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
Embracing Competition and Camaraderie in Masters Athletics
Can competition really be the cornerstone of a master's athlete's journey? Join Scott Fike and John Katalinas as we unpack the essential role of competition in tracking progress, setting realistic goals, and finding sheer joy in participation. Through our candid conversation, we underscore the importance of humility and the immense satisfaction of simply moving your body. Learn how staying active and being part of a community can be fulfilling in ways that transcend winning.
Have you ever wondered why the masters athlete community feels like a close-knit family? Scott and I dive into the unique camaraderie in competitive strength sports, spotlighting how high-level athletes like Wes Derwinsky and Dave Labbe uplift and mentor their peers. Discover the profound mental and social benefits of these supportive environments, where genuine friendships and true connections flourish, enhancing both personal and athletic growth.
Feeling like an imposter in your athletic pursuits? We understand. Listen as we explore powerful stories of overcoming self-doubt, particularly in older athletes. From the camaraderie in Highland Games to the continuous learning in sports like pickleball, we reveal how shared experiences build confidence and a sense of belonging. By embracing failures and actively engaging in life, you can enhance your physical and mental health, ensuring long-term enjoyment and fulfillment in sports.
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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. Hey, today we're going to talk about the role of competitive sports and things. I'm here with my good friend and training partner, scott. Hi John, hi Scott. And you know, if we're going to have this survival guide to master's athletics, we probably should start talking about the why of masters athletics and competitive sports in general. Um, it's funny, scott and I kind of went into our own little caves and decided up on some topics and this one came out the top of both of our lists. I think it's because it's important for a lot of reasons, with not no downside, but there is some downside that we'll talk about later in the podcast. So, my friend Scott yes, my friend John why?
Speaker 2:When you think about competition you know immediately your brain goes oh my God, the Olympics, the world's strongest man, wimbledon, whatever is the peak of the sport that you choose. But that's not necessarily always true. Competition can be you against yourself, Competition can be you entering an event somewhere. But the idea with competition is there's like seven, eight, nine different sort of main topical goals that can come out of it. The biggest one to me is it allows me to measure me and see where I'm sort of placing and judging how my training is going in different things, because you can have different times in your training schedules and your rotations where maybe you're on a deload or your body just isn't hitting the numbers it did a month ago or even a week ago.
Speaker 2:Competition sort of puts that benchmark out there for you to reach a spot and say all right, I did a 250 pound stone for 10 repetitions, you know, and the next time through I did it for 15 repetitions. Or we just came back from the Shaw Classic with arm lifting and the exact same event that we did at the arnold this year with the grandfather clock lift same weights. I went from 10 repetitions to 16 repetitions on the heavy pin. I'm not quite sure why. I'm not sure why?
Speaker 1:because he trains like a fool people. That's why you know and I give you credit and um. But I feel like what you just said is sort of the intermediate benefit, because the first trap a lot of people fall into is sort of the hey, I'm pretty good at this thing, I'm going to go to it and excel and the goal is going to be to win. And I think the one of the hidden lessons Masters Athletics is there's always that person that shows up that you've never seen before. That was an Olympian in the 70s or a Division I 10-time national champion in something. Competition always shows up and you will not have longevity in any Masters sport sport unless you are that person. Uh, if that's what you hang your hat on, if you hang your hat on solely winning, or you know, top three, um, there will be times that you will have soul-crushing disappointments and that's just part of the game. I I think step one for master's athletics is showing up Well to your point.
Speaker 2:First time we went to a Highland Games and we're out there throwing and you, you know, truly a high level track and field athlete. We go out there and our dear friend Tim Malali goes out and the field goes great and Tim beats it by 10%. Yeah, yeah, I mean, it is part of it, like we said, and thank you to our sponsor, cheetos. We're no longer sitting on the couch eating Cheetos. Yep, yep. Our sponsor Cheetos.
Speaker 1:We're working on that. People Don't worry about it. But I mean, that is true, there are good and there are great athletes, and we all aspire to be great and you certainly can become great, but you can never lack the humility that someone's going to show up and just crush you, maybe with a whole lot less effort, maybe, you know, just because maybe they put a lot more effort in. There's always that side of it too. You can't mail it in as far as training and expect to really thrive.
