Age Should Not Be An Excuse

Ron Ortiz- Masters Crossfit champ

When I was a teenager I would occasionally see a bunch of old men playing basketball. Old to me back then were guys between 40 and 50. I was a cocky kid at the time and I was disgusted by their pale skin, fat stomachs, love handles, hairy backs, and balding heads. I remember discussing with my friends how we would never let ourselves go like that. I can now check 4 of those 5 categories off for myself and have learned my lesson about judging.

Aging has been a cause of anxiety for me. I still feel like a teenager when it comes to my mental maturity so it has been hard to see my body get older, slower, and more injury prone. This last year was particularly difficult for me.  I experienced a bicep injury that kept me from being able to do most upper body work for close to 6 months. My Crossfit workouts were modified down and then eventually turned into just stretching and doing light cardio. Around this time I developed a bad case of plantar fasciitis and could hardly put weight on my foot. I hobbled around on the side of my foot whenever I tried to play basketball. When it finally appeared to have healed at the end of July, I got a severe ankle sprain that kept me grounded for a couple more months. 

Since that time I have moved to Africa. There is no basketball, no running races, and no gyms in my area. I haven't played basketball for 4 months now which is the longest I've gone without playing since 1989. The last race I ran was the St. George marathon a little over a year ago. In 2017 I have not run a single race. Despite having such a disappointing year, I have been forced to rest up and heal from many injuries. I've also been able to drop some extra weight since I started living in a third world country. 

I've met many guys my age and much younger who have given up completely on sports and exercise as they gradually get out of shape or get injuries. Knee braces and a history of surgeries are much more common in my group of friends these days. I can see how easy it would be to give up on fitness as aging impacts one's life. Despite decreased athletic ability, I still admire my friends my age who stay active doing activities they love. I don't care how many injuries I get, I will always keep playing pickup basketball because it makes me feel good.

Over the last 5 years each time I ran a 5K or half marathon I'd look for my placing in my age category after the race and I'd always see a couple names that would finish in first or second place and considerably faster than everyone else. Those names were Curtis Eppley and David Taylor. These guys are both in the 50+ age bracket but run 5Ks between 15-16 minutes, half marathons from 1:08-1:17, and full marathons between 2:35 to 2:40. As a guy who will be turning 50 within a year, I am not looking forward to competing in their age category again but I thank them for showing everyone what is possible and for showing you can stay very fit as you age.

I know of many other older athletes (men and women from a variety of different sports) who are inspiring and great examples of staying fit regardless of the aging process. My hat is also off to anyone who stays active, even if their abilities or performance is not what it used to be.

Since I was a teenager, one of my fitness goals was to dunk a basketball at age 50. It has been a year since I pulled off a dunk in a game but I know I can do it. Some people might think I'm experiencing a mid life crisis. Actually, this is probably my 5th or 6th one, but on the bright side, trying to get back in shape is much cheaper than buying a new sports car. I'm looking forward to the upcoming year and making the most of things as my body continues to get more experienced and wiser.