Exercise and Age - Page 2

Re: Exercise and Age

Roger Zoul wrote:

> Maggie wrote:

>>> One thing I have found as I age....I certainly can't participate in
>>> some of the things I did when I was young. Now that I have taken an
>>> interest in riding a bike I realize that people older than me are
>>> doing it. It's a wonderful sport and its age friendly. I remember
>>> my father in law riding a bike well into his 70's. So, ok, we have
>>> to leave some of the sports we loved behind us....but its nice to
>>> know there are age friendly sports still available to us. I tried
>>> playing volleyball last summer with a bunch of my daughters
>>> friends. )All in their 20's.) They were fine the next day. I was
>>> soaking in ben gay. And I was a damn good volley ball player in my
>>> twenties. Damn good. It's a little depressing to admit you can't do
>>> the same things you could do when you were younger......In some
>>> sports you are considered TOO OLD when you hit thirty five.
>>> Whoever said age is a state of mind did not try to play volleyball
>>> for hours on the beach at age 50 with team members in their
>>> twenties. I look forward to enjoying my bike.

Well, David Hasselhof does it!

> I'm sorry, but your thinking is very, very flawwed. You are giving
> in to this notion that you can't do this or that because of age. It's
> not true. Sure, you shouldn't, after sitting on your butt for years,
> expect you get up one day and compete in strong fashion in volleyball
> against 20 yos.

Whether you're 20 or 80, you can't perform well at anything after sitting on
your butt for a long time. As you get older it takes longer to bounce back, and
you don't bounce back as far. But there's no reason you can't maintain very
good fitness throughout your life. Use it, or lose it.

I can ride rings around many 20-somethings. Likewise, there are many
50-somethings who can kick my 40 year old ass.

The bottom line is that whether or not you do stay in good shape throughout your
life, you're doomed if you don't at least try.

Matt O.

Re: Exercise and Age

lbuset@allsecretarial.com (Maggie) wrote:

> Yet still he will admit he has slowed down quite
>a bit. I think age is supposed to bring the wisdom to know we are not
>20 any longer.

Thank goodness (I'm in much better shape now at 47 than when I was
20).

I was riding up National Trail in South Mountain Park in Phoenix a
couple years ago. I came across a group of fit, college-aged riders
who were hanging out at "the Waterfall", and ended up hooking on to
the back of their group as they resumed their ride up the mountain.

One by one, whoever was at the front would put a foot down (it's a
very technical trail), and after a couple miles I found myself at the
front of the group. I just held a nice, steady pace hoping I wasn't
going to slow them down too much.

At the top of the next climb, I stopped and realized that there was no
one behind me. After a couple minutes, the strongest of the riders
pulled up behind me wheezing and red. He drooped over his handlebars,
looked up at me and asked "HOW old are you?"... ;-)

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $695 ti frame

Re: Exercise and Age

"B i l l S o r n s o n" <sorni@bite-me.san.rr.com> wrote in message news:<_Qtkd.82090$Kl3.65085@twister.socal.rr.com>...
> Red Cloud wrote:
> > That's just nice perfect day. I assume that everything is just fine
> > for
> > you Maggie. I don't know your american mentality but I do your kinds
> > of
> > believe if life is so perfect from head to toe. You got perfect
> > house. you got perfect car. you got perfect hair. you got perfect
> > chest. you got perfect butt.
> > you got perfect jean. you got perfect shoes. Everything is gergeous
> > and everything is perfect. Life is perfect! Oh I miss one...your
> > bicycling is perfect.
>
> Yo, Maggie. So how YOU doin'?!?
>
> Methinks Red Cloud gottum crush.

Me thinks maggies are dopping!

Re: Exercise and Age

On 11 Nov 2004 03:13:48 -0800, Maggie wrote:

> You sure do have alot of muscles there Badger.

