At age 51, I had cancer and metabolic syndrome (high blood pressure, triglycerides, and blood sugar, low HDL cholesterol, and a large waistline). So, I started running to improve my health. And I kept running. This year I cut over a minute off of my Bolder Boulder 10K time (59:39), which was just a little over a minute longer than I ran at age 40! The problem was that I was only running; my mobility and strength were declining. I learned of DEKA Fit in late November of 2025. The Spartan organization describes DEKA Fit as “The Global Standard of Fitness Racing – The ultimate test of strength, endurance, and grit. Featuring standardized fitness tests designed to push your limits and celebrate your progress.” Six months later, I ran my first DEKA Fit race and finished fast enough to qualify for the 2026 DEKA Fit World Championships on December 10th; surprising because I never considered myself an athlete growing up. This is a short video showing small parts of my qualifying race from Denver, CO on May 30, 2026.
