The Masters Athlete Survival Guide
We explore thriving as an athlete after 40. Each episode, we’ll dive into tips, hacks, and inspiring stories from seasoned athletes and our personal experience. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or a competitive pro, this podcast is your playbook for staying fit, strong, and motivated
The Masters Athlete Survival Guide
The Beginning of a Journey to Masters Athletics and Things
Ever wondered what it means to be an athlete over 40? Join us as Scott and John take us down memory lane, revealing how informal neighborhood games and a mix of baseball, football, wrestling, and track and field shaped his athletic philosophy. Discover how early, unstructured sports experiences laid the foundation for lifelong physical training and a passion for athletics. From martial arts to weightlifting, Scott's journey demonstrates the lasting impact of those formative years.
But it's not all nostalgia. We delve into the essence of finding joy and adaptability in Masters Athletics. Contrary to the top-tier athletes treating it like a job, we emphasize the importance of keeping sports fun and breaking down fitness barriers. Learn about the mental challenges of maintaining a workout routine after a long day and why recognizing fitness as a high-level hobby is crucial. Adaptations for aging athletes and the positive influence of elite former athletes also underscore the episode, reminding us that any movement enhances longevity and well-being.
In our final segment, we explore the balance between athletic pursuits and family commitments. Reflect on the duality of chasing athletic achievements while ensuring family remains a priority. Hear our formative memories from early track meets and the impact of physical limitations on sports participation. Despite setbacks, such as medical conditions preventing participation in certain sports, these experiences led to successes in track and field and strength sports. We share the camaraderie of the Highland Games and how COVID-19 reignited our passion for strength training, highlighting the supportive community that fosters personal growth and perseverance.
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New episodes come out every other Thursday!
Welcome to the Master's Athlete Survival Guide, where we explore the secrets to thriving in sports after 40. I'm John Catalinas and, along with Scott Fyke, we'll dive into training tips, nutrition hacks and inspiring stories from seasoned athletes who defy age limits. Whether you're a weekend warrior or a competitive pro, this podcast is your playbook for staying fit, strong and motivated. Let's get started, and we're back.
Speaker 1:I'm sitting here in Aurora Studios with Scott today and we thought it would be important to maybe talk a little bit about our own personal journeys. Mine started forever ago and you're going to find out that there was a little bit about of it where I stopped and then I restarted, something that, throughout this journey and all of our episodes, you will find is a horrible idea. But I think it would be best to start with Scott. So, my friend Scott, when did you first think like organized athletics? I mean, we come from a time where there wasn't travel baseball, when you were five and not every kid on your street was on a league. It was more like let's go outside and build a fort and play in the water and probably do three things that we're not allowed to do.
Speaker 1:And as long as we were home before the lights came on, we were good.
Speaker 2:No, you're right. Back then if you did any sports, it was probably something you did in elementary school school. I mean I can remember and I know you and I have had this conversation doing the softball throw at the sixth grade track, meet joe schmoe elementary school and you get your ribbon. But you only got a ribbon if you placed is that a comment on the participation trophy?
Speaker 1:I didn't say that. No, I think it's a good thing to say I and we'll copy that, you know, we'll copy that, we'll uh we'll cross that bridge at some point, but I think there's's both value and horrible repercussions from the participation trophy. But continue.
Speaker 2:You know we joke and say we did things in school and you did the school track meet or you did whatever. But growing up in the 70s, you, around your house, you played baseball out in the street or in somebody's backyard or an open field and you played football and you played tag and the things like that. Those turned into the league sports. I guess I think the first thing I remember participating in was baseball. I joined a team I must have been 11, 12 years old, something like that and it was played in the baseball fields behind my elementary school which was close enough that I could walk there in five minutes.
Speaker 2:You know, you're right, you didn't have these travel leagues when you're driving 25 minutes to get to a practice and then driving five or six hours to get to a game or a tournament or or or. I think we paid. My mom paid something like $10 for me for the league fees. I can remember paying $10,000 for my son for a hockey league fee. So prices have gone up a little bit, a little bit, uh, fast forwarding through that. I went into middle school, where it was. You know, I joined the jd football team and had a lot of fun playing with that and it sort of really built on what I brought to the table. In a sense, I wasn't the small thin skinny fast kid what I know you look at me now and I'm a svelte 300 pounds.
