5 in our quarterly lifting meets.

 

Please introduce yourself and then go follow the other members threads.  Looking forward to some good discussions.  The official signup sheet is https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aiv-aMyHwRQKdFRJbmVxRHN0UWVoUVUxXzEtWjI1WUE#gid=12

 

Editing to add challenge threads

Wildross http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/51028-wildross-recovery-and-ruck-preparation-2/

Christartist http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/50996-christartist-prepares-for-campnf/

Chris-Tien http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/51015-chris-tien-not-my-idea-of-a-caribbean-cruise/#entry1128011

Elastigirl http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/51426-elastigirl-aligns-with-the-arrow/#entry1133740

Shadowlion http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/51052-shadowlions-stupid-simple-spreadsheet-40-weeks-to-fire-fit-continues/#entry1128320

T2SarahConnor http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/51024-t2sarahconnor-move-that-junk-in-your-trunk/#entry1128092

Laureleye http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/51808-laureleye-the-breaking-of-the-fellowship/

BeauCastle http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/51800-dragon-takes-flight-beaucastle/

Sharong http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/51401-sharong-defadwarfs-quest-to-lgn

Sloth-like http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/51564-sloth-likes-watch-your-back-challenge/

[ChristArtist]

Hi!

I am also known as LadyWildRoss...married to the person whose post is above mine!

[wildross]

As a bit of fitness back story.  I was raised on a large farm in central Ohio, played high school football, etc.  Up until my mid 30's I was either working a physical job, or chopping wood for our wood stove, or something.  Then there was a lull until my mid 40's when I started going to the gym regularly.  I started with something called "Body for Life", which was dumbbell oriented, then a personal trainer or two, then just general lifting and running for a while.  A couple years of doing 5K's and 4 milers.  Then I found NF via Vic Magary's fitness blog.  And I started trying to lift heavy.  There is a thread in the Power Lifting forum with some of my first videos as well as recent ones.  

 

I love lifting weights and have some specific goals at the moment

1) Participate in a GoRuck Light in Pensacola, FL right after my 55th birthday

2) Bench 405# (Max is 365#)

3) Squat 495# (Max is 410#)

4) Deadlift 495# (Max is 430#)

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

Ok .... great idea, Wildross!!  I was kickin' the idea around with another forum member who may want to remain anonymous since women have birthdays and not ages.

 

I'll be 54 in August and don't really relate to the boomers.  Since I've been into computers since I was 15, I'm more of a digital native than my age would suggest.  Hubby is Duluthguy, but he didn't really get into being on the forums, and he mostly cheers and enjoys the fruits of my menu planning, and we encourage each other to workout.  We have one daughter, 24, in grad school.

 

I have been teaching educational technology and research methods at a couple of universities.  Before that, I was in software development as a business analyst and integration specialist.  Currently, I am moving back home to Minnesota and job hunting. 

 

I've been around NF a LONG time. This is my second account, and I remember when Elastigirl was a newbie.  I'm generally a Ranger, although some challenges find me in the Assassins Guild.  I like a lot of variety in my fitness routines, although I am generally running and doing some sort of strength training.  The rest is fluid. 

[ChristArtist]

Hi Chris-Tien!

This will be fun!

BTW, I turn 54 on Sept 8....what day in August do you beat me?

 

I'm hoping this time to utilize some of that Vegetable Alphabet!!!

[Elastigirl]

Well I won't be stroking my gray hair, my hairdresser says it's not grey "it's shimmery" and then she makes all the shimmers disappear.

 

Back story: I was never athletic as a kid, didn't do any sports stuff. As an adult I did cardio workouts and walking. Which was fine, I was skinny. Then in my 30's I started to gain weight. Early 40's and I had enough of that, and worked on losing it. Got down a bit so I was only flufffy and stayed there for  a while. Tried to lose weight and struggled. Then switched to low carb, which worked great and I lost the weight. In the back of my mind I always thought it would be cool to be strong, but didn't know how to go about it. Started google searching and found NF. Loved the video game workout theme, and started Angry Birds Workout. Then I joined the forums. Now I do BW workout stuff, KB workouts, sledgehammer, and gymnastic stuff. It's amazing for me to think that I am actually stronger now than I was twenty years ago.

