The Fourth Quarter Podcast
Living the last quarter of your life with intention around health, fitness, nutrition and joy! Learning from others and tuning in to hear live one on one coaching that educates, inspires and motivates you to move!
The Fourth Quarter Podcast
EP015: How Movements with Meaning Turn Grief into Gratitude
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A stroke at 43. A torn ACL. Missed race cutoffs. And somehow, an even stronger reason to keep going. We’re joined by Liz Doliber, a lifelong mover who turned fitness into community, grief into purpose, and endurance training into a blueprint for living well in the fourth quarter of life. Her journey starts with Jazzercise friendships and an active family life, then deepens after losing her brother to blood cancer and committing to charity endurance events and fundraising that has impacted countless lives.
We talk about what it really takes to stay consistent when life gets loud: kids, full-time work, travel, injuries, and the temptation to believe your own excuses. Liz shares practical “workarounds” that make exercise doable, like keeping shoes in the car, taking the 20 minutes you have, finding creative ways to train while caring for family, and simplifying nutrition on the road. If you’re searching for motivation to get healthy, fitness after 40, healthy aging tips, or a mindset that survives setbacks, this conversation is packed with real-world strategies.
Liz also tells an unforgettable Ironman story about finishing the distance even after losing the official timing chip, and the stranger who placed his medal around her neck. We close with music, reflection, and a simple truth: growing older is a privilege, and your story is still unwritten. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a push, and leave us a review with the next small step you’re ready to take.
Wake up, wake up, and listen up. Welcome to the fourth quarter podcast with your hosts Doug Talmud and Ted Ania. Tune in as we dive into living your best life in the fourth quarter of your life. Hear from health and lifestyle experts, inspirational stories, learn simple steps to keep you motivated or to help get you started. Finally, join us as we coach others live on air who want to begin a healthy lifestyle or just might be stuck and need a breakthrough. Remember, it's never too late to decide to be great. Momentum keeps you motivated, so take a deep breath. Lean in and let's go.
SPEAKER_03Welcome back. Welcome back to the fourth quarter podcast. We have an awesome guest that I kind of know, but I am looking forward to get to know even more on today's episode. So I want you all to kind of lean in and buckle up with me and let's get curious together, man, because I think we're gonna hear some really cool stories and learn some wisdom along the way. But Ted, before I kick it over to you, I uh you know, I always like to just reflect on the episode we had last week. Man, the doctors, boy, the chiropractic doctors, they brought the fire and it was awesome. I am still inspired, I am still pumped up, but I'm gonna be transparent and honest here, Ted. I still have not chosen a chiropractor to go see. They gave me a run recommendation, but it's about an hour and a half from where I live. But based on what they told me, I'm actually considering that hour and a half drive, you know, especially if it's only once a week or twice a week. Right now, at this season of my life, I can afford that, but I'm still seeking to see if I can find somebody who does the practice like they do a little closer because I would love that and really just lean into that. I look forward to where that journey leads me. I know I'm gotten some feedback from other listeners about the chiropractor. I sent you a video, Ted, of you know, I was at what was I called, the celebration of life, and my cousin was there, and he goes, Oh man, that episode was amazing. You guys gotta hear this. And he's playing it live on his phone to everyone around at the at a celebration of life. So it is impacting lives, it is making people inspired, it is helping people be inspired and move forward in their in their health and just being thoughtful about where they are and where they want to go. So, with that said, Ted, and that was episode 14, right? A line, a line and a live and and movement or something like that.
SPEAKER_01Ton of information.
Next Guest And Community Connection
SPEAKER_03Yeah, ton of information, very informational, very informational. But Ted, let me kick it on over to you, brother. What do we got coming up and what do you got to say?
SPEAKER_01Next week we have Ryan Fontillas. Oh, yeah. Very, very interesting story because he has a a bachelor of science in kinesiology and exercise science. He works in the pharmaceutical and biologics industry. We'll we'll touch on that and the exercise and things that he does to keep his body in shape. What I'm really interested in is sharing his story about what he does in his spare time. He's involved with a number of groups, one of which he he founded, and we'll get into more details about that. Really connecting generations, which is is very cool that we have noticed on the podcast that is happening how you know it's not just the fourth quarter, it's how how we're all the generations are connected, and he's doing a lot of things in the community that is helping that. So looking forward to that, and also there will be a special guest appearing with him. I'll leave that till next week. Special. But I think uh I think that'll be fun as well. That's gonna be awesome. Yeah, I gotta tell you, you know, going back to uh past episodes, we had uh Jonathan Pascual on I think maybe episode four, one of the early episodes. Right. We went into Jonathan's story, he's been dealing with cancer for about four years now, but he does a what he calls JP's Backyard Ultra. Right, and that's coming up in September. We've talked about it a little bit on the podcast. I'm planning on going. I am not a runner by any stretch of the imagination. Right. In fact, I was trying to think when the last time I ran was, and couldn't remember. I don't know, it's been a long time. Wow. So I want to get out there, I want to support him, and my goal is to do two laps, which are believe they're 3.33 miles each lap, and you have an hour to complete them. And so I went out Saturday to see if I could do that mileage in less than an hour. So it was a probably 75% fast-paced walk and 25% run. That maybe stretching it a bit.