Speaker 1:Unless you're me, I tend to mail it in and really hope to thrive doesn't always work out.
Speaker 2:Glad you put the word hope in there. Yeah, I was gonna say it doesn't always work, but you're right the first step and you hit it and I know I sort of went a different direction than you did initially, but you hit it. Just show up, yeah, take that first step, take that first challenge, do those first couple of things to see and sort of measure where you're at at any given time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the first tool in the Masters Athlete Survival Guide toolbox is give yourself some grace. I can probably think of a dozen athletes in various sports I've competed with as a Masters athlete that you know. If you took a step back, you want to ask yourself why do you do this? It looks like it hurts you. You're not going to win and they're so happy because of a lot of the reasons we're probably going to touch on in this podcast, but it's just the fact that they are out there moving their body. There is such a value and if you take a step back compared to the millions of people who are on the couch being out doing your sport with other people invaluable as you age well, yes, I agree with you.
Speaker 2:I think the next step after that is why am I doing what I'm doing? What is the purpose of my training? Sort of setting that initial goal. Okay, I've got, let's do Highland, because I mentioned Highland earlier. I'm looking at it and I'm saying, all right, there's nine events in Highland Games. I want to get out there, I want to try it, I want to make sure that I can throw it in first step, I don't hurt myself. Second step I've started moving the, the weights. I've started throwing them a little bit higher, I've started throwing a little bit further. It's that purposeful training, that idea of setting some sort of beginning, intermediate and maybe long-term goals with what I'm doing yeah, and it's not a goal.
Speaker 1:I'm trying personally to move away from the word goal, cause I feel like goal has intrinsically the word missing your goal built in. You know, if I pick some random number in some sport off the top of my head, whether it be bowling a 300 game or, you know, shooting 80 under par, is that possible? That's possible, right, that'd be impressive. That would be impressive. Um, no, but when you send those kinds of goals under par, is that possible? That's possible, right, that'd be impressive that would be impressive.
Speaker 1:Um no, but when you send those kind of goals, if they're not I mean if you've done a poor job of goals uh, it can be frustrating. And the other thing is that then, as soon as you attain that goal, the shine comes off the apple and you wonder what's the next step. I like the fact of constant improvement. We all have room for constant improvement. That five more pounds, that that you know, 20 more pins, that you know, take a couple strokes off your game, those are the kind of things that you can work towards, are tangible and don't have such a finite like well, you, well you know now that I'm 66, I'm tired and I don't want to get off the couch anymore. Right, and the goal is to stay off the couch. There's so much out there about. If you keep moving, you keep living.
Speaker 2:We talked in another podcast about goal setting and what role that plays in sort of our training. I know we talked about the continuous improvement when we did that. The other thing, though, that comes from it is the idea of social interaction. Quite often, even when you have great support from family or friends in the area, when you go to these events and I mean a a great example was again we went out to Loveland, and the people that we saw are people literally from all over the world that we hadn't had a chance to see in previous episode or previous times.
Speaker 2:I'm sorry, you know, like we saw Luke Reynolds, we haven't seen Luke since the Arnold back in March. Shout out to Luke Reynolds. Shout out to Luke Reynolds, the Arnold back in March. Shout out to Luke Reynolds. Shout out to Luke Reynolds, and you know, just sitting there chatting with him, talking with him a little bit, or when we go to the Olympia in the past or we go to the Arnold next year. It's seeing these people who you've started to build relationships with, who really are in the same boat that you are. That social interaction that you gain from sort of competition as like an ancillary yeah, you, you prep for the contest, but then you meet phenomenal people and they become friends yeah, absolutely, and having you know being masters athletes um, I guess one another tool for the uh survival guide toolkit is community.
Speaker 1:I think there's both physical and mental health aspects to that and, being old athletes, that may have existed before the internet. Like I am older than Google it's a double-edged sword when it comes to being able to go on that little device in your pocket and look at people in your sport all over the world, potentially doing better than you.
Speaker 1:And if you look at it from only the, you know the comparison is the thief of joy standpoint, you know you are not going to enjoy yourself. But if you take it to the flip side of that coin, where it's hey that my community can exist in Australia or Friesland or you know any, you know, even just across the U? S, you know in States you would potentially never get to. Uh, you know you can build a sense of where I am in the sport and where I am in life, cause a lot of these people, if not most of these masters athletes are facing the exact same thing.
