Stepping into Athletic Retirement

Last night it hit me like a bag of 10 pound bricks...OMG - I AM OLD! I had this realization last night as I was coaching the high school division of my church's track team (FABC track...Running For Jesus)!!! Anyways, the 16-18 age group asked me to run 200's with them. A rational thought process would have gone something like this... "Hmm... Four 200's at a 30 second pace ... haven't worked out since prior to my Puerto Rico Spring Break trip (i.e. beginning of March), and even those workouts weren't track sprints, but the eliptical machine and "Abs & Glutes" classes at Bally's." That rational thought process would have led to an even more rational answer which would have been something like, "Sorry girls, I need to get into some sort of shape before I can hop on this track and keep up with your 16 y/o end of the season track speed." BUT INSTEAD, the Erin Richelle irrational thought process went a bit more like, "Well, 30 second pace isn't that fast, and after all I did run track in h/s and college, actually I might be able to show these young girls a thing or two, and afterall this will motivate me to start working out." Needless to say I accepted the girls challenge, first two 200's no problem, third one I was feeling, by the fourth one I was like OMG - when we reached the 100 M. mark I was feeling it all up in the calves. When the girls switched gears and put on their full speed, I realized I had no more gears left...I was like the "one speed fits all" bikes from back in the day.



I had to try my best to try to make my voice not sound all faint and what not after the workout, and try not to pant so hard...I couldn't let the young girls see they had gotten the best of me! From now on I will DEFINITELY be keeping my work clothes on when I go to practice...so there will be absolutely no chance for me to have another lapse in judgment that could temporarily put me into a 24 y/o cardiac arrest of sorts...



Hello, my name is Erin Richelle, and I have officially stepped into athletic retirement...