Dr Liebowitz Completes Lavaman Triathlon in Hawaii
On April 10 in Kailua,Kona, Hawaii, I completed the Lavaman Triathlon. It consisted of a 1500m Swim, 25 mile Bike, and 10K Run.
I participated at the request of my older son, who has done the race for the past 3 years with his wife.
I had previously been very active in the triathlon sport, having completed the grueling Ironman triathlon 3 times in the late 1980's.
I had not done a triathlon in 25 years until last week, and I have not run in that time period either as I injured my right knee in 1991. That is what forced me out of the sport. I figured my body was "talking to me".
I stay active and stay in shape, so I thought it was possible for me to do some extra training and go to Hawaii with my kids. Besides, it was a celebration of my 65th Birthday. How could there be a better way to celebrate going on Medicare, than to do a triathlon.
So for the past 3 or 4 months I spent extra time swimming, biking and hiking. I still didn't want to run for fear of flaring up my injured knee.
I thought I could 'Hike' myself into running shape.
Needless to say this was a gross miscalculation. Nevertheless, I did complete the race and was not too sore after.
The swim and bike portion went quite well.
But then came the run portion. I basically shuffled, ran and walked for 6.6 miles over hot, black volcanic rock. Luckily it was not longer.
I was very happy to hit the finish line.
My girlfriend thought I was having a "MidLife Crisis".
Perhaps, a little bit of that.
But basically I wanted to test out my theories and philosophies about Anti-Ageing.
I wanted to see how hard it really was to do something at 65 that I used to do almost effortlessly at 35.
I have to admit that it was more difficult than I thought it would be. But, then on the other hand I didn't put any time into the running!
Overall I was mostly pleased with my performance. I enjoyed the spirit and camaraderie of the fellow athletes I used to be a part of. I enjoyed 5 days in Hawaii. And most of all I enjoyed celebrating my 65th birthday with my son.
It was rewarding to know that with continuous exercise to stay fit, eating correctly, and replacing my missing hormones, I was able to perform at a level that most men my age couldn't imagine.
I try to set an example to my patients and be a role model. I pride myself on Practicing what I Preach.
I encourage you to download my free ebook below,which is a simple and concise blueprint of how to stay vibrant and healthy at any age.
Who knows, maybe I'll do it again in 10 years!