SPEAKER_03So you might you ran, ran Ted? Because you know, yeah, I know you had no design to go run.
SPEAKER_01I don't know if you could call what I was doing running, but okay, I was moving a little faster than normal. That's good. I'll tell you, man, I was so sore afterwards, but I did finish in 47 minutes. So you know, and if if people don't know the structure of these backyard ultras, is you have a certain you have an hour to do a lap, and if you finish in 45 minutes, you have 15 minutes to rest before the next lap starts. And then you go out and people get eliminated if they can't finish the lap in an hour. And you know, my goal is to do two because we have a wedding later that day, so I want to get down there and support him and at least at least get through that one lap, so I'm not embarrassed, not finishing the one.
SPEAKER_03But I think started just fine, yes. Man, I was sore. You know, I'll give you a little tip when you're in that environment, and you know, you've been part of big events before, but you know, in that ultra environment and running environment, when you're at the starting line, the energy is so intense. A lot of times you come out of the gate with a fat much faster pace than you anticipated or wanted to. And it you really just got to check yourself and say, nope, I I have a plan, I have a strategy, and I'm gonna stick to it. So I'm excited to see you out there, Ted. As you know, JP has asked me to help him out with some of the MCing that day, too. So I'm not gonna be running, but I'll be watching you and cheering for you from the microphone.
Ted’s Backyard Ultra Goal
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and we will we will get we will get him back on before uh September. For sure. For sure. Talk to him and see how things are going with him. Just uh a really inspiring story. Speaking of inspiring stories, that leads us to our guest today. Liz Doliber is a friend of ours of close to 40 years. I think the connection was she and my wife Jazzer sized together years ago.
SPEAKER_03In the Jane Fonda, was that the Jane Fonda thing or something?
SPEAKER_01What was Jazzer size? Uh not Jane Fonda. No, not Jane Fonda. Who is it now?
SPEAKER_00Go ahead Judy Shepherd, miss it.
SPEAKER_01Oh, okay. And it's still out there, still going.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01But I will introduce Liz Doliber and welcome her to the show and let her fill you in on her story, her her personal background, and let you get to know her a little bit. Welcome, Liz.
SPEAKER_00Thank you very much. I'm happy to be here and thank you, Ted, for really throwing it way back and revealing how old I probably am. So uh I was going to talk about jazz or size because that really was kind of the beginning of a fitness journey. So it's okay. But happy to be here. Thanks.
SPEAKER_01Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from and where do you live now? And sure.
SPEAKER_00I think yeah, I'm originally in the East Coast. My family moved every few years when I was growing up, and I came from a big family of five kids. I'm the second oldest. It allowed us the opportunity to move around the country, but I do consider that I grew up in the East Coast. Pennsylvania is where I graduated from, and my family lived there the longest. And I did move to California shortly after college, and I have been married for 38 years, or will be this August. And we have three grown adult children. They're all married. One's in San Diego, and they have three children. And my secondborn is in, I have a son in San Diego. A son in Sacramento is married with a one-year-old. And my uh youngest child is a daughter, and she's married, and they live in Walnut Creek with the puppy. So we have a very full life where we get to travel, really bopping back and forth between, you know, San Diego, Sacramento, going to Tahoe, traveling around, and life is very full, and we feel very blessed. So I have I live in Danville now and I've been in California for my whole adult life. So been out here since the mid-80s.
SPEAKER_01So so tell us, you we we touched on jazz or size a little bit. Tell us where your health journey started. You've always been active.
SPEAKER_00Well, it's funny because you know, my kids grew up playing sports and organized sports, as you know, many parents of uh my age had their kids had that route. But when I was growing up, we because we moved so often, like for example, I was very much into tennis in one area, and then two years later we moved somewhere that didn't have a tennis team. So I would have to pick up a new sport. So what that means is I'm kind of a jack of all trades. I I can play volleyball well at a company picnic and not embarrass myself, but I've never varsity in anything. So it really was my adult life being relocated right out of college to California and not knowing a soul in Southern California where I was living. I did I went to Jazzercide to meet people and to have a bit of a social life. And it was a great fit for me. I loved the program. It was back in the uh aerobics craze, if you will, and yes, Jane Fonda and all Denise Austin there with the videos, and it was kind of a craze, and it was really fun for me. And I started making friends and decided to become an instructor at a pretty young age. So when I was 24, I became a service instructor, and I had it was my side hustle. So I was a sales rep in the daytime, and at night I would get to the parks and wreck and teach my little class at the parks and wreck in Seal Beach, you know, of the 20 ladies or so. But it really allowed me an understanding of fitness. Then I got into cycling and just really enjoyed a very active life in Southern California. So I stayed with sports, if you will, for many years. I my I was transferred up here to Northern California. My husband and I, well, we were engaged and we got married, then we had three kids, and it was kind of an active lifestyle of going to jazzer size here, you know, at night after work, doing family activities on the weekend, doing 5K races and supporting my husband's running, passion for running, and he supported me going to jazz or size after work, and we had three little kids two years apart. So we were just very busy. It was really full. It was just an active time. Really, what kind of was a pivot from that was in 1988 when I got married. I I have a younger brother, had a younger brother who was 10 years younger, no, five years younger than me, and he was diagnosed with a blood cancer. And it was a shock and a jolt because my family was so healthy. As a young man diagnosed at 2021, he really faced his illness with you know, full effort to try to live a full and healthy life. You know, I'd go back and forth to Pennsylvania and visit, and we were very hopeful he would survive his disease. But at the time, the treatments just weren't there for his particular illness. And he passed in 1997 after a nine-year battle. It was a terrible, tragic time for my family. About a year after that was when I came across the organization called Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. This was at the time where they were they were getting into endurance racing with a philanthropy spin to it. So I had heard about Team in Training, their organization that does the philanthropy endurance events, and I thought I can do something in my brother's honor. I had always wanted to do a triathlon. I was intrigued by that. And I decided to do one, and that was in 1999, about a year or two after Ricky died. And it was a fabulous experience for me. I pushed myself physically in a way that, you know, was very important to me. I was 38 years old. I had to learn how to run, and I had to learn how to open water, I knew how to cycle, but it was really a very amazing experience. And I was just so overwhelmed with the support friends and family gave me financially to raise money for the then it was called Leukemia Lymphoma Society. And I think that first year I raised like$12,000, which was a huge amount of money just by asking people, hey, I'm gonna do this event and will you support me?
