Why You Do What You Do. For The Fun Of It.

Paul Osland, 61, an Olympian, chases fun as he runs. Medals are afterthoughts. Photo by Shaggysphotos.com. 

 

By Ray Glier

Paul Osland, 61, is an Olympian and CEO of Athletics Ontario, and his job is to rally and manage track & field athletes.

His job is NOT to hector older people to join the Masters track movement, which he is an unquestionable backer and participant.

In fact, Paul has a message to the Nannies (looking at you Geezer Jock) who nag older people to exercise.

Stop it.

“They’ve been working 40-50 years, they have raised families, let them exercise at their own pace,” Osland said. “There are some who legitimately have some medical challenges, they really abused their bodies when they were training. I talked to one of my friends and he’s had two hip replacements. He was a triple jumper. He would love to be out there, but he can’t.”

This is where Paul bears down on not pushing people into a sport. This week’s Geezer Jock nag is for all of us who think we know better.

It has to be fun.

On his way to training and qualifying for the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea in the 800 meters and 4X400 relay, Osland came across athletes who were there for the wrong reason. They were hunting medals and glory, he said. Paul was hunting fun first, then competition, and then medals.

Osland has participated in 16 World Masters Athletics championships, and has won 18 medals, four of them gold medals, but he does not walk around with an air of “Look at me” with medals draped around his neck. He seldom picks them up at the awards table. Paul is more interested in the participation. A proud Olympian, he finished sixth in a 800 heat race in the 2024 Worlds in Sweden (M55-59) because of injuries and could shrug it off.

“The thing it really comes down to is understanding why you do something in the first place,” Osland said. “And, yes, most people will gravitate towards the things that they do well, but if you’re not really having fun and enjoying it, you’re never going to sustain that for the long haul.

“I’ve always loved running. As a kid, my sport was soccer, and I just ran to where the ball was. They had to put me in the center of the field, not because I was a goal scorer, it was because I always ran to the ball.”

What about religion in Canada, otherwise known as hockey? Wasn’t that fun?

“I hated hockey,” Osland said. “I loved running.”

These days, people reach out to Paul weekly and come with a familiar refrain. They used to compete in college and they want to come back because they have a glowing ember of sport in them, but…

“…I don’t know if I’m good enough, and I don’t know if I can get into shape before I come out.”

“First, you’ll get in shape by coming out,” Osland said. “Next, they gotta find that love of why they did it in the first place years ago. Some people only did it for the recognition. And if they only did it for the recognition, then they’re not likely going to sustain the sport it unless they’re winning.

“Then there are the people that just feel like they’re not good enough and don’t realize Masters is more of a community thing, not a ranking.”

Two more lessons on the love of a sport and the mental partition that keeps us on the couch.

If you plateau and do not see a gain, it might be because you stay at the same pace in workouts. That strips the fun. Many Geezer Jocks know that, right? I didn’t and the treadmill became tedious.

“Changing energy levels in sport is important because it challenges different systems in your body, preventing plateaus and keeping training effective,” Paul said. “If you always do the same workout, your body adapts and stops improving, so variety helps maintain progress and prevent staleness.”

One more point.

Two years after he retired from running, Paul went for a light jog.

“It was the worst, I think, I’ve ever felt in my life,” he said. “I was like, ‘Oh, my God, I can’t believe in two years I’m like this’. I was in my early 30s and I couldn’t believe I lost so much fitness.

“I thought ‘This is what I love and look at me’. It wasn’t fun. I thought ‘I never want to stop running again’.”

Once again, Osland had discovered the true purpose of exercise, besides fitness. 

Fun.

**

ICYMI from last week: Wendy Alexis is No. 1 in the world. She didn’t come to Masters track to settle a grudge with herself when injuries ruined an Olympic dream at 19. What was it then that brought her back after 30 years?

Please support Geezer Jock™