What is YOUR Olympic Event?

Today marks Day 11 of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris. Ever since I was a kid, these games have been awe inspiring to watch.

In second grade, I was so inspired that I wanted to be just like Nadia Comaneci. I begged my mom to sign me up for gymnastics. Aside from some random cartwheels on the playground, a failed attempt at the uneven bars was my first and last stab at gymnastics!

Since then, the closest I've ever come to being in the Olympics is running a marathon.

Here's what I mean-

Running a marathon is the biggest athletic event I've ever accomplished. I've run 7 of them to be exact. And no, I didn't run at record breaking speed (far from it) or train for years and years and years for the one race.

I compare my marathons to the Olympics because there was an extensive amount of time and effort that went in to training. I had a prescribed training program that included long runs, speed work and hill repeats and a nutrition plan to coincide with the runs. Rain or shine, we ran. Weekends were always the long runs and if one was less than par, then next one was always better. Discipline was our friend and the race our victory lap.

My last marathon was at the age of 40. The day before leaving for Duluth I got to visit the orthopedic surgeon. He told me to "walk off the course if I had a sharp shooting pain from my hip to my foot." I wasn't sure I could actually follow those instructions and thankfully I didn't have to find out.

Since I began running when I was 16, all of those miles had taken a toll on my joints. At the time, I knew my marathon days were coming to an end but I just wanted to cross the finish line... one last time.

Fast forward several years to when I discovered Puravida. I was still running 10 mile races and half marathons, but at that point in my life, I needed to shift my training to incorporate more strength exercises and less pounding the pavement.

My focus changed from beating my previous race times or hitting a PR, to being able to walk my dog on a daily basis without knee or hip pain. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle became my new Olympic event.

How about you ?

What is your Olympic event? It may not be running a marathon or flipping around on the uneven bars. Maybe it's working in your garden and being able to get up and down off the ground several times. Maybe it is getting up out of your chair without falling. The stronger you are the easier it will be to get around.

We have the golden opportunity to work with many people in their 60s and beyond - some in their 80s. Their Olympic events are different than someone in their 40s, but all include improving balance and building strength in ways that are just right for them. This is so important because when a hip needs to be replaced, they will recover faster. Or if they fall, they'll have better balance to catch themselves and recover faster.

If you or someone you know fall into this Olympic event, hit the blue button below and let's chat.

Dedicated to helping you run your race,

Tracy Farrell