Fear & age?

[Melalvai]

When people ask about being scared to descend hills too fast, I say, "Take it slow, you'll get used to it." In the meantime you might go through your brake pads faster, but that's ok.

When people talk about being scared of traffic, I tell them the statistics: most of your wrecks are caused by yourself and don't involve a car. Focus on bike-handling skills, you'll get better as you keep riding. Half of bike-car collisions are the cyclist's fault. Follow the rules. Take the bike class to learn defensive bicycling which will actively discourage drivers' mistakes.

But I have noticed a disturbing trend in myself lately. Someone else mentioned noticing the same thing about himself. I've gotten more scared of things. The last couple times we went sledding I didn't have any fun at all. The slopes were too scary and I quit after a couple attempts. Heights are scarier than they used to be. Although I have gotten better at going over bridges (the "get used to it" theory?)

When a friend commented that he doesn't like to walk on ice, even for fun, because he's scared of falling and he thinks he's getting more scared in his "old" age, that got me wondering. Is it an age related phenomenon? (Ok, I'm not quite 40, and he's only 55, neither of us qualify as "old", but it could be something to do with getting older?)

And, more importantly, what can we do about it? I don't want to lose things I used to enjoy, like sledding. Any ideas?

[jobob]

Oh my. I'm going thru the same sort of thing right now. When I go out for a ride I worry about the cars on the road much more than I used to, or I worry that I'll be in a dumb solo crash. When Lee goes out for a ride I wonder if I'll get one of those dreaded phone calls. Even when we're out driving, I wonder what might happen. It's not really in the forefront of my mind, but it's definitely there.

I think a large part of it has to do with the fact that up until a couple of months ago our day-to-day existence revolved around my elderly FIL who was in & out & in & out of hospitals and nursing homes, so I was constantly reminded of what life could become.

I'm hoping that, now that my FIL has passed away and we no longer have to be prepped for when the next call comes, I'll get away from this mindset.

(ed to add: I'm 54)

[Blueberry]

I am 35, and have been dealing with this since July. I've posted another thread here, but it took me a LONG time to be OK on the bike after a very close friend was killed (hit from behind on his bike about a mile from my house). I worried constantly when DH would ride, and did lots and lots of trainer miles. Every time I got on the bike, I was a nervous wreck. The fear is finally fading, and normalcy is coming back. I'm cautious (I always have been and probably always will be - lights, preventative exercises, etc.), but it's getting better. I'm applying for medical school next summer, and have spent a year and a half volunteering in the emergency department - I was concerned that might make me fearful - but not so much.

[shootingstar]

I will be 55 in 3 wks. Maybe with life experience as the years roll by, it depends on whether or not we've experienced significant fall injuries and it took time for us to recover.

Over the past decade, I've fallen 3 different times in 3 different years off my bike when I was on an icy patch and I was going slow. Now, I simply wish that there are very few pedestrians, other cyclists or cars around me when I cycle on pavement with some snow/ice so that I DON'T have to brake at all/suddenly. The trick of cycling more easily in the winter, isn't just studded tires, but also having the ability to brake safely /not suddenly so that your bike wheels don't fishtail.

As for bombing down a hill by bike, yea I've noticed some of this in myself, ie. slowing down a tad. Look this is how I see this: I'm STILL cycling. There are lots of people in our age bracket who still refuse to cycle and still think it's just unsafe period. We have to remind ourselves of this fact as regular cyclists: we are NOT the norm in our age bracket --in North America. A lot of people do not cycle regularily at all.

Maybe lifting weights, bone-strengthening gives more psychological comfort /helps fight fear factor.

I have a good long-term friend whose over 78 yrs. old. She recently had hip bone surgery....and her bone shattered DURING surgery when the surgeon tried to deal with one of her hip bones. So an example of osteoporosis. I was shocked by what that meant.... And this is woman, who walked regularily with her friends several times per week, which includes going shopping down the block by herself. She was only 10-15 lbs. overweight at that time.

Yes, I see it in dearie when now he has problems with his knee and we walk across snowy-icy areas. But he still keeps on walking outdoors when it's too difficult to cycle...he has studded tires on his bike.

[Veronica]

I think that as we get older, we realize we're not invincible.

As far as holding on to what you love doing, you have to figure out a way to either get over the fear or a way to live with it. What is it about sledding that is scary now?

Veronica

[Grits]

I prefer to think I am more cautious, not fearful! With me, it comes directly from having done this long enough to see what can happen when cyclists are careless, and also what can happen through absolutely no fault of their own. Having been involved in a crash due to some poor cycling habits of others and ending up with a broken bone, I know how quickly an accident can happen and how long it can take to recover from it. As a result, I no longer participate in charity rides where I have to start out with hundreds of other riders all bunched up together (and then remain bunched up until the first rest stop). I still participate in smaller charity rides and just stay out of any packs of riders. Sure, it is fear of another crash, but it is also common sense on practical ways to avoid a crash. There are enough rides out there that I don't feel like I have deprived myself of anything, I have just made a choice to support smaller rides. I think caution -and wisdom- come with age. The only answer I know of is to take the precautions you realistically can and still do the activities you enjoy. Not always an easy balance to achieve. I'm interested in hearing from others.

