Were you athletic as a kid?

[Trek420]

Outdoorsy as a kid I climbed trees, built forts, fished for crawdads in the creek, biked o course .... but I sucked at sports.

If there's a ball involved I can be bad at it.

In Jr. High - High School when we choose sides for any team I was always last picked.

So I learned to hate sports.

We took swim lessons each summer, I love to swim. I got as far as Jr. and Sr. lifesaving. If they'd had prescription goggles could have done that in summer .... my eyesight's so bad on the final test I had trouble finding the "body" As I recall the other parts of the test I did ok, swimming laps with a rescue, swimming laps with a weight held over your head...it was fun.

I didn't discover there were other sports till about college and there is a whole 'nother world!!

Who knew?

I could rock climb, hike, bike of course and I discovered I liked martial arts.

I took a Tai Chi class till that teacher moved, found a Karate teacher till she moved, found another Karate dojo in a similar style and then ... I saw Aikido demonstrated by my teacher and I was hooked.

That was about '80.

And of course the whole time I rode.

I feel lucky to have found two "lifetime sports" that I enjoy and that reward knowlege and experience.

Sure, it's different at 50, I don't sprint as well on a bike, I don't do breakfalls at all on the mat. I think I more than make up for that in other ways.

Barring injury or illness I hope to be able to do both for a long time.

[Deborajen]

When I was a kid, my big love was figure skating. We lived just a short drive from the only ice rink in our part of the country and my parents sprung for private lessons for awhile - little pink dress - the works. I had the grace of a donkey, though, so that didn't go too far. Also had clip-on roller skates.

Otherwise, I've always been very mediocre at athletics. I did letter in track in Junior High (high jump and long jump), played softball in the summer in my early teens (usually outfield, but I also got to play first base a few times), played some recreational racquetball in college, etc. In phys ed, I was usually picked in the first half but never first.

Cycling is pretty much the same although it's kind of hard to measure. I ride more for the exercise and the enjoyment and maybe some distance challenge. It's fun to do and I think one of the reasons I like it is because you can enjoy it without having to be competitive.

But I'd say I'm picking up on cycling at a moderate rate - very similar to my mediocre athletic abilities as a kid.

Deb

[kelownagirl]

Hated PE as a kid, not coordinated, last to be picked for teams, often seen doing cartwheels in the outfield during softball games. Grew up, hated to exercise, didn't like sweating, luckily was skinny due to a high metabolism. Turned 40, forced to exercise, started to do workout to fight age-related weight gain, didn't mimd it so much, started riding bike to do cardio when gym membership ran out, became obsessed, dh said I was athletic, I am still not sure, but I do love biking.... a work still in progress I guess.