Tracy has written about the need for more images of physically fit people across the life span. In her post Inclusive Fitness? she writes that we need to see people, above the age of 30, competing in sports and training at the gym.
Age is one of my complaints about the imagery associated with CrossFit. I wrote a bit about this in my post The women of Crossfit. I love the pictures and the story of the CrossFitting grandma but those kind of stories can be hard to find.
Here are three books I’ve looked at (and in some cases given as gifts) but they are all a few years old. Does anyone know of any new books about older athletes?
Growing Old Is Not for Sissies: Portraits of Senior Athletes Volumes 1 and 2 by Etta Clark
See Older Athletes Turn Heads in a New Book by LA Photographer
Other posts on aging:
I found some great photos here, http://www.today.com/id/49006072/displaymode/1247?beginSlide=1
I’m a new reader, I think I came in from your post on roller derby. While not a book, there’s a fair amount of writing at growingbolder.com. A friend of mine wrote about her adventures with barefoot water skiing a few years ago.
http://growingbolder.com/media/sports/extreme/the-barefoot-competitor-749176.html
Thanks.
In my running club there were plenty of older men and women. Arlene joined us aged 64 having never ran before – she completed her first half marathon nine months later. We had lots of tears of joy and pride at the finish line that day.
And in their 70s were my inspirational older men. Much better runners than me for sure, and I loved the fact they didn’t go in for all the complicated stuff about drinks/fluid etc. They just ate normally and ran!
One guy called Clive gave me the best advice when I turned up for a fartlek session and was moaning about how I nearly didn’t show because I was tired: “Never use tiredness as an excuse. Life is busy and you’ll often be tired, but don’t listen to it.” And I often used to have the best runs/sessions when I was knackered beforehand.
Are you aware of the triathlete nun in Washington state, Sister Madonna Buder? There’s a bk. on her. She is 81.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQtrt2lXnY8
Women’s cycling world love her! Read up about her.
As for other inspirational folks….well, there’s my partner ..he will turn 70 in a few wks. (I’m 54.) Last year he rode from Calgary down south to California and back up to Vancouver BC. Loaded panniers, staying at hotels, etc. He did take 1 200 km. train ride in order to get to his nephew’s wedding on time during the trip.
He’s done cross-Canada loaded bike trips on his own several times since he retired. We’ve been together last 22 years. And yes, he is embedded in my blog. He has low blood pressure, no heart problems…just lifelong allergies and mild form of narcolepsy where he falls asleep if his body is still ( watching a movie, etc. , at car steering wheel, which why he doesn’t want to drive much.)
He does a 40 km. daily bike ride. We live a car-free life for past few decades.
Terrific. I hadn’t heard of her. Nice about your husband too.
That’s a great book, the reading on a train, but not something I personally feel a need to revisit.