Are Your Goals Set High Enough?
One my newest and dearest virtual friends, elisariva, made a comment yesterday that got me to thinking about a young lady that I think we all should know.
Do you know who Sister Madonna Buder is? She is probably one of the most inspirational people I have ever heard of. At the tender young age of 75, she became the oldest woman to compete in and complete an Ironman Triathlon. For those of you that are not triathletes, an Ironman triathlon is made up of a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike, and then they cap it off with a 26.2 mile run. To complete one requires perseverance, planning, initiative, and incredible time management skills. To complete an Ironman at the age of 75 is beyond my ability to comprehend.
I have completed several half Ironmans (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run), but I have yet to take on the challenge of a full Ironman. Honestly, I am afraid of the time commitment that is required for the 8-9 months leading up to the event.
A lot of people I know think I am crazy for running triathlons, marathons and most recently a Tough Mudder, but exercise is the only way I can keep weight off and if I am going to exercise then I want to make it as fun as possible. Training for these events makes it fun and challenging for me. It also keeps me committed. There are many days that I do not feel like running, but I know that I have an event coming up and I cannot afford to miss a training day. Maybe it is my frugal nature, but once I sign up for a race and send in my money (most of these types of races can be pricey), then I am going to complete it. I have only failed to complete one race and that was my first attempt at a marathon. It had nothing to do with failing to train, but everything to do with failing to plan. It’s a long story we will save for another post.
So are you impressed with Sister Madonna Buder? Don’t be. I have not told you the best part yet. After becoming the oldest person to complete the Ironman in 2005, she went on to break her record of being the oldest person to complete the race several more times. Her most recent record breaking effort was last year. She completed the Ironman in under 17 hours at the age of 81.
She has already announced her intention to compete this year at age 82. I forgot to mention one other thing, she did not start any type of training until she was age 48. She began training as a way to achieve relaxation and calmness. From there she built up her endurance to run her first Ironman at the age of 55, and she has kept running them since.
What goal can you set for yourself this year? After learning about an 82 year old nun that can out swim, out bike and easily outrun me, it may be time for me to reassess whether I am setting my goals high enough. Your goals do not have to be fitness related. Is there a degree you want to pursue, a skill you want to learn? It’s never too late. All you need is a little inspiration, a goal, and a plan. Hopefully I helped you with the first one.
If you want to learn more about Sister Madonna, you can pick up her autobiography here.
Image via Wikipedia
What a wonderful story ,,,and what a wonderful inspiration. Thank you for your composition. I have a confession – for the first ever, I have re-blogged this post on one of my sites, GoalHabits.com. Thanks again for a great post!
It takes a lot to impress me, but she has certainly has more than impressed me. I appreciate the re-blog and I am glad you enjoyed the story. I hope we hear from you again.
Wow. Sister Buder is an inspiration!! Good for you in your fitness endeavors as well!
I turn 40 in 111 days (yes, I’m counting down). Last year I vowed to be in the best physical and spiritual shape by my 40th birthday. You are right in that anything worthwhile takes work, dedication, and a whole lot of planning.
I will be 43 this year and I seem to be getting more active as I get older. I am pathetically slow, but I can go for very long distances. I am debating whether I want to run an ultramarathon (maybe a 50 miler). I am trying to work on speeding up a little bit first. I have historically avoided doing any speed work, because I don’t like it, but it is time to set the bar a little higher.
My fitness goal for this year is to run in four half-marathons this summer. I ran a 15k last summer and I was hooked on the idea of becoming a distance runner of sorts.
I love running, and I will certainly do a few more marathons. I would also highly recommend checking out Tough Mudder. It was by far the most fun I have ever had at an event. What half marathons are you going to run?
Thank you so much for sharing the story of Sister Madonna. I have already purchased her book, Kindle addition of course. If she didn’t start until 48, then there is hope for me yet! Also, thank you for the shout out my friend. Keep the inspiration coming.
I hope I am running Ironmans at the age of 80. Let me know how the book is, I may need to add it to my reading list.
Incredible. I just turned 48 this year and just last month started a running program. I’m what most would consider overweight for a runner (though my overall health is good- blood pressure, cholesterol, etc…..), I have chronic Lyme disease and have spent much of the past 8 years bedridden and living with pain. I’m currently grounded because of a leg injury, but I haven’t given up! My goal is to run a 5K this year.
There was a moment when I was in my 20s, sitting outside a racquetball court, I looked to the sky and thought (out of the blue- *wink*), “Someday I’d like to run a marathon”.
It could happen.
Thank you for the post. I’m passing this one on…….
I believe you can run a marathon, but it does not matter what I believe. What do you believe? There is a book on my recommended reading page titled, Ultramarathon Man. Get it, it is a very easy read and it changed my life. I was just under 300lbs and unhealthy in just about every way you can be. I walked and rode a bike until I lost enough weight to start running. I have kept the weight off for over five years. As I exercised more, I started eating better and I keep getting fitter. It can be done and you can do it. Good luck!