Speaker 1:Yeah, svelte, yeah, it's a great word yes, I know, I find it ludicrous too, but please, continue.
Speaker 2:So it was the way that I could get away with hitting and inflicting pain on somebody legally and it fit into my body type in that sense. So all through junior high it was football. Got into high school, it was football, and then, oh oh, I can wrestle too. No, so instead of putting pads on and hitting somebody, then it became sort of trying to figure out body composition and positioning and things like that and also did track and field in high school and that was simply just sort of to round out the year and fill in the time between wrestling and football. But track and field for me was not running, as we've already discussed. That's felt, that's felt.
Speaker 2:300 pounder, yeah, it was throwing shot put throwing discus. So again, I mean, all three of them have that sort of where you're at, where the body's at, composition, placement, things like that from there, um there, you know, playing in martial arts for a number of years with judo, with Aikido and that sort of moved back and forth at different times depending on where I was in my life. I had the fortune of training under some of the absolutely most brilliant minds in both of those arts and that's when my mental philosophy of respect and tolerance and sort of allow somebody to do something, to make a move and react with it. You know, sort of use it Sure, fast forward through this whole time. There was always weightlifting involved.
Speaker 1:There's always some sort of Like training in the gym, kind of weightlifting you mean.
Speaker 2:Yes and no. Some sort of moving weight to improve your body, not gym kind of weightlifting. You mean yes and no.
Speaker 1:Some sort of moving weight to improve your body, not like olympic weightlifting. You mean no, not olympic weightlifting.
Speaker 2:Okay and that's still something that I regret not doing. But I can remember I was in junior high and for a christmas gift my mother bought me a joe weeder weight bench and a seven foot tap barbell or cap barbell, I'm sorry and the weeder weights that we still have at the compound I have seen these weights painted red so people don't put them on because they're in kilos. They are in kilos, they are vintage and they're not in freedom units yeah, they are not in freedom units.
Speaker 1:So, before you go too much farther in your journey, do you think, like all of our friends and compatriots that compete in Masters Athletics, you think their origin story is similar? I did some stuff and I self-selected for some stuff, and here's where I am today.
Speaker 2:I think so. Yeah, you know there's some that fall into the Masters Athlete class that I think deal with the idea of at one time I was insert accolade award, whatever, and we all have those, and that's that's sort of what we're trying not to let go of. You know, we often have the conversation you know, I'm 50 years old, I'm 60 years old, I'm 45 years old, whatever, and I'm not sitting on the couch eating Cheetos and I think that's a big part of what you and I try when we talk with people that are our age, is getting them to understand just movement, just get out, do something and, you know, select where you're going to go, and it's sort of what you did before, what you wanted to do before but didn't have the opportunity to try. You know, I mean that's when we move on a little bit. That's the idea of how Ronnieonnie and I got into highland games. Right, you'd see it at a festival and you're like I should try that at some point I am surprised.
Speaker 1:First of all, we are never going to be sponsored by cheetos. After your disparaging remarks about sitting on the couch and eating said things um, we're diabetic dude. Yeah, that's. That's something else we're going to talk about, I guess. Um, I wonder, they must be out there and I can't think of any off the top of my head, but there's got to be those guys that have become athletes at 35, 40. Because I could see, like if you had a high-powered job and maybe you stayed training in the gym, maybe you didn't, but you just didn't have the time. And then you know the kids move out and you're an empty nester and you've got some free time and some free money, and maybe that's when you start well, think about it.
Speaker 2:You know we did a little bit of this, a little bit of that. For how long? And I know your story is a little bit different because you did, uh, were an accomplished college athlete as well. But for me, once I sort of left that high school, the true competitive, interactive stuff, this was choice stuff for me. It wasn't competing. Highland games was really my first venture back into competing and I didn't become a competitive, strong man until 49, 50 years old.
Speaker 1:Which is what people do. Why not 50 years old? I'll start lifting incredibly heavy things quickly, no big deal, you know.
Speaker 2:So you're right. There are folks like us that that sort of I I need something to do right, so I'm going to do it, yeah and I wonder how many people like pivot stronger than you and I did, because I think both our stories are similar.
