Well, my 40th birthday 3 yearsago was a rather subdued affair as my wife, several weeks prior to it, had announced, right out of the blue, and with complete and total shock to everyone, mostly importantly me, that out marriage was over!
I must admit that I had high aspirations of picking up the training and racing again post 40 as I was one of the first wave of moderately good triathletes in my area to reach the milestone. I had backed off things significantly for 2 - 3 years, but was still competitive in the open class in local running road races. However, you know what they say about the best laid plans.
The divorce, a subsequent move half way across the country, a major career change, then a significant period of unemployment, severe back pain( recently confirmed as herniated disc) and a serious bout of pneumonia that permanantly damaged my lungs, have made the post-40 years somewhat trying, with tri training the last thing on my mind most of the time.
But you know what? When I can get the bike out of the garage and hit the road for a couple of hours it all starts to make sense and I return to the house refreshed and ready to take on the next challenge. That's when I am thankful and grateful for actually having the ability to be able to do those things.
Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog