I said I would, and then I told a bunch of people that I would, so I really had to follow through. At the end of March, I finished my first DEKA Strong challenge, staggering through just 45 seconds under the cut-off time. Even having trained for this for three months, it felt brutal. I hadn’t trained adequately for the hardest parts – the dang “assault bike” (I substituted the elliptical trainer in my basement gym), and the godawful RAM burpees at the very end. In fact, I was so irritated with the length of time and the amount of energy those two “zones” cost me, I’ve already signed up for another round at the end of June!
My spouse and one of my closest friends came along to cheer me on; the latter, Chris G, took the photos below (and others which I’ve wisely excluded). The fellow in the flag shorts was my official counter/timer; I was his first-ever competitor, so we were both rookies!
Here is a description of the 10 DEKA Strong zones. Will I continue with this madness and do one of the DEKA events that also includes running? That’s a decision that will be made this year.
This post won’t be very long, even though it’s been four months since my last. But I wanted to share a couple of links.
- Yes, resistance training really will increase your muscle mass after age 65, according to this study (a meta-analysis of other studies).
- Cutting carbs even just one day a week can contribute to fat loss. As someone who gets quite cranky on low carb regimes, this is an encouraging compromise.
- With adjustments in nutrition and recovery, runners north of age 65 can increase the likelihood of finishing ultra-distance races.
- Role model! Richard Morgan started working out at age 73, and by 93, was a four-time world champion at indoor rowing!
That’s all I’ve got for now. Keep moving!
