Diventare un "vecchio sporcaccione" - presentato da Paul Lachance
"Nel 2014, l'idea di ciò che avrei voluto fare da grande ha iniziato a maturare e alla fine ha fatto breccia... Volevo essere un 'Vecchio Sporcaccione'. Sì, volevo essere il 'Vecchio Sporcaccione' più cattivo, sporco e maleodorante!
Forse è il caso di fare un po' di chiarezza. Nell'aprile del 2006, all'età di 65 anni, ho avuto un grave evento cardiaco che mi ha causato un by-pass quintuplo. Per la maggior parte delle persone questo sarebbe sufficiente a porre fine a uno stile di vita attivo. Tuttavia, mi sono rifiutato di arrendermi ed ero determinato a vivere attivamente la mia vita e a non stare seduto sul divano a vegetare. Iniziai a frequentare una palestra locale (con la benedizione del mio medico personale e del mio cardiologo), osservando e imitando ciò che facevano i più giovani. Stavo anche cercando su Internet vari metodi per migliorarmi, quando mi sono imbattuto in una cosa chiamata "Spartan Race". Guardavo le persone che superavano vari ostacoli e si infilavano sotto il filo spinato completamente coperte di fango e mi sono detta: "Posso farlo anch'io!".
On Saturday, May 3, 2014 I competed in my first Spartan / OCR event at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, CO. Now I had no allusions of coming out on top…I just wanted to cross the finish line…and if I did then I will have achieved my goal of becoming a “dirty old man”.
The race is not a race in the truest sense…although it is a timed adventure from the very beginning to the very end; it is what goes on from start to finish that test every bone and muscle in my body….but most of all test my mental capacity to endure. It is a 3 to 5-mile course of mud, ropes, walls, barbed wire crawl, and whatever other physical challenges the event organizers have in mind. The Spartan website states their goal is simple, get you off the couch, throw you in the mud and trails and the result will be the adrenaline rush of a lifetime.
My Spartan partner (and oldest son) decided that in 2015 we would try to complete a Spartan Trifecta: 1 Sprint (3-5 miles); 1 Super (8-10 miles); and one Beast (12+ miles) …all in one calendar year. Back to Ft Carson we went to complete the Super on Saturday and then the Sprint on Sunday. Not bad for this old man…but I still needed the Beast. In August we traveled to Breckenridge, CO to take on the mighty mountain. Starting point is just at 9500’ elevation and simply goes uphill from there (and hills are my nemesis!). After a grueling 8 hours on the mountain, a 220# tired and dirty old man finally emerged from the brush and crossed the finish line…I DID IT! Trifecta #1 was in the books.
Alla fine del 2015 è emersa la mia prima vera battaglia con il cancro della pelle... avevo sviluppato un tumore molto grande nel labbro inferiore, così il dermatologo ha deciso di rimuovere il labbro. Sì, era così semplice... un bisturi affilato e qualche taglio e il labbro era completamente sparito. Il giorno dopo ho incontrato un chirurgo plastico e sono uscita dal suo studio con un labbro nuovo di zecca (formato da tessuto prelevato dall'interno della bocca). Le meraviglie della medicina moderna!
2016 came and saw us completing three Trifecta’s. Along the way we went to Atlanta to complete a Sprint and Super with family members. I was a proud daddy when we crossed the finish line as three generations were there: one daughter, one son, one son-in-law, 2 grand-children, and myself.
The year 2017 was full of high hopes as my son and I decided to go for four Trifecta’s. With a little planning we mapped out our year and it included a trip to Hawaii to do three events in one weekend. Being the nice guys that we are, we even brought the wives with us and made a mini vacation. The State of Hawaii is beautiful and the venue was beyond belief…and it also proved more than I could handle. I grew up in a home where both my mom and dad chain smoked and the house was always full of smoke. That contributed to poor lungs and the island air was do dense once we got into the forest that I had trouble breathing so I took myself out of the race. There went my Trifecta weekend. By the way, we did get our four Trifecta’s in 2017.
L'autunno del 2017 è stato nuovamente segnato dal ritorno del cancro della pelle sul lato sinistro del mio labbro inferiore/mascella. Questa volta era una cosa seria. Il tumore si era avvolto intorno a un nervo che dalla mascella arrivava fino alla base del cranio. Sebbene l'esame patologico abbia mostrato che il tumore era stato completamente asportato, l'équipe medica non ha voluto correre il rischio che una cellula errante viaggiasse lungo quel nervo, per cui è stato ordinato di iniziare i trattamenti di radioterapia e chemioterapia a gennaio 2018. Le prime due settimane sono state facili... senza problemi.
Verso la fine di gennaio e l'inizio di febbraio si è scatenato l'inferno... ho perso tutte le papille gustative, non potevo mangiare o bere normalmente e ho iniziato a perdere peso. I trattamenti veri e propri si sono interrotti alla fine di febbraio, ma gli effetti collaterali continuano ancora oggi. Al momento della stesura di questo articolo, ho perso circa 35 chili e 15 centimetri di circonferenza vita. Il mio guardaroba viene lentamente sostituito per adattarsi al mio nuovo corpo.
My Spartan goals had evolved to where I was hoping to add one Trifecta per year until I completed 8 in one year…which coincidentally would be the year I turn 80. This radiation/chemo thing was putting a cramp in my plans for earning five Trifecta’s in 2018. After many discussions with my medical team, it was determined that I could start back on the trail in April (if I felt up to it physically). Challenge accepted! In April I traveled to Jacksonville, FL and completed a Super and Sprint; in May I was back at Ft Carson for another Super and Sprint; also, in May I was in Austin, TX for another set of Super/Sprint events but the Sprint was cancelled due to heavy lightning in the area. I know that I am not at 100% of what I can do but I also know that sitting around and whining is not what I want to do. I may be the slowest guy out there but I am giving 100% of what I have and with each step forward I am getting a little bit stronger.
Attualmente mi sto prendendo alcune settimane di pausa dalla Spartan per guadagnare forza e resistenza per la seconda metà dell'anno... e sono cinque mesi intensi quelli che ho in programma: compimento del 77° anno di età, 2 Supers, 3 Sprint e 5 Beasts... quest'anno otterrò la mia 5X Trifecta!
Along this journey I have been blessed with many supporting friends and family. I won’t specifically name any, except one, as I know that I would forget several and then I would feel bad. Let me group my support groups: Spartan participants – always encouraging and living up to the motto of “you never race alone”; Facebook friends who are so positive; gym goers for being there at 5AM and pushing me to be better; my oldest son for pushing me up the hills (literally); American Warrior Initiative for believing in me; Boost Oxygen for all they have done to keep me breathing; and most of all, my # 1 support – my wonderful wife, Davida, for encouraging me along every step of this ‘Dirty Old Man’ journey.
Ci vediamo sul sentiero...".
Boost Oxygen was recommended to Paul by an aviator pilot friend; we are very proud to have heard his story and to know that we support his intensely active and physical goals; even during this current and most epic battle. Everyone here at Boost Oxygen has had the opportunity to meet Paul and his wife Davida in-person – and they are both amazing and inspirational people. We are honored to know them. You can follow Paul on his journey and his adventures at his Facebook page: Paul Lachance.
Boost Oxygen is the #1 trusted worldwide brand of portable and convenient 95% pure oxygen. Trusted by professional teams and athletes, as well as everyday athletes, you can learn more about Boost (and the interesting people who integrate it into their healthy lifestyles) by following on social media: Instagram (@boostoxygen), Twitter (@BoostO2) and Facebook (@BoostOxygenUSA).