SPEAKER_03That's amazing.
Meet Liz And Her Active Roots
SPEAKER_00And the impact was great. And so I thought I can do this again. And then I asked friends to join me in year two. And Ted's wife, Beth, a longtime friend of mine from Jazzer Size, she signed up and did the event with us along with uh other friends, and that was a great experience. And so, really, for the next three, four, five years, I just signed up for an event and more and more people joined the journey. I had relatives in the other part of the country and they did an endurance event, whether it be a marathon or a century ride. And I felt like well, this is like a little community here that's growing. People were kind of inspired that, well, hey, if Liz can do this in her late 30s, then maybe I can too. And we were raising money, and that was just really important part of my life. I loved the community and the support. And then probably in year six or so of this journey, I was 43 years old. And out of the blue, I had a stroke. It was very impactful physically for me. It was right before the race. So that particular year I was not able to compete, although I had already raised my money and I went to watch my friends who were doing the race. But for me, that the stroke left me physically impacted on one side of my body. Speech was very difficult for me. And, you know, I went to speech therapy, I was in physical therapy to get my strength back. Now, today people would say that they, you know, don't see any physical difference for me, but I know there's a very, very tiny residual impact on my left side. And when I'm tired, I trip a lot, or you know, I just I have to be aware that I can be my my strength, maybe it will be a little bit decreased on my left side when I'm tired. So in endurance racing, I'm well aware of that. From all of my triathlon training, I think one thing I did learn is that you're gonna have setbacks in adversity and you just have to find a workaround. And so out of the stroke, I worked very hard with my speech and I wanted to get back to all of my physical activity. And within about a year, I was able to get back to doing Olympic distance triathlons. I was skiing and the following year and had an accident and tore my ACL and my MCL, which was such a bummer because I was so excited to get back to skiing. So I was kind of faced with well, what would be a good thing to do as a goal to set to kind of come out of that particular setback? Obviously, the goal was to sign up for an Iron Man.
SPEAKER_06So obviously, yeah. Obviously, that's what I did.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I know, so crazy. So I I did sign up for an Iron Man the following year. I had knee surgery in November and signed up for Iron Man Louisville, which was the following the next August. And I I can't recommend that to anybody. It's not a smart thing to do within one year of a surgery like that. But my goal was to finish the 140.6 miles in a single day, which is you know what that um particular race is. It's a 2.4 mile open water swim, 112-mile bike, and a marathon at the end of that. You know, it's a long training calendar, it's nine months. They equate it often to having a baby that you have like your three trimesters and your training ramps up and then it plateaus and then it ramps up and plateaus, and you have these series of pushing yourself and recovery or plateau. And the training calendar really, really taught me so many life lessons about just having faith in a calendar, looking forward, overcoming setbacks. You're gonna have times when you feel terrible, maybe you catch a flu, it throws you off your calendar, but just you stay with it. You're going to have adversity, you're gonna have a bad ride or a bad swim, but you just keep your eye on the long game. I've I've often relied on training from the that Iron Man with some adversity that's come uh at other times in life. You know, we all will have adversity in life. No one escapes it. You don't get through life without it. My Iron Man experience was I I if you allow me to tell this story. A lot of people, well, when when you were in an Iron Man competition, in order to have sort of been a certified Iron Man athlete, you have to complete the race within 17 hours. And there are cutoffs along the way. There's a cutoff in the swim, there's a cutoff on the bike, several cutoffs on the bike and cutoffs on the run. My goal was to do the 140.6 miles because I wanted to push myself to know that I could do that. In Louisville, the particular course was a swim in the river, then a bike that went out to Churchill Downs, and I'm sorry, it was two big loops, two 66 mile loops, and then a run that went out to Churchill Downs, like 13 miles out, 13 back. I evidently did not make the cutoff at the 13-mile turn, which I didn't know until my coach came up to me and told me that they were gonna take my timing chip because I didn't make the cutoff. And I I just so clearly remember saying, Well, Pete, well, what are we gonna do? What's the plan? And he said, Well, you can't stay on the course because they don't have the permit anymore. They're gonna break down the aid, and it's pitch black out there, and you can't keep on running, they'll pull you from the course. So I came a long way to just get to that point. So I thought, well, I don't need like the official, you know, I don't need the guy saying my name or the loudspeaker. I want to do the 146 miles, 140.6 miles. My husband was there and my two sisters. So I sort of delegated, okay, Becky, Susie, you go get water and get me the food that I need. And I had my husband, like we were a block from the finish line, and I said, Jim, help me like mark off the distance I need because I need 13 more miles here to, and I'm just gonna do loops, like in this four city block, two, two, two, two. And he helped me mark that off. My sisters got me aid. I did that for you know, the it was probably quite a long time, but I was able to do my mileage and then get back on the very, very end of the course so I could go through the the finish line.