Yeah, lots of over-developed, heavy ones on the upper body :-)

--
bpo gallery at http://www4.tpgi.com.au/users/mvw1/bpo

Re: Exercise and Age

On 10 Nov 2004 15:58:58 -0800, Maggie wrote:

> I doubt if I will become superwoman but I will give it my best shot.
> Don't worry about pushing 40.

I'm not worried about it at all. I look and feel better than I have since I
was 25, I'm not balding, and I have the greying temples of maturity
and wisdom :-)

--
bpo gallery at http://www4.tpgi.com.au/users/mvw1/bpo

Re: Exercise and Age

On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 10:41:42 -0500, Badger wrote:

> Now I'm riding 15-20 hilly miles in the am, and 10-12 on flats in the pm,
> seven days a week.

That's pretty impressive. You must have more free time and less need
for sleep than me :-)

--
bpo gallery at http://www4.tpgi.com.au/users/mvw1/bpo

Re: Exercise and Age

On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 10:41:42 -0500, Badger wrote:

> Now I'm riding 15-20 hilly miles in the am, and 10-12 on flats in the pm,
> seven days a week.

That's pretty impressive. You must have more free time and less need
for sleep than me :-)

--
bpo gallery at http://www4.tpgi.com.au/users/mvw1/bpo

Re: Exercise and Age

"Maggie" <lbuset@allsecretarial.com> wrote
>
> Seriously, I still believe there are things I can not do at my age.
> No matter how hard I train, how often I get off my ass and exercise or
> how much weight I lift.

Examples?

Re: Exercise and Age

"Peter Cole" <peter_cole_no_spam_at_all@comcast.net> wrote:

>"Maggie" <lbuset@allsecretarial.com> wrote
>>
>> Seriously, I still believe there are things I can not do at my age.
>> No matter how hard I train, how often I get off my ass and exercise or
>> how much weight I lift.
>
>Examples?

Bench press 800 pounds?

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $695 ti frame

Re: Dealing with Age

On 11 Nov 2004 05:29:50 -0800, Maggie wrote:

> And I have noticed that I mention my age constantly too. I think its
> because I am trying to deal with being 50.

It's probably also because you're a woman, which isn't to say that
it's your fault. We seem to expect them to try harder to avoid
looking older as they age.

If you ride all the time, no-one will ever get a good look at you. A helmet
will help even more :-)

--
bpo gallery at http://www4.tpgi.com.au/users/mvw1/bpo

Re: Exercise and Age

On Thu, 11 Nov 2004 08:07:43 -0500, Badger wrote:

> Pencil-neck geek.

Wannabe pro wrestler!

--
bpo gallery at http://www4.tpgi.com.au/users/mvw1/bpo

Re: Dealing with Age

Maggie wrote:
> "Roger Zoul" <rogerzoul2@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:<2vf2aeF2lbff8U1@uni-berlin.de>...
>>>>
>>>> I have noticed that in practically every post, Maggie mentions her
>>>> age. I wonder why? We have many 70+ year olds in our riding club
>>>> and one 82 year old. Nobody goes around saying, "I'm 50 and...." I
>>>> think Maggie is buying in to age-related stereotypes.
>>>>
>>>> Pat in TX
>>
>> Yes, I noticed it too. But I think she'll get passed it
>
> And I have noticed that I mention my age constantly too. I think its
> because I am trying to deal with being 50. It sounds so freakin' old.
> Maybe I think if I say it enough, I will come to terms with it. You
> are right. I am dwelling on my age. I am 50. OK, so I am 50. Yes,
> I guess being 50 is better than never reaching 50. But everytime I
> type 50 I think....HOW DID I BECOME 50???..Wasn't I 25 yesterday.
> Time goes by so fast. I hope I get passed the fact that I am 50. I
> hope I stop starting every post with I AM 50. I'm 50. I'm 50. OK so
> I am 50. This is the last time I will write that sentence. I AM 50.
> See how well I am dealing with this????? You guys are good for me.
> You don't mince words. You are not harsh, but you say what you think.
> Yes, you are right...I have an age issue going on here. I will work on
> that. Thanks for pointing out my obsession with being 50. That was a
> good thing. Now that I am a half a century old, I appreciate all the
> help I can get. ;-) Live, Laugh, Love and Dream....
> http://hometown.aol.com/lbuset/
> "Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without
> passion."

