Originally Posted by bruce19

I'm 79 and have been cycling for over 40 years. Until a couple years ago I was doing about 100 mi/wk. Lately I'm doing 12-20 mi at a TT pace about 3 days a week. But, this year has been a total loss. In March I discovered I had an Inguinal Hernia. Surgery was scheduled for May. The May surgery was postponed until June 4th. In the meantime, no cycling, no gym, nothing. Surgery went well and sometime in July I started doing short, slow rides. Also back to the gym with low weights. Then a low back issue at L5. Bad enough that I was having trouble getting in my car, a Fiesta ST. I started on a car search and went to my Chiropractor 3 X wk. Eventually, somewhere in September, my back was about normal. Started going back to the gym and prepping to ride. But, wait! A tooth problem. Hydrocodone Acetaminophen and an extraction. The extraction was quick and easy. The recovery was not as good. Went off on a motorcycle trip to upstate NY. Came home and started getting pain in another tooth. What is going on? Back to the dentist for another extraction yesterday. Not as easy or pain free. There was an abscess. My dentist won't let me do any physical activity for a week. So, here I am.

Originally Posted by 13ollocks

"What is going on" is that you're getting old and things are starting to break down. At 79, you're riding a bike, going to the gym, driving a FiST and riding a motorcycle - so far outside the norm, you're practically on a different planet, but nothing lasts forever. I'm 62 and recently had my first tooth extraction in maybe 50 years. Not only was it unpleasant, but it was a reminder that, no matter how well you look after yourself, at some point you start fighting a rear guard action against time.