SPEAKER_02Wow.
SPEAKER_00Of course, they they care about the athletes. I crossed the finish line. I was spent, like beyond spent.
SPEAKER_03You think?
Loss That Sparked A Purpose
SPEAKER_00And all I wanted to do was get to the medic tent to get an IV drip, you know, for my recovery. But it was so late. The IV people, the the medic tent had packed up and gone. So I was just so spent, had to get back to the hotel. I didn't get the finisher medal, which was not important to me, but at the finish line, it's kind of interesting because a lot of athletes say stay for the end. You know, it's a lot of it's human drama at the finish line. Like you will never see a human theater like you will in a race like that. Someone called out my number and I turned around and there was a he looked like a he was. I will clearly remember he was in a bright orange tri suit from Florida. He might have been a pro, I'm not sure. But oh, deck daddy called out my number again. He said, Come here, come here. And I was barely able to walk, but I kind of hobbled over and he took his medal off of himself and he put it around me. I'm on so emotional. Yeah. This was in 2008, and it still chokes me up because it was so gracious.
SPEAKER_02Wow.
SPEAKER_00It's the to me, it's an example of what sport is all about. The most wonderful feeling because I felt I did it, I crossed the I did 146, 140.6 miles. It took me 17 hours and 56 minutes. I had the picture. I know I did, I knew I could do the mileage, and that was important for my recovery from my stroke. You know, it was all just like pushing myself, knowing that I could do it. And it was not pretty. It was not right. You know, I didn't, I didn't cross the finish line all strong and you know, like some athlete, like the pros. It was like it was one of those the agony of defeat, you know, using this here. Like it was like that. It's a memory that I'll have my whole life. The feeling never goes away. I just feel it kind of is a very, it's like that's who I am. That is the story of my life. It's not always pretty. Just keep going. You face the adversity. I have a million stories like that of the 26 years I have done endurance sports.
SPEAKER_06Wow.
SPEAKER_00That race was not pretty. I decided two years later to do Iron Man Canada. It that particular event was not even prettier. It was kind of a similar. I was uh I've been in races where I was the very last athlete on the course. I was in Iron Man Canada because the race director is on his bike and he was on his bike when I was running, and he told me I have to stay legally with the last athlete, which I just wanted to scream. But we ended up becoming friends and having a nice chat. And he kind of helped me, you know, whittle away those hours. Like I said, I have done so many races, and there's stories and memories that come with each of them. And I have done marathons and I have done century rides and I have done Half Iron Man's and Olympic distance, and it's filled my bucket beyond belief in life. To me, this is what life is about to give back. I've raised money. I've increased, I know that many people have stepped up to do their own races and raised money or supported me all these years, which I am so grateful. I stopped counting many years ago, well over$200,000 that I've raised for Blood Cancer United.
SPEAKER_03Wow.
SPEAKER_00That's just a that's kind of who I am. And Ted knows that story. He's been a friend and supporter for 26 years. And I appreciate that.
Stroke Recovery And Setbacks
SPEAKER_03Hey, Liz, in all these years, Liz, you you you got me uh yeah. I mean, you're tugging at my heartstrings, man. That that that was such a powerful story, especially the guy who put the medal. I mean, wow. But I'm gonna tell you, as you're sharing the story and you're breaking open, even from back to when you and your husband just had three kids two years apart, you know, and you still committed to exercise, you still committed to staying active somehow, some way. And I would love if you could share a little nugget, like because so many people, Ted and I are committed and passionate about helping people get off the couch and move. And man, isn't it so easy to come up with an excuse? Um having three kids two years apart, of course. I have everything to not work out. Don't forget working full time as well, and working full time and and then judge as a size. But listen, before before you answer that, there's a quote that came to mind that you that when you were talking about your story, and I want everyone to just lean in and hear this quote because this is who Liz is. This quote is obstacles are the things we see when we take our eyes off the goal. I'm just gonna repeat that again. Obstacles are the things we see when we take our eyes off the goal. Liz, you're a goal getter, you're a goal setter, you're a goal crusher, and you're and from your story, just that one story, it's clear to me, yes, you had to navigate several obstacles, but your eyes somehow, I mean, you're telling your sister and your or your whoever to go get water, go get this, you know. You're like that's so goal for because like you were so focused on where you were going or what you were doing or why you were there. That's just a beautiful, it's such a beautiful and impactful story. Thank you. I I can't wait for the listeners to hear this live because it's it's just powerful.