Speaker 1:As you know, we went from x to y to z and they semi-related, same skill sets or you know, our individual quote-unquote athleticism uh led to sort of being not terrible at those things. But I wonder, like, are there swimmers out there like I I think of doug at the gym swam and now does strongman. That seems like an incredible pivot. You, you know, I mean good for him. I think you self-select. You know, at some point when you're not on a team and you don't have your parents pushing you when you're 12. It's really what do you enjoy? I'm never going to be of that level where I'm a significant influence. In Masters Athletics I'm sure there's the top 10% treat it like a job, get after it every day. Definitely. I have found and I guess this has helped to pivot. Every time when I've accomplished enough or it's not fun anymore, I've pivoted. I've gone to a different job or a different sport.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think you hit on a really key factor there. Not necessarily the accomplished enough side of it. I think the important part was it's not fun anymore, because at our age you're right, it has to be something that you enjoy doing. Yeah, because it can be a slog. Going to the gym or to the pool or or, or, for an hour and a half, two hours, four to seven times a week. I mean, yeah, the gym in my case, is my backyard. I mean the compound is in my backyard and sometimes after getting home after a 10, 12 hour day at work, walking that 150 feet back to the gym. It's not always the easiest Mentally. You have to want to do it. So, you're right, you have to have that desire in terms of this is fun, yeah, and sometimes it's cathartic.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think, like to anybody listening that is either somewhat into master's athletics or struggling in master's athletics I think the key at least it is for me is to lower all the barriers you can Um. You know, scott walks to the gym. I do not walk to the gym, and there are days that I literally have an argument with myself on the couch where I'm like I need to go to the gym, I don't want to go to the gym, you need to go to the gym, but it's raining. I'm sorry, we still go to the gym.
Speaker 2:You're not walking, rain doesn't matter.
Speaker 1:I know and you know that's my excuse 80% of the time I win that argument, but every now and then my body says not today, it was a bad day at work. Personal things are going on and that's fine. Again, that goes to the fact it's not a job, it's a high-level hobby with some recognition, and I have zero problem with that. And this will end up being probably its own episode too. But train the way you enjoy Scott's very strong. Scott thrives in strong men. I need to dial it back a little and do a little more lighter, more explosive kind of stuff, just because it fits my frail little body Like Zumba, like Zumba, like Zumba, and we'll have, yeah, thanks for that. So I would encourage you know, if you're listening and you know and you're wondering what to do, or you're not enjoying it or you just want to improve you know, and this is why I think we started the podcast.
Speaker 1:All the resources out there, I swear, are focused if you're 20, and they never take into account the limitations of time, family and just age.
Speaker 2:Just old bone or if they're out there and they're of people of our age range. Yeah, they're that top 10% of the top 10%. Right, you know you look at guys and I mean this with all due respect the Brian Shaw's, the Nick bests, um, you know, those types of people who are ungodly talented in the strength world, we're not going to be them. You know, yes, you can learn things from them.
Speaker 1:but to be them, you know, yes, you can learn things from them, but this is for the average guy that's walking around that. Yeah, that's, that's true. Like when I did masters track and field. Um, you know, you'd see those standout athletes like just people winning their event by 40 and you're like who's that and why are they so great?
Speaker 1:oh, they were a 1984 olympian, you know. Or? Or d1 national champion three years in a row. You know. They were at the high level and now they're a, you know. Or, or D one national champion three years in a row, you know. They were at the high level and now they're a master, you know, a. They've got those core. They figured it out years ago and they're just kind of coasting down to a level that's always going to be higher than mine. Um, so I think that's, you know. That's important to realize too is that and while you can improve I've certainly improved as a master's athlete, but I think you got to pay attention to you know, doing what you can do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the adaptations that you have to make in whatever sport you choose to. And I'll give you an example I was just at um nationals for USS and they sort of grouped us in lanes and you had the teen boys and then all of the Masters athletes men in my lane.
Speaker 1:Well, not all of them. Oh, there was teen boys at Strongman Nationals too. Oh yeah, these are some incredibly strong men.
