Help! I'm trapped inside a 53 year old body!

[lazygood4nothinbum]

grumpy, maybe there is a swimming gene. grandma was either a state or high school champ (i forget what the story was) and mom had a beautiful stroke and dive. i've been swimming as far back as i can remember. my brother never took to laps (he's more a baseball guy) and so my niece & nephews can swim but they were never well trained. i tried talking them into training the youngest because i could tell early on he'd be a strong swimmer. i guess there was too much soccer, computer, whatever, in the way. too bad, the kid's already starting to put on weight that swimming would have kept off him.

thought of you at the hall of fame today. you'd love that pool. i thought it would be crowded because of the holiday but i got my own lane. fifty meters of wonderful.

mb, why not sprint with less impact sports. after i do laps i end with a couple of sprints of the 50-meter pool. it is a very different workout from lapping. then when i bike home i sprint on & off the last few miles home.

 

[Cattusbabe]

Great thread. As a life long couch potato and a "ahem" woman of size I have started that 10,000 steps a day program last month and I feel great. I put the pedometer on in the AM and have started walking various routes around my home. Finally got up to 10,000 steps (5 miles) last week and would like to get up to 12,000 steps soon. At 52 and never having had much in the way of stamina I feel much better and would like to get in good enough shape to get back on a bicycle. ( haven't ridden one since I was a kid.) There a lot of trails to explore here and now I have the time to see them. Now that I no longer work I felt that is was finally time to do something about my health. I am enjoying not working so much I want this to last a long as possible.

Lots of good information here:
Prevention.com: Diet, Health, Weight Loss, Anti-Aging, and More!

 

[mb]

mb, why not sprint with less impact sports. after i do laps i end with a couple of sprints of the 50-meter pool. it is a very different workout from lapping. then when i bike home i sprint on & off the last few miles home.

A minor thread hijack,

LG4NB, I think that both swim and bike sprints should work. If I remember the article correctly, I think that what is important is that you use enough large muscle groups in what ever exercise you are doing that you go deeply anaerobic. You can effectively do that swimming or biking.

I sometimes do 50-yard or 100-yard sprints in a 25-yard pool. Sometimes a couple at the end of a long continuous swim like what you mention. Other times as the main set with say 1000 yards of sprints with warmup and warmdown and maybe some kicks or something. I usually bike to the pool too

But my favorite water workout is my aqua duathlon which consists of hottub, swim, hottub. Every once in a while I skip the middle leg

Is that the Swimming Hall of Fame pool in Florida that you mentioned? I don't have access to a 50 m pool

MB

 

[Linney]

Great thread. As a life long couch potato and a "ahem" woman of size I have started that 10,000 steps a day program last month and I feel great. I put the pedometer on in the AM and have started walking various routes around my home. Finally got up to 10,000 steps (5 miles) last week and would like to get up to 12,000 steps soon. At 52 and never having had much in the way of stamina I feel much better and would like to get in good enough shape to get back on a bicycle. ( haven't ridden one since I was a kid.)....

Hi Cattusbabe,

I love the 10,000 steps program and have gotten several coworkers to take up the challenge at work as a first stage to developing a healthier lifestyle.

My husband challenged me to take up bike riding 3 years ago and it is my new passion. Be sure to have your bike fitted for you and learn how to make some of the basic adjustments yourself so you can fine-tune the bike over time. A well fitted bike is a joy to ride, but an ill-fitted one can cause you to give up with the assumption that "bicycling just isn't for me".

I searched the internet for local bike paths and bike routes and have had a blast exploring them, both city and rural. Our local bike clubs sponsor women's only rides so that women can get more comfortable riding on their own. Best wishes, and here's hoping you are another convert to bicycling. We could use more women riders out there!

--Linney

 

[mb]

Be sure to have your bike fitted for you and learn how to make some of the basic adjustments yourself so you can fine-tune the bike over time. A well fitted bike is a joy to ride, but an ill-fitted one can cause you to give up with the assumption that "bicycling just isn't for me".
--Linney

I agree with Linney on bike fit. Stay away from department store bikes. Go to a good bike shop and make sure they spend enough time with you to properly fit the bike. I think this is still more important for women even though there are now many bikes with "women specific geometry."

MB

 

[grumpy]

i guess there was too much soccer, computer, whatever, in the way. too bad, the kid's already starting to put on weight that swimming would have kept off him.

thought of you at the hall of fame today. you'd love that pool. i thought it would be crowded because of the holiday but i got my own lane. fifty meters of wonderful.

Lazy,

Is the Hall of Fame pool still in Ft. Lauderdale? I think I remember that they moved somewhere else. I was there years ago for one of my son's meets. I don't have access to a 50M pool now. I do remember years ago swimming laps at Mission Viejo and IUPUI after his meets. The pools seemed endless!

When my son was 12 he was still playing soccer and basketball along with year-round swimming. His swim coach told him it was time to make a choice. If he wanted to take his swimming as far as possible he needed to give up the other sports and step up his training. He agonized over the decision for a few weeks but later said he didn't regret it. I always wondered, though, about the other kids who made the same sacrifices but never reached their goals. Many of his teammates trained just as hard but never made national or olympic trial cuts, never got to travel to international meets, never got swimming scholarships, etc. For some kids it may be better to participate casually in a few different activities.

Grumpy

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

But my favorite water workout is my aqua duathlon which consists of hottub, swim, hottub. Every once in a while I skip the middle leg

Is that the Swimming Hall of Fame pool in Florida that you mentioned? I don't have access to a 50 m pool

MB

at gym i go from hot tub to pool. i love the cold shock on my body after 10 minutes of sweating underwater.

yes, that is the pool. been swimming there for 30 years. thought they were going to move it but now doing a rehab instead. very happy. nothing better than swimming 50 meters without a turn. sometimes i swim a mile at the gym pool but that's like 70 lengths, annoying to track and all the turning makes me dizzy. midway i also have a 25 yard pool at the local high school available from 5 to 8 pm most days.

Lazy,

Is the Hall of Fame pool still in Ft. Lauderdale? I think I remember that they moved somewhere else. I was there years ago for one of my son's meets. I don't have access to a 50M pool now. I do remember years ago swimming laps at Mission Viejo and IUPUI after his meets. The pools seemed endless!

When my son was 12 he was still playing soccer and basketball along with year-round swimming. His swim coach told him it was time to make a choice. If he wanted to take his swimming as far as possible he needed to give up the other sports and step up his training. He agonized over the decision for a few weeks but later said he didn't regret it. I always wondered, though, about the other kids who made the same sacrifices but never reached their goals. Many of his teammates trained just as hard but never made national or olympic trial cuts, never got to travel to international meets, never got swimming scholarships, etc. For some kids it may be better to participate casually in a few different activities.

Grumpy

well, yes. actually the pool is now called the fort lauderdale swim complex though the swim hall of fame is still on location. i continue to call the complex the swimming hall of fame because i've been calling it that for 30 years. there was a rift between the hall and the city back when real estate was crazy and the hall of fame thought they could move anywhere. since every proposal to move went bust and they are still in place i imagine some crow was digested between then and now.

your kid sounds much more ambitious than my nephew so i'm not sure any decision would have made a difference. at least my niece picked up on the family love for horses (this weekend i get to play with the new baby stallion, can't wait). would have been nice if they would have picked up on the love of swimming too. who knows. maybe if i move onto a boat and they find themselves with snorkle gear in the caribbean i'm sure they'll find a way to quickly adapt. the kid did pretty good with me on a past cruise to the bahamas. he's just swimming for pleasure, not competition.

 

[TargaDave]

I missed this thread. Only 49 but I figure it's close enough to 50. One thing to add. They say that loss of balance is normal as you age but you can delay it with different types of balance training. Lot's of people train for endurance but few train for maintaining balance into later years. I have a unicycle and an Indo board. The Indo board is really great and there is all kinds of simple "tricks" you can learn.

 

[simple girl]

I missed this thread. Only 49 but I figure it's close enough to 50. One thing to add. They say that loss of balance is normal as you age but you can delay it with different types of balance training. Lot's of people train for endurance but few train for maintaining balance into later years. I have a unicycle and an Indo board. The Indo board is really great and there is all kinds of simple "tricks" you can learn.

I agree. Other exercises that are great for training the balance system are thai chi and yoga (certain poses). Even just practicing balancing on one leg can be a challenge for some.

 

[TargaDave]

I have been swimming laps daily for the past 30 years and periodically keep track of my time for a one mile swim. The times have lengthened gradually and steadily over that period, despite staying at the same perceived level of exertion. In my 30's I could do a mile in under 30 mins. Now that I've hit 60 it takes me around 35 mins. That's not too steep a decline. My stamina has also declined. Until a few years ago I would generally swim up to 1.5 miles of continuous freestyle. Now, completing one mile is about my limit and some days I only do a half to three quarters of a mile.

