Fairly deafening silence in response, but it got me thinking. I was mostly watching this thread to push me to get going on taking a few inches off the waist and get back some endurance. On my 61st birthday I walked 10 miles, but of late have been slipping. Admire all here who are participating.

Relevance to the thread of the work story. When I started there, I was pretty strong for my size and in in pretty good shape. 45.5 inch chest, 25.5 waist. Had done construction work which grew me that way. I was NOT, however, strong enough to lift the billets off the floor onto the rollers. Up, yes, but not high enough for the rollers. The Merchant Mill had been inactive for a couple of years while selling stock down, so we started slow, and with the smallest billets, around 45-60 an hour while the millwrights tweaked and recalled how to set the line for the product. Built speed. At the end of the first week, I could get one done. After two weeks, I could do two or three in a row, even the last hour of the shift. When we moved to larger steel, same song, second verse, but after a few days could handle the extra. So on up in sizes. Gradually built up to the final numbers above.

If the crane operator had not been such a jerk, I never would have achieved such production. I didn't want him to be able to brag about how he got the hippie kid fired for not being able to keep up, so I found ways to cope, and down the road the strength gained saved my life in motorcycle and work crashes.

All of us start from wherever we are. By regular work and regular increase in expectation, we gain strength and fitness. All of us profit from having someone who will push us beyond what we thought we could do. All that's required is willingness to keep playing, improvement WILL follow.

It can be helpful to change perspective. Einstein said everything, everyone is connected, related, joined. An inter-related field. Religious paths tell us the Divine Being is the Source from which we emanate and to which we are connected. If that's true, and I believe it is, then I am/you are the visible manifesting of the mind of the Divine. Or the center of the Universe, if you prefer. I am now less concerned with being strong and more aware of BEING STRENGTH. Less on fit, more on BEING ENDURANCE. Not any comparison of systems here, so I think/hope no violation of rules. Just a way to get yourself beyond your preconceived ideas of your limits.

At 64 and survivor of several crashes, being told in 1991 I'd never walk again, I'm in need of remedial work. Had to quit working 9 years ago. As a result, chest has slipped to 47", waist up to 35. Your good thoughts appreciated.