The Over 50's Support Thread.

[Bonus]

Addidas Evil Eye Explorers here. Prescription inserts for a squint I've had since childhood and, nowadays, also for failing sight :-(

Edited February 26, 2018 by Bonus

[Piernas Flacas]

Just turned 56. I haven't been to the gym for almost 2 years and I don't miss it. I only ride on weekends a minimum of 30 to 35 km on a Saturday and Sundays a shorter ride. That's when I feel 15 again. During holidays I try to ride as much as possible. I rarely get sick and the only med I take is Centrum 50+, if you wanna call it med. My 20 year old suit still fits me perfectly. All thanks to cycling 

[Wheelsuck]

Its interesting to read this thread as there is so much positivity-yeah our eyesight is going and we sometimes lie in bed thinking we cannot get up but we deal with it and celebrate our lives.

 

Also in the Category-still in denial but in a way that is good. I can't believe I managed to stay alive and have managed to bank most of my personal **** so in a good space mentally and physically.

 

Love racing Tri's and just staying fit and learning new things, started paddling, this year want to learn Swahili and Scuba dive. Recently moved to the shorter distance tri's and loving it-also seems to be good for weightloss, currently 72kg and can still easily get into my national service uniform. 

 

So yeah I think that this is a great time for us-and keep it positive and enjoy it Guys! 

[Warthog]

Addidas Evil Eye Explorers here. Prescription inserts for a squint I've had since childhood and, nowadays, also for failing sight :-(

 

Exactly same for me - works like an absolute dream.

[Bonus]

Exactly same for me - works like an absolute dream.

I've had mine for a long time and they are great. I have black version for MTB and a white pair for Road. The insert swaps between the two.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Exactly same for me - works like an absolute dream.

Yah, me too, I use my evil eyes for running, cycling, driving, walking and even ski-ing, I think I am on my third pair of glasses and inserts now. I have had my last set of inserts ground as Bi-focals so I can comfortably see distance and close up. The best sunnies I have ever had. 

[scotty]

I only need glasses for reading but can still see my Garmin without them so that's OK, I have prescription ones as my main glasses then a couple of Dischem ones dotted round the house and a pair in my car (some of those cycle store labels are minute). Every 2 years I'm eligible for new glasses, last time I went for an eye test they found my eyesight had not deteriorated. 

 

On the cycling side last year I accepted that with age you need to make some adjustments and one of them is I switched to compact crank on my road bike, best thing I could have done. 

[Baldrick]

I have had lens replacement surgery on both eyes two months ago. I can't believe the difference it made to my vision. 35 years of wearing glasses, now all I need are sunglasses outside as everything is so bright.

[Bonus]

I only have 5 fields on Page 1 of my Garmin. Because I know which one is where, I can just about work out what number I'm looking at!

[Paul Ruinaard]

I'm '62.. don't even know what happened that year...

 

More like some '62 John Deere diesel tractor... (kinda built like one as well come to think of it...)

 

Takes me at least 20k's/1 hr to get legs&lungs going, but then I can happily putter along for hours and hours...

 

F....all speed though...

Those first 20 minutes of warm up are hades....

[Escapee..]

After a lekker group ride I was heading home. In the last 3km the road has a long-ish drag and its always into a slight headwind.

On Sunday I saw three over 50's on MTB's in front of me as I turned into that road.

 

I had to bleed to stay with them and it looked like they were cruising!!!

 

Got a PB for that section 

 

Thanks to all the old toppies out there pushing us "youngsters"

[Bonus]

Back in the early 2000's I was living in the UK and we used to do "Tuesday Night" night rides on the South Downs with friends.

 

We had one guy who was a good 20 years older than me - so he was around 58 at the time - who, when he finished work, used to ride 25km cross country to meet us, ride 30 plus km cross country with us and then ride 25km home again.

 

If we were riding fairly hard he could ride with us and chat about stuff. He'd wait for us at the top of every climb . . . . Mike was a Legend. I hated Mike most Tuesday's.

[DJR]

Never underestimate a guy with a lifetimes worth of miles in his legs! It counts for something that short term training cannot give.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Never underestimate a guy with a lifetimes worth of miles in his legs! It counts for something that short term training cannot give.

True that. 

 

This morning I took myself off to Meerendal farm for their 5k Park Run, standing at the start they asked everyone to sort of funnel, (ie) sub 20 minutes in the front, sub 25 minute runners next and so on, my time is usually a pedestrian 26/27 minutes so I funneled in the under the 30 minute group, next to me was a gent roughly my age (I thought) and we got to chatting, next thing we were off and this guy was tearing up the path ahead of me, I had to red zone just to get in behind him he was on such a pace.

 

Anyway, we ran together for the 5 ks and he told me he was 68 years old............  still running 26 / 27 minute 5 k runs.......pretty darn good in my book.     

 

Then just a point, the Meerendal Park Run is a hoot, so well presented, so well marshaled, so well organised and so very very well supported, I guess there was around 1000 runners this morning, everyone gets a time (if you are registered - unfortunately I am not) and scanned in, its darn good, really, its something to be seen, and its done every Saturday I believe.

 

There are of course the fast guys up front, but its for everybody, there were young kids, Moms with strollers, Dads running with kids, old ballies like me, everybody, I had an absolute ball, what a social event, if I could I would do it every weekend, if you haven't tried it,.....go, its the absolute best fun on a short run you can get. 

 

Afterwards a sterling coffee on the beautiful lawns......some folk dont know how good a run can be.!!

Edited March 10, 2018 by GrumpyOldGuy

[SwissVan]

Never underestimate a guy with a lifetimes worth of miles in his legs! It counts for something that short term training cannot give.

 

When i was an appy one of my journeymen always used to say

Age and wisdom (or treachery, depending on the situation) will always beat youth and exuberance  

[porqui]

This old ballie had a good day in the saddle on Sunday's CTCT

 

Feels good to still be able to give it stick

(Don't ask me to define stick)