How old is too old?

The Scooter Cannonball just finished up. There were a lot more gray haired -or no haired people at the finish line than not. The oldest participant I’m told was 84. Plenty of grandparents did the event. That’s pretty impressive when you consider it’s a coast to coast endurance event on small displacement scooters. 

Frankly, it gives me hope. 

So what does it take to finish an event like this? Endurance is a big one. There’s pain involved here. However if your body hurts everyday anyway might as do something interesting. A good part of these sort of events is mental toughness. It’s the ability to get up every morning and put the miles in. 

You don’t really need a whole lot of physical strength as you are on a motorized vehicle. However, when you dump your heavily loaded scooter on a dirt road it has to be picked up again. Those dirt sections took their toll, sending a number of riders to the hospital. Most scooters aren’t exactly dirt bikes. 

When I was a kid I did a lot of canoe and kayak racing. There were slalom and white water down river events. One old guy in his 80s always competed. He never won, but always finished -usually somewhere in the middle of the pack. The man was a legend. 

So what do you want to do with your golden years? Sit around watching TV while waiting to die? For me, I hope to be well enough to keep having adventures. 

Sure, you could get seriously injured or even die. There are worse ways to go. We are all going to die sooner or later anyway. No need to give up before the Grim Reaper comes to your door. 

-Sixbears