Speaker 1:Because a lot of these people, if not most of these Masters athletes, are facing the exact same thing. Very rarely do we meet a new Masters athlete that it stays how are you doing in the gym and it drifts into what's your favorite bourbon. What do your kids do? You know what car do you drive? You know how do you keep your grass so damn green. You know important things.
Speaker 2:Yeah, as we get older, it's interesting to see how the things change as to what really matters, yeah, and those conversations tend to take on a life of their own yeah, yeah, and you tend to fall into the niche that sort of fits your, your personality and your idea what it means to be an athlete like.
Speaker 1:Again, I came back from master's track and field where there was a community, but it was a little more insular with the people I competed directly with and because there's so many different events, you don't get a lot of cross-pollination and because of the background, lots of people were collegiate track and field athletes. It's a little more competitive, a little more glare across the field. The guy that makes me get nine silver medals shout out to dave bickle um the scary thing is john was glaring at me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I was glaring I got no silver medals nor gold medals. Yeah, that's fine. Um, so, yeah, the sense of community part, I mean, if I take a giant step back, I would say, and I think, and I've read a lot on this but, like men, our age don't have a lot of friends, true, um, the friends they do have are potentially the parents of their kids friends, yep, um, which tends to fade away as your kids start to have lives and separate, and you don't necessarily maintain those friendships. But I mean, I, I I probably have 12 people I could call right now that I know would be here in an hour if I was really screwed, and 11 of those people came from sport. That's almost more of a benefit than a lot of. It is just the making of friends and sharing a common goal.
Speaker 2:I think one of the things that, as much as we like to think that we look at friendships outside of it and you're right, you know a lot of the friends are parents of our children's friends.
Speaker 2:When I really got involved with strongman community what about four years ago, somewhere in that ballpark the people that you have people, for the most part, who are there to win we get that. You have people who are there because they want to see other people do well as well, and that's one of the big surprises that I saw in Strongman, because when you know wrestling, martial arts, they want to win, they want to beat you up, they want to do this, they want to do that. But when I got into strongman, a lot of what I'm seeing now is these are people who are have you considered doing this differently? Right, have you tried this little tweak in the way you're lifting something or moving something? Those are the communities that, as we get older, tend to be more supportive and more helpful for us, because those are the ways that we're able to get by not sitting on the couch. We're able to get by a little bit longer, a little bit farther along our trail.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think, I think, and I think this is probably a blind spot for both of us. So you know if, if you have a different experience, please comment in the comments. But I think the sports where it's just you versus a team is different, because it is solely you are in control of most of it. Um, for example, you were saying about other strength athletes helping you out, and this is ridiculous. But like rec, rec league pickleball here, every now and then you'll run into somebody that basically tries to tell you you suck, you're doing it wrong. I've never seen that wrong. Yeah, well, there is that. Um, I've never really seen that at the some of the high level competitions that we do, no one is really a jerk about it. The people that are really great they mostly keep their mouth shut and the people that are near your level for the most part are there to elevate you right Like high tide raises all boats kind of deal.
Speaker 2:Agreed. Think about the number of times that we've been at some of these competitions and some of the people you're competing against, even super high level folks, and they're yelling, you know, back to the shocks. We just came back, yeah, squeeze, squeeze, pull harder. Try this, try that, you know. Think about when. Because brian wanted that the blob lift, because he's noted for the problem I can't remember the guy's name jay, jaylen, ory. Yes, yeah, he said a lot of people are making this mistake. Grab it with your off hand, turn it that way. Turn your your lifting hand into it so that way you're not wasting the energy. Right, you know? Think about it. Dave labbe, who won the pro event crushed the pro event um, we joked with him all day.
Speaker 2:We were sitting there talking with him all day, you know. I mean again, these are the people and they're sitting there, they're cheering, you're on, they're whatnot? Our friend wesley derwinsky. I know him, you know shout out to wesley derwinsky.
