You Can Grow Younger

Ernestine Shepherd: World's Oldest Competing Female Bodybuilder

When you see this fabulously fit and knock-out beauty, Ernestine Shepherd, in this video at age 74, you will have one of three reactions:

 Reaction # 1 -- You may be one of those who gets excited thinking that "if someone of such an advanced age can get in better shape than the vast majority of young ladies, then there is hope for me!" You want to know what she eats and drinks, what exercises she does, how she thinks, and any other factors that have resulted in her transforming herself from an out-of-shape 56-year-old with no sports or exercise background to the Guiness World Book's Oldest Performing Female Bodybuilder.

Reaction # 2 -- Or will you be one of the many who will get their hackles up and get defensive when they see such an amazingly fit and thriving 74-year-old? In other words, will you feel like "this old lady is showing me up?" And will you look for excuses as to why Ernestine Shepherd can be aging so well and why you can't and in the process argue for your own decline -- your own demise?

Reaction # 3 -- Or will you fall into the third category of folks? That is, you'll simply dismiss her as a fraud or hoax, thinking that she can't really be 74 or that her incredible body is the result of surgeries, injections, questionable supplements ... Maybe you want to dismiss her as a genetic aberration, just the result of a lucky roll of the genetic dice.

Which one of those three typical reactions will serve you best? Which one has the potential to lead to a much better quality of life in the years and decades surely to come? The choice, of course, is yours!

To better appreciate the CBN video of Ernestine Shepherd, let's look at some of the factors that may have contributed to her becoming such an outstanding role model for aging well.

• Exercise -- Despite her 10-mile morning runs, regular strength-training sessions (including bench pressing 150 pounds), and 5K, 10K and marathon racing, Ernestine has never had an injury in her 17-plus years of working out. This is because she started out slowly and gradually built her fitness under the guidance of an expert personal trainer.
• Diet -- Ernestine did not leave her diet to chance. She sought out the guidance of a nutritionist to improve her eating habits. She chooses to eat several small meals a day with an emphasis on getting sufficient protein to support her bodybuilding goals.
• A Strong Faith in God -- This is attested to by her 3:00 A.M. morning devotionals she enjoys before her 4:00 A.M. 10-mile runs. Her belief that she is doing God's work keeps her stress levels low and her spirits high.
• A Desire to be a Role Model -- Ernestine feels it is her mission to help and inspire as many people as she can to know the importance of being fit and that they can be fit no matter their age.
• Support -- She has the complete love and support of her husband, Collin, her Church's congregation and many others known and unknown to her.
• A Postive Attitude -- Ernestine sees all the exercise she does and the unique lifestyle she's chosen and that allows her to excel as FUN -- not work. This competitive bodybuilder, professional model and personal trainer is having the time of her life!
• A Good Gene Pool -- The fact that she had a good gene pool that she could dive into didn't hurt, either.

Some may zero in on the last factor, a good set of genes, and downplay the others. Here are some things to think about in this regard. First, what got Ernestine into a gym for the first time in her life was her deplorable physical shape at age 56. She had to make some changes in order to go from unfit in her fifties to the world's oldest performing female bodybuilder in her seventies.

Second is her marathon running results. Ernestine has been competing in the annual Baltimore Marathon for years. In her late sixties and at age 70, her times hovered around 6 hours 30 minutes (to be precise:  6:26, 6:30, 6:34 and 6:30). Having upped her training in the last few years, this last fall (Oct. 16, 2010) she posted a 5:14 or a 12:00-minutes-per-mile pace. In other words, even though she is several years older, she improved her endurance by nearly 3 minutes per mile! All this improvement occured while concentrating on competing as a bodybuilder -- not a marathoner.

We may not be able, or wish, to duplicate Ernestine Shepherd's results in the arena of fitness, but we can see from her remarkable example that declining physically as we age is not necessary. Ernestine shows us that we can get better with age. We can get fit. With the right exercise, an improved diet and a more positive attitude toward what is possible as we age, we can get in much better shape... maybe not Ernestine Shepherd shape, but better shape for us.

Before we take a look at this professional model and world's oldest performing female bodybuilder in action, I'd like to invite you to claim your FREE Fitter After 50 / Fitter for Life e-newsletter when you visit http://www.FitterforLife.com

From Ed Mayhew -- the author of Fitter After 50, Fitter For Life and other books, CDs, videos and articles on how you, too, can make falling apart as you age merely an option -- NOT a mandate. Why not make the rest of your life the BEST of your life? http://www.FitterforLife.com and  http://www.amazon.com/Age-Blasters-Steps-Younger-You/dp/1598589083/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276528674&sr=1-1 (click here for paperback or Kindle editions of AGE BLASTERS)

 

 

To find out more about the age-defying Ernestine Shepherd, visit her website: www.ErnestineShepherd.net

What an 80-Year-Old Skier Does to Continue Racing

  

80-year-old skier, Walter Maier, still enjoys skiing and competing in the giant slalom in the  NASTAR (National Standard Recreational Skiing) program. There are several levels of competition and in the Gold level Walter ranked first out of 18 skiers nationwide for the 2009-2010 skiing season. Here is some of what he does to continue to excel at this typically young person's sport.