SPEAKER_00But uh, you better clean that up because I get choked up. I mean, this is almost 20 years later, and it still chokes me, you know, it just touches my heart too that someone's so kind. But to your to your question there, Doug, I have found in life, you know, we all kind of we subscribe to our own BS, right? Like I can make an excuse, you know. Oh, it's raining today. I hate to ride in the wind, which I do. But when I first started this race, my kids were little, like my youngest daughter was she was in kindergarten. Remember, she didn't have her front teeth. As I I have a picture of her holding a sign go at Pacific Road. You know, I was just forced to have workarounds, and I always had my tennis shoes in the trunk of my car. I always had the change of clothes because on the way home, maybe you can get in 30 minutes, but the minute you pull up in the driveway, you're done. You know, like the kids were there. I just remember being super adaptable. Like when that first or second year of triathlon training, my children were young, and I remember, but they were old enough where they were somewhat, I don't want to say self-supp supportive. I think they were like five, seven, and nine. And I went to the track and we had a picnic dinner, and they I would put them in the middle of the track with a soccer ball and their picnic dinner, and I would just run in circles around the track so I could see them. Yeah, and I could get my run-in. And I went with a friend and she brought her daughter too. And maybe we like we did tag team, like one adult was with them, and while the other did two laps, and then you tag team. You can always find a workaround. You just, you know, you just have to be super creative, and you always have to be ready to go. Maybe you only have 20 minutes. So you do what you can that day, you know, throw your tennis shoes on. Maybe you run circles on your cul-de-sac or like in your neighbor, and you're just going up, down, up, down. Yeah, it's boring. Or you have a Peloton, or you know, you have the standing desk or or the treadmill on your desk. But we can, if you're super creative, like if your life depended on it, right? You would find the workaround. Right. You just would.
SPEAKER_06Yep.
SPEAKER_00So I think it's you know a matter of being super honest with yourself. And like I said, it doesn't have to be pretty. I mean, maybe you're not even in your workout clothes, maybe you're in your work suit and you put in your tennis shoes and you do your brisk walk, but you just you stay let you keep your eye on the long game, on the the total goal.
SPEAKER_03Right. You know, the other part of your story, the one that was touched me my heart as well, is the whole season with your brother, the nine-year battle. And even then, something in you says, you know, how can I use this, you know, to to move, keep move the momentum moving forward? How can I honor his name? And it was such a it uh to me, it it mirrors what the athlete did when he gave you his medal. You know, you you were living your life in honor of your brother. It was just a passing on or sharing of and extending out to. And tell me a little bit about that. What you know, what what drive what what drove you to to choose that to go honor your brother?
SPEAKER_00You know, I think when you a loved one in your life that is experiencing an illness, and in Ricky's case it was a terminal illness, and we knew for the last several years of his life that he would not survive his disease. He was given 18 months of three years to live after he had a bone marrow harvest, and he actually lived five more years. But we were a young person, uh, in his case, you know, in his 20s, when every his peers were getting married or going on traveling, living life, and here he just the goal was to make it to his 30th birthday. Right, like how sad. And he he passed actually one month after his 30th birthday, and he could barely blow the candles out. Like we had to help him because he couldn't take a big enough breath. You know that he would have given anything to have be able to train for a race or to live life, the things that we take for we wake up and we're alive and we have our health, and even if we we live with pain or illness or adversity or a tough time, there are many people out there that would give anything to switch places with us. Yes, and I I I don't take that for granted. I do try to practice gratitude. I'm 64 years old now. Some of my peers are having serious health issues. Both of my parents are past, they both passed of pancreatic cancer. I saw how devastating that illness was to both of them at the end of their lives. You know, I don't take my health for granted. I am going to do everything I can to respect my body and try to live as healthy a life. I want to live a long life. I want to be at my my grandchildren's weddings if they choose to get married. I want to be there and I want to be able to pick them up and play with them. And, you know, like I read the blue zones. And when I first became a grandmother, my balance wasn't so good. And I thought, if I'm going to be lifting these grandchildren up and down, I need better balance. And so I I work on that. Yeah, the health club, I I enjoy bar yoga, and I go every day to the club and take classes, whether it be for you know, body pump or weightlifting or bar or yoga to to maintain my health, along with still trade training for triathlons at this age.
SPEAKER_01It's amazing that you know you you mentioned that you've still been training, but you worked and you traveled quite a bit. And I know that was difficult on your health, you know, your yeah, your different cities, hotels, restaurant food, that type of thing. And yeah, what kind of challenges did that present?
