Sunday, April 6, 2008

It is never too late people..

My husband rocked the 2.4 mile swim today! Now to put this is perspective, H didn't start out wanting to be an endurance athlete. I got into the sport in 2001 and as time passed, I wanted to do longer and longer races-then came Ironman training (obsession) in 2004. Out of pure frustration and wanting to see me on the weekends, he enlisted my then Coach Mark to help him learn how to ride a bike. Now how, you might say, does anyone not know how to ride a bike at the age of 58? Well, if you grow up in Brooklyn, New York, there are not many opportunities to learn the sport there. So fast forward a few decades and H is learning from the beginning, how to ride a bike. The coach was holding the seat on the back of his bike and everything in the beginning until he got his balance-just like I learned when I was 4 years old! Slowly, he has gotten better and better. He is now faster than me on the bike! Then Coach Mark told H he was going to learn how to swim and do a triathlon-just like that. So he taught him to swim. Now H was not breaking any records there in the beginning. I remember the days after 100 yds in the pool and he was breathless and nauseated. Even last year he complained he was tired after 1500 yds. I have always had the feeling he was born for endurance. This was confirmed after running a marathon with me in April 2005 and at the end, I felt like crap, was sore, tired, complaining. H says: I feel so good I could run another 10 miles! This is just not normal! He has doubted himself in the athletics department for the last 4 years. Now today, he clocked a 2.4 mile swim in 1:24! This is only 5 min slower than my Ironman time in 2004 when I was in salt water and I grew up swimming! He beat the 2 seasoned Outlaws that were there doing the swim also. He was getting their reassurance as he nervously got in the water this AM for his first Ironman swim. Then he proceeded to beat their time! This is my 61 year old, new to the sport, endurance athlete husband..Just goes to show it is never, never too late to start doing triathlons....

6 comments:

Herself, the GeekGirl said...

Yay, Hartley! Give him a hug for me. or slap on the butt. Or whatever. Great job!

Unknown said...

YAY for Hartley - Way to rock the swim.

What an inspiration. :)

S. Baboo said...

Go Hartley!

Calyx Meredith said...

Well that's fun! New to your blog - but have liked your comments elsewhere so I followed you home. Interesting blog,inspiring post! I'll be back to read more. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Great job Hartley!! I knew you had it in you..... :-)
Keep on swimmin!
Love, Molly

Redd said...

Just another reason my father is my hero.