Speaker 2:We had the 50-year-old lightweight men, 50-year-old heavyweight men, my Svelte class Nice and the 60-year-old plus men God bless them. That's where I was going with this. I was talking with one of them and I ended up I didn't even know we're on the same flight when we our first connecting flight and we sort of changed planes in nashville and we ended up talking and he says, yeah, how long you been doing this, you know, and I talked to him. He says, yeah, I just started like three years ago. So you've got a 60 year old man who came in second because he lost the, the sort of tiebreaker, because he got tied for first, came in second and he'd only been doing it for a couple of years, three, four years at the most.
Speaker 2:And again, it's what makes you happy, sure, what brings you to the table, off the couch, you know, forget, forget the play that we said earlier on Cheetos or whatever else what's helping you to move, because any movement is going to help you live longer. And I can tell you, you know, not that long ago, for a variety of reasons, I was somewhere in the 350 pound range. We've got a very good friend who was a very large person and just started, you know, with simple walking and whatnot is stronger than anything, but just started with simple walking and has dropped a lot of weight. And you know, he and I had a conversation and it's the same thing. My knees don't hurt as much, it's like there's a little more jump when I'm walking Right. So just find something.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think I've. I probably have said this too much, but you know, at the end of the day, when people ask, why do I still do it? I just don't want to die prematurely. I mean, you know it it I'm sure it started to want to be competitive and I'm sure it wanted to be. You know, hang out with friends and do fun things, but at the end of the day it was you know, disease and all that stuff and just trying to stay healthy.
Speaker 1:And it's a good excuse to uh to give a goal, cause I'm horrible without a goal. Um yeah, I've noticed that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah so, but I mean, let's talk about goals for a second. I know we're going to talk about this in an upcoming episode, those goals, and it could be something simple I want to lose 10 pounds, right. I want to feel better. I want my clothes to fit better, whatever, right. Set your goal Right and then talk to your friends, talk to your loved ones, help them understand what it is, because I think that's what drives me right now is setting a goal. My goal this year is this right, all right, john, how do you know? Where do I need to look, what can I do? And you know, you sort of map yourself out a little bit, but I think it's being a master's athlete. It's more important to make sure that you've got more people around you as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but I mean there's two sides of that coin. I mean I'm I'm blessed to have you as a training partner, mostly so that you can hassle me when I don't want to do anything Always.
Speaker 2:I know.
Speaker 1:And the other side of that coin is I know athletes that we compete with and you know, train with that their families are a bit of a roadblock. Um, you know you have other things going on and you have to make that decision and I would encourage mostly everybody that you know the decision is go with your family. I mean, this is, we're not getting paid for, this, we're not. You know, I, I, you know you win a national champion and everybody says that's cool and then three days later you still got to mow the lawn and you know the electric bills still do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So that's fine, but that goes back to what makes you happy. Yeah, you know, and family is a huge part of that. I mean for both of us. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so my, my path to today is is I think it should be like an Aesop fable Um you put pebbles into a bottle to get the water out.
Speaker 1:Is that what that is? Um, my, my first athletic memory is the eighth grade track meet. Um, and man, you know, I look back and the lessons I learned at these silly things uh, won the softball throw because I was 178 pounds and like six foot in eighth grade I my growth spurt was so early and I remember I ran the hundred and I won the hundred and it was probably 100 yards. Yeah, um, sadly, um, and I didn't mean it this way and maybe it's a false memories, like so many things are. But I remember turning to the kids, get next to me and they said you're going to win this and I just said, yeah, I know I am, that's just not me. Nothing has changed. But what I meant was you know I was, I was a foot taller than these kids. I probably could have carried them all. Um, that's how I meant it, but how it came out is like ew, ew, and I hate those icky ew moments. I also ran the relay. I remember the relay. I remember being very stressed about the handoff, which I still think didn't go very well, but I remember being very stressed.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, so the eighth grade track meet, which I don't know, I don't even know how that happened, like I don't remember. I think they said you want to do track, okay? Um, there was a recreational league in the summers that had a track meet. All I remember is this is how old I am. I remember the t-shirt. I don't remember what events I did. I don't even remember what year that was. It was actually here in in lancaster. Um, I didn't live in lancaster at the time I was recruited. I think we're gonna talk to your school board about that.