• Makes skiing a family activity
• Eats a healthful diet heavy on fruits and vegetables from his garden and berry patch
• Doesn't smoke and drinks sparingly
• Stays active year round playing tennis, rollerblading, biking, gardening, ice skating ...
• Continues to do what he loves to do -- ski and compete

Here is one of his key beliefs from an article that accompanies the video. Walter says, "We don't fail to be active because we're old. We're old because we're not active." You can read the whole article with the video by visiting: http://www.twitter.com/AgeBlasters

Marietta, New York's Walter Maier shows us that by maintaining an active lifestyle and keeping a postive attitude we can continue doing what we love into our ninth decade and maybe beyond. What fun activities are on your agenda for this new year?

 And now I'd like to invite you to claim your FREE Fitter After 50 / Fitter for Life e-newsletter when you visit http://www.FitterforLife.com

From Ed Mayhew -- the author of Fitter After 50, Fitter For Life and other books, CDs, videos and articles on how you, too, can make falling apart as you age merely an option -- NOT a mandate. Why not make the rest of your life the BEST of your life? http://www.FitterforLife.com and  http://www.amazon.com/Age-Blasters-Steps-Younger-You/dp/1598589083/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276528674&sr=1-1 (click here for paperback or Kindle editions of AGE BLASTERS)

 

 

 

  

 

Going for the Gold in London in 2012 -- at age 50!

Lisa Fisco at 46 was just getting over a nasty divorce, in debt up to her eyebrows and greatly overweight when she decided to change course. She is now, 50, and training to make the USA Weight-Lifting team to compete in the 2012 Olympics in London, as the oldest Olympic weightlifter, ever. Take a look and hear her truly inspiring story.

  

 

 

Listen to this radio interview Lisa did with Growing Bolder.com

 http://growingbolder.com/media/sports/weightlifting/lisa-fisco-652186.html#content_tabs

If an out-of-shape (as in 100-plus-pounds overweight) middle-aged recently-divorced mother of three, with a huge financial debt, can go for the Gold at the upcoming Olympics, then what is holding us back from reaching for our dreams. Lisa Fisco is in serious training for the 2012 London Olympics; whether she achieves her mega weightlifting goals or not, she has gone from severely depressed to having put life-giving passion back into her life and in the process inspired countless folks like you and me. She has stepped out of mainstream mediocrity to risk failure to live her dreams. We may not want to take such a giant step, but we might be able to find a slightly smaller dream or two to pursue -- to rekindle the joy of living while pursuing major goals. 

  And now I'd like to invite you to claim your FREE Fitter After 50 / Fitter for Life e-newsletter when you visit http://www.FitterforLife.com

From Ed Mayhew -- the author of Fitter After 50, Fitter For Life and other books, CDs, videos and articles on how you, too, can make falling apart as you age merely an option -- NOT a mandate. Why not make the rest of your life the BEST of your life? http://www.FitterforLife.com and  http://www.amazon.com/Age-Blasters-Steps-Younger-You/dp/1598589083/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276528674&sr=1-1 (click here for paperback or Kindle editions of AGE BLASTERS)

 

7 Very Doable 2011 New Year Resolutions

Here are seven very-doable New Year Resolutions for 2011. With any one of these simple steps you could easily get in better shape and slow the aging process THIS year for a younger, more vibrant you. Let's see if one or more of these 2011 resolutions appeals to you.

1. The Chewing-Gum Approach to cutting calories -- Resolve to take smaller-size bites of food and keep the food in your mouth and chew it until all the flavor is gone. With this little technique and watching your portion sizes, you get to enjoy and savor all the flavor in your favorite foods and satisfy your hunger -- all while consuming substantially fewer calories.

2. The Top 10 -- Several times each day, such as right before meals, snacks and bedtime, take a minute to mentally list ten things, people, happenings ... you truly appreciate. These can be friends, family members, some quality you like about the individuals, or small things (e.g.,that pair of shoes that look particularly good on you AND are comfortable, too); in this case, size really doesn't matter. What does matter is that you experience feelings of gratitude while thinking of the aspects of your life that are worth appreciating. Nothing lowers stress and slows the aging process as do thoughts of appreciation.