Ironman Cutoffs And Finishing Anyway
SPEAKER_00That you know, traveling is uh always a challenge. You know, yes, you can get a lot of steps in by going to the airport and getting to your gate, but you know, those hell the Marriott courtyard, you know, you're always gonna have like one little bike and with a little treadmill or elliptical and the weights. Sometimes you have a pool that's you know 12 feet by 15 feet. And there were times I had like this little apparatus, it was sort of like a bungee, like a surgical tubing that I would put attached to the ladder of the pool, and I you swim in place. Not that it was a great contraption. I mean, it was a it was a product that was sold, but you know, I I would need to get in my swims the best I can. I I can tell you, I did have a in my career, I traveled really 50 weeks of the year. I was gone, um, you know, a flight out on Tuesday morning back on Friday night. I I can tell you my team only saw me have salmon and salad for every every night. I ate the same thing because you could always count on a salad and some dried-up piece of salmon at the courtyard, you know, restaurant. But um can't say it was fun, but you know, or a cob salad, I guess. But I tried to eat as best I could on the road. You know, my first year in that job, I was like, this is great having eating in a restaurant every night, and I'd have a glass of wine. And after a year, I thought, I cannot have a glass of wine every night. Like it totally adds up. And so it was easy to cut that out during the week and just kind of live a boring, you know, nutrition plan, but one that was healthy. Try to go use the health club at the the hotel as best you can.
SPEAKER_03Right. It's I want to ask you about the you said you were 43, I think you said, when you had a stroke.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_03Did you did they ever figure out why? Or I know sometimes they can't pin that down, but did you ever figure it out?
SPEAKER_00And then they I don't have a definitive answer.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I know that I don't want to speculate. I have my own reasons why I think it could happen from and it was a little scary in the beginning because you know, I thought, well, what if when I'm sleeping it happens again?
SPEAKER_06Right.
SPEAKER_00But I went through UCSF, I went through their neurology department, I was very pleased with their support and all the testing. And I was given a clear bill of health that they said, go out and live your your best life. You that we have no reason to think this would ever happen again. And I take one baby aspirin a day and I will for the rest of my life, and that's no big deal. So yeah.
SPEAKER_03And was it a year a year after that you said that you signed up for your first Iron Man?
SPEAKER_00It was that my stroke was in 2005, and my Iron Man was 2008, so it was three years after that.
SPEAKER_01Okay, that was after she blew out her knee.
SPEAKER_03Oh, the knee, that's right.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03I mean, this girl's unstoppable, man. Oh my goodness. I feel like uh Ted, uh, after this episode, I feel like I'm lazy, man. You're gonna have to push me a little bit, okay?
SPEAKER_00I think this is where the insanity started. I'm gonna blame Ted's wife, my very good friend Beth. She was assigned a triathlon with me in my stair of triathlon. And on the very last training before the event, she and I were running together and I fell on the sidewalk. It was my fault I tripped, although I tease her that she tripped me and I broke my wrist, and I was so bummed because we had two friends that were going to do the with us. Actually, three, Karen Lavano. I think Karen was on that team. Karen has been a guest. Yes, yes, she is. And Beth, and I thought, well, I have to do the race with them, but I wasn't a cast. So in my wisdom, I thought that I would be able to put a latex rubber glove, you know, the yellow gloves for dishwashing. And I duct taped it, and I thought I can just swim with this cast and this plastic glove, which did not work because the glove like filled up with water. So the swim was sort of like swimming carrying like a gallon of milk, you know, it was not pretty. And I did the race, and then of course, the next day I had this wet ocean-smelling cast, and we had to go to the hospital and have it cut out and have a new one put on. It was just so bad. But I just thought I want to do the race, and so it's gonna be unpleasant for a day. That's what that was. But we do joke about who who would even think to do that, yeah again.
SPEAKER_01You yeah, Liz would. I remember that first that first triathlon dug was probably September.
SPEAKER_00Oh, right after 9-11.
SPEAKER_01Seventh of September 13th or 14th of 2001. Right.
SPEAKER_00You know, that's right after 9-11.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and it was it was emotional for everybody. A lot of the participants couldn't make it because they were coming from all over the country and the airports were shut down. So they had trained and and couldn't make it. But yeah, and to your point, Liz, you'd see some of these athletes come across the professionals or the uh you know, elite athletes, and it was great to see them, but it was the backside of the race where the inspiration came from. You know, people that that is so true, weren't the elite athletes. Right, right. I could I can still remember that. I remember that when they were starting training, uh, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Bridget and Karen actually had to learn how to swim.
SPEAKER_00I think you're right.
SPEAKER_01I mean, they they could keep themselves above water, but they weren't swimmers. And right, I mean, just amazing them the mindset and the competitiveness that they had and managed to get it done and and complete it.
SPEAKER_00I think it speaks to a lot of what your messages have been on your podcast and from other guests that you've had is that nobody starts out at a high proficiency in anything, you know, like you know, even the little league, right? It's T-ball in the beginning. They don't go get out there and hit a grand slam. But if you just stay at something and you just keep on, you know, exercising with discipline, you know, exercising that muscle or the repetition or the drills, you will make progress. And you know, it is the baby steps. Yes, and you have to just keep your eye on the long game. But if you have an expectation that you're just going to begin at a high level of proficiency, you're going to be disappointed. That's not how we're made. You also are going to miss out on what could be a beautiful journey along the way.