[Blueberry]

With me, it comes directly from having done this long enough to see what can happen when cyclists are careless, and also what can happen through absolutely no fault of their own. Having been involved in a crash due to some poor cycling habits of others and ending up with a broken bone, I know how quickly an accident can happen and how long it can take to recover from it. As a result, I no longer participate in charity rides where I have to start out with hundreds of other riders all bunched up together (and then remain bunched up until the first rest stop). I still participate in smaller charity rides and just stay out of any packs of riders.

This too. As you might know, I had a long-standing shoulder injury resulting from the same charity ride where you were injured. Someone didn't see 1) the stop light, 2) the fact that I was stopped or 3) the car in front of me stopped, and literally grabbed my arm to stop herself - taking down me and a few other people (and separating the AC joint where she grabbed the arm). We will never do that ride again (or others that attract new riders who do not know what they are doing).

[rebeccaC]

I like being scared and the sensory experience that my body is put through…..but then you are probably thinking more about anxiety/fear. I remember having more anxiety in my early independent adulthood than now just a few years from that. Yoga and meditation helps me with anxiety. If I let a fear go into a longer pattern it will increase so maybe it can also become more of an issue as we get older if we don’t deal with it. I’ve learned to test a fear to see if it really is as bad as I think and that can lead to my finding ways to manage, lessen and even eliminate it. Exercise, healthy eating, relaxation and my spiritual faith helps greatly with these kinds of things.

now, caution as a calculated response to a danger shouldn't be age related in my mind…..

[Veronica]

I fell down a cliff in 2007 while mountain biking. I had gotten so skittish on my mountain bike that I walked some downhill sections of the White Rim Trail - a pretty easy trail. :o We did a clinic in Crested Butte this summer - that ended up being more like a private tour. The feedback from the guides and a new bike :D has given me back much of my confidence. My brain still freaks out sometimes, but it seems a more "rational" freak out now.

I have never really liked road riding with large groups - too many people who either don't obey the rules, or just have poor bike handling skills.

Veronica

[Pax]

Oh my. I'm going thru the same sort of thing right now. When I go out for a ride I worry about the cars on the road much more than I used to, or I worry that I'll be in a dumb solo crash. When Lee goes out for a ride I wonder if I'll get one of those dreaded phone calls. Even when we're out driving, I wonder what might happen. It's not really in the forefront of my mind, but it's definitely there.

I think a large part of it has to do with the fact that up until a couple of months ago our day-to-day existence revolved around my elderly FIL who was in & out & in & out of hospitals and nursing homes, so I was constantly reminded of what life could become.

I'm hoping that, now that my FIL has passed away and we no longer have to be prepped for when the next call comes, I'll get away from this mindset.

I'm 53 and in this same boat, not only did I have to have my fifth right knee surgery after slipping on the ice a couple of years ago, I also take care of my mom. Same as your FIL, she's very sick and watching her fail has been painfully enlightening, it makes me realize how hard aging and illness can impact a person.

It's caused my wife and to make some significant changes, we've sold our house and moved to an apartment to get away from stairs and our long icy driveway, and we no longer plan to retire in IL. We are searching for a place in the sun... it cracks us up when people tell us how hot the desert is (I've lived in the desert three times in my life), I reply "you never have to shovel or slip on heat".

[roo4]

Mid-40s here. I am more cautious about many things in life. I think the trigger was having a child. In answer to your specific questions, I think becoming more cautious is related to experience--seeing bad stuff happening to people we know. There may also be some hormonal changes--I'm thinking about risk taking behavior as a mating strategy, particularly for young males (note that I am totally making that up and have no scientific documentation to provide). What can we do about it? Well, you have to find balance. Don't sled on the same hills that you plunged down 20 years ago. Pick something tamer. Who cares? As long as you are having fun and staying safe, I don't think it matters if you slow down a bit.

[jobob]

I have never really liked road riding with large groups - too many people who either don't obey the rules, or just have poor bike handling skills.
Veronica

Likewize, I have no desire anymore to go on a large group ride. And my definition of large is getting smaller all the time. ;)

[malkin]

There was an incident locally last year where a cyclist was STOPPED at a rail crossing. He was hit by a car, pushed on to the tracks and killed by the train.

You bet I'm scared.

[smilingcat]

maybe its the accumulated ouchies that makes us more reserved and play more cautiously.

We also realize that we don't heal as fast as when we were younger. My shattered collar bone back in my late 20's healed in about 8 weeks. took another month to regain strength in the bone but still a very fast healing. I shattered my other good collar bone in solo accident, I was in my mid 40's at the time. That took 4 month for the bone to mend and another 2 maybe 3 month to regain any strength in the bone...

My injuries are definitely taking lot longer to heal as I get older... Torn knee in my teens, I'm not sure if it would heal at all today. It might fuse together instead...
And my reaction time is about three times slower than in my teens.

