Thursday, November 01, 2007
Ed Urbanski - From ‘Iron Man’ to ‘Fat Man’ and Back
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Rewind a few years and Ed used to be a marathon runner, ski racer and tri-athlete. At the age of 50 he completed the grueling Hawaiian ‘Ironman’ triathlon event, the race encompasses three endurance events of a 2.4 mile (3.86 kilometer) ocean swim, followed by a 112 mile (180.2 kilometer) bike ride and ending with a 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometer) marathon.
But as so often happens to athletes and sports people, injury took its toll and Ed wore out the cartilages in his knees. The pain was so great he could barely walk, running was a complete non-starter! So he began power lifting and got injured again, this time it was his rotator cuff. The rotator cuff is the network of four muscles and several tendons that form a covering around the top of the upper arm bone (humerus).
In 2004 Ed had both knees replaced. In 2005 he took up ‘Exerstrider’ Nordic Walking. Ed has the good fortune to live close to fellow Wisconsin resident and ‘pole walking pioneer’ Tom Rutlin. Ed chose Nordic Walking because it reduces the stress in your knees and hips.
Without doubt, Ed Urbanski is both an inspiration and a role model to Nordic Walking enthusiasts everywhere!
Ed Urbanski symbolizes all that is good about Nordic Walking, he not only ‘talks the talk’ but he very much 'walks the Nordic Walk'… and does so daily!
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At age 70 Ed is both a Leki and Exerstrider certified instructor and is a regular and popular commentator on all things Nordic Walking on a variety of websites including our sister website:
.
Rewind a few years and Ed used to be a marathon runner, ski racer and tri-athlete. At the age of 50 he completed the grueling Hawaiian ‘Ironman’ triathlon event, the race encompasses three endurance events of a 2.4 mile (3.86 kilometer) ocean swim, followed by a 112 mile (180.2 kilometer) bike ride and ending with a 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometer) marathon.
But as so often happens to athletes and sports people, injury took its toll and Ed wore out the cartilages in his knees. The pain was so great he could barely walk, running was a complete non-starter! So he began power lifting and got injured again, this time it was his rotator cuff. The rotator cuff is the network of four muscles and several tendons that form a covering around the top of the upper arm bone (humerus).
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Ed decided to give up exercising altogether and his weight ballooned, the fat piled on and he went from a lean, trim fighting weight of 175 pounds to a 'fat man' (Ed's words) of 255 pounds with a 40 inch waist.
In 2004 Ed had both knees replaced. In 2005 he took up ‘Exerstrider’ Nordic Walking. Ed has the good fortune to live close to fellow Wisconsin resident and ‘pole walking pioneer’ Tom Rutlin. Ed chose Nordic Walking because it reduces the stress in your knees and hips.
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Today Nordic Walking has helped Ed reduce his weight to a touch over 200 pounds. His goal weight by the end of the 2007 is 190 pounds.
Without doubt, Ed Urbanski is both an inspiration and a role model to Nordic Walking enthusiasts everywhere!