Speaker 2:Shout out to Wes. Shout out to Paige for putting up with Wes. Amen. Wes comes down and the morning of the second day and comes and spends 10-15 minutes talking with us, chatting with us how you guys doing what's going on. It's those type of friendships that you don't see and you know he starts making fun of us, rightfully so about we gave him a lot of ammunition we did.
Speaker 2:But it's. It's those type of friendships. Those people are saying try this, do that. I mean I can remember west training in the compound a few times and saying, no, I do this. My interactions with Wes started because I was having a hard time doing log presses and getting some serious weight up and he said, okay, first examine the reverse C, then examine this. How was your clean coming? Those types of things. So these are guys who well, well past our capabilities, I mean, would beat us with one hand. The man runs faster carrying a 250 pound sandbag than we run without a sandbag. Taking the time, talk to us. This is what's going on. Just salt of the earth type of people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and the importance of the anecdote that that scott just shared is that west stopped at our competition in a different building between day one and day two of him competing at the highest level, trying to win the strongest man on earth. So I mean he for him to take the time out is is amazing and shout out to west.
Speaker 2:He ended up coming in ninth out of 16.
Speaker 1:Yeah, beating some former world's strongest man champions yeah he definitely, definitely earned a seat at that table for sure. And uh, you know just the, the ancillary benefit of competition, it beyond the friendships you know are sort of the bigger relationships like shout out to ricardo, magni, president arm lifting, scott and guy get invited to things because we try to be kind and respectful and and compete well and try and. Uh, he recognizes that and that's. That's gratifying too, because it speaks as much to who you are as a man or woman as it does, um, who you are as an athlete, and I I think that's important. I think people gravitate away from the bad apples.
Speaker 1:It just you know, not unlike life and uh. So it's great to go to these competitions and and build that kind of reputation outside your little friend group bubble.
Speaker 2:I think we're sort of heading in a direction that I want to bring something up here. We've talked about the physical, we've talked about the goal setting, we've talked about a bunch of this. I think what this does is we've got the mental side of it. We've got the mental side of it. We got the social side of it. You know, you got that social, emotional sort of wellbeing that you have, not only from competing yourself, but the interaction and relationships you have. It's that overall mental and emotional wellbeing.
Speaker 2:That and John hit on this earlier, and I know it sounds like we talk mostly about men when we're doing this we are, because that's who we are, but on both sides of it, people, as they get older, tend to have fewer relationships with people. Right, I think it's a safe statement. We have a lot of acquaintances. We don't have what my mom would call true friends as much. So what this does is these competitions. They allow for those true friends who aren't next door.
Speaker 2:Now, yes, you know the internet, the Googles this, that it allows for connections to be made, but there's something to be said to walk up to a competition and seeing these people that we don't see for a while. You walk up and you see the Luke's, you see the Anna's or the Grace's or the Ricardo's or the Mike's of fells, and you get to walk up and give him a handshake or give him a hug and it's like hey, how are you doing? Haven't seen you in months. What's going on? That mental wellbeing is essential for any athlete, let alone the master's athletes, because it sort of helps us see that there are bright spots all the time in our lives and ways to sort of look at things.
Speaker 1:Yep, and it, it. It's funny that it's all over the place. As you were talking about that, I was sort of mentally going through a list of people that I would consider friends that you know, I'm only going to see a competition or I may have never seen um like Rocky in Florida. Love competing with Rocky, he's in Florida.
Speaker 1:Even though he beat you yeah, I am not Shout out to Rocky Melfers, yeah, from track and field, pat Toland I suspect he's a guy that I could call and he would show up tomorrow. I competed with Pat in track and field for a while and one day we were just kind of messaging back and forth and I'm like you know, pat, I'm thinking about trying a new pre-workout. This one just doesn't seem to work for me. And three days later I got the largest assortment of little baggies filled with various pre-workouts, which I think is also a cry for help from pat that he maybe used too much pre-workout are we sure they're pre-workout right?
Speaker 1:and then you know, there's guys like like you know, like robert sims man, he he donates to my lung association fundraising every year. I've never met him. He's in the northeast. I've never met him in person.