So I'm slower, play it safe but I'm here, know who I am, and I'm happy about it. I got my yahoos way out of my system before I reached 20. Now I just watch and go "that's really gonna hurt".

I think its called getting wiser as we age.

[Eden]

I think there are a couple of things that happen as you get older

1 - you realize you are not invincible and you've probably had the experience of having an incident or two yourself or having someone you know well be injured or die. It brings it home.

2 - you realize that as you age it really, actually is easier to get hurt and takes a lot longer to recover…. I have certainly noticed that I don't bounce off the ground without a scratch as much these days… and I'm now also probably paying the piper a bit for things that happened in the past. It makes me more cautious.

3 - you inner ear ages as well - I am personally *much*, *much* less tolerant of things that whirl, spin or shake my head a lot. I get dizzy and disoriented more easily than I did when I was a kid. I'm not even interested in mountain biking because I feel like bumping down hill really fast I cannot see well enough or react well enough to be safe…

[Crankin]

I've always been cautious and at times, fearful. I come from a family of fearful, neurotic Jewish women, and I've broken through most of that... that said, my mom was adventurous, but born at the wrong time. She was very athletic, and she really only put it to use in high school, in the 1940s. I just wish I had started outdoor stuff earlier, because I think I would have had less fear in my 20s or 30s. I don't have particularly great bike handling skills on downhills, and at this point, I am not sure what else to do. It scares the crap out of me. The other parts, well, I *am* a bike trip leader, so I try to mitigate danger by planning routes that don't have awful intersections, uphill stops, etc. You probably wouldn't notice anything bad about my riding unless you saw me descending! I also no longer do big group rides, and I even don't like riding with "my" group sometimes because of the incredibly poor skills. This is why I volunteer to be the sweep a lot of times! I don't like the unknown and I do get anxious if I am on a group ride and try to anticipate what I will have to be doing. I am better than I used to be, though. I have no issues taking the lane, signaling, etc, but within the confines of my familiar area or in other suburban/rural roads.
I will ride just about anywhere around where I live and I like climbing. However, I couldn't ride in Boston. I don't even drive in Boston. Too many azzholes and things I can't control.
I am less scared when I am nordic skiing. I descend pretty big hills on those skinny skis. Maybe because it's closer to the ground and snow is softer than pavement. However, today, there was a lot of ice at the beginning of our ski, on a small descent and my legs started shaking uncontrollably, I guess because I was scared. It made it very hard to descend with my knees together, but I got down without falling.
I have osteoporosis that is being treated and I am back into the osteopeinia range now. But, it makes me more cautious. Really, though, my fear is mental and somehow, I have been able to work through in skiing, not so much in cycling. At the end of the day, though, I feel like Shooting Star. I am out there doing what 99% of other 60year olds don't do.

[malkin]

maybe its the accumulated ouchies that makes us more reserved and play more cautiously....

I think its called getting wiser as we age.

Years ago, my brother described an old woman walking "like she'd already stubbed every toe, and knew how it felt."

[Skippyak]

The older we get, the more we cling to life. I am still more fearful skiing than I am cycling though. It is not rational. I am more than irritated by my skiing limitations.

[OakLeaf]

The older we get, the more we cling to life.

I've been saying that for decades, and you're the first person I've ever "met" who agrees with me! It's such a truism that "young people think they're immortal," where I believe it's the exact opposite - young people expect to die at any minute, so they can be more willing to take risks; older people gain this emotional conviction that since death hasn't happened to them yet, it isn't going to, and if they can just make their lives a little smaller and a little more unpleasant, they can last forever.

I try very, very hard not to do that. There's one thing that terrifies me above all else, and that is medical procedures. That is definitely a case where experience led to the terror. So I've tightened up my paperwork and prepared myself for hard decisions as best I can, knowing it might not be enough.

As far as two-wheeled exploits, it's being off the bikes because of injuries that has made me somewhat more tentative, not the injuries themselves (which mostly didn't happen on two wheels anyway). I ride fewer miles, my skills get rusty, and that eats at my confidence ... as it very well should IMO. I completely lost all confidence at low-speed maneuvers a while back, and that's been a HUGE mental block, but I don't attribute that to age at all (though I'm not entirely sure what to attribute it to ... I'd had enough low-speed tipovers before that that *didn't* much hurt my confidence ...)

[Melalvai]

These are great responses, thanks!



1 - you realize you are not invincible and you've probably had the experience of having an incident or two yourself or having someone you know well be injured or die. It brings it home.

Good point. My daughter's wreck in 2010, and my cousin's little girl's death a few years before that, were strong blows to my confidence. I didn't make the connection because what does sledding have to do with bicycling? But I realize that I've heard some things about sledding that connect it in my mind to my daughter's wreck. A popular sledding hill here in town, that we used to sled on when my daughter was small, was closed down because someone was killed on it. A friend of mine commented that she won't go sledding herself because she did her ER rotation during the winter and saw a lot of broken faces from sledding. I guess those things stewed in my mind and connected with my daughter's wreck and now I'm not comfortable sledding.

