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I'm getting there. Did 3 laps around Stone Mtn today. Back in the old days when I was 58 I'd do 4 laps with a 39 year old friend. Not sure if I'll get back to 4 laps. Maybe if I can drop 15-20 pounds. Total of 38 miles including the ride out and back home. :beer:
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Daily rides uphill are getting fun
After a few years practice since I had my knee replacements, the steepest of hills are getting easier (not easy yet, but getting there). I can honestly say that I enjoy the ride up. Not as much as the non-hilly runs but I never thought I'd get to the point of enjoying the 1 to 2 mile uphill climbs. I can stand up and pedal to relieve the "strain" on my arse and that has worked well. An average hilly ride of about 25 miles is alternated with a ride to Planet Fitness (5 miles) where the ride is a warmup to spending an hour on the elliptical. I dedicated myself to the elliptical each winter when I didn't have confidence in pedaling while standing up. The machine gradually built up my stamina and confidence since the replacements and now I ride like a kid again.
Some days I walk my dog for an hour in the state park to warm up before a ride. Then I don't feel guilty leaving her home. I'm motivated by DnvrFox in his back exercise routines. I too have had major back reconstruction around L4-L5 (8 years ago). I owe it to a wonderful surgeon who made such a difference in my life. I haven't been able to lift weights but I'm capable of just about most other things. But it's bike riding that has kept me really a happy person. Within the next year or so, I may try a self-contained cross-country bike ride if things keep going like they are now. I ride RAGBRAI every summer with my son and wouldn't miss that for the world. Maybe I could do 1/2 cross country trip in the spring and finish the other half after RAGBRAI. Set your sights high. :) The alternative isn't very appealing.:notamused: |
Update - today I did just as I said I would in the post above. Arose about 5:30, stretching, resistance (only did 60 PU's today - followed by squats and then another 44) of a variety of things, 20 mile hilly ride, swimming 40 minutes, home.
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For some unknown reason, maybe boredom, I went back to work after being retired, so I don't have the time to ride most of the day, although I would rather be riding. This was before my addiction to cycling began and I was 20 lbs heavier. For the amount of riding that I have been doing in the last year and a half that I have been riding, I think I am doing pretty darn good but I am always ready for improvement. I don't want to do races or triathlons but I would really like to improve on my distance riding. I know that I'm not 21 anymore, or even 31, but according to my primary doctor, I am in better physical condition than 90% of his patients my age.
Right now, my big concern is anemia due to my chronic leukemia. If my red cell count goes way down, I could crash and burn very quickly and that really bothers me because I don't want to be in the middle of a ride and then crash. My oncologist, who is an avid cyclist, doesn't seem to worry about it too much, but I do; especially since we can't seem to keep the anemia under control. I would really like to improve my training methods so that I don't crash in the middle of a ride. Thus, the main reason that I am following the 65+ forum very closely and see what others in my age group are doing that have been riding for far more years than I have. I have several more charity rides coming up in September and October which are century an 100K rides and that is what I am currently training for. I just completed an MS 150 (that's where my avatar photo came from) last month and have been doing several 50K + rides on the weekends. I am also planning a cross Florida ride of 210 miles in three days in October. This is the one that I don't want to crash on. |
Originally Posted by John_V
(Post 12782542)
For some unknown reason, maybe boredom, I went back to work after being retired, so I don't have the time to ride most of the day, although I would rather be riding. This was before my addiction to cycling began and I was 20 lbs heavier. For the amount of riding that I have been doing in the last year and a half that I have been riding, I think I am doing pretty darn good but I am always ready for improvement. I don't want to do races or triathlons but I would really like to improve on my distance riding. I know that I'm not 21 anymore, or even 31, but according to my primary doctor, I am in better physical condition than 90% of his patients my age.
Right now, my big concern is anemia due to my chronic leukemia. If my red cell count goes way down, I could crash and burn very quickly and that really bothers me because I don't want to be in the middle of a ride and then crash. My oncologist, who is an avid cyclist, doesn't seem to worry about it too much, but I do; especially since we can't seem to keep the anemia under control. I would really like to improve my training methods so that I don't crash in the middle of a ride. Thus, the main reason that I am following the 65+ forum very closely and see what others in my age group are doing that have been riding for far more years than I have. I have several more charity rides coming up in September and October which are century an 100K rides and that is what I am currently training for. I just completed an MS 150 (that's where my avatar photo came from) last month and have been doing several 50K + rides on the weekends. I am also planning a cross Florida ride of 210 miles in three days in October. This is the one that I don't want to crash on. Thanks for posting. It is always valuable to find out what others are doing, their "philosophy" of riding and accomplishments. I didn't start riding until I was 58. |
Gawd, there are so many of (us)..er y'all. I'm just glad I'm still ambulating around instead of ambulancing around. About a year from now I'll be posting here a whole lot more, when I'm legit and not just a wannabe. All you codgers and grouches better duck cause...... look out the boomers are coming!!!
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My buddy is going to be gone riding tomorrow. I'm going to miss him. He's doing a triathlon in Topeka, Kansas. He's retired military, 73 years old, and has two knee replacements. I'm 59 and he slows down so I'll have company when I'm suffering on club rides. He is a prince of a friend. At the Leavenworth ride he went up a rough hill passing some guys younger than me with a smile you couldn't wipe off. Wish I had a brother as cool as him. Blues Frog.
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Originally Posted by stonefree
(Post 12801424)
Gawd, there are so many of (us)..er y'all. I'm just glad I'm still ambulating around instead of ambulancing around. About a year from now I'll be posting here a whole lot more, when I'm legit and not just a wannabe. All you codgers and grouches better duck cause...... look out the boomers are coming!!!