Speaker 2:Talked to him all the time online well, let's go to something that happened to you when I was sort of watching an event this past weekend. We're walking around and who do you see at the expo? Nick best.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, tell them that story, oh yeah, so we're at that, we're at the uh the shaw classic and it's got a small expo with the vendors around it and I'm wandering around and, uh, you know it, it wasn't particularly busy, it was kind of early in the day and uh, nick best shows up and I'm like, you know you do that thing you do with with the celebrities in your sport. You know you stick a hand out and you say introduce yourself and you, you know, you thank him for you know being an example. And I told him straight out, he's the patron saint of old men athletes, because he's still getting after it, and he was so gracious and he was so kind. We took a picture together that may come out on betamax 8-track I don't know.
Speaker 2:We haven't quite figured out the real to real.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we can't figure out the correct old man format. But here's a guy right, super high level athlete. No need to interact with me at all, wasn't even really. He wasn't there representing a brand or a label or trying to get my money for anything. He was just super nice and and that's that's a great benefit of going to a competition. But we I don't. I don't want to gloss over the, the mental and emotional well-being thing, because with all sport, as much as you know, there's an active time and it's just good to clear your head and do your sport. There's the inactive times, the between events, the at dinners, the breakfast, the. We can just talk to other people that are in similar spaces in your life and, you know, are going through some of the same things. You know I've had, you know I've had conversations with fellow athletes that are like oh, my son is a butthead.
Speaker 1:And you know it's just like you know he wants someone to listen. He may not have anybody's life to listen, and you know we're in the same stage of our life, so I'm like, oh yeah, kids can be buttheads. Yeah, that's, that's true, you're not wrong.
Speaker 2:No, and and that speaks to that mental well-being that we've been talking about for a minute or so, the idea that knowing there's somebody else sort of in our lane, whether better or worse than us and our chosen paths, that is, having those same issues, it really does help. And that idea that there's somebody to talk to, that's not going to. That doesn't know a lot about John Catalina or a lot about Scott Foy.
Speaker 1:They're there to listen with a completely open mind yeah, and usually an incredibly different perspective if they're not exactly around you. Um, and then the one thing and I'm sure you've seen this in your various sports Scott is that person that shows up kind of sheepishly and tries the sport or is on a slightly bigger stage than they've been on and does really well. That is so heartwarming to see someone like walk in with no confidence and walk out like I am part of this tribe. This is great and that benefit is again. One of those other intangibles is just the fact that, no matter what you think about yourself which you're probably wrong, um, others are here to celebrate and support you we had uh at the compound.
Speaker 2:I think it's two weeks ago now, maybe three weeks ago we had the lob9 memorial strongman and when he goes by, the strongman hobbit on instagram and his social medias.
Speaker 2:He came in I'd seen him before, right. He came in and everybody cheering for him. He's pushing some weights, he's moving some things. He says I'm not going to move this and all of a sudden it starts moving. That increased confidence that can come from that, when other people that don't know you from anyone start cheering for you and start rooting for you, the adrenaline, that sort of confidence that comes from that is unbelievable and it really does benefit us in our lives.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and the fact that to bring this back to competition, I mean we all know that right now, if we were to post a sub popular video of us doing something that we think is really poor, we're gonna get 20 comments like oh my god, you're so strong, you are so amazing, oh my god, I can't believe you do that. Because we forget that. I mean, just standing off the couch and walking into somewhere and doing your sport, you are ahead of the pack and people recognize it, and I think it's part of the goal as you go to these competitions is to lend out a hand to the people that don't, because that that door to the venue can be such a physical and mental barrier like I don't belong here, I have imposter syndrome. Oh my god, I don't, I shouldn't be here when I was a kid.
Speaker 2:I can remember a cartoon. I was a pittsburgh steelers fan growing up and there is so much about all this.
Speaker 1:When he was a kid he remembers seems like a lie. Being a pittsburgh steelers fan seems like a waste of energy. But anyway, continue.
Speaker 2:I can remember also go bells, a political cartoon where and I don't remember the team they said all right, you know, this is the year we break down the door and the cartoon's like we're not worried about the door, it's the doorman, and I think what what I'm talking about here is the doorman in our case is that mental fatigue that we get, that imposter syndrome that you just mentioned, that we get. That we need to start looking at how do we adapt to what's going on? How are the challenges that are going on in our lives? What are the things that we can do to take that first step to increase our confidence, to release some of the stress that we have, to start increasing that sense of belonging that we've talked around for the last 10 minutes or so? How do we make those steps? What do we do? What are the challenges we're going to face?