It's not at all logical because I don't mind HER sledding, I just am not comfortable doing it myself.



3 - you inner ear ages as well - I am personally *much*, *much* less tolerant of things that whirl, spin or shake my head a lot. I get dizzy and disoriented more easily than I did when I was a kid. I'm not even interested in mountain biking because I feel like bumping down hill really fast I cannot see well enough or react well enough to be safe…

Oh! That is so true. I hadn't realized it was a physiological change but now that you mention it I see it. My daughter & I went to the park not long ago, and swung on the swings & climbed on things etc. (She's 18...we had a blast!) I did not swing as high as she did or as high as I used to. I didn't like the merry-go-round at all. I can get vertigo so much more easily than when I was younger.

[marni]

Oh my. I'm going thru the same sort of thing right now. When I go out for a ride I worry about the cars on the road much more than I used to, or I worry that I'll be in a dumb solo crash. When Lee goes out for a ride I wonder if I'll get one of those dreaded phone calls. Even when we're out driving, I wonder what might happen. It's not really in the forefront of my mind, but it's definitely there.

I think a large part of it has to do with the fact that up until a couple of months ago our day-to-day existence revolved around my elderly FIL who was in & out & in & out of hospitals and nursing homes, so I was constantly reminded of what life could become.

I'm hoping that, now that my FIL has passed away and we no longer have to be prepped for when the next call comes, I'll get away from this mindset.

(ed to add: I'm 54)
part of this fear may also be a result of depression following the death of your FIL. Any death will take time to adjust to emotionally. When our live in Fil died two years ago, I went into a severe depression since I had been his primary care giver for three years.
any death diminishes us a bit and it takes as much time as it takes to start to feel a bit better about things.

I tend to think that as we get older we have become aware of more possibilities about any situation both good and bad. Being human we tend to emphasize the bad and lip slide the good. As I like to tell people when I daringly let or make myself do something that is uncomfortable, "I'm in here for insanity, not stupidity", and have figured the risk is worth the challenge.

Hang in there and try not let either depression or fear take control. You could die tomorrow or live to a ripe old age. You can't control the timing.

[Veronica]

Hang in there and try not let either depression or fear take control. You could die tomorrow or live to a ripe old age. You can't control the timing.

Ain't that the truth. That's why I have a LiFE list not a bucket list - Life to the Fullest Extent. It's not catchy like a movie though. :D

Veronica

[SheFly]

Ain't that the truth. That's why I have a LiFE list not a bucket list - Life to the Fullest Extent. It's not catchy like a movie though. :D

Veronica

Here, here! DH's blog title: Like It's Your Last - Battling time by living every minute as if it were the last, accompanied by my wife, kittens and our fleet of bikes.

SheFly

[Veronica]

I didn't know he had a blog. What a great title! Now I have something to read over breakfast. :D


Veronica

[Catrin]

I think this is what I've been battling with riding on the road. The neck/mtb injury took me off the mountain bike, and it hurts enough to ride longer than short rides that I start thinking more about other things that could happen while riding the road. A cyclist collided with my car in October, and THAT put an image in my head that I've not yet been able to get out so I've not been able to ride at all since that happened. We have a very bad intersection with a MUT and a side street - you literally cannot see if anyone is on the trail coming from one direction (bike or ped) until your car is completely blocking the intersection. VERY bad design, thankfully she wasn't seriously injured even though she didn't have a helmet on, but it has really affected my ability to ride. They still haven't changed that intersection....sigh.

[lph]

I think the important thing about fear is to realize that how much fear you feel is not in proportion to the risk you're running. They're vaguely connected, but there are a host of psychological mechanisms that can make us feel more (or less) fearful than the situation warrants.

I tend to be more fearful skiing than cycling, even though the speeds are similar and the consequences of crashing while skiing are usually much less serious. And I'm skilled enough, I just don't have the daily practice that deadens fear. And yes, I have grown more fearful with age, but at the same time I understand myself more and am capable of doing things to win over fear. When younger I'd be more likely to either back out or just force myself to do something I was afraid of, blindly, and without really mastering it.

[shootingstar]

I think the important thing about fear is to realize that how much fear you feel is not in proportion to the risk you're running. They're vaguely connected, but there are a host of psychological mechanisms that can make us feel more (or less) fearful than the situation warrants.

This is helpful to keep things in perspective.

To repeat reminders to ourselves as we continue to cycle/bike onward into the years: as women cyclists in North America, we're still the minority, especially over 35 ...or even in general.

I've cycled regularily since returning to cycling 23 years ago. Some of my regular cycling routes within whatever city I've lived in, consists (deliberately) of routes where a large chunk of it is marked/dedicated cycling infrastructure (ie. 70% of the route). So whenever I talk about cycling a 60-100 km. bike ride within my city, inevitably it does includes a lengthy distance of interconnected bike routes and cycling infrastructure. I do believe that has reduced my exposure somewhat.

I also tend to plan my rides wherever I can, to reduce exposure to high speed car traffic routes, high volumes of cyclists during peak travel hrs. at certain times of the year.

