Chubby kid...never fast. Buy I enjoyed playing some football and socccer in junior high and high school.

Raced cars off and on from 19 until well into my 40s. I know some don't consider that a sport but if you haven't done it, you'd be surprised.

In my early 40s, I started running a lot and realized something. I was still slower than hell but damn--could I keep plugging along. I always cycled as a casual activity.

At 57, I went on a bike tour in Europe that covered some pretty drastic hills. Amazingly, I was able to climb them. Even the ones the locals warned me to use the SAG van to ride up. See above statement about my being able to plug along. That lit a fire in me for cycling and I now ride 110-150 miles a week. I've been called an endurance athlete and, like others have said, have a low HR and BP for my age and am now leaner than I've ever been. I'm just bummed that it took me so long to discover that cycling was my "thing." Maybe I should have tried racing bikes instead of cars. It would have saved me a lot of dough, that's for sure.