No Excuses Fitness Workarounds
SPEAKER_03Yes, you're dropping some excellent wisdom. Excellent wisdom. You know, one of the things that I hear in your story, Liz, is that you create movement with meaning. You have this life story of movement with meaning. And so I think you said it when you did your first triathlon or something, or the first Iron Man. You knew you wanted to push yourself to know I could do that. You know, you said I want to push myself to know I can do that. Why? Why was that so important to you? And I think we could let's because I think we can be told from coaches and just go see if you can do it, go do do it. But everybody has a different meaning and a different why. But why would you say that was important for you, Liz?
SPEAKER_00That's a great question. I think, you know, the stroke was a big setback in my life because I've always I've had an entire career in sales. I was in sales leadership for 40 years. I'm retired now, but you know, the ability to articulate and influence with my voice was kind of, you know, I had a lot of identity there. When I had my stroke, my speech was very much impacted. So I had to learn how to talk. And and again, like I not only just speaking, but I was so weak on one side. I'm left-handed, my left side of my body was impacted. I had to get those workbooks, you know, how to write your name. You know, I would sit at the kitchen table and over and over again write my name, you know, those workbooks, the way your child learts handwriting.
SPEAKER_06Right, right.
SPEAKER_00And I read Dr. Seuss books out loud every day for an hour because those tongue twisters are really helpful in speech recovery.
SPEAKER_03Yes, yes.
SPEAKER_00Look, I had a lot of pity parties for myself. I can't say it was like, oh, I'm just gonna face this adversity and every day is great. No, I had a lot of dark, you know, sad moments. And I think because something had been taken away that I wanted to get it back as much as I could because I do want a full life. I probably hadn't written at the time. I do have a personal mission statement, which I think is important for everyone to kind of have like your North Star of what do you want your life to be?
SPEAKER_06I love that.
SPEAKER_00For me, I'm I I I'm not gonna share it with you, it's very personal, but the gist of it is that. Wait a minute, hold on. Come on, Alice. You can't just leave us on hanging on the edge like this. All right. Okay, but um for sure. I know my life is going to be a very full life. It already is. I want that to continue, and it will have adversity because that's part of life, but to have great joy, and you kind of can't have one without the other because the great the adversity does help you really appreciate the great joys. And so I think, you know, I just knew that this is my story. I know that I have the ability to write my story, and I think a lot of people get trapped. And it's easy to kind of get trapped. I don't want to say the victimhood, but I think what people lose can lose sight on is that they are in control of writing their own story for the rest of their life, whether they're 30, 40, 50, 60, even an 80-year-old has more life left to write their story. This where you are today doesn't have to be what your next chapter is going to be all about. And whether you're just new to exercise or overcoming, you know, an illness or are faced with managing an illness, you can write your story of how that is going to be for you. Wow.
SPEAKER_01And um I I don't mean to interrupt, but that's just kind of a perfect lead-in to you know, when Liz and I talked a couple of weeks ago, she said, Well, I'll come on, but I've I've got my music planned already. And I said, you know, it does. Smart woman, Liz.
SPEAKER_03Smart woman.
SPEAKER_01I said, This isn't like uh a major league baseball player that has their walk-up music when they come to bath. But but she did, so we're gonna do something a little bit different today. We're gonna let her introduce her song. I'm gonna play one when we we wrap up, but she had a story about her song. She's gonna share that with us, and then we'll we'll play her song quickly. It's one we've used before on the show, okay, but it has special meaning to her. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Well, Ted, thanks for throwing me that softball. So uh there was a few years ago I was facing a bit some adversity, and I went for a walk with Ted and his wife, and I was just uh really full of a lot of passion. I'm telling the story. And Ted said to me, Hey, you know, here's a song that I think will really help you. And he mentioned the song, and I played it over and over and over again for the next several days. And it just gave me so much inspiration because it speaks to the theme of hey, I'm facing this situation right now, but I can write my story and it's going to be beautiful. Doesn't have to be pretty, but it's my story. And here's the song by Natasha Beddingfield.
SPEAKER_06All right.
SPEAKER_03Oh, yeah. Okay, I see. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_04I am unwritten. Can read my mind. I'm under fine. I'm just being getting the pen's in my hand. And we understand. Open up the door with your window. That's on the door and neighbor. Open up on the test and a bit of the brain on your can speak the boy. Only you can let it end. No one else. No one else can speak the words on your stuff and what I'm smoking. But today is my album begins. The rest is still units.
SPEAKER_03That's awesome. Man, I wish people could have seen on the video portion of this because Liz is in the background. Liz is in the background, uh, just roaring like a lioness back there, man. And it's just beautiful to watch and raising her hands and so awesome. What what that uh that what what were you feeling in that moment, Liz?
SPEAKER_00Uh it was a little bit of a jazz or size, I think.
SPEAKER_03I should have worn a headband on this uh little episode.
SPEAKER_00Leg warmers.
SPEAKER_03Leg warmers, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Oh that's awesome. That's great. And there, there is just you we appreciate you sharing your story. And and Liz is not one to come on here and just talk about all of her accomplishments, but I mean, she has raised so much money for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. Right. She's been a mentor to many guest speaker at a number of events. I mean, she has just really embodied it. It's just amazing all that all that you've accomplished.