3. Exercise Your Mind -- Decide that in 2011 you will enjoy a mentally challenging game each day. It could be a crossword puzzle, Sudoku, KenKen or one of several other puzzle choices. If you don't have time to devote to solving one of these time-consuming mental games each day because of your very busy schedule, then take two or more days to complete the game. Just make sure to put in at least five minutes each day in working toward the solution. Your dendrites and axons will thank you with a sharp mind in the decades surely to come.

4. Breathless in Seattle or _______ -- Decide that every day you are going to enjoy an aerobic activity that gets you out of breath, or at least breathing deeply at some point. During your walk, for example, make sure there is a hill or steps in the middle of your session that makes you huff and puff as you climb them. When we perform a physical activity for as little as 10 seconds that gets us out of breath, it signals the release of human growth hormone (Hgh) from the pituitary gland into the bloodstream to start the process of repair and regeneration of cells to fight free-radical damage and reverse the general aging of the cells of the body and the brain. IMPORTANT: Always check with your health-care professional to make sure it is safe for you to perform strenuous exercise.

5. Up the Dietary Ante Little By Little -- Completely revamping one's diet all at once is seldom sustainable unless the individual is extremely motivated. For most of us, making small changes, one at a time, is more likely to result in a lasting improvement in our diet. Decide on one improvement you are going to make to your diet in 2011. It could be as simple as adding a daily dark leafy green vegetable, putting the salt shaker away or substituting water or tea for your afternoon soda.

6. Keep in Touch -- Each day, send a note or an e-mail to an old friend you haven't been in contact with for quite a while, just to say, "Hi!, how are you, I'm thinking of you, remember when we...?" By the end of the year you'll have brought a smile to the face of several friends, acquaintances and family members -- to the tune of 365 re-connections. It is well known that staying socially active is one of the ways to stay youthful and well as we age.

7. Try Something New -- Do something new and different each and every day. It could be as simple as driving a new route to the store, visiting and exploring a new website, or trying a new food or recipe. On the other hand, it could be something more comprehensive, like taking up a new sport or hobby or traveling to a country or state you've never visited. In this last scenario, you could plan time each day to learn a little bit more about the places you're about to visit, including the customs and language.

There you have it. Seven simple steps you can take to make 2011 your best year ever. Any one of these resolutions can be easily achieved -- a resolution you can keep for the whole year for a younger, more vital you. Or maybe you have your own idea of an easy-to-do New Year's Resolution that's just right for you in 2011. Happy New Year!

  And now I'd like to invite you to claim your FREE Fitter After 50 / Fitter for Life e-newsletter when you visit http://www.FitterforLife.com

From Ed Mayhew -- the author of Fitter After 50, Fitter For Life and other books, CDs, videos and articles on how you, too, can make falling apart as you age merely an option -- NOT a mandate. Why not make the rest of your life the BEST of your life? http://www.FitterforLife.com and  http://www.amazon.com/Age-Blasters-Steps-Younger-You/dp/1598589083/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276528674&sr=1-1 (click here for paperback or Kindle editions of AGE BLASTERS)

The 5 Biggest Myths of the Holiday Season

Here are the 5 biggest myths of the Holiday Season concerning what this author knows -- Christmas and New Years. Let's see if you agree.

1. It is better to give than to receive. This is tantamount to declaring that, in regards to breathing, it is better to exhale than it is to inhale. In order to give there must be those who are willing to receive and to receive there must be individuals willing to give. As with breathing, ideally there needs to be a balanced interchange. When we don't allow others to give to us we deny them the pleasure that comes with giving and when others resist our generosity, they do the same to us. Truly appreciating any gifts we receive and letting our gratitude be known is actually just as noble as the giving of them.
2. We must reciprocate with gifts of equal or greater monetary value. It is generally accepted that if we receive a gift valued at say $50, we need to return the favor with a present of similar monetary value. In actuality, an inexpensive homemade gift, especially when it is personalized for the particular person, can be an even better gift. Using our talents to make a gift with the recipients interests foremost in mind can be the gift he treasures above all others. Whether it be, for example, his favorite baked good or a photo of her with her family that you uniquely frame, its value to the recipient has little to do with cost and everything to do with the love and thoughtfulness that is put into the making of the present.
3. Christmas has become too commercial and materialistic. This is true only when we give gift after gift and send a multitude of cards with Season's Greetings simply because we feel it is expected of us and because we feel obligated. When, however, we give joyously in the same spirit as the three wise men of Biblical times, Christmas retains its spiritual essence no matter how many material objects are exchanged. Unlike some creatures that are guided mainly by instinct, we were given free will and the gift of never-ending desire. It is born into us to want ever more and better things in our lives (this is where humanity's progress comes from); the secret to keeping our ever-burgeoning desires from becoming a glut of crass materialism is to fully appreciate all that we have and receive. The joy of a young child, on Christmas morning, unwrapping a present to find the toy he's been dreaming of is as spiritual as it is materialistic. The truth is that living in a material body in a material world, Sacredness is purely a state of mind recognizable by our emotional state.
4. New Year's Resolutions don't work. The truth is that New Year's Resolutions can work under the right conditions. They are successful when our desire for change is more compelling than the pull of the status quo and remaining in our comfort zone. To greatly improve the chances of this year's resolution being successful, we need to find a reason that is a strong force for us and focus on this reason and, over the coming weeks and months, frequently refocus on it as needed. A friend of mine, for example, made a New Year's Resolution to quit heavy drinking and smoking cold turkey using this technique. He focused on wanting to make his young daughter proud of him and whenever he was tempted to back-slide, he would refocus on this one ultra-powerful desire. It worked. Twenty years later he is still free of the alcohol and tobacco habits AND is now an Ironman triathlete.
5. During the holidays altruism trumps business as usual. It is generally accepted that volunteering our time to help the less fortunate is the spiritual thing to do. As a result, we tend to look more favorably, especially during the holidays, on the individual who helps out at the local soup kitchen than we do the businessman who keeps his nose to the grindstone building his commercial enterprise. Here's the question: Is this judging of others in the true spirit of the season? Let's take a closer look. Let's say that the volunteer at the soup kitchen helps feed 350 less-fortunate folks, while the business owner employs the same number of people. Because of his starting and building his business (even over the holidays), these 350 workers and their families don't need the services of the soup kitchen and may even choose to help this non-profit enterprise with their time and/or money. The aforementioned doesn't even take into consideration the countless people who enjoy the benefits of the for-profit company's services and/or products. The truth is that one is not better than the other; generously volunteering to help the less fortunate and running a successful business are both very noble uses of ones time and talents.