I know that people here don't like MUPs....it works for me..because I start off cycle-commuting to work, early in the morning when cyclists are less, and I finish work earlier than the peak volumes (which also coincides with less car traffic when I have to cycle on streets).

For weekend riding, I also tend to engineer rides in that way..though it's a whole lot easier to plan cycling with less car traffic.

As for fear, I find it just far easier, even enjoyable snowshoeing on a narrow mountain path, compared to hiking the same path in summer without snow. It's the illusion of snow cushioning a fall (and me wearing clothing layers to protect skin scrapes), etc.

[Crankin]

I feel the same way hiking vs. snow shoeing, ShootingStar.

[shootingstar]

I'm not out to justify my fear and age..it's just for myself at the back of mind since my 20's: I never want to take my indpendent mobility for granted. After university, I worked for 3 years in a rehabilitation hospital for spinal cord injured adults who became paralyzed for life via accidents, gunshot or traumatic sports injuries. I was in my early 20's.

I returned to cycling at 32 yrs.. It was an major wake-up call to take advantage of my ability to walk, bike and good health. So I don't spend much time worrying if I'm too slow, fearful on the bike. If I am, doesn't matter. I'm still enjoying myself.

[tulip]

I'm not out to justify my fear and age..it's just for myself at the back of mind since my 20's: I never want to take my indpendent mobility for granted. After university, I worked for 3 years in a rehabilitation hospital for spinal cord injured adults who became paralyzed for life via accidents, gunshot or traumatic sports injuries. I was in my early 20's.

I returned to cycling at 32 yrs.. It was an major wake-up call to take advantage of my ability to walk, bike and good health. So I don't spend much time worrying if I'm too slow, fearful on the bike. If I am, doesn't matter. I'm still enjoying myself.

I've been a bike commuter for decades--before it became acceptable and almost normal. People would often ask why I rode my bike to work (implying that it was a bit odd for a professional woman with a good job). My best response was, "Because I can." Seemed to make them think. Now people don't ask so much, which is a good thing.

[Aromig]

I think that as we get older, we realize we're not invincible.


Veronica

I think this is it. I broke my leg 18 months ago (just before I turned 40). The rehab took forever - and I still don't think I'm where I was before. Quite the contrast to injuries I had in my twenties. Now I KNOW what can happen and that it will take a while to fix, so I find myself being a lot more cautious.

[Pax]

I think this is it. I broke my leg 18 months ago (just before I turned 40). The rehab took forever - and I still don't think I'm where I was before. Quite the contrast to injuries I had in my twenties. Now I KNOW what can happen and that it will take a while to fix, so I find myself being a lot more cautious.

In the last five years, I've broken ribs and bruised a kidney (a fall off a ladder in the garage), had my fifth right knee surgery (slipped on ice while shoveling the driveway), and ruptured a disk in my back (hit a giant pothole on my scooter). it takes forever to heal any more. But more than that is why I get hurt when the exact same things wouldn't have hurt me as badly a few years ago. Is it because my reactions are slowing down, is my post menopausal body, a combination of the two? Any way I slice it, I just have to use more caution now.

[katluvr]

I have never been much of a daredevil or risk taker. Even as a child I didn't do risky/daring physical activities. Might be because my mom was pretty fearful of most everything and she did not instill much confidence in me. As an adult (I start biking and running at about 39) I have started taking more risks...but I'm also very cautious. If I am riding with my partner I feel much more comfortable riding on busy roads...I've done a lot of rode (some time busy roads) riding so I probable feel comfortable because of my experience and again better with my partner. I do NOT like descending at all. I think this is again a confidence issue, I often visualize my crashes (seriously!). I also have crashed going downhill, so definitely adds to my fear. But I think it is the fact I don't feel comfortable with my skills. Running is probably less of a risk...usual car vs pedestrian stuff but overall I probably don't take risks. That being said I have done Pikes Peak Ascent twice. First time I did pretty good for a flatlander, second time bad altitude effects and I almost didn't make the cut off. I hope to go back this year, but now that I tasted failure (well almost failure) I am more afraid of not only failure but that I might actually die. (OK maybe I'm a bit dramatic but people can die doing this!).
So I guess I have never been a risk taker (I would not ski downhill--scary!), but I think it may be more related to lack of confidence in my physical ability than my age. As I have gotten older I probably have been involved in things that are more of a physical risk than my younger years!
K

[Aromig]

But more than that is why I get hurt when the exact same things wouldn't have hurt me as badly a few years ago.

The double whammy of aging! I work with several colleagues that are my same age. We're all going through physical therapy at various points for something or other. Our shorthand for any of this stuff is "getting old sucks." (We also talk about how we wouldn't go back to 20 for anything though, because even though we get hurt more easily and take longer to heal its nice to be established, independent, have more wisdom, etc.)

[rebeccaC]

This thread is making me not want to get older :eek:…..thinking i should count on the insight, vision and wisdom that also comes with it to serve my creativity in a satisfying offset way.

[Pax]

This thread is making me not want to get older :eek:…..thinking i should count on the insight, vision and wisdom that also comes with it to serve my creativity in a satisfying offset way.