SPEAKER_00Well, yeah, I'm very humbled, and I I thank you very much. I I hope I didn't ramble. I felt a bit like Forrest Gump, you know, like this leads to that. And but that kind of is life. Like, you know, what did Yogi Bear say? When you get to the fork in the road, take it. Like we all are, you know, we're gonna get forks in the road, and we're going to try something, and maybe it works out, or maybe it doesn't, but that leads to something else, and that leads to something else. But you know, all of these years of doing endurance events, I I cannot tell you how many stories of friendship and camaraderie, wonderful memories that I have made, they have blessed my life, and I whatever I've given out, it's come back tenfold to me. And I think that my fitness journey, it's it's all like wrapped together, and it's been a complete blast, and it's going to continue. And I encourage everybody to do really fun, exciting adventures. They're all out there. There's friends to make and things to do and places to go. And uh, I hope all of your listeners will be inspired to I know I'm inspired.
SPEAKER_03I know I'm inspired. And I thank you, Liz. That's that's awesome. Liz, you're an amazing human being. Thank you so much for saying yes, for showing up, for showing us the power of saying yes, for the power of taking the you know, the road less traveled, the scary road, doing it scared. And now, uh Ted, why don't you uh finish us up with the the ending song of the the official ending song of the podcast?
SPEAKER_00I can't wait.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I can't wait either. I don't know what it is. I didn't know what your song was, and I didn't know I don't know what this song is gonna be. But afterwards, Liz, you and I get to comment on it in what emotion it stirs, what thoughts it brought up, and then and then we'll uh close the podcast from there.
Gratitude Health And Aging Well
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and this one, since we're doing things a little bit differently with with music, I'm gonna let this one go the entire song because I think the words are so important and it goes through the entire song, and I think it embodies what we're trying to do on this podcast. You know, I've mentioned the Mark Twain quote that I think we've all heard not complain about growing old, it's a privilege denied to many. You know, Liz touched on that with her brother. You know, I heard this song two weeks ago for the first time. I heard it on a friend's Facebook post, and she said something about I wish I could have played the whole song because you know it's a great song. So I went and looked it up and really powerful. I listen to it every day. I just think it's that good. And if if you're not listening to this podcast while you're driving, I would recommend maybe you just close your eyes and let listen to the words and let them let them touch you. All right, looking forward to hearing.
SPEAKER_05Some days it takes me a minute or two, but the world keeps turning, like it's meant to do. And time don't wait, just carries you through. Have a good day. Had a few slip away. Had a few things work out in a way, but you live like a mouth, and you'll see it's true. The things worth keeping take time to come through. We're just about to go. Just small little pieces in a bigger design. The older I get, the more that I know. There ain't nothing wrong with being another deal. And a sky full of blue, and the radio play that worn out days. Used to drive like I had somewhere better to go. Now I just let the mile roll easy and slow. I used to think a youth was the place to stay. Like a pastor life might fade away. But the older I got, the more it stores. Not everyone gets the chest to roll. We just got to do time. Like the wind through the fire. Just small little features in a bigger design. The other though there ain't nothing wrong with me.
SPEAKER_03You know, we're not privileged to get another day old, you know? Many, many aren't privileged to get another day old and to you know, after hearing that, I just say it's so important to be present. It's so important to be purposeful. Liz, you you your story reminds me of just the purpose in life. So focused, so much clarity. But in that, in all that, too, you also, in your tonality and the way you share and the way you show up, there's this playfulness. And you know, don't forget to be playful along the way. You know, don't grow up. You know, be definitely be present and be purposeful, but stay playful as well. That's what hits me, and that it's a privilege to grow another day older. You know, and it's not a bad thing either, you know. Yeah, we're gonna ache, we're gonna creak, and all that other stuff for those who have the privileges of growing another day older. But as Liz said earlier, you know, even if you're 80 or something like that, it you know, you can you can start, you can rewrite if you don't like what you got, pick up the pen, open the page, and start writing what's your story gonna look like, and then take the baby steps. That's what came to my mind in my heart. Liz, what do you got? What did you get from that song?
SPEAKER_00Well, um really echoing exactly the same. I wrote, growing old, it is a privilege, and it it's not afforded to everyone. So, you know, I am grateful for all of my many blessings. And you know, I think as we go through the next chapter of our lives, the best thing we can do for our community is to show up. You know, we can't take somebody's pain away, but we can be there and be a friend or you know, show up with just an ear to listen or trip to the store if someone needs something, but uh we're growing older and it's a privilege. And whether you know, we've got gray hair and laugh lines, but the laugh lines are hard-earned and I wouldn't trade them. So I'm grateful for the many gifts, the many blessings.
SPEAKER_03Beautifully said. Thank you. Do you want to share anything on this?
SPEAKER_01I mean, I like I said, I listen to it every day and just take those words to heart. Just keep moving, living in the present, being as healthy and as motivated to be around for those that I love that I can be. Very nice. Very nice.
SPEAKER_03Well said, well said. All right. Well then, since that's that, I'm gonna just do like I always do and sign off by saying, God bless and peace out. If you like what you heard, be sure to subscribe, follow, share an episode. If you want to leave a comment, go to the show notes. There's a text link there. We will receive an anonymous text from you with any comments or suggestions. Thanks again for tuning in, and most importantly, keep on coming back.