Here are a couple of holiday myths worth an honorable mention:

• The holidays are a stressful time. The truth is they are stressful when we focus on the aspects of them that stress us and joyous when we mainly pay attention to the parts of the season that we like.
• It is a given that that we will gain weight during the holidays. Actually, by using some simple techniques, such as eating less before and after parties, watching portion sizes, and keeping up our exercise routine, even if it means getting up extra early, we can maintain during this very busy season of parties, et al.

That's my take on the myths of this holiday season. What's yours? And, oh yes, have a glorious and delightful Christmas, New Years or whatever you celebrate!

 And now I'd like to invite you to claim your FREE Fitter After 50 / Fitter for Life e-newsletter when you visit http://www.FitterforLife.com

From Ed Mayhew -- the author of Fitter After 50, Fitter For Life and other books, CDs, videos and articles on how you, too, can make falling apart as you age merely an option -- NOT a mandate. Why not make the rest of your life the BEST of your life? http://www.FitterforLife.com and  http://www.amazon.com/Age-Blasters-Steps-Younger-You/dp/1598589083/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276528674&sr=1-1 (click here for paperback or Kindle editions of AGE BLASTERS)

The # 1 Secret to Getting and Staying in Shape

The number one secret to getting and staying in shape is to have an upcoming event for which you must be in shape. You could, for example, have a scheduled athletic challenge for which you must be in shape to survive it, enjoy it and do well in it. This is true for most of us, because we need inspiration beyond merely wanting to get more fit. In this regard, there is nothing like signing up for an athletic-type challenge, purchasing the plane ticket, making the hotel reservation and telling everyone what you are going to do to inspire taking the action steps necessary to survive and thrive in the scheduled event.

Here are some examples of events/challenges which are guaranteed to get you eating better and working out like a champion athlete.

• A canoing or kayaking outing -- Find a week-long boating excursion where you are going to have to paddle for miles each day. Another option is to join a rowing crew and enter a race as a team.
• A skiing trip -- Sign up for a ski trip to a resort with very challenging trails and go with skiers who will challenge you to keep up with them.
• Take on a marathon or triathlon -- There's noting like signing up for and committing to a 26.2-mile running race or a swim/bike/run triathlon event. Keep in mind that triathlons and running races come in a great variety of sizes and levels of difficulty. The trick is to find one that will greatly test your limits without killing you; one that will require extensive training in the weeks or months leading up to it.
• A cycling event -- Join a several-day biking tour or compete in a cycling race.
• Rock climbing/hiking -- Schedule a rock climbing, mountain climbing or otherwise-arduous hiking adventure. As you take on ever more difficult mountains and rock faces, you'll be forced to get in better and better shape.
• Dancing -- Take dance lessons and then sign up for a dance competition or become a member of a dancing troup that performs at various events or a regular show.
• Combatives -- Maybe consider boxing, martial arts and other clubs and classes that teach self defense and the combative arts, where you can learn to fight. Having an upcoming competition in which you'll do battle is sure to get you working out.
• Raising money for a cause -- There are numerous group walks, triathlons, cycling and running races where you can participate to raise funds for a worthy cause. You can even start your own event, such as biking or roller skating across your state and having folks and businesses sponsor you.