Age has taken me by surprise, Rebecca. I assumed because I was fit and a lifelong risk taker, everything would be fine. But I guess you can't really fight some decline; I don't mean you have to sit in a chair and wait to croak, but you do have to be aware of, and respect, the process. It just requires some accommodation.

[shootingstar]

This is for rebeccaC and anyone who might wonder about aging and physical capabilities:

I was/am a geek and never was good in physical activities @school. For certain, it helps to have a good/healthy weight, diet as a baseline. So cycling is just something I love doing whenever I can. Performance is important in so far to me, that I can mount certain hill grades, go a long distance for trips, cycle with heavier baggage, etc.

I don't bike race but have cycled lots, etc. because I'm car-free for several decades. I'm the type of cyclist that will walk across an intersection with my bike if I know I will be at a very busy intersection with higher car speed roads. I especially do that when my panniers are overly heavy with groceries and bike balance is important.

@55, I have not yet broken a bone, but have been hit by a car as a teen pedestrian. Car going slow enough that I was lucky I was not thrown on top of the car hood. (Just had bruises and was in temperory traumatic shock for a day.) So, yes I guess that's where partially a source of my caution comes from.

My greatest concern these days are: people use cellphones while driving. It is disturbing, even the law in several Canadian provinces makes it illegal, people still do it.

I know these days there seems to be the cult of being physically courageous/admirable by cycling, running under difficult conditions/older age. I don't worry about feeling like a whimp/less because I know I've experienced other things in life which did require taking personal risks: career (by moving in several jobs), financial risk, etc.

Just my comments here --if others wonder if most of us older folks, experience major aches, pains, broken bones alot soon after ie. 40?

[Crankin]

I have not experienced any broken bones, except for a broken nose in a car accident when I was 15 when my mom was driving and a fractured knee from falling down concrete steps when I was 23. I just need more recovery time now. I've always needed more warm up than others and over exercising /overuse injuries kept me sick with infection after infection (respiratory), plantar fasciaitis, and a stress fracture in my 30s. I also weighed 92 pounds.
Yes, I learned my lesson, but it is still hard for me, even though I know better. It's a struggle to take 2 rest days a week, but I really need to. I want to do more and get faster all of the time. The problem is, it's really hard to do this at my stage of life! And, I know a lot of people from my cycling group, who are 5-15 years older than me, who do a lot more. I have a hard time accepting aging and I dislike people who "embrace" their oldness. Some of my issues are from my own peculiar health issues that I have struggled with off and on since I was much younger. But, I still keep at it and it helps to surround myself with others who are extremely fit.

[Veronica]

I thought of this thread when I saw this (http://www.whattheduck.net/sites/default/files/WTD1450.gif). :D

Veronica

[OakLeaf]

I want to do more and get faster all of the time.

I've already figured that if I live long enough, there will come a time when my aging will overrun the speed I'm still gaining by experience and smarter training. And then it will be time to find a new sport that I can start getting faster at. :D




Good one, V. :p

[shootingstar]

I have a hard time accepting aging and I dislike people who "embrace" their oldness. Some of my issues are from my own peculiar health issues that I have struggled with off and on since I was much younger. But, I still keep at it and it helps to surround myself with others who are extremely fit.

Crankin, I assume you meant people who "embrace" their oldness, by becoming unhealthy/not fit because they chose to slack off/not pay attention to what they were eating, etc.

I agree that it helps to be around some people who share and practice some healthy habits. I know I've lost some perspective on average health and fitness of older men, because I'm around dearie...who is 70. He's not superman, but he is fit with ongoing effort to eat healthy (80% of time, like most people) and yea, I have low level worry when he tells me about his winter cycling this winter on his studded tires.. But I don't say much to him except ask how his rides are. Today he chose to remain on the paths where there are no cars and the pathways are more clear/less slippery. Not totally. Whereas I saw a number of (primarily) male cyclists rolling along on their studded tires through slush, etc. on roads with cars. He cycled around 20 km. today. I haven't been cycling at all for past 6 days, because of our snowfall and snow/ice is on roads that is part of my normal work commute route.

Yesterday, he was musing to me 8 years ago, how he did cycle from Toronto to Montreal....in 3 days. Which meant 1-2 days of cycling 190 km. per day. Yeaa, I guess he was 62 yrs. I didn't clue in at that time, for age vs. distance. I only paid attention to the daily distance. I am a dork at times.) He says now, he could not /would not want to do that distance in 1 day.

Sooooooo....aging, capability, self-confidence or just happy ignorance (with some fitness training to prevent injury) and taking some precaution, results in situations where each person responds differently to their slow physical decline.

In my opinion, balanced mental health is important and becomes even more so as we age, but still do fitness activities with some adjustments. This is why I put cycling as equally important to me...as my blogging, art. And it is another reason why my personal blog, it's not solely about cycling. I don't wish to become a person who falls into deep depression just because I can't cycle as well/cycle at all.I can't guarantee such self-protection, but just want have a handful, not just 1 passion that I love to practice/indulge.

