SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!
Contact Us: NSGA@NSGA.com
  • HOME
  • NSGA OFFICIAL STORE
  • PARTNERS
  • VOLUNTEER
  • DONATE TODAY

National Senior Games Association

National Senior Games Association

The NSGA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the benefits of competitive sports, physical fitness and active aging to adults ages 50+.

T (727) 475-1187
Email: NSGA@NSGA.com

National Senior Games Association
PO BOX 5630, Clearwater, FL 33758 USA

  • ABOUT
    • About the NSGA
    • How To Qualify
    • FAQs
    • History of the NSGA
    • Board of Directors
    • Team
    • Sports Chairs
    • National Games Awards
    • Contact Us
    • Career Opportunities
    • 30th Anniversary
  • STATE GAMES
    • State Games Information
    • National Senior Games Week
    • State Regions
    • Team Partner Finder
    • NSGA Award Winners
  • NATIONAL GAMES
    • How to Compete
    • National Games Information
      • Athlete Check-In
      • Registration
      • Competition Schedules
      • Hotels & Lodging
      • Limited Events Verification Form
      • Rules & Minimum Performance Standards
      • NSGA Official Merchandise
      • Results & Records
      • Special Events
      • Team Partner Finder
      • Venue Information
      • Transportation & Parking
      • Volunteer for the Games
      • How To Qualify
    • Mile for the Ages
    • NSG CUP
    • National Senior Games Partners
    • 2027 NSG Tulsa
    • 2029 NSG Birmingham
  • SPORTS
    • Individual Sports
      • Archery
      • Badminton
      • Basketball – Shooting Skills
      • Billiards – 8 Ball
      • Bowling
      • Cornhole
      • Cycling
      • Disc Golf
      • Golf
      • Golf (Scramble)
      • Pickleball
      • Powerlifting
      • Power Walk
      • Race Walk
      • Racquetball
      • Road Race
      • Shuffleboard
      • Swimming
      • Table Tennis
      • Tai Chi
      • Tennis
      • Track & Field
      • Triathlon
    • Non-Ambulatory Sports
      • Non-Ambulatory Bowling
      • Non-Ambulatory Cornhole
      • Non-Ambulatory Pickleball
      • Non-Ambulatory Shuffleboard
    • Team Sports
      • Basketball
      • Beach Volleyball
      • Soccer
      • Softball
      • Volleyball
  • HEALTH & WELL-BEING
    • Sustained Athlete Fitness Exam (SAFE)
    • Health & Well-Being Blogs
    • Exercise Resources
    • Fitness Videos
    • Well-Being Resources
    • NSGA Ambassador Program Activities
  • MEDIA
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Photo Galleries
      • 2023 Photo Gallery
      • 2023 Softball Championships Photo Gallery
      • 2022 Photo Gallery
      • 2019 Photo Gallery
    • Videos
      • NSG Video Stories
      • 2022 NSG Video Recaps
      • 2019 NSG Video Recaps
      • #StayFitSeniors Athlete Videos
    • Press Room
    • Humana Game Changers
    • Athlete of the Month
    • Press Releases
    • Personal Best Features
    • Games Daily News Archives
      • 2023 Games Daily News
      • 2022 Games Daily News
      • 2019 Games Daily News
      • 2017 Games Daily News
    • Senior Games Blogs & Podcasts
    • NSGA Newsletter Archive
VOLUNTEER
NOW!
 July 13, 2025

Racing Thoughts

Racing Thoughts

by Del Moon / Monday, 03 September 2018 / Published in Moon Walking

There’s a long road ahead, but the 1500-meter Power Walk event at the Washington State Senior Games in July represented a major milestone for me as the first athletic competition I’ve been in since my early teens. That first gold medal will always be my favorite. In fact, I might even have it bronzed! (Old joke.)

In the week leading up to the event, my mind was racing already wondering how my non-athlete mind would process the first experience of competing on a track. I was prepared to take on the physical challenge part since walking and practicing the pace had been in my routine for several weeks. I had lost weight and was feeling much more durable with exercise. I was more anxious to see what would go on in my head in actual race conditions with results on the line. Perhaps being involved and not just being an observer would help me to better understand the mindset of the athletes I interview for NSGA features.

The greatest anxiety was to learn how to navigate in a race. There is a huge difference between walking alone and working through a pack, and I wasn’t sure about the protocol for passing others and how to set and follow a strategy. Is it legal to use your elbows?

My two goals: (1) establish a time to train against, and (2) just finish the race without running out of gas. I did not want to endure making the walk of shame across the finish line. I knew there was one other local fellow (Ronald Brown) in my 65-69 age group, but it didn’t dawn on me at the time that it meant I was guaranteed a medal. I just knew I didn’t want to end up behind him.

What else was I thinking? Here is my recollected transcript of the big thoughts that ran through my head in my maiden voyage as a power walker:

Lining Up

“Damn, I’m really going to do this.”

