Late Bloomers
By Bob Jeffery
Lifestyle, Sensation Seekers, and Late
Bloomers
Having trained and raced with both Mike and Steve
I thought I would add to this post season reflections on being/becoming
an athlete/triathlete. I hope to provide yet another profile.
(Read Mike Hay's article "Training
and Racing at
your Best" and Steve Matusch's "In
Defense of the Sensation Seekers" Bob's essay completes
the Trilogy.)
There is a group you might call the late bloomers.
We have been physically active throughout our lives. Some of
us have excelled at some sport but that was a long time ago.
Others have always been active but maybe not “athletic”.
Many of us have spent lots of time with our children
and helped them to learn to swim, skate, play ball, skip…you
get the point. We have done our time and have juggled complicated
schedules with 20 scheduled children activities a week, a full
time job and a couple of community volunteer commitments.
At some point things change, the children no longer
require the minute-by-minute, hour-to-hour or even day-to-day
attention. They either have wheels of their own or we gladly
hand the keys over to let them do the running around.
Now we have time. Our life has some space. We
realize we are “middle age”! At 39, 40, 45, 50 or
so, we are wrestling with the concept of middle age. What motivates
us to make this choice is not clear but as one spouse of a “middle
aged” athlete shared on the beach at the Bala triathlon
two summers ago, “Yeah he figured he could deal with middle
age by having an affair, buying a sports car or becoming a triathlete”.
Around this time of life the journey can begin benignly, maybe
with an invitation to join a 4 man team for the Beaton Classic.
An under 30 colleague remembers you used to be a national lifeguard,
albeit 45 pounds lighter than when the Beaton training begins.
So the training begins. Swimming with a masters group in the
lake over the summer we get great support, make new friends
and feel like the 1.5km swim is achievable.
Set-backs occur. Maybe family or work commitment
or a bad week/month of training, broken equipment or you get
kicked off the men’s four group as the 20 something ex-colleague
reminds you of your age by replacing you with a 21 year old
female who happens to swim the Beaton in 27:48:01. Fortunately
the mens’ four team, of “middle aged” guys
who benefit from the training in the lake, come in with a 15
minute quicker time and all is forgiven.
This kind of event helps to confirm our commitment
to be athletic. We respond with resolve and from that point
on we work to be athletes with the right balance: family, friends,
work, training, racing and pushing the envelope.
We look for the “good deals” the “lifestyle”
and the “sensation seekers” have to offer. We may
pick up a “classic” Marinoni that sort of fits.
It may take us some time to get real biking shorts, or club
jerseys, warm up jackets and warm running cloths for the long
runs in February and March but we eventually get there. It can
take even longer to look fashionable in the spandex. Meanwhile
our times are getting quicker, the schedule of training has
become routine and race starts have become enjoyable events
rather than terror inducing.
As well as the equipment, we find excellent advice,
support and mentoring from other athletes as we march through
the various goals we set for ourselves, 5 k, 10k, first sprint,
Olympic distance triathlon, long course, a criterium, time trial,
half marathon, half iron man, etc… All along the way people
are there to share their knowledge insight and encouragement.
We appreciate it.
With the support, the equipment, and our determination
we train, race and set goals that often are looking forward
in terms of years. Our weekly schedules tend to be flexible.
Our races often have a common goal …..finish, uninjured
and have fun! Everything else is bonus.
This approach allows us to get support from the
lifestyle athletes while marveling at their accomplishments.
We develop connections with a network of age groupers who welcome
the sensation seekers and get off on their energy, and enthusiasm.
The occasional top three age group placing, a new personal best
or coming in just ahead of a training buddy, who is 10 or 20
years younger, all help the late bloomer to keep at it.
The journey of the late bloomer is supported and
bolstered by the contributions of everyone involved in supporting
the training, hosting races and keeping everyone connected.
By Bob Jeffery: master swimmer, master biker,
master runner, (master in this context means older) triathlete,
and more importantly parent to three 20 something students.