Speaker 1:Yeah right, we're going to have to evacuate that result. I'm sorry but they lost. Like I said, I remember the shirt. I think I had the shirt for a long time but I don't remember anything about it. I went to high school and I was humongous. I don't know.
Speaker 1:Six foot 242 as a freshman, something ridiculous like that. So of course, try out for football. Go 242 as a freshman something ridiculous like that. Um, so of course, try out for football. Um, go, you know again, I'm a lot bigger than everybody. Everybody has these aspirations that I'm going to be this great football player and uh, that's when. And man, this is a horrible me. But my mom said you know, he's blind in an eye. Can we get some eye protection? Innocently, right, she just didn't want me, and this was way before. It was a thing in the nfl. I think eric dickerson later, you know, a couple years later, had come to the league with with that similar thing. But in new york state there is a rule that you need both of paired organs both kidneys, both lungs, both eyes to be. It can be approved by the school doctor.
Speaker 1:School doctor could have said oh yeah you're good school doctor did not say you're good and I did not play football, which was you know at the time. It was really devastating. Like my parents, you know, I I have no temper, but my parents, in their little basement thing had, uh, the baby food jars screwed in the ceiling where you nail the lids and there's full of screws.
Speaker 2:Oh I remember those.
Speaker 1:I may have broken one or two that day and then ran out the door and next thing I knew I was like six miles away because I just kept going. I was just so angered and disappointed. I mean, you know, I came from a family of hyper athletes. I mean, uncles and my dad were these monstrous human beings that all played legendary football. I have an uncle who played for the packers in 34 who had to quit because he couldn't afford to play football. He needed to get like a real job. Yeah, um, but that put me on the path for track and field and you know, I had significant success. I was significant. I think I still hold a high school shot, put record, and if I don't, please nobody tell me in the comments, because I don't want to know. I'm just going to assume I still do.
Speaker 1:Fragile yeah, I know, went to Fredonia, won a couple conference championships, a state championship, and then I got firmly on the couch, got married, had a couple kids Wait a minute yes, sir, you got to talk about the ego picture.
Speaker 2:What's the ego picture?
Speaker 1:Oh, that's later. That's at 40. And we may have to have Dr Charles Inferner on here. He's the guy who got me off the couch, but um yeah, pretty around 30. I just stopped. I went to the local world's gym a little, uh, had a goal of a 500 pound bench press. When I turned 40, which I did, which no one cared about, except some old guy walked up to me in the gym and gave me a thumbs up. It was a lot of work for a thumbs up, I got to tell you.
Speaker 1:Um but yeah, I just, and it's sort of it's kind of pre-internet, so I didn't even know what was out there, like I had no idea of master's athletics wasn't a thing. So this younger alumni from my college called and said you should still do shot and 35 pound weight throw. I'm like no, no, I'm old, no, and I was going through a divorce. No, I don't have time.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:I don't have the money, I can't afford the gas to drive to a meet Relentlessly picked me up, bought me throwing shoes, drove me to a meet I threw in Fredonia as a 40 year old who hadn't touched an implement in 10 years and I would have essentially qualified for the conference meet. I threw the qualifying standard. I'm like, oh, I'm not horrible at this still. So that led to, I mean that restarted everything. That led to, you know, a couple masters, national championships, a lot of travel and then one day, cause I didn't here's, you know, there's so many lessons along the way One of the guys shout out to Dave Bacal said to me at the last I think the last Nationals I went to, where I got a bronze and a hammer. He says you know, you'd be really good if you would just bother to practice. And it wasn't an insult because I didn't, I didn't put the effort in. I mean, first of all, hammer throw is a weird thing to try to practice because you're sneaking into like college stadiums or I'm in the Kmart parking lot after it closes, throwing into their like drainage. So it was a challenge to practice anyway and you know, the path of most resistance is not. So after that meet, I think I figured out it cost me one hundred and ten dollars.