“Hey, while I was practicing everyone else toed up to the line and now I’m behind them. Let me see…that one looks like a fast walker, I’ll get behind him and break out.”

Race Starts

“Arrgh! I picked the wrong horse to get behind. Veer left.”

“Holy Moly! Look how fast those four up there are, they’re already ten paces ahead of me!”

“Don’t worry about the others. Just get the best time for me that I can train against.”

Halfway Through First Lap

“Don’t look back! [Looks back] I’m on a good pace and not in last place. Yea! Steady as she goes.”

“Whaaat? How did that lead guy get so far ahead? That’s IMPOSSIBLE!”

Second Lap

“Whoa! That’s the 84-year-old lady that just passed me! [Expletive Deleted]”

 “That lead guy is now at the other end of the straightaway. He’s gotta be running!”

“That’s another one passing me. Give her room – don’t be ‘that guy,’ dude.”

“Don’t think about where you are in the race. Steady pace Del!”

[Mind quiets midway as I grind out at cruising speed] “This must be what muscle memory feels like.”

Final Lap

“Are my shoes still tied? DON’T LOOK DOWN!” [Looks down]

“OK, a couple hundred to go. Push yourself. That walker is only 15 yards ahead of you. Catch her!”

[Picking up pace] “OK, here’s where I learn to ‘kick it’ to the finish.”

“Wow, I’m catching up to her…I think I can pass her before the line…Push it…push it…and…I’m ahead! Damn, that felt good!”

“Last ten yards, pump it, pump it!”

“I did it!”

I admit I clowned a bit after crossing the line, waving my arms and staggering as if I had just done a marathon. It’s my comic nature, sure not trying to be disrespectful to the sport. I was just relieved that I did what I set out to do and now have a 1500 time of 12:45:01 to work on. I did chuckle when the announcer said I had lost 40 pounds. What I told him was that I had lost more than 25 and that 40 was my maintenance weight goal. Guess I have to earn that premature accolade.

As for letting that “little old lady” (Marlene Knechtel) pass me by, I felt better about it when I watched her cross the finish and immediately drop down for ten pushups to celebrate. And then I hear her say she has six more events that day. OK, Marlene, you’ve been at this a long time and work hard to stay in shape. I want to be like you when I grow up!

What was I thinking when my name was called and I stood on the top step with a gold medal on my neck? Elation and disbelief…and then a fleeting thought wishing that my parents had been in the stands cheering for me. I guess I was feeling like a kid again.

So the journey has begun. Next time I’ll share more about why I never played sports to understand the psychological challenges I’m working past. Everyone’s path and challenges are different, and this newbie is hoping to learn more about what motivates the competitive mind of people who are staying active with senior sports. I also hope others with little or no experience like me will see that it’s truly never too late to “get into The Games” and reap the benefits of better health.

Shout out to 74-years-young Diane Klinkenberg, who also made her first-ever Senior Games and Power Walk appearance in Olympia. We immediately bonded. Diane has worked hard in recent years and thought jumping into a race might be a lot of fun to do. It was. Now she’s hooked and I have a new friend!

  • Tweet

About Del Moon

What you can read next

Gone, But Never Forgotten
Walking in the Light
Winning for TeamEric: The Race Within the Race Within the Race

Recent Posts

  • From “Misfit Farm Kid” to Super Senior Athlete

    By Del Moon, NSGA Storyteller Don Phillips, 94 ...
  • 2025 Games Athlete and Community Well-Being Programs

    By Andrew Walker, MPH; NSGA Director of Health ...
  • Lifting and Loving Life

    June 2025 Athlete of the Month By Del Moon, NSG...
  • Get in the Senior Games and Flip the Script on Aging

    By Andrew Walker, MPH; NSGA Director of Health ...

Archives

Categories

FOOTER MENU

  • About
  • State Games
  • National Games
  • Sports
  • News and Events
  • Partners
  • Donate Today
  • Press Room
  • Coordinators Homepage
  • QG Coordinators
  • How to Use the NSGA Website

NSGA “The Long Run” & General Interest Signup

GET IN TOUCH

T (727) 475 1187
Email: NSGA@NSGA.com

National Senior Games Association
PO Box 5630, Clearwater, FL, 33758 USA

  • GET SOCIAL
National Senior Games Association

Non Discrimination Statement |Copyright Notice | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use  
Accessibility Statement | Linking Policy | Help/Contact
© 2024 National Senior Games Association. All rights reserved. Designed by JayBirds Co Inc.
A 501 (c) 3 Charitable Organization | EIN: 43-1488742
A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. THE TOLL-FREE NUMBER FOR CONTACTING THE DIVISION IS 1-800-435-7352 AND REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY ALSO BE OBTAINED BY VISITING THE DIVISION’S WEBSITE AT https://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Consumer-Services
National Senior Games Association`s Florida Charity Registration Number, CH62417

TOP
NSGA Uses Cookies
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
2025 National Senior Games Presented by Humana - July 24 - August 4, 2025 11 Days 22 Hours 25 Minutes 6 Seconds