Age no barrier in physically testing sport
CROSSFIT is not the first sport that comes to mind when one thinks of masters sport.
Notoriously brutal, the sport combines various forms of fitness and exercises in an allout competition.
It is something even those in the prime of their physical abilities find taxing.
However, five Dunedin athletes will break that stereotype next week when they head to the Gold Coast to compete at the sport’s Masters League on September 29 and 30.
Christian Pedersen, Sheryn McLeod and Hamish Meddings will all compete in the 3539 grade, Hamish Kirk will be in the 4044 grade and Chris Ludlow will contest the 5559 grade.
All four would be representing New Zealand’s Mainland team — comprising competitors from the South Island.
Teams from Auckland, Wellington and each of the Australian states would also be present.
It would be a big competition for the group.
They all put plenty of time into training and sessions could be tough.
Keeping their bodies in good condition was important; something many found difficult as they progressed to masters grades.
However, Pedersen said an emphasis on that ensured everyone remained in top shape.
‘‘We spend a lot of time on recovery . . . making sure everyone gets enough sleep, making sure we stretch, making sure we eat right.
‘‘For anyone, [but] especially the ones over 35, recovery is the main thing.
‘‘We make sure every session starts with a warmup and finishes with a cooldown.
‘‘They don’t just get smashed — we also make sure we set them up well for each session. And [we make] sure that we recommend that people have days off, like one or two rest days a week.’’
Ludlow was particularly impressive, competing in the 5559 age range, but posting the results of those much younger.
He did most of his training in the morning, and quite often those who did not know him would come in later and be unaware of his age when they saw his times on the gym’s whiteboard.
‘‘A lot of them don’t know he’s not a younger guy until they see him.
‘‘It’s quite funny when we do stuff in the weekends and people come in and see ‘oh, that’s Chris’.
‘‘They think he must be a younger guy when they see his times on the whiteboard, but he’s not, so that’s pretty cool.’’
The competitors did not know what the competition on the Gold Coast would consist of ahead of time, as is standard in CrossFit.
❛ ‘‘We spend a lot of time on recovery . . . making sure everyone
gets enough sleep, making sure we stretch, making sure we eat
right.