Sunday, March 04, 2007

False Barriers



I was emailing back and forth with my friend Alwyn Cosgrove last night. We had both enjoyed the UFC fights on pay-per-view mainly because of a comeback of unexpected and unbelievable proportions.

Randy “The Natural” Couture came out of retirement to defeat Tim “The Maine-iac” Silvia and take his 3rd UFC Heavyweight title.

Now you may not be a big fight fan, but get this…

Tim Silvia has had more wins (25) than Couture had fights (15-8).

Tim Silvia stands 6’8” and weighed in at 265 which meant he was probably close to 280 by fight time. Randy Couture is 6’2” and weighs a lean 222.

Tim Silvia is 30 years old. Randy is…get this…43. That’s not a typo. He’s really 43 years old.

Randy wasn’t supposed to have a shot. He won like he was spanking a 280 pound baby.

Getting back to our email exchange.

In one email Alwyn stated, “Age is meaningless now. It really is.”

He’s right.

It’s a false barrier.

Roger Banister understood false barriers when he broke 4 minutes in the mile in 1954.

Eamonn Coghlan ran a sub-four minute mile in 1994. This obviously isn’t a big deal since it was 40 years prior that this barrier was broken until you find out that Eamonn was 40 years old when he ran it.

My friend John Gesselberty recently deadlifted over 400 pounds for the first time.

He’s over 40. Actually he’s 58 (that's not his physiological age by the way).

I’m inspired.

As of today, I’m about 40.75 years old.

If you need me, I’ll be in the gym at 4:30 am, warmed-up and ready.

Age is meaningless now. It really is.

Later

3 comments:

chris bathke said...

Thinking of making a run at Fedor's title Bill? ;)

Too bad Lytle ran into a dominating Hughes. He did a great fight regardless.

Mahler said...

Hi, Bill.
Thanks for the mention about my 405 lb. deadlift. And, for the record, I am 58.

John Gesselberty

Unknown said...

55 or 58, you're still the IMLOD.

When I grow up, I want to be like Mahler.