What other options can you find? The point is: We all know that we would feel better, look our best and perform at a much higher level (i.e., be more productive) if we just got in better shape, but knowing this does not necessarily translate into taking action. When, however, we've paid the money up front and informed our friends, family and co-workers of our intent, most of us will get into the condition required in order to successfully take on the challenge, because we don't want to have wasted the money or to get injured and we certainly don't want to lose face.

For many, if not most, having an upcoming big event is all the inspiration that is needed to take the action necessary to get in shape. Don't believe me? Try it and see for yourself that it works. Many of the fittest among us are masters athletes in their 40s, 60s, 80s ... who keep finding one athletic event after another to keep themselves on their toes -- in tip-top shape. You can, too!

 And now I'd like to invite you to claim your FREE Fitter After 50 / Fitter for Life e-newsletter when you visit http://www.FitterforLife.com

From Ed Mayhew -- the author of Fitter After 50, Fitter For Life and other books, CDs, videos and articles on how you, too, can make falling apart as you age merely an option -- NOT a mandate. Why not make the rest of your life the BEST of your life? http://www.FitterforLife.com and  http://www.amazon.com/Age-Blasters-Steps-Younger-You/dp/1598589083/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276528674&sr=1-1 (click here for paperback or Kindle editions of AGE BLASTERS)

Someone This Age Is Not Supposed to be Able To Do THIS

At age 75, one is obviously too old to play football in the Super Bowl, tennis at Wimbleton, golf at the Masters or to run the Badwater Ultramarathon (a 135-mile footrace across Death Valley in the heat of summer). United Kingdom's Jack Denness, 75, had this last athletic annual classic on his bucket list and this past July, he got to put it on his done-it list.

In this toughest of footraces in the world, Death Valley Jack, as he is nicknamed, ran virtually nonstop through desert temperatures that reached 123 degrees Farenheit (stopping only to refuel and rehydrate along the way) and then navigated over a couple of mountain ranges and up Mt. Whitney to its portal at over 8,300-foot elevation. His time of 59 hours 13 minutes and two seconds was safely within the 60-hour cutoff for this most challenging of races.

In this video Jack Denness, 75, talks of his training for the 2010 Badwater Ultramarathon

This was Jack's fourteenth Badwater race since his first one in 1991 at age 56, having quit smoking and started jogging a mere 11 years earlier. Thirteen of the 14 times he has toed the starting line of this merciless race, he has made it the whole grueling 135 miles; his one DNF (Did Not Finish) was due to dehydration. In 2005 he became the first runner in his seventies to complete Badwater -- his time 57:52:12.

Each time he takes on this race's desert heat, typically 120 degrees or higher, followed by its seemingly-endless and exhausting mountainous climbs, Jack does so in large part to raise funds for a favorite charity. One year it was for a local Cancer Scanner Appeal, another year it was for Disabled Children's Stepping Stones program, and yet another year it was for the Alzheimers Society. In all, Jack has raised over 100,000 pounds (approximately 160,000 American dollars) since his 1991 inaugural race. When asked about his motivation to run such a torturous race so many times, he has said that it "was seeing the positive reaction of people prepared to sponsor me in the Badwater race in my quest to fundraise for worthy charities."

Not content to run just the race's 135 miles, in 1994, with friend Steve Kerr, he tackled the rarely-tried Death Valley 300; that is, Jack ran the Badwater race that year and when he reached the finish line at the portal of Mt. Whitney, he and Steve kept going, hiking to the top of the mountain -- an additional 15 miles with a vertical climb of over 6,000 feet. Once at the highest point in the contiguous United States, they turned around and merely retraced their steps, running/trudging the 150 miles back to the start of the Badwater. Not a bad achievement for someone about to turn 60.

 The next time you are watching the Super Bowl, Wimbleton or the Masters, take a look at those fit young athletes and ask yourself: how many of these great athletes could tackle the Death Valley 300 or the Badwater Ultramarathon at THEIR CURRENT AGE, never mind at ages 59, 70 or 75? Yet, in order to run these races, Jack Denness is not spending inordinate amounts of time in training. He has said that in training for this last Badwater he was taking 25-mile runs or longer during the weekends, but just a couple of miles in the park during weekdays if the spirit moved him; that's a weekly total of 30 to 40 miles. Most elite runners in training for a big race put in far more miles.

The truth is that it's Jack Denness' mental focus that keeps him so extremely fit and able to run Badwater and that the running plays a secondary role, albeit an indispensible one. Here's the question: Is your mental focus and level of exercise making it possible for you to achieve the items on YOUR bucket list? 

