Did you do the walk today, AKA "How others see you."
 

Beginning of rant

OK - today my wife and I did a local ride, the Greenwood Village Goose Chase, which is a pricey ride followed by a supposedly "gourmet" lunch.

The rides are 42 miles, 30 and 15. There is also a 5k and 10 k walk/run. Originally I was going to do the 42, and my wife the 15. But, since she is now recovering from her post-herpetic-neuralgia, and it was to be a big day for her, I kicked myself in the butt, and said, "You dufus - this is the day to support your wife, forget the 42 miler." So, I rode the 15 miles with her. It was a good challenge for her, and there were a number of small hills and inclines.

Anyway, we got back and had lunch and were sitting across from some volunteers.

First volunteer - "Oh, did you do the WALK today?"

Nope, we did the 15 mile ride. Big look of surprise on the volunteers face. (YOU did the bicycle ride?)

A bit later, another volunteer.

Same question, same response.

A bit later, another volunteer.

Same question, same response.

Now, I know we both look our ages (66 me 68 wife - and those aren't metric years!). But, wow. The assumptions about what someone our age can accomplish discourages me.

At least the third volunteer noted my Santa Fe Century T-Shirt, and then further asked. "Do you go from place to place to do rides?" We said "yes."

And she WAS impressed.

It is a bit discouraging when you know that your age is showing a bit when folks assume you can only do walks!

End of rant.

No response required - just needed to rant for a moment.

Next time, look 'em in the eye, and say, "Walk? Walk??? That's for OLD people. We rode our bikes, of course, like we do pretty much every day. Now -- where's the pie, darlin?"

:)

+ a BIG 1 !!!

I must say, Denver and Gary, that y'alls posts just make my day - THANKS for the entertainment!

:roflmao: :roflmao:

Remember, just because they're volunteers, that doesn't make em bright.

Yeah! I already know what a bike ride feels like so can you tell us some more about the gourmet lunch?

Rant started again, chapter two!

To top it off, when my wife was walking (along with some other people) on a bit of grass that wasn't level, someone spoke to her, "Be careful now." They didn't say that to anyone else.

And our neighbor lady treats both of us as if we are teetering on the grave! And she smokes and does no exercise.


And that "gourmet" lunch was chicken, a roll, pasta, cole slaw and a cookie. No blueberry pie!

End of rant, chapter two.

(But, my wife had a great time, overall. Helped to boost her confidence after 9 monthe of post-herpetic-neuralgia and almost unbearable pain at times)

Dnvr-the best part was not only was your wife able to do the ride, you made a terrific choice and rode with her. That's a great story........

+1. You have earned a special Father's Day present. Hope you get it!

Wow, you've got to put up with ageist attitudes and behaviors and no blueberry pie. In the words of Rodney Dangerfield, "I'll tell ya. Can't get no respect."

The last guy who tried that line on me got a big can of whupp-ass for desert!

FYI

http://www.goosechase.org/

Yesterday I did the Mines Rd ride out to the junction and back. This is a 60 mile ride. I wasn't feeling very good from the start. I think I've been putting in a lot of miles and not getting nearly enough sleep.

Mines Rd. is a pretty good climb for 4 miles followed by a gradual uphill almost flat with a couple of other climbs thrown in and then a BIG ride downhill to the junction.

Of course that means that there's also a 5 mile climb back to the peak before the somewhat downhill ride with a couple of real whoopers on the way back.

One of the guys with us that rode away from me on the climbs was a 76 year old Jack White. And in the group of a dozen good riders he was the 4th one to the junction.

Now, I would REALLY like to see the look on your volunteers eyes if they saw that.

As for them being surprised at you, I think that is cute. It suggests to me that not one of them would have been able to do the 15 miler. Seems to me that ought to warm the cockles of your heart.

I find it fairly amusing on Mondays at work when the usual "What did you do this weekend?" questions pop up. My response usually runs along the lines of "Did a little forty mile solo ride on Saturday, and rode about twenty-five with the bride on Sunday." The looks and comments from folks make it seem like it's some Herculean feat for a forty-nine year old guy to get on a bike and ride a few miles....

B'Dog

True.

BUt, I would submit, that when you are 68yo (20 years more down the road), there is a whole different set of "expectations" and societal stereotypes about you.

Nothing I can do about it. It just irritates the **** out of me.

I'm surprised that the assumption was that you would walk instead of riding. Walking a given distance is way harder than walking it.

Paul

The walk was 5K

The ride was 15 miles, or about 24k.