 

Chris, you have been here a long time if you remember me as a newbie I've been on these forums since before we had guilds. 

[Elastigirl]

Question:

I am thinkingabout the doing the Armstrong Pull-up workout for women. But it is a 5 day a week challenge. Realizing I am not 20 anymore, I have decided to only do it 4 days a wwek. Mon,Tue, Thursday and Friday. With Thursday being a GTG workout. And if I feel like my tendons are complaining with that, I may choose to only do 3 days a week.

 

Does this sound like a good balance? I want to do the program justice and work hard, but I also don't want to push so hard I injure myself. I know some people on this board have done the 5 day a week program, but I think they were in their twenties, and as you guys know, our bodies just don't recover like they used to.

 

I could start out with doing it 5 days, and then scale back instead of starting at 4. What are your thoughts.

 

FYI: I am doing chinups instead of pull ups, I can currently do 1 pull up rep, and 3 or 4 chin up reps per set. I will be using chair assisted and negatives for part of my sets. Also I've been working on pushups, and the 4 day a week schedule seemed to work great for those

 

http://armstrongpullupprogram.com/armstrong-pullup-program-for-women/

[wildross]

Id start with 3 days and work up, not down in days.

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[Beaucastle]

Hello Everyone, I'm the neighborhood ancient dragon, I'm creeping up on 50 this winter.  I have 3 grown boys and 2 granddaughters.  No beard, and I keep my hair dyed to avoid the whole GREY thing.  Not my best look.  I found NF by accident and lurked for a long while. I joined in and completely made a hash of it.  lurked some more.  Thought I knew what I was doing, and went for it full throttle  (gained 10 lbs.)  Freaked out.  Started really paying attention to what was going on, got tougher on the diet.  Stopped buying the "100 calorie packs"  and other pre packaged lies.  Started eating closer to grown.  Stopped buying stuff in cans and boxes and ordering from windows.  Started doing active things, here and there.  Trying to find something that fit. Failed a lot of it.  I hate the gym.  I want to love it.  I want to love lifting and sweating and all that... I don't.  I forced myself a couple times to go, but it was so miserable I stopped.  I started the C25K  cant say I love it but I don't hate it.  Recently found a dojo.  Now that I love.  I'm improving every week and I don't care that when I leave I look like I was hit with a stagnant water from an old nasty hose. (and smell like it too)

 

As a child I was an athlete.  Gymnastics was my first love.  From 8-16 I competed, took lessons, lived my life on a beam.  Got a homemade beam for a birthday gift and my very tolerant mom allowed it to be installed in the living room.  I did my homework on it.  watched tv on it.  Read books on it.  Hung around and did nothing on it.  I was never great.  I never made it out of the county division.  I didn't care.  I loved it.  I also competed on vault.  I never liked floor exercise, too many other girls better at it.  The one year I did uneven parallel bars I spent the majority of that season competing with injuries.

 

Then we moved and it was gone.  The new school system didn't have a school with a team, and that was the year Mother Nature became quite adamant about my being a girl.  Change in center of gravity, not to mention bounce factor all added up to more than my skill could overcome.  I joined a softball team a few years later and ended up on 3 teams one season,  I played. third base with a wicked love for high and outside pitches.  

 

Then life happened....my athletic days were gone.  Every time I started to try to go back to something.. anything.. he interfered one way or another.  I stopped trying.  

 

3 years after the divorce, I decided to re-engage with life and that meant sports.  Now I'm trying all sorts of things.  Now I have NF and the support I have come to depend on.

 

I have a job that is a challenge (recently interviewed for a promotion....all good vibes and prayers accepted), I am doing a certification program online, a Master's Degree Online, I have a house and a 1/2 acre yard I'm re-landscaping, I have  a dojo (I'm competing in October)  I have 2 running clubs, I'm on the executive board for a civic organization that supports the local museum, and 3 dogs.  (One goes to a new home in a few weeks with a little girl of her very own to belong to.  This will be the best thing for her).  When I have the chance I sleep.  I need to find a way to get that higher on the list though.  I m stretched pretty thin and can't spent a bunch of time on the forums but I check for messages each day.

 

ok this got away from me... I'm avoiding homework.... I'm sorry this became a novella.... anyway..  Hi everyone.  I'm old,  I need to lose 40 lbs, and I'm a nerd.

[ShadowLion]

@ Elastigirl - I did part of the Armstrong PVP challenge before last and I really messed up an elbow. I still have some tendonitis because I pushed harder than I should have. That said, I probably would have been okay if I had waited until my weight was lower and I had conditioned more gradually. My back and arm muscles were responding really well. I just put too much load on my ligaments and tendons.

 

 

 

I'm a 55 year old nerd with dreams of getting back out on a fire line again next summer. When I got sick in 2004, I went from being fit enough to carry someone down a ladder or cut handline for 14 hours straight on a wildland fire to barely being able to walk. Months of bed rest, a couple of surgeries, nerve damage - I ended up overweight and, even with physical therapy, unable to stand, walk, or lift without pain and numbness in my feet and legs. It has taken me more than eight years of trial and error, and persisting when doctors told me it was impossible, to get to where I am today. Currently, I can walk, jog, and lift at about a third the level of what I could do back in 2004. Most of that improvement has come in the last year and it is accelerating as my weight drops and I build on what I have learned. I've lost 20 pounds and have another 40 to go. 

 

As a kid, I loved to swim and hike. As an adult, I have done river rafting, hiking, martial arts of various kinds, weights, snowshoeing. I'm working my way back to hiking and want to eventually run a 5K. Pullups and full pushups are major goals that I am very cautiously working towards. 

 

As for the gray, I was letting it grow out, but am considering going back to dyeing my hair again. I will be doing a lot of presenting soon to promote my "Fight the Fire" educational app and my half-grown-out gray looks pretty tacky.

[wildross]

What a great set of life stories!

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[Chris-Tien Jinn]

Chris, you have been here a long time if you remember me as a newbie I've been on these forums since before we had guilds. 

 

Yes, I remember that I took a break during a particularly difficult period in grad school.  When I came back, I couldn't remember my password and so created a new account .... and I had to get used to the new setup and rules.  I think the guilds provide more structure and guidance for newcomers. 

 

I found NF by accident.  I had run a similarly-focused RP discussion-based self-improvement effort from 1998 to 2003 - the Jedi Temple.  We had fun until some members decided that they would be much better leaders than the founders were.  I allowed elections, the dissenters got elected, and the place disintegrated.  But I had seen what was possible - and so when I decided I needed a group to help me stay motivated to lose weight, I started looking for something similar. 

 

CA, my birthday is August 25 .... so I'm just a little older than you.  My hair is dishwater blonde with silver streaks.  I'd like to grow it out, but I'm back to job hunting .... so it is dyed golden blonde and continues to get even brighter with sunlight.  But it looks natural, and I get a huge kick out of people telling me that I'll have to stop doing X when I turn 40!!

 

I was a pudgy kid until I made the JV swim team and synchronized swim teams in junior high and started slimming down.  In high school, I became anorexic and got REALLY skinny while playing tennis (didn't make the team, but I had fun).

 

By college, I had the eating disorder licked and was introduced to distance running by two professors.  I've never been fast, but I do like the freedom of road running.  I like 5Ks a lot.  I did one half-marathon.  I have 10K and a full marathon on my bucket-list, along with all of the new fun runs that are being introduced.  When I don't run a race associated with Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, I volunteer at the aid stations.  I got to put the medal on the women's winner one year!!!

 

Since college, I've generally been in reasonably good shape, but stress has gotten the better of me twice.  When I let emotional eating and alcohol become my stress-relief instead of exercise, I put on weight. 