Gee, I wish I could say I was 50. That was about 17 years ago!
I've noticed that every year I get injured easier and heal slower. I'm
still sore from a bike crash about a month ago. BTW- ref another thread- I
walked away but my helmet was smashed.

--
Bob Burns
Mill Hall PA
treborburns@earthlink.net

Re: Exercise and Age

On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 17:01:32 -0800, Terry Morse <tmorse@spamcop.net>
wrote:

>(Maggie) wrote:
>
>> Seriously, I still believe there are things I can not do at my age.
>> No matter how hard I train, how often I get off my ass and exercise or
>> how much weight I lift. You cannot compare a person in their fifties
>> with a person in their twenties.
>
>Just a data point, but the person who sets the best time at the
>Everest Challenge is usually a Masters racer. Chris Walker is the
>current national elite champion, He's 42:
>
>http://www.mesothel.com/pages/labor_walker_pag.htm
>
>Chris didn't win the Everest Challenge this year, but he came very
>close. He was in first place when he rode past me.

Endurance kicks in when one gets a bit older. It is very common and
usual for endurance events to be won by folks over 30-35 or so,
relatively rare for one under 30 to win one. Take a look at the
winners for major marathons. Take a look at the winners for the
Furnace Creek 508; often someone over 50, though this year I think it
was a youngster around 37-39 or so ;-) So it is expected that one
can do well in endurance events as one gets a bit older.

On the flip side it is rare for folks over 30-35 to have raw speed and
quickness for short distance events. That is the realm of the young.
No matter how hard I work at it I doubt I will ever be a contender
again in foot races under a mile if there are younger folks in the
event. Doubt I could ever get sub-10 seconds in the 100 meter again;
the muscles just do not work the same as they did when I was in my
teens and 20s, not even figuring in the various joint problems :-)

You are getting there Terry; you are old enough that you should have
seen some of the changes, felt some of the limitations, know that some
things that you were good at in the past are now slipping past you(?)
I think everyone in this thread is talking past one another. Maggie
is correct; no matter how hard one works at it there are usually
limitations on what one over 40, or 50, can do physically even if one
has worked on maintaining fitness and strength, etc. Others are
correct in asserting that one can be active, enjoy physical
activities, and even excel in things one could not excel at as a
youngster (i.e., endurance events). Life is transitional; you do what
you can at your point of the journey and enjoy it, perhaps with some
regrets about capabilities you have lost but knowing you can still be
fulfilled.

A couple of years back I was riding up near Mt. Shasta. I ran into a
former coworker and his wife on a tandem.. He had just retired and we
were talking about cycling; he had taken it up late in life and made
an observation: he said that cycling was the realm of the gray hairs
and the gray beards. I think his point was that it was an activity
that, because it is generally easy on the joints, one can enjoy in the
later years of one's life so you have a lot of older folks involved in
the sport. I think about that comment every time I am in the
registration lines at centuries, etc., as it is clear that there is an
age skew to the older side. Great that there are sports where one
can continue to enjoy the benefits of exercise and physical activity
as the various age-related changes take hold.

- rick

Re: Exercise and Age

On Thu, 11 Nov 2004 13:40:56 GMT, "Peter Cole"
<peter_cole_no_spam_at_all@comcast.net> wrote:

>"Maggie" <lbuset@allsecretarial.com> wrote
>>
>> Seriously, I still believe there are things I can not do at my age.
>> No matter how hard I train, how often I get off my ass and exercise or
>> how much weight I lift.
>
>Examples?
>

Run a sub 10 second 100 meter.

- rick