Finishing the race strong

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7

I decided last fall that I would compete at AAU Taekwondo nationals as an “ultra” athlete—the same year I turned 50—and here we are nearing completion of that goal. I do not know how it will ultimately go. I do not plan on losing; however, I am keenly aware that my opponent is likely to feel the same way. The season has been full of challenges, from personal injuries that seem to linger much longer than they did in my younger years, to life-threatening illnesses in my family that bring a different kind of perspective. It has been a long year full of the ups and downs that life brings. I am grateful for it all.

Notes to my future self:

I find myself wondering what lessons I want to take from these experiences. Like the verse above, in which Paul is encouraging fellow believers to continue strong in their faith, I want to be able to repeat those words in all areas of my life. I want my children to see the importance of finishing what they start and to enjoy the rewards that come with persevering.

I hope to remember well the lessons I have learned about listening to my body in a way that both pushes and respects my limits at the same time. I want to be a good example for my children on how to age as well as possible.

I have learned lessons about friendship that I cannot believe took me so long to understand. I am so grateful for the deepening of certain relationships (you know who you are).

On the mat, I believe I have said it before, but training for this type of event requires a type of trust in your fellow teammates that I have not experienced in other areas of my life. For them, myself, and our coaches: I want to fight well…and I want to win!

Victory will be sweet…

That is, if victory is mine. I do not believe I am assured of it when I fight in a few days; however, I do know that I will hold nothing back. I will not be accused of quitting. Regardless of the outcome, I will be at peace, as the psalmist writes:

“The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in His way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.”

I love it so much that the verse then continues with “I have been young, and now am old…” Psalm 37:23-25.

I feel seen.

What comes next?

Genuinely, I do not have a clear plan. I still have a long road before becoming a black belt. That is high on my list of things I would like to accomplish. I am very interested in understanding the best ways to keep my aging joints functioning as well as possible; therefore, I may spend a considerable amount of time writing about that topic in future posts. It is probably a bit morbid, but I get such a kick out of applying the word “geriatric” to myself. So, if you overhear me talking about the geriatric research on Pubmed Central (such as the article found here), you will know that an “old lady” article is incoming.