 

I took it off once by joining a martial arts dojo with my daughter.  I told sensei that he literally worked my butt off.  He was a great teacher and trainer, and I developed enough confidence to compete and win.  When we moved, I joined another dojo.  I didn't love it as much, but I kept at it and had the confidence to do a lot of other things.  I was VERY active in my mid-40s.  I played "old-lady" C-level hockey, coached girls soccer, studied karate, lifted weights, and ran. 

 

Then, I broke my ankle while running.  It took 6 months to heal.  I was in grad school and working full time.  Then, post-doc, I was moving around while hubby and I tried to figure out how to manage two careers - very stressful.   I put on weight.  50 pounds worth.  That's what I am slowly taking off now.   And, it's taken a while.  For a bit, my MD was just happy that I wasn't putting on any more weight.

 

Currently, I walk/run intervals either on the treadmill or outside, and I am doing a mix of bodyweight, kettlebell, and free weight strength training.  When we get to move HOME to Duluth, I anticipate joining a TKD studio that I know (my old karate studio moved to a nearby city and sensei retired .... kinda scary since he's a year younger than me). 

[T2sarahconnor]

Love this group. Will post about me later tonight. Just saw this and had to share. Sorry so big.

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the much older lady that she should bring her own grocery bags, because plastic bags are not good for the environment.

The woman apologized to the young girl and explained, "We didn't have this 'green thing' back in my earlier days."

The young clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations."

The older lady said that she was right -- our generation didn't have the "green thing" in its day. The older lady went on to explain:

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. But we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day.

Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags that we reused for numerous things. Most memorable besides household garbage bags was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our school books. This was to ensure that public property (the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalize our books on the brown paper bags. But, too bad we didn't do the "green thing" back then.

We walked up stairs because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.

But she was right. We didn't have the "green thing" in our day.

Back then we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts. Wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.

But that young lady is right; we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day.

Back then we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief(remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up oldnewspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she's right; we didn't have the "green thing" back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blade in a r razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But we didn't have the "green thing" back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service in the family's $45,000 SUV or van, which cost what a whole house did before the"green thing." We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint.

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the "green thing" back then?

We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to piss us off... especially from a tattooed, multiple pierced smartass who can't make change without the cash register telling them how much.

[ShadowLion]

Haha! 

 

And kids (anyone under 40) -

 

"Get off of my lawn!!!!"

 

Oh, wait. Actual kids don't play outside anymore, unless it's organized and Mom drove them there.

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

Great post, Sarah!!!

 

I do find myself feeling curmudgeonly at times and kick myself frequently for driving a mile to work.  (ButI bring my own bags to the grocery store .....)

[wildross]

I totally confused a check out one time who asked me the paper or plastic question.  I told her I wanted paper and I wanted all the plastic removed from every container of food too (EVERYTHING was in plastic, even the fresh fruit was in the little baggies they give you).  Heck, even the glass jars have that little ring of plastic to prevent tampering.  Had to back out of that one.

[cline]

<3 u wildross this is so needed

I'll give a story in a bit. Today is a double. .. off to fight camp.

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

As a teacher in the modern era ...... this is too close to home:  http://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury/2014/06/08#.U9VSSmPZSeZ

[Elastigirl]

As a teacher in the modern era ...... this is too close to home:  http://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury/2014/06/08#.U9VSSmPZSeZ

That is hilarious! 

 

I helped out at a speech club last year, the kids would be pretending to take notes while watching facebook, finally the teacher banned internet use, the kids that she was the meanest

[wildross]

<3 u wildross this is so needed

I'll give a story in a bit. Today is a double. .. off to fight camp.

I'm sure camp will lose. Poor person...

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[ChristArtist]

Ah....a group of my peers!

The thing I love about this group is how many of us are doing what we've been told we can't do. .. and don't try!

I've blown out tendons Jay walking, until I found out it was old people drugs that caused it (statins have an interesting set of side effects).

I did a push up pvp.... and my arms got stronger... but previously weakened tendons started getting angry. BUT I FOUND OUT MY MUSCLES COULD HANDLE 260 COUNTER PUSHUPS A DAY! Too fast? Probably! But man, that felt good.