And now I'd like to invite you to claim your FREE Fitter After 50 / Fitter for Life e-newsletter when you visit http://www.FitterforLife.com

From Ed Mayhew -- the author of Fitter After 50, Fitter For Life and other books, CDs, videos and articles on how you, too, can make falling apart as you age merely an option -- NOT a mandate. Why not make the rest of your life the BEST of your life? http://www.FitterforLife.com and  http://www.amazon.com/Age-Blasters-Steps-Younger-You/dp/1598589083/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276528674&sr=1-1 (click here for paperback or Kindle editions of AGE BLASTERS)

How Our Thoughts Make Us Sick and Worse

We have all known individuals who ate all the right foods, exercised relentlessly and had regular checkups and still got the much-dreaded Disease X. This happening has made us feel vulnerable. "If THIS person, who took such good care of himself -- much better than I take care of myself -- can get deathly sick," you think, "then what chance do I have of staying well?" What we fail to consider is the thinking of this individual. Oh, yes, he may portray a generally sunny dispostion and upbeat attitude for the world to see, but what we can't know is his actual hidden thoughts and thinking process.

Here's how our thoughts can make us sick. Let's say we don't want to succumb to Disease X and its well-known horrendous effects on the body and/or mind. We go to the gym almost daily because we are told by the experts that exercise can help prevent Disease X. We eat the foods that are known to greatly decrease the risk of getting this malady. In addition, we make sure we get the needed rest our body requires to keep our immune system at peak capacity, we get regular checkups and schedule the must-have medical screenings associated with preventing this disease. We do all these things to prevent this unwanted condition from getting us -- to keep the universally-feared Disease X at bay.

Here's the problem with all this. Because you are taking all these steps in hopes of preventing this disease, you are inadvertently taking Disease X with you to the gym, to the dinner table, to bed and to the checkups. The images in the back of your mind of the disastrous consequences of Disease X on your mind and body, those images you are repeatedly summoning, create stress which depresses the immune system, the very same immune system that you need to prevent the disease! In effect, you are dying a thousand little deaths, instead of just one, by taking this disease condition with you virtually wherever you go to prevent it and whatever you do to escape it. But wait, that's not all.

More important than the aforementioned stressor is the way the mind works. This involves free will. Unlike some animals, whose actions are controlled almost exclusively by instinct, we humans are free to choose our thoughts. If, therefore, you think to yourself, "I'm going to eat this particular food because I don't want to get Disease X," the main thing you are giving your mind to focus on is Disease X. Not a flower, TV show, not a person...You are giving it Disease X. Since we have free will, the universe, nature, God ...cannot force you to think of something else, something better.

The "I don't want" part of your thinking is irrelevant to your mind. It can only focus on what comes after the "I don't want." Because we have free will (our ability to consciously choose our thoughts), your mind of itself cannot choose to not think about Disease X until YOU give it another subject to contemplate -- until you consciously choose another of the endless subjects that could replace Disease X as your point of focus. Think of it this way. If I say, "Don't think about squirting lemon juice from a fresh lemon directly into your mouth. I don't want you to think about how utterly tart the lemon juice tastes as it fills your mouth. Whatever you do, don't think about a bright yellow lemon whose juice has just been squirted into your eye." What are you thinking about? A lemon! Exactly what I told you not to think about.

Or contemplate this example. There's a very young child sitting in his high chair with some beans on his tray. Are you going to tell this very impressionable child, "Whatever you do, do not put those beans up your nose!" If you did say this, what's the likelihood that those beans end up anywhere but up his nose? Our mind is more like this little tyke than we realize.

In studying more than 200 men and women over the last 10 years, masters athletes in their forties, sixties, eighties ... who are aging extremely WELL, I've found that they all exercise regularly, eat well and get the rest they need. These extremely healthy individuals, however, seldom do these good-health- sustaining activities to prevent sickness, but rather, they take excellent care of themselves to be ready for the next race, challenge or adventure. They do what is good for them so they can continue to participate in the fun activities, often very vigorous in nature, that make life worth living. That's a long way from doing things just to prevent an illness or disease condition.

Our thoughts are more powerful than exercise or eating well (as important as these two are to our well being) and powerful enough to make us sick or to keep us well. The secret is to find something other than disease prevention to inspire us to eat well, work out, get optimal rest. Give your mind a POSITIVE FOCUS!

And now I'd like to invite you to claim your FREE Fitter After 50 / Fitter for Life e-newsletter when you visit http://www.FitterforLife.com

From Ed Mayhew -- the author of Fitter After 50, Fitter For Life and other books, CDs, videos and articles on how you, too, can make falling apart as you age merely an option -- NOT a mandate. Why not make the rest of your life the BEST of your life? http://www.FitterforLife.com and  http://www.amazon.com/Age-Blasters-Steps-Younger-You/dp/1598589083/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276528674&sr=1-1 (click here for paperback or Kindle editions of AGE BLASTERS)

Turning 60 into an Exciting Adventure

Some of us see turning age 60 as a milestone that marks the beginning of the end and bemoan our lost youth. A big challenge for us -- an adventure even -- is to get across the room to our chair before the paper plate embarrassingly crumples under the weight of our very generous servings of birthday cake and ice cream. As for goals for the year, we may have at the top of our list, getting to more of our grandkids' soccer games, hitting the links more consistently, and losing a few pounds (one of our more unrealistic goals).