Speaker 1:Parallel with that, the internet and Facebook started happening and I saw Adrienne Wilson posted a picture in Highland of her winning a shield in some event no idea, years and years ago, don't even remember. I was like, wait a minute, how do I get into a sport where you can win swords and shields? Oh, tell me about it. That was part of what hooked me. Oh, I know, I know. So yeah. So that's Highland Games in a nutshell Stand in a field wearing a kilt, flinging a telephone pole, hoping to win swords and shields. Love that part. And for a while in my early career, that was the goal to win my first sword. And I competed against uh, competed against is probably the wrong term but tim mlele. So basically it was sort of oh good, I'll come in second at this, because tim was head and shoulders above me in all things and all talent 20 better than the field every time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, tim was. Tim was great, so thank you, tim. Shout out to tim mullally for uh retiring for a while so that I could actually win some stuff. That was pretty great.
Speaker 2:No, tim didn't retire. Yeah, you're older than tim. I started throwing against tim.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, there was an age out yeah, that's right, there was an age out thing too. God bless being old. Um, I mean, it was such a thing for a while. Uh, matt hand shout out to matt hand had a birthday games in belmont and I won athlete of the day and I won my I sort of won my quote-unquote first sword, which was nerf they gave me nerf and I think they meant it as a joke and I treat I still have it.
Speaker 1:I treated it like it was gold. I'm like yay and it. You know, looking back, it was more about my friends recognize that I'm trying and that was a big part of it.
Speaker 2:I think that's the biggest part of Highland Games to me. Yeah, is the camaraderie that you get on the field. Yes, there are some people that are trying very hard. Yeah, and yes, the swords and the shields are so cool, yeah.
Speaker 1:But I mean, look at the friendships that you and I have sort of spawned off of from people we've met in highland games, yeah, and, and what I've learned in all these sports is like the people that self-select to these sports are like-minded, um, because, like I went to a couple um world championship in highland games did I mention I was 10th in the world once and yes, you, you had us address you as mr number 10 for a year, yeah, until I came in 15 a couple years later, yes, but you know.
Speaker 1:So you go to this world championship and literally the first one I went to was, you know, there were people from Friesland. Friesland, germany, australia, canada. Obviously Japan Can't go from Japan. You're sitting in a tent with them and it's like you've got you've known them for 10 years very comfortable, it's very fun. The moment you step out of the tent it's very serious, especially you know the top five guys are there to try to win a world championship, but never at the expense of belittling you or staring at you. I mean that would.
Speaker 1:It's funny and I think I thrived in highland for a while because track and field has more of a carryover of the. You put your headphones on, you focus, you do a little warmup, you do your event, maybe then you hang out with afterwards. Um, highland was much less so than that, although some of the goofy things and if we speak to my ego picture that's out there somewhere of me throwing the 300 pound weight at the ultra weight pentathlon Um, that was a little more low key because it was just ludicrous Like, hey, let's pick up a Buick and try to throw it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and uh hey let's pick up a Buick and try to throw it. And Pat Toland came to that Shout out to Pat Toland and then Highland kind of ran its course, competed a lot. There used to be a local games that I probably did 12 of them a year, probably almost did 20 games some years. There were so many small festivals and games to go to COVID. Covid shrunk all of of that, decimated it, and because I'm not about the path the most resistance, I sort of got away from it. So you and I, during COVID, started to train at a friend's garage yeah, 1.0, appropriately socially distance obviously. But you know that that was both, because that you know we forget. I mean I forget about covid, just how restrictive and limiting it was and just the ability to go and, you know, crush ourselves in the gym felt like a gift and I think that sort of restarted us on the whole grip strongman thing and got us to here today.
Speaker 2:Yeah you you're right, covid hit so hard with, especially with Highland Games. There are some festivals now that are no more Right Simply because of COVID and that training sort of it rekindled something that I had. That's a childhood memory of mine that got me into Strongman. You know what I mean. I've told you this story before about my uncle. My uncle is a massive man.
Speaker 2:We were up on a vacation once and he told me to go out and empty out the water that had gotten to our rowboat. He bent over at the waist, picked this rowboat up in one motion above his head. Now to me it looked like the Titanic, because it was just this massive thing and there was. You know, it was probably just a 12, 14 foot rowboat but it had three inches of water in the bottom, oh geez. So here you've got this thing. I just picked it up and I'm thinking to myself that's strong, that's what I want to be Now. I mean I can arguably say I'm stronger now than I have been ever in my life, just because of sort of the paths that we've chosen. Like you said before, self-selected.