I'm focusing on diet and supplements to replace what ic didn't give my body all those years worth the five babies. BTW...1 year after baby number 5, I was 115#, 14% bf.. it was depression meds that started my weight ascent, and messed up metabolism that hindered what had worked in my 20's!

Most of you know my challenge this year to find ME after years of being a mom, and wife, and honestly, victim of childhood abuse woth eating disorders.

I played soccer... and got my knee busted up. Did gymnastics, . But the head first fall from the uneven parallel bars got me put on the bench. . Never got to the floor routines... that evil center of gravity stuff!

When I married wildross, I knew he was athletic... and I tried to be something I wasn't in my attempt to earn his love. The truth is. ..i can scream and shout him to success at a lifting challenge, and he can support me in 5k's and swimming and hiking and biking! And, when we blend the two, we get a well rounded routine.

Right now, my favorite outdoor activity with wr is hiking and taking photographs! These I have used to compose paintings.

My other motivation is our for grandchildren. I have enjoyed what energy I've gained to play with them!

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[cline]

So. This feels right. I know a few of you and have to say it again, this feels right.

I'm old enough to be cranky. I'm a solid gen xer in every sense of the word.

I grew up believing I was a chubby fat kid. It was only about 10 years ago when I really looked at photos, that I realized I wasn't. I wasn't ever a fat kid. My mother has/had a very unhealthy issue with weight and food and pushed that on me. So... in my revised narrative, I was a normal kid.

I played a lot. I rode my bike everywhere (through college), swam all day, hiked, played softball into high school, danced into high school, etc. Pretty active. The best days were days outside.

College changed a lot. I was still active but not the same. Walked everywhere and got used to walking as a key mode of transportation. Played sports only when called to do so for Greek Week, ran a bit, but not much else. That fit nicely into grad school.

Along the way, met the spousal unit and we found we both enjoyed hiking and bike riding. So we did some of that. Unfortunately, we also both enjoyed eating, lounging around watching football, and well... being. We started to gain weight and lose some activity. But it was gradual.

Things really changed when I was finishing my first job as a college professor (Yeah... well...) and I developed a crippling spine problem. Bulging disk. Youch! I told doc noway was I taking pain meds, yet I would sit on the couch crying from pain. Doc Rx'd PT and I went 4x/week to those miracle workers. And as a result, fell in love with yoga.

I became an avid yoga practitioner and found a studio I fell in love with. Actually, one of the old classmates is still a dear dear friend. I was so into yoga, I went to an ashram on a silent retreat. I fell in love with meditation and found a great new side to myself. I loved yoga. But eventually, my life took me in a new direction.

I moved for a new job, giving up tenure. I found a local, independent gym. Convinced spousal unit to join and found a home there for a while. I would workout, take a class or two, etc. Found some amazing yoga instructors and upped my game in yoga past what I thought I could do. I met some of the best friends I've ever known (still friends). Eventually, some lady came to teach pilates at the gym and some friends were going.

Who the hell was this woman? She was STRONG! She was big and strong and amazing. Not typical of pilates. By this time in my life, I'd not been able to lose any weight, had a desk job, and was woefully unhappy with how I looked. And here she was. A woman about 50 years old (shut the door! no WAY!) and she was awesome. So I asked her: how can I be you? I have a body type similar to yours... I'll never be tiny. She said: my husband used to train me. He'll train you. And so began my relationship with husband and wife. To this day they remain friends. She was my pilates instructor for years - working with me through 3 ankle surgeries when I'd use crutches to climb the stairs to her studio. He was my first trainer.

Fast forward to a new gym and me putzing about. Still unhappy but getting stronger. SLFW, etc. Classes here and there. Quit yoga... it wasn't making me strong and I found the people a little annoying. Too competitive. I missed my friends and the hip vibe of the old place.