Here I am just a few days ago:

http://fitisafeministissue.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/jean-chong-riverside-path-dec-2013.jpg

[Crankin]

ShootingStar, I meant that I have friends who are excitedly bragging about joining AARP, complaining about their aches and pains, living for the day they can become snowbirds and spend half the year in FL, and saying things like "at our age..."
I agree, you do need balance for your mental health. I dread the day when I can't ride, but that's when I'll be walking outside or doing chair aerobics! (sigh, we used to make fun of instructors who taught that when I worked at gyms). I just don't want to get old. There's longevity in my family, with fairly good quality of life, so I expect to have to adapt my exercise habits as I'll be around for awhile.

[lph]

I don't mind getting older (at least not much), I mind not being able to do the things I love. As long as those things require a certain level of physical fitness, I'm going to strive to keep fit. But I would be naive if I expected myself to be as fast or as strong or as fearless now as when I was 20 years younger. I do know however that stamina "ages well", it just takes consistent training and not too many injuries. And general good health is of course something that everyone can work at and benefit from, at every age.

At some point my priorities may change. I don't mean that that I will ever happily accept poor health, but maybe keeping fit just might not seem so important, maybe because the effort overshadows the rewards, maybe because I've gained other interests in life. I don't know. I think that's what I think of in the term "aging gracefully" - not trying to be as fit or feel as "young" as possible, but making active choices about how to keep yourself capable of doing the things you enjoy doing.

[PamNY]

ShootingStar, I meant that I have friends who are excitedly bragging about joining AARP, complaining about their aches and pains, living for the day they can become snowbirds and spend half the year in FL, and saying things like "at our age..."

I pretty much avoid people who use the phrase "at our age."

[Melalvai]

ShootingStar, I meant that I have friends who are excitedly bragging about joining AARP, complaining about their aches and pains, living for the day they can become snowbirds and spend half the year in FL, and saying things like "at our age..."


You have weird friends. :D

[rebeccaC]

I think that's what I think of in the term "aging gracefully" - not trying to be as fit or feel as "young" as possible, but making active choices about how to keep yourself capable of doing the things you enjoy doing. well put and that's hopefully how I'll look at it!!!!

[Catrin]

I pretty much avoid people who use the phrase "at our age."

Generally speaking, folks who say such things appear to think that I am from another planet ;)

[OakLeaf]

But then, "at my age" I *do* need more recovery time to get the benefit of a hard workout, and to avoid injury, and I'm not shy about admitting it, even to athletes older than I am. I know someone my same age who's been following a cookie-cutter training plan and getting very little benefit out of it, and it's pretty obvious to me that it doesn't include enough recovery time for someone our age ...

[OakLeaf]

You know, the year I did CFC and my first half marathon seems like forever ago, and in many ways it was, but it was only four years ago, and it's relevant to this thread in a few different ways.

That was the year I turned 50. I'd been afraid to do CFC ever since I heard of it. I just decided that I was old enough NOT to be afraid of hard work and pain, and I trained for it, and I did it in the chilly rain, and with what's happened to me since I may never do it again, but I did it. And I zoomed down some of those 25% grades on rough pavement in the rain and wasn't afraid of that either.

But then I got hurt ... and it wasn't so much slow healing that's been the huge problem, it's been that I couldn't find good treatment and so when I did heal, it was with everything still misaligned and a whole lot of muscles and tendons left significantly shorter than the bones they're supposed to be aligning. And the way age played into all that was the accumulation of minor injuries and misalignments over the years, that have all contributed to my ongoing problems.

But also, there's the emotional strain that comes with being our age. Deaths and extended illness of family members, increased responsibility, problems with children for those who have them, etc. That takes a toll on the physical body and training capacity, too. It will show in resting heart rate and in results.

[Crankin]

Melavai, those friends are what I call "regular" people, not any of my cycling friends. And Catrin, I agree, those people humor me because I have known them since 1990, when I was doing "acceptable" exercise at the gym, not "weird outdoor stuff." Or boot camp. Sometimes even younger acquaintances look at me like I'm from another planet.
Oak, I know I need more recovery and I do not ignore that. I stopped nordic skiing earlier than my friends on Sunday, and I am glad, even though the reason was because DH was starting to fall and knew he had had it! I took 2 full days off and I needed it after 3 days of snow sports. I know I sound like I am not aging gracefully, at least in my acceptance of the inevitable. That's why I keep on trucking and every few weeks go out with my cycling group which is full ofpeople just like me, who are up to age 90 or so!

[Catrin]

But then, "at my age" I *do* need more recovery time to get the benefit of a hard workout, and to avoid injury, and I'm not shy about admitting it, even to athletes older than I am. I know someone my same age who's been following a cookie-cutter training plan and getting very little benefit out of it, and it's pretty obvious to me that it doesn't include enough recovery time for someone our age ...