Others have more ambitious goals to help celebrate this landmark birthday. Tiburon, California's Vito Bialla definitely belongs to the second group of folks. In 2008, Vito celebrated 60 years on planet Earth by taking on three major athletic challenges. First, however, he warmed up with a few smaller races, such as the Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon in June. In this race he swam 1.5 miles, biked 18 miles and then ran another 8 miles -- all in an impressive 2 hours 50 minutes 49 seconds.

Then it was on to a little more challenging events. In July, for starters, Vito tackled the 135-mile Badwater ultra-distance footrace across Death Valley where summer temperatures consistently hit 120 degrees Farenheit. Besides the running-shoe-melting, blister-forming heat the runners have to contend with, there is also the 13,000 cumulative feet of vertical ascent and the leg-pulverizing 4,700 feet of descent as participants cross a couple of mountain ranges. In all, these athletes (boys and girls, can we say masochists?) go from 282 feet below sea level at the start to the 8,360-foot elevation at the finish -- the portal of Mount Whitney. Vito, competing in this young athletes' challenge with its most taxing of   conditions, completed the run in 41 hours 48 minutes, well within the 60 hours allowed for completion.

Needing to cool off, next Vito headed to England for a little late-summer swimming. There he captained a 5-swimmer relay team that double-crossed the English Channel -- swimming in relay fashion approximately 44 miles. All his team did was beat all the competing teams, turning in the fastest time of 2008.

Not content with the accomplishment of these two outstanding athletic feats for a man or woman of any age, this 60-year-old capped his year off with the Ultraman Championship on the big island of Hawaii in November. The Ultraman consists simply of swimming a mere 6.2 miles in the ocean, biking 261.4 miles and running a double marathon (a 52.4-mile footrace). This mega triathlon makes the extremely challenging Ironman triathlon (2.4 mile swim, 112-mile bike race and 26.2-mile marathon run -- 140.6 miles total) look like child's play in comparison. Vito completed the 320-mile, 3-day stage race in 33 hours 27 minutes 35 seconds.

Vito Bialla, entering his seventh decade, successfully completed three of the toughest races on the planet in a single year. You may be wondering why this very busy executive with two businesses to run and three children to raise with his wife, Linda, would put himself through such torturous races at what some would call an advanced age for an athlete. First, it's not the constant struggle mile after mile that we might envision; often, during a long swim, bike ride or run, a well-conditioned ahtlete, such as Vito is, can get into a "zone" or "flow state" where the body goes onto auto-pilot, the mind is elsewhere and as a result, there is very little perceived effort. This is a very pleasant state of being, what has been termed "runners' high," among other descriptions. During these times there is no struggle or cumulative exhaustion experienced.

Second, the sense of accomplishment and relief at the end of an arduous, taxing race can have the participant on an emotional high for days or weeks afterward. Further, having done what most believe to be impossible or too dangerous or just plain foolhardy, is very mentally and emotionally rewarding. It's not, in other words, necessarily, just one torturous mile of pain after another, as we might imagine. Vito Bialla, at age 60, is enjoying these ultra challenges, these exciting adventures where he is breaking ground for those of us with a little less tread on our "tennies." The question is: What could you do that would be more rewarding -- more exciting than what you are currently doing? Would a little out-of-the-box challenge, a new, exciting adventure spice up your life, as it has Vito's?  

And now I'd like to invite you to claim your FREE Fitter After 50 / Fitter for Life e-newsletter when you visit http://www.FitterforLife.com

From Ed Mayhew -- the author of Fitter After 50, Fitter For Life and other books, CDs, videos and articles on how you, too, can make falling apart as you age merely an option -- NOT a mandate. Why not make the rest of your life the BEST of your life? http://www.FitterforLife.com and  http://www.amazon.com/Age-Blasters-Steps-Younger-You/dp/1598589083/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276528674&sr=1-1 (click here for paperback or Kindle editions of AGE BLASTERS)

Is This the Greatest Athletic Feat Ever?

When the question of what's the greatest athletic feat of all time arises, there are many candidates. There is Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point basketball game; baseball's Cal Ripken's 2,632-consecutive-game streak; and swimmer Michael Phelp's record eight Gold Medals at a single Olympics, to name three. To that list I'd like to add another for your consideration: Vito Bialla's Double Ultraman.