One day, near my work, a sign went up that a new bootcamp place was going in and they'd train anybody. Not me,surely. I was coming off a horrific surgery.... but maybe. I emailed. They emailed back - in 6 mos we'll be up and running. Okay. 6 mos came and went. and I walked by all the time. I promised myself I SHOULD call. I never did. I remained unhappy. And then one day, I called and my world was turned upside down.

They matched me with WMAT who didn't care much about my surgery but loved my goals. we trained functional fitness and dove into primal like we'd been missing it our whole lives (spousal unit CFs btw). Eventually, I did a mud run with WMAT and spousal unit. Then I did the CMC twice, actually doing pretty well. Dropped weight, got stronger, got faster, did a goruck before people here went nutty over them. Eventually...

I wanted more lifting, less kipping, fewer box jumps (wtf?) and wallball? ugh. I learned a bit of boxing and I joined an MMA gym, taking up Muay Thai. I didn't tell anyone for over a week. Not even spousal unit.

Then, I quit WMAT and moved into powerlifting.

That's just over a year ago. Since then, I've tested up in Muay Thai twice and competed in two powerlifting meets. Oh and I've got 3 gorucks under my belt (one was a beach challenge), a handful of lights, more to come.

I do not regret, for one minute, making these life choices now. Spousal unit always says "we found this at the right time. We were ready." He is right. I do not live my life with regrets b/c I believe the buddhist belief that we die as we live. If we live with regret, we will die with regret. If we live with stress, grief, anxiety, unhappiness, ego, etc. we die the same way. So yeah... this was the time.

I do not train for ego. I do not train to boast. I do not train so people look at me in awe. I train because I find pure and total joy in it. I train because I love it. I experience "flow" almost every time. Seriously. Like I did in yoga or in meditation. It's amazing. I love my goals. I grind out my program. I know where I'm going and how to get there. The progress this last year has been amazing.

One of the most important lessons I've learned from so many coaches and international champions is this: train purely. Those who train purely and with humility make progress. It is my daily motto. Oh, and have fun. The grind is purely fun.

[cline]

ha ha wall of text ^^^^ sorry.

btw, took a knee to the chest thrown my by my coach in round two of sparring tonight. We called the round and then called it a day. Getting the wind knocked out of you by a knee to the ribs makes you feel old. The fact that you got taken out by a strongass 26 year old who weighs about 190-195 and stands 6'2" and fights and coaches MMA for a living makes you feel like you are 26... because you showed up and took the knee.

(ouch)

[Elastigirl]

So. This feels right. I know a few of you and have to say it again, this feels right.

I'm old enough to be cranky. I'm a solid gen xer in every sense of the word.

I grew up believing I was a chubby fat kid. It was only about 10 years ago when I really looked at photos, that I realized I wasn't. I wasn't ever a fat kid. My mother has/had a very unhealthy issue with weight and food and pushed that on me. So... in my revised narrative, I was a normal kid.

I played a lot. I rode my bike everywhere (through college), swam all day, hiked, played softball into high school, danced into high school, etc. Pretty active. The best days were days outside.

College changed a lot. I was still active but not the same. Walked everywhere and got used to walking as a key mode of transportation. Played sports only when called to do so for Greek Week, ran a bit, but not much else. That fit nicely into grad school.

Along the way, met the spousal unit and we found we both enjoyed hiking and bike riding. So we did some of that. Unfortunately, we also both enjoyed eating, lounging around watching football, and well... being. We started to gain weight and lose some activity. But it was gradual.

Things really changed when I was finishing my first job as a college professor (Yeah... well...) and I developed a crippling spine problem. Bulging disk. Youch! I told doc noway was I taking pain meds, yet I would sit on the couch crying from pain. Doc Rx'd PT and I went 4x/week to those miracle workers. And as a result, fell in love with yoga.

I became an avid yoga practitioner and found a studio I fell in love with. Actually, one of the old classmates is still a dear dear friend. I was so into yoga, I went to an ashram on a silent retreat. I fell in love with meditation and found a great new side to myself. I loved yoga. But eventually, my life took me in a new direction.