Speaker 1:right, right, and I think you know one of the challenges that that I came across in in my path was just the fact that was the imposter syndrome was the I shouldn shouldn't be here. I am not as good as these people. I, they're better, they're better trained, they're more focused. They have a 10,000 square foot training facility in their backyard, so they deserve to be better than I. 2,500. Sorry, um, yeah, so many things and that that can be a boat anger, that you're dragging into competition, that, oh my God, who am I and why am I doing this? And I should just leave.
Speaker 1:It's funny because I went through that. I don't know if I've ever told anybody this story. So I sat in my car the morning of the first meet I was going to do as a 40-year-old track and field athlete, sat in my car in the parking lot at the college I went to. They were having an open early season meet and I was gonna throw a shot and, uh, 35 pound weight for the first time in 20 years, 22 years, something like that and I sat in the car going, yeah, I should just go home. This is ridiculous. I don't walking into a collegiate meet where I could be the parent of a lot of these guys yeah.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:And I don't know why. I honestly don't know why, but I stepped out of the car, put on my throwing shoes and went to the meet and head down very un-John Catalina-esque, very humble quiet.
Speaker 2:That is John. Yeah, very un-me, that's not you.
Speaker 1:Very much on me and I threw, and in the 35 pound weight I qualified for what would have been the collegiate conference meet and I was like, oh okay, I can still be. And I I had not really trained. I had kind of trained, but I had not really trained. That was just muscle memory, but but I had not really trained, that was just muscle memory. But it set that one competition set me on a path that you know here, 20 years almost later, I am still a competitive athlete. I've gained a zillion friends, a billion experiences, and it really all came with that, just trying.
Speaker 2:Well, I think and this goes to the first time that you and I met we were at Finger Lakes Celtic Games. I walk out on the field and our good friend Ronnie Harkins. We're sitting there, Ronnie and I walk in never done any of this. The only two people we know are each other. You walk out and it's just 60, 70 people. You know the bagpipes are playing. Everything's going on. Did I make a mistake? What's going on here?
Speaker 2:We start throwing and we get put into the novice group. Even as masters, we get put into the novice group because it's our first time. The people going out of their way to help us to sort of you know, bust our chops and whatnot. We're doing weight for height, I think. So it's a 42 pound solid lead weight that you take one hand and you throw it up over your head. For those that don't know what it is, it's technically called, or we typically call it, wap. We're sitting there and Ronnie goes. He does this thing. I don't know what happened.
Speaker 2:Running up out of the like, from the other side of the field, is Christian. Oh. Shout out to Christian Donovan. Shout out to Christian Donovan. Christian comes running up Now he's never met me and Ronnie before Runs up to Ronnie. I don't know what the fuck you did. Don't ever fucking do that again. And in the middle of that statement he's it occurred to Christian. He doesn't know who he's talking to. He thought it was somebody else, but he didn't tell us that until the very last game of the season. Nice. It's that type of a community that gets established there. And I mean still Christian, one of the skinniest guys to ever throw Masters, because there's no weight class. Basically, at the Masters level you could be Christian-sized at 105 pounds up to you know mine scott flake size my we'll just leave it there.
Speaker 2:Malali's, ronnie's scott flake size 300 plus pounds and we're all throwing together. Christian was an ungodly talented athlete with this, because you just kept practicing and practicing, but his true talent was making you feel at home. So I go back to that. That competition for us, that inundation into that sort of tribe, if you will, was more the social interaction, and I really, for as much as I think that we can measure what we're doing against ourselves, against others, if that's what you want to do. And don't get me wrong, I know that I don't sound it all the time, but when I go to these competitions, depending on what the event is, yes, I want to win. I have, I have my personal goals, of course, but this is one of the biggest reasons that I like going to these events. You know we don't throw Highland as much as we used to, but if you think about our true inner tribe, john, we really met, with the exception of me and ronnie, through highland.
Speaker 1:Amen, I mean, that's, that's where the, the sort of the community, was established for us, you know so yeah, and I don't know if it's nature versus nurture, but like, choosing a sport that appeals to you drags along a tribe of people that are similar to you well, right, it's the compound now, yeah, I mean, I, you know.