I dropped a cobbler today. While waiting for my friends at a rest stop- I saw an older rider- at least 75, struggling to walk up a slope. I asked him if he was allright and did he need a hand. "No problems" he replied. "Its not me that has a problem- Its these Look cleats- Maybe perfect on a bike but you can't walk in them".
The way he was walking- I was certain he had shin splints or pulled a muscle. (Mental note to self- Don't buy Look pedals and cleats)

I call that the "spastic duck walk" of the clipless pedal user. Platforms forever for me, thanks.

With my SPD mtn bike sandals you walk normally. In fact, once I put them on by mistake and wore them a whole day without realizing they were not my regular sandals.

Peace, Denver - I'm not trying to convert you - where you live, you NEED clipless (AND that front triple). Where I live, I need neither, thanks.

OK, as long as you aren't implying that we shouldn't be wearing clipless because of our age! :D :) :D

To clipless as to most other things, age is completely irrelavant!

DnvrFox,
I have a co-corker that is 4 months older than me. I have been telling him about our own
Wil Dehne riding across the US 100+ mile a day, Jonathan Boyer (50) leading the RAAM
Men's Solo - Enduro, David Jones (60) rideing RAAM for1295 miles in 5 days and 2
hours. And my own example of how I have improved since August. His answer is he is
too old to ride a bike.

People sell themselves short because of what they think a person can do at a certain age.
It seems to me when a person is surprised at what you can do they are not belittling you
they are expressing what they think they can do at that age. The quality of life they expect
is so much less than it could be.

My view of what I can do is not based on what others think, but on what I have
accomplished and the next logical step. And it is this bicycle forum that gives the
encouragement to take that step when there is doubt. Thanks DnvrFox for keeping this
50+ forum going.

One of the problems, as I see it, is societal expectations for a given age.

As society begins to think of people as "geezers," "elderly," or whatever, I think, to some degree, these folks respond in kind. They act as they think society may expect them to act.

This is an extremely difficult mindset to turn around. To some extent, the baby boomers are increasing expectations.

I have been a bit successful in changing some of the expectations at my own church. By changing the "seniors" group from one in which every month they crawled into a van and went on some rather boring trip to one in which we have a men's singing group, weekly bicycle rides or walks and more interesting field trips, the whole church is gaining a different view of what folks in the "senior" age group can accomplish.

In fact, recently I had a couple approach me who stated that they wished they were retired so they could join in all of the great activities that our group did.

[I]Here is our July bicycling/walking schedule:

July 3rd
Walk
Salad Pot Luck
Celebrate July 4th 1 day early!
Hudson Garden's Walk with potluck at Fox's afterwards.

July 10th
Moderate Bicycle Ride
8:00 am
Bring lunch
Willow Creek Trail. Ride the beautiful Willow Creek Trail from Douglas
County into Arapahoe County to the Highline Canal Trail and back. Go UNDER
C-470 and County Line Road!
About
15 miles round trip.

July 17th
Easy Bicycle Ride
Bring sack lunch
8:15 am
From the park across the street from the church north to the new Cherry
Creek bridge in Cottonwood and return.
Meet at the Eastbank Park.
Flat except for one very short steep hill. Feel free to walk up hill. About
15 miles round trip.

July 24th
Moderate Bicycle Ride
We will eat at Fazolis
8:15 am
Lee Gulch Loop
Loop through the Lee Gulch Trail, Highline Canal, the C470 Trail and the
Platte River Trail.
14 miles. Restrooms along the way
Mtn Bike or hybrid - gravel.

July 31
Very Challenging Bicycle Ride
7:00 am
Please call Denver to confirm.
Northern Trail System. Explore the northern metro trail system. Cherry
Creek Trail to Confluence Park N. on the Platter River Trail to 104th passing
the Clear Creek Trail, the Sand Creek Trail and some smaller trails and
return. This will be about a 50-60 mile ride. Flat with a slight incline on the return. Restrooms and porta potties along the way. Bring lunch and other food.


The whole church gets to see this in the bulletin.

Hopefully, it raaises the expectations of folks in their 30's, 40's and 50's about what THEY might be able to do.

Since I started this, the pastor has started a once a month hiking club and the women have started a monthly women's pretty difficult bicycle/hiking ride.

I currently have a couple who moved here from Florida. He is a retired naval officer. Yet, their physical expectations for themselves are quite low. He is in my singing group, and recently was sort of deriding one of our singing members because he lifted weights (he is 76) each Saturday, along with swimming 3 times per week. I showed him my basement gym, and he has seen the kind of bicycle rides which we go on. Maybe I can change their attitude? Who knows!