What? You've never heard of Vito Bialla or a Double Ultraman? As Ricky Ricardo might have demanded, "Ed, you got some 'splainin' to do." Here goes.

You may not be familiar with the fairly rare Ultraman race, so let's start with the much better-known  Ironman triathlon that airs from time to time on TV. You may have seen this Ironman race and questioned the -- how shall we say it -- sanity of these ultra-endurance athletes who attempt to swim for 2.4 miles, then immediately cycle 112 miles and THEN race 26.2 miles on foot, all the while going as fast as humanly possible. Well, hold onto your hat because an Ultraman is an Ironman triathlon on steroids and a DOUBLE Ultraman is next to impossible, but not impossible, as proven by Vito Bialla.

Specifically, the Ultraman is a 3-day stage triathlon in which competitors swim 6.2 miles and bike 90 miles on day one; bike race an additional 171.4 miles on day two; and merely run a double marathon (52.4 miles) on day three. What Vito Bialla did, in 2000, was to up the ante by completing the 320-mile Ultraman twice over a six-day period. That's right, he raced 640 miles in six days. Oh, did we mention that he was 52-YEARS-OLD at the time?!

Here is Vito's six days of ultra-distance racing in a nutshell:

Day 1 -- Vito made the 6.2-mile ocean swim off the coast of Hawaii in 3 hours 30 minutes and then raced on his bike for another 90 miles.

Day 2 -- Due to strong headwinds, a very hilly (and even mountainous) course and ongoing searing heat, Vito struggled to make the 12-hour cutoff for this cycling leg; as a result, he had to hammer full throttle the last few miles of the 171.4 miles to stay in the race. His time: 11:58:24.

Day 3 -- Despite the pain of blistered feet and the exhaustion of the previous two days' efforts, he was able to run the 52.4-mile double marathon in an impressive 10:33.

Day 4 -- Due to having to fight against strong ocean currents much of the way (causing nearly half the competitors to miss the cutoff limit), Vito took almost an hour longer than day one to complete the swim (4:28). He then completed a tough 90 miles of cycling with a mere 24 minutes to spare.

Day 5 -- Despite powerful headwinds, hills and a very hot day, Vito was able to bike the 171.4-mile course in 10:13 -- improving greatly on his day 2 close call.

Day 6 -- After wrapping his badly swollen and blistered feet in vaseline-soaked socks and then duct taping them and cutting out the sides of his running shoes and dealing with the cumulative stress on his body of the previous five days of nearly 600 miles of racing, Vito Bialla was able to summon the courage and strength to run the 52.4-mile double marathon a little faster than he ran it on day 3 -- 10 hours 25 minutes, or slightly less than a 12-minutes-per-mile pace.

Vito finished 16th out of 35 competitors in the second Ultraman (the annual Ultraman Championship race) even though he was the only one to have run a double Ultraman. Amazingly, his second 3-day Ultraman (32:14:36) was only about an hour slower than the first; his 6-day total was 63 hours 30 minutes 15 seconds.

How did he do this?  There was, of course, the physical training, including the hours of swimming and cycling and the 30-mile Sunday training runs. There were also the marathons to build up an aerobic base and the shorter triathlons to gradually condition his body for the more extreme ultraman races. Beyond being physically ready, Vito prepared himself mentally. An answer Vito gave Zoot Sports writer Scott Schumaker explains the mental conditioning best: "I learned how to kill negative thoughts the minute they popped up, kill them right then and think about something else. Negative thinking is like a disease. It starts with a wart and turns into cancer so you have to kill it right at the onset ... it works."

For a more detailed description in Vito Bialla's own words, go to: http://ultramanlive.com/ultraman-extras/contestants-stories/ultraman-story-vito-bialla/ or Google: Double Ultraman and Vito Bialla

 If a 52-year-old CEO and father of three, who didn't take up endurance sports until age 46, can conquer a six-day, 640-mile double Ultraman triathlon, what does this tell us about the potential we have that lies dormant? Are we living life to the fullest like Vito Bialla? During the challenge, Vito experienced what he called being "intoxicated with joy" and at the finish, the euphoria of having done something that had never been done before. These are states of being that we can only enjoy when we venture outside our comfort zone, as Vito Bialla did. 

And now I'd like to invite you to claim your FREE Fitter After 50 / Fitter for Life e-newsletter when you visit http://www.FitterforLife.com

From Ed Mayhew -- the author of Fitter After 50, Fitter For Life and other books, CDs, videos and articles on how you, too, can make falling apart as you age merely an option -- NOT a mandate. Why not make the rest of your life the BEST of your life? http://www.FitterforLife.com and  http://www.amazon.com/Age-Blasters-Steps-Younger-You/dp/1598589083/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276528674&sr=1-1 (click here for paperback or Kindle editions of AGE BLASTERS)