Speaker 1:Yep.
Speaker 2:And sometimes it's the conjoling that I get from training partners like yourself and Mark and the other people. But sometimes it's those moments that you sit there by yourself too and you have to fight the demon, win the battle and go and literally sweat it out of yourself. But you're right, there are people along our way that have sort of pushed us and cajoled and helped us. I guess.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I feel blessed to meet all of them. I mean, I think everybody I can't the list of people who have played a minor to major role into getting me here to athletics today. It's astoundingly long. You know everybody, from Charles Inferno that got me off the couch to just. You know simple people who you know I may only know as an internet presence that send you a DM that's like hey, I saw this video where you're doing this, Consider this instead. I mean like being a being a collegiate athlete in the pre-internet era.
Speaker 1:I didn't even know it was possible, like I really didn't have a good concept of what was possible. You sort of had like the Olympics and then what you saw locally and I went to a local D3 school and I was okay. I think I my senior year I finished 15th in the nation. They take 12 to be all American but I finished 15th.
Speaker 1:I'm not bitter, but yeah I think, and I'm sure we'll cover this in discussion but just the fact that people, and especially masters, know what's possible. I mean, I'm 50, almost 57 years old.
Speaker 2:I'm probably stronger than I was at 30, which is goofy, but still true no-transcript, that we sort of participate in with it in terms of masters athletics, because people know there's like this other person out there, there's other people out there that are there to help you to, to sort of see that you're going to succeed. Try this different. Hey, turn your hand a little different, you know, pivot your foot this way, that type type of thing. I think that's. That's played a major role in what, at least in my sort of journey.
Speaker 1:I like the way you brought it back to the fact that that's probably why we started this podcast. Honestly, it's just not everybody has training partners, not everybody has heard. You know you can do it and you can do it to the best of your ability, which doesn't necessarily mean that you are the best but there is such a sense of accomplishment when you push your old body and get something out of it. Yeah, I mean and we'll get into the stories of what we've done post 40 that really are accomplishments that I will gladly bang that drum. But yeah, that's why this podcast exists. I think that sorry, I got off track there. I got misty. No, I did not get misty, but I am, I'm, I'm also and I try not to lose track of the fact that we're blessed. I mean we're. You see people on scooters, walkers can't walk up a flight of stairs. That terrifies me. That, that, that that's a horror.
Speaker 2:I well, we're going to talk about that in one of our future shows the idea of the role of injury and recovery. And you know, honestly, other than the normal aches and pains and tweaks and bumps and whatnot, we are lucky. Yeah, you know, and that plays a huge role in where you're at. But being active helps contribute to that being lucky.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah yeah, I guess you do make your own luck when it comes to uh, to that kind of thing. Um, I don't know anything else. I mean, I think I think parts of our journey will come up in every episode. Um, because we're old men and we tell stories around the pickle barrel in front of the general store while, uh, drinking sarsaparillas. Um, I think the best part is I have no idea what you just said and where that came from. Um, it came from my background in the wild, wild west.
Speaker 1:Um, I don't know, don't look at me like, but you know, I think again, I think the important part of this podcast is no one's alone in that. If you, if you're thinking of starting, start. If you're thinking of quitting, don't do do less. Um, everybody that comes to me and sees that I'm athletic at almost 57, the first thing I tell them is go for 10 minute walks. Um, look up, stand efforting, a guru when it comes to that and the impact and, of course, because I'm a career scientist, I've read all the pub med on it. Um, 10 minute walks great place to start, really simple, really low barrier of entry and really impactful in your life. It sounds completely dumb in this era of where we feel like we need to all jump on a salt bike and do Tabata's for an hour. You don't need it. Please, please, don't self limit yourself, do something.
Speaker 2:The smallest change can make massive difference.
Speaker 1:Okay, I think that's uh. Is that enough for today?
Speaker 2:I feel like that's good for today. Okay, is that enough for?
Speaker 1:today. I feel like that's good for today, okay, well, thanks for listening. I've been John, he's been Scott and, uh, we'll talk to you next time. Bye, thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode and you'd like to help support the podcast, please share it with others, post it on your social media or leave a review. To catch all the latest from us, you can follow us.