I moved for a new job, giving up tenure. I found a local, independent gym. Convinced spousal unit to join and found a home there for a while. I would workout, take a class or two, etc. Found some amazing yoga instructors and upped my game in yoga past what I thought I could do. I met some of the best friends I've ever known (still friends). Eventually, some lady came to teach pilates at the gym and some friends were going.

Who the hell was this woman? She was STRONG! She was big and strong and amazing. Not typical of pilates. By this time in my life, I'd not been able to lose any weight, had a desk job, and was woefully unhappy with how I looked. And here she was. A woman about 50 years old (shut the door! no WAY!) and she was awesome. So I asked her: how can I be you? I have a body type similar to yours... I'll never be tiny. She said: my husband used to train me. He'll train you. And so began my relationship with husband and wife. To this day they remain friends. She was my pilates instructor for years - working with me through 3 ankle surgeries when I'd use crutches to climb the stairs to her studio. He was my first trainer.

Fast forward to a new gym and me putzing about. Still unhappy but getting stronger. SLFW, etc. Classes here and there. Quit yoga... it wasn't making me strong and I found the people a little annoying. Too competitive. I missed my friends and the hip vibe of the old place.

One day, near my work, a sign went up that a new bootcamp place was going in and they'd train anybody. Not me,surely. I was coming off a horrific surgery.... but maybe. I emailed. They emailed back - in 6 mos we'll be up and running. Okay. 6 mos came and went. and I walked by all the time. I promised myself I SHOULD call. I never did. I remained unhappy. And then one day, I called and my world was turned upside down.

They matched me with WMAT who didn't care much about my surgery but loved my goals. we trained functional fitness and dove into primal like we'd been missing it our whole lives (spousal unit CFs btw). Eventually, I did a mud run with WMAT and spousal unit. Then I did the CMC twice, actually doing pretty well. Dropped weight, got stronger, got faster, did a goruck before people here went nutty over them. Eventually...

I wanted more lifting, less kipping, fewer box jumps (wtf?) and wallball? ugh. I learned a bit of boxing and I joined an MMA gym, taking up Muay Thai. I didn't tell anyone for over a week. Not even spousal unit.

Then, I quit WMAT and moved into powerlifting.

That's just over a year ago. Since then, I've tested up in Muay Thai twice and competed in two powerlifting meets. Oh and I've got 3 gorucks under my belt (one was a beach challenge), a handful of lights, more to come.

I do not regret, for one minute, making these life choices now. Spousal unit always says "we found this at the right time. We were ready." He is right. I do not live my life with regrets b/c I believe the buddhist belief that we die as we live. If we live with regret, we will die with regret. If we live with stress, grief, anxiety, unhappiness, ego, etc. we die the same way. So yeah... this was the time.

I do not train for ego. I do not train to boast. I do not train so people look at me in awe. I train because I find pure and total joy in it. I train because I love it. I experience "flow" almost every time. Seriously. Like I did in yoga or in meditation. It's amazing. I love my goals. I grind out my program. I know where I'm going and how to get there. The progress this last year has been amazing.

One of the most important lessons I've learned from so many coaches and international champions is this: train purely. Those who train purely and with humility make progress. It is my daily motto. Oh, and have fun. The grind is purely fun.

I've lurked on your threads before, but didn't know your fitness story. Cool to hear how you got here. I read your posts when I need motivation, when I'm in one of my " yea, but it's easy for them to do it their just like 20 yrs old" and then  I read how you totally kick butt at all your workouts and don't give up and I decide to work harder.

[ChristArtist]

Cline, when I say I want to be like you, I don't want to BE you. ..i want to have my story evolve Like yours!

WIth this neck thing going on, I find myself battling great AGAIN... and i do not want to be governed or controlled by fear!

I'll never do muy thai... but I would love to learn self defense, Israeli style! But I need to get for and strong. .. which IS my first self defense! Don't know that I'll choose to do rucks...but the mud runs and such look like fun challenges to me. Same criteria!

From talking to you, I know if I take steps forward, and put the effort into it, I can do anything, no matter the number on my born on date!

Btw, could you define some of the acronyms for me?

<3

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