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1 Attachment(s)
My three teenage buddies all had better bikes than I did. They had what was then the equivalent of nowadays Titanium Club models, and what I got from my dad was a Puch touring vessel, akin to US Huffy etc.
I used my apprenticeship pay to painstakingly replace everything short of the frame, and LIVED on that bike throughout my teenage years. Then came girls, requiring motor scooters, then came family, and suddenly it was old age, and I want to ride a road bike again. My buddies aren't riding any longer, and I probably shouldn't, but if not now, WHEN? http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=206943 |
My buddies aren't riding any longer, and I probably shouldn't, but if not now, WHEN? |
Originally Posted by DnvrFox
(Post 12804386)
My buddies aren't riding any more, either. They are all dead. The time is NOW!!
Mine are alive, and we are still all good friends. |
Of course, to ride again I will need to buy a road bike, since I only have an off-roader. I don't mind the extra weight of it, but crave the response I used to get from a stiff frame, without all the flexing of front and rear suspension. And the dual disk brakes are fine on a motor bike, but I don't need them on my bicycle. Not to speak of the tires!
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Having battled two cancers, you have to live as if every day is the last day of your life. I ride ... ride ... ride ... and ride.
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Originally Posted by John_V
(Post 12807103)
Having battled two cancers, you have to live as if every day is the last day of your life. I ride ... ride ... ride ... and ride.
With me it was a spinal fusion and later a stroke. Got to be a bit careful now, because one of my carotid arteries is 100 % occluded. Which means if I have another one it's curtains. |
Hey, you do what your body will let you do and don't worry about comparing yourself to others. Some guys are just put together better than others are or have more time or more inclination to work really hard at cranking on the miles. I'm just glad to be upright and if all I get in is 60 miles a week instead of 60 miles a day then that's fine. Biking is a great way to exercise - I get bored walking and my old body won't let me run but get me on two wheels and I'm smiling. As I've aged I have found that pushing myself really hard usually just gets me sore or injured so I'm out here having fun on these wonderful two wheels. That's what its all about to me and if you can do contests at over 65, good for you and if you can't then just do what you can to keep moving and smiling! :-)
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Originally Posted by DnvrFox
(Post 12803958)
We are going to raise the age each year. You will never get in. Next year it will be 66 - 86+, then 67 - 87+ :)
I'm beginning to think that this thread is the only one I actually can post on, after reading some of the beer drink'n ironman stories on most of the other threads. Now I'm going to have to go out and ride immediately before the terminal wimpiness creeps in. Yikes...all my bikes are old too. I'm kinda afraid to buy a new one cause I might have to look like I'm going faster. But seriously folks, we-uns have really got to pace ourselves just to survive. So I'm with you Rocky. At least I'm peddling and smiling. ;^) |
Originally Posted by Rocky1405
(Post 12813306)
... and if all I get in is 60 miles a week instead of 60 miles a day then that's fine.
As I've aged I have found that pushing myself really hard usually just gets me sore or injured |
Originally Posted by stonefree
(Post 12818683)
That sounds suspiciously like Social Security, are you with the govamint?
As for me, it is all about SMILES, not miles!! |
I can't remember if I posted on here or not so here goes . I was 71 on the 6th of this month and i was riding quite a bit three years ago but several thing got in the way so a month ago I started riding again and I have my wife Rebecca doing a 10 mile trail ride one day a week now with me. I have been doing small hills around here the last two weeks and yesterday I did a all climbing 12 miles ride and then 10 miles on a school track. The last mile back to the car was all uphill and I was going to make it no matter how beat I was. I just made it and sat in the car for 10 minutes to get myself all back together. The sheriff stopped to see if I was OK/ I told him I wasn't dead yet and he was laughing as he got in his car. I have found it is really all about motivation, not the condition you are in.
Eddyr |
Having battled two cancers, you have to live as if every day is the last day of your life. I ride ... ride ... ride ... and ride. I have to agree that you can only do what your body tells you and pushing yourself can sometimes become disastrous. I don't know if it has to do with genetics or what (both my parents lived into their mid 90's) but excluding the two cancers, I have been fortunate to have been in excellent cardiovascular health. I will be 65 in October and push myself on every ride until the ride starts to push back. At that point, I concede to the ride and stay at a point where I am still comfortable with myself and the ride. This past month has been really difficult for me to ride every day, as I normally do, and I'll have to start pushing myself again to get back what I have lost. But I intend to do it gradually. |
Greetings fellow seniors. I'm 65 today, so I thought I'd check in here. Been riding and racing bikes for 40 years or so. Done most of the disciplines of road, track (velodrome), cyclocross, mtb. Last 5 years I've focused on master's track with some decent results in last year's national championships in Frisco, TX; 6th in sprints, 8th in 500m TT, 4th in 60+ team sprint (3 riders). Currently I'm off the bike recovering from double inguinal hernia surgery I had 17 days ago; had to wait until this month to have it done under Medicare, since I was retired and uninsured prior to this time. I'm a total bike nut with 19 bikes, including 7 that are track / fixed gear and several very old custom-built steel lugged framesets. Looking forward to more posts in this thread and interaction with you kids. :)
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You can't come in here if you're going to put us all to shame. ;)
Welcome aboard. :beer: |
Originally Posted by RonH
(Post 12845491)
You can't come in here if you're going to put us all to shame. ;)
Welcome aboard. :beer: and Welcome. |
I'll be glad when this knee surgery (I suppose I'm having surgery) is behind me. Didn't ride today because my knee kept me awake too much last night. :notamused:
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Had my MRI today. Not fun for my knee. :notamused: Gotta wait till July 22 to see the doc again. I'm just glad that the knee doesn't interfere with my riding (too much). :o
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