I came across an article about a 101 year old man, Fauja Singh, who completed the 26-mile London Marathon recently to became the oldest marathon runner in the world. If you want motivation, look at this guy!
Ever since I began fitness training in my late teens, I've told myself that I want to "die running". (Immobility scares me and the thought of being incapable of running in my old age is not something I'm willing to accept.) Fauja is quoted as saying, "I won't stop running till I die. I want to be remembered as the person who ran till the end".
Last year I set two mental goals for 2012: Hike the Appalachian Trail and run a 100-mile Ultramarathon. After postponing the Appalachian Trail hike earlier this year, I'm left with only one of those two goals: run 100-miles.
I know that running has incredible health benefits and I can only imagine how beneficial it would be to run at least a couple of 100-mile Ultramarathons every year. That seems like a lofty goal to me now, but I know that once I've crossed the barriers I will look back and appreciate my willingness to tackle such a challenge.
Here's to training for an Ultramarathon. If a 101 year old guy can do 26 miles, there's no reason a 30 year old guy can't do 100 miles.