78 Year Old Endurance Athlete Training for Triathlons

The Flipping 50 Show

Rarely do we look at training for endurance or being an endurance athlete here. Today is different. This isn’t a suggestion nor a recommendation. But it is a glass ceiling lift. Whatever you think is possible, is possible. There are few 78-year-olds training for 4-5 hours on a bike or spending hours a week in the pool and on their zero gravity treadmill... preparing for one of the most daunting events in triathlon. But today’s guest is. My returning guest is a 78-year-old endurance athlete and she’s here to share her next goal. If you walk away with one thing, I hope it is that it’s never too late, you’re not too old. And if you find yourself thinking, she shouldn’t, you reconsider and do a self check about your own fear level instead.

My Guest:

Dexter Yeats, age 78, but identified as 79 for Racing, as it is My Last Year in the Female 74-79 Age Group!

In the late 1970s, she began participating in triathlons. In her first race, she finished as the third female overall but was also dead last. There were few female racers back then, and no awards for women, so they received single red roses from a local grocery store. Her first Ironman was in Penticton, Canada, in 1993, where she won her age group (45-49) and qualified for KONA, finishing 10th in her age group. Life's demands limited her swimming and cycling, drawing her to Ultra Running. She ran a dozen 50-mile trail runs and attempted a few 100-mile runs, but her career as a Teamster truck driver restricted her training time, leading to some years without racing. After retiring in 2010, she moved near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and resumed racing at 66. She has since completed 15 more full Ironman races, totaling 16, with 10 age group wins and 5 Kona finishes. Despite a few DNFs, she remains undeterred. She has also competed in Ironman 70.3 races, qualifying for the World Championships in Australia, South Africa, and France. In 2018, she won as The World Champion in her age group (70-74) in South Africa. ASEA sponsors her, providing 'Fountain of Youth' products that help her stay healthy, recover and keep going.

Questions we answer in this episode:

● How long have you been racing? 00:08:30 ● Any plans to hang it up? 00:09:30 ● What kind of goals do you have? 00:015:40 ● Are you training by the numbers and testing or what does that look like ?00:08:20

● Do you get resistance from people who think this is too much or wonder if you should be doing this? 19:00

Thoughts about endurance training or being an endurance athlete in latter decades? Inspired? Or what are your reactions? Share them with us!

Connect with Dexter:

• https://newlifesg.redoxlivewell.com/athletes/dexter-yeats

On Social:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dexteryeats/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yeatsdexter/

Other Episodes You May Like:

• Previous with Dexter Yeats Ironman Dexter Yeats About Being 72, Unstoppable, and Unique: https://www.flippingfifty.com/ironman-dexter-yeats-72-unstoppable-unique/
• My Fittest Year | My Ironman without Training: https://www.flippingfifty.com/my-fittest-year/