Speaker 1:I think if you know, if you went and you did frisbee golf, I'm sure you would run into people with similar backgrounds who enjoy frisbee golf. Um, can they lift a 300 pound stone? No, but they don't want to, and that's and that's valid, fair enough, right, that's valid there. There is no shame in being like could you shoot archery at 80 yards. You know where you're splitting arrows.
Speaker 2:No, Splitting arrows? No, but I can't hit the target.
Speaker 1:Can you, though I can actually.
Speaker 1:Oh, that sounds like a challenge for a later podcast.
Speaker 1:I like it, I like it, but I mean, I I think this transitions into you know, some of the, the ancillary benefits of all this, which is, and there's, there's a positive side and a dark side to this is, and you've seen it, you know, if you're like me and you subscribe to aarp magazine, um, they are always talking about, you know, keepinguity, staying sharp, staying mentally engaged with things. I mean, if you want to spend $1.99, you can probably get an app where you can find 17 words and it's going to make you live longer, and that's tongue in cheek. If you are working towards your sport, regardless of what your sport is, and you're doing with a little bit of purposefulness, you are doing things like reading, you are doing things like engaging with others, you are practicing, you are researching better and different equipment that fits your needs. I mean, the, the panoply of things that it exposes you to just by trying to be competitive in any sport, leads to this continued learning that I think is so important as we age.
Speaker 2:One of the things that tends to happen as we get older, you know, all jokes aside is if we don't use it, we lose it. And I'm not just talking about the physical aspects of what we do, You're right. It is the mental side of things, that sort of mental acuity that can diminish. So one of the great things about being a master's athlete if you are a master's athlete in whatever your sport is is that sort of lifelong learning, that goal searching, that growth that comes from it, and it's of the utmost importance, and I think that's even more so important than some of the the physical victories that might come from what we're doing right and if you, if you stop and you think about your personal life and the, the older people that are really still sharp, that are really still have a life, versus are sitting in the corner in a lift chair on oxygen watching Oprah reruns, eating Cheetos, eating Cheetos still not a sponsor?
Speaker 1:Um, those people are going to the local senior center and playing cards and taking a Zumba class and I don't want to say pickleball cause God. I love pickleball, but you know they're doing pickleball and they're just they're. They're engaging with their community and themselves in pretty much every way that they can think of, right?
Speaker 2:yeah, I think one of the with that it's, and I know we sort of bounce around almost like a pinball at times with some of the things we talk about.
Speaker 1:Sorry world.
Speaker 2:But the idea here really is do something. Yeah, if there's one main tool in the survival guide, I think it's doing doing get off the couch. If it's, if it is playing cards, if it is taking that 10 minute walk, like we talked to some of our friends who are just starting, if it is setting your competition goals, if it is reaching out to friends across to try to find out what works better for you, just do something right, get off the couch right and you know I want to leave it on a happy note, but I'm not gonna.
Speaker 1:Um, there's a downside to all this. You're gonna fail, you're gonna lose, you're gonna come in last're, going to not be able to pick up something instantly, ie my pickleball career, or the half 85. Or the half 85 blob, yes, but that's a different podcast for when I'm feeling sad. Yeah, you have to look failure square in the eye, which is something as an old, just as an older person, we don't. Do we avoid failure. We've solved a lot of the things in our lives, um, and we also can't risk failure in a lot of aspects. You can't risk not paying your mortgage, you can risk not doing well in a competition.
Speaker 1:So it's sort of this safe space for lack of a better term where you can try. Sort of this safe space for lack of a better term where you can try, you know, to extend yourself and really push the limits. So I did end it with a positive thing push your limits. People do something. I like it. I think that's a great pace to stop, since I got all positive at the end. You have anything else, scottness no, I don't, I'm sorry.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I agree with you, though it is. You know, embrace the positiveness. You know, push yourself forward. Never stop reaching, never stop doing. Well folks, I'm Scott, this is John, I'm still John, and this is the Master's Athlete Survival Guide.
Speaker 1:See you 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 on Instagram at Masters Athlete Survival Guide. Thanks again. Now get off our lawn, you damn kids.