Lou Cookson, Living a Life in Fear is a Life Half-Lived
Lou Cookson is a 65 year old triathlete and coach who has endured countless knee surgeries and more recently an open heart surgery. Lou continues to compete in triathlons and has found even greater success after being told he should never run again based on the state of his knees. One year after heart surgery, Lou completed an olympic distance triathlon (.9 mile swim, 24 mile bike ride and 6.2 mile run). 2 months later, which was last month, Lou finished a Half-Ironman (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride and 13.1 mile run). His goal now is to once again qualify for the Iron Man World Championships by the time he turns 70.
In this episode, Lou talks about how he works around his various injuries and gives us tips on training around injuries while still trying to push your body to the limits. Specifically, Lou shares his "8 Components Necessary for Fast Running." The 8 components include Cardio Conditioning, Bio-mechanics, Strength, Balance, Leg Speed, Flexibility, Hydration & Nutrition and Mentality. Fast running is the result of a complex of factors; ignoring any one of these aspects puts the runner at greater risk of injury and not achieving their goals.
People are often quick to give up on their dreams and passions when obstacles get in their way, but Lou's story goes to show that you don't always have to take no for an answer. By not taking no for an answer, Lou is going against the advice of some of his doctors, but "a life lived in fear is a life half-lived."
Lou has recently began to share his story in his "Fitness Over 50" presentations. He can be reached for these speaking engagements and coaching at trifitnesscoach@gmail.com .
Lou Cookson finishing the Ironman World Championships