That is true Oakleaf, and I've learned the hard way that I need a bit more rest/recovery than the young things I train with. THAT is something rather different from the group I was referring to - the ones who won't lift a finger because "they are too old"...or "one shouldn't do that at our age", and they are MY age! That is all I was referring to, that fear of activity because of some arbitrary age. There are aches and pains that come from movement, and very different injuries that come from being too sedentary.

[Sky King]

Getting old ain't for sissies. What I do enjoy is that I have moved beyond needing to compare what I do to what others do. Although I will confess to pushing back on limitations, I do make a conscious effort to "play smart". I avoid group rides, I avoid high traffic roads, I realize a "full day" of skiing for me is a bit shorter than when I was in my 20's.

The DH wrote a pretty soul barring blog post (http://biketouringnews.com/crossroads/im-out/) just prior to our Death Valley trip that fits somewhat into this thread. Here is the last sentence: "I will die…. violently, peacefully, suddenly, unexpectedly, accidentally or by my own hand…. I will die. But right now I want to go ride my bicycle in the desert."

[Crankin]

I guess that saying (getting old ain't for sissies)is emblematic of what I mean. Why say that? If you think you're old, you'll act it. This is apart from slowing down or needing more rest when exercising like most of us do. What exactly is it, about getting old that's not for sissies? From my perspective, I'm more self aware, I have a lot more money, and I have a job I love. I don't let negative people bring me down and I've divested myself from all relatives who are dysfunctional. If an emergency or something bad happens, I can handle it a lot better now than I could when I was 20, 30, or even 40. My life has not been perfect, but maybe because most of the bad stuff happened when I was young, I have a different view.
I think people say this as it applies to health problems. If you are active, a lot of those things just aren't a problem. Of course, cycling, etc. does not totally protect you from disease, but it sure helps you survive illness mentally. What I do makes me tough. Sure, I may be more cautious, but my frame of mind is different than a lot of others I know.

[lph]

Hm, I don't understand why you dislike the phrase. To me it means (roughly) "as you get older things you took for granted when you were young become harder work. You'll need to keep up regular training, you'll need more rest, you'll be more aware of aches and pains, and injuries will take longer to heal. So toughen up." In other words - don't stop doing active stuff, and don't complain if it's a bit harder work. I think that's a pretty good message.

[OakLeaf]

I'm with Crankin there. I hate that phrase, and not just for the misogyny/homophobia of the word "sissy." I've never heard anyone use the phrase whose understanding of the aging process was "more recovery, but also more intervals."

Which is not to say I haven't heard people use the phrase who were trying to stay active in their frailty. But they haven't been working smart, just making stabs at trying to do things they no longer could, not trying to improve their form, using weights that were too heavy, etc.

I don't know, because I'm not there yet, and I don't really intend to get there ... I do know that aging makes it harder and harder to adjust to new things, and maybe they really can't learn. But I wasn't really joking when I said I'd get a new sport. Just as some people say they'll be done when they can't learn new ideas ... I'll be done when I can't learn new things about my body.

[Sky King]

Ohhhhh sorry, didn't mean to offend anybody. It is a weird phrase isn't it. For me it means much as lph says. The "alternative" is something that will happen eventually and in the meantime I think great conversations, like this thread are invaluable. I will always remember by FIL saying to my DH that he thought my DH was getting to old for that crazy stuff - riding his bike! and he had just turned 50. You can all imagine my DH's response to that :)

[Crankin]

Oakleaf, you hit it on target. People i know who use that phrase are not worrying about recovery periods or trying out a new sport.
Sky King, I am not offended by you, I just think that it's something people say when they have aged poorly, because maybe, unlike most of us, they have not given a thought to the long term effects of their lifestyle on their health. And, I just hate the negativity it projects.
I think I have strong feelings about all of this because when I was a kid and into my teens, I was totally unathletic. I'm still uncoordinated in a lot of ways, but once I had a inkling that I had some endurance ability, my feelings about a lot of stuff has changed. Being fit secretly boosts my ego in a way that could have helped a lot when I was younger.

[lph]

Right. People I know who say something of the sort are usually active types who have been active their whole lives, and are griping about how things take more effort. Good-naturedly, I might add :). I can see that it sounds very different if people say it by way of complaining that their age is the sole reason that they're unfit or whatever.

Come to think of it, I don't hang out much (or at least listen much to) people in that second category... :-D

[Helene2013]

I think I'm more on the "fear" side knowing risks can happen (especially being clumsy hihi). I also know by experience now that falling can lead to longer recovery/healing. The older you get, the longer it may take and I would not like to impact my future for a "stupid" move I may have tried and flunk. hihi

BUT!!!! I probably was one of the rare persons who was jumping up and down when I turned 50 last year. That meant it was the decade in which I retire. Finally got there! Only 6 years max to go. We've always been active, although less in some part of our lives. We will still be active, differently and it does take longer to recup from tougher gym sessions.

Aging bothers me because yes it limits some things we used to do (because of previous injuries/surgeries that impacted life), we are more thoughful in activity choices, etc. But other than this, we are the same. And I do tend to stick to people who are active like us. I don't need whiners in our lives. You generally live the life you want to live, except for illnesses like cancer, etc, which you can't really control.