I used to enhance my cardio fitness by varying my breathing patterns (e.g. only breathe every 4th or 6th or 8th stroke). Now, due to back problems, I mostly use a snorkel (to reduce twisting). I've also given up flip turns and due to my back I hardly kick at all (causes foot and leg cramps). This puts extra stain on shoulders and elbows which sometimes requires me to take a day or two off.
Grumpy

Hey Grump, you and I sound pretty similar though I only got into swimming in my early 30's due to old back problems. Mostly stuck with it even though the back is much better these days. Can average a 40 sec/50 yd pace for a half mile without too much pain. Never really pushed for a straight mile, though I'll add a set of 100 yd sprints and some breast stroke when I'm in the mood. Have this long stretch stroke so I usually average 12-13 strokes per length. Also flip and do most of the workout with a pull buoy (left over habit from the bad back days). Once in a while I'll strain the neck or upper back, even with breathing to both sides so same here with the few day rest to recover. I figure swimming and bicycling are two of the few endurance things I'll be doing if I get past 70. Oh yeah, our Y swim coach was in the '68 olympic trials (same year as Spitz) while still at USC. Said he choked big time. Great ambassador for a great sport though.

 

[grumpy]

Hey Grump, you and I sound pretty similar though I only got into swimming in my early 30's due to old back problems. Mostly stuck with it even though the back is much better these days. Can average a 40 sec/50 yd pace for a half mile without too much pain. Never really pushed for a straight mile, though I'll add a set of 100 yd sprints and some breast stroke when I'm in the mood. Have this long stretch stroke so I usually average 12-13 strokes per length. Also flip and do most of the workout with a pull buoy (left over habit from the bad back days). Once in a while I'll strain the neck or upper back, even with breathing to both sides so same here with the few day rest to recover. I figure swimming and bicycling are two of the few endurance things I'll be doing if I get past 70. Oh yeah, our Y swim coach was in the '68 olympic trials (same year as Spitz) while still at USC. Said he choked big time. Great ambassador for a great sport though.

TargaDave,

Hey, if you can hold 1:20's per 100 yds. average for a half mile you are WAY faster than I am. I have to push to hold 1:45's. I was much faster in my 30's but after radiation treatments for cancer my strength and stamina were never the same. I have never been able to believe that Lance Armstrong could be faster (and drug free) after his treatment for the same type of cancer. I can remember when I was younger watching the old guys swimming laps and wondering why they were going so slow. Now I know!

Grumpy

 

[TromboneAl]

Any bad falls off the indo board when you first started using it? "Bad" includes the board flying out and going through a window.

 

[TargaDave]

TargaDave,

Hey, if you can hold 1:20's per 100 yds. average for a half mile you are WAY faster than I am. I have to push to hold 1:45's. I was much faster in my 30's but after radiation treatments for cancer my strength and stamina were never the same. I have never been able to believe that Lance Armstrong could be faster (and drug free) after his treatment for the same type of cancer. I can remember when I was younger watching the old guys swimming laps and wondering why they were going so slow. Now I know!

Grumpy

To be fair I should mention that if I've been away from the routine for any time period my pace goes to hell in hand basket (more of the aging thing). Been out for 2 months due to a rib separation (kiting) and I can barely hold a 1:26 100 pace at the moment. I admire anyone willing to get in the pool, or walk into the gym and push along at any speed. It's all a personal quest in the end anyway.

Any bad falls off the indo board when you first started using it? "Bad" includes the board flying out and going through a window.

Nope, no board flying butt-elbow wipeouts so far. Just used a high support to grab onto when first learning. You do need reasonable reflexes. I can pull off about 50% of my 180 deg jump turns. Doing the first one of those was a bit scary. The unicycle is also bit more challenging when it comes to avoiding not-so-fun spills. I guess it's just the eternal kid thing in me as opposed to more stationairy balance routines like yoga (which I know can be really challenging as well).

 

[TromboneAl]

Will be checking Craigslist for indo boards, thanks for the idea. I had a unicycle as a kid, but the risk/benefit ratio on that would be too high at this point.

 

[TromboneAl]

Will be checking Craigslist for indo boards, thanks for the idea.

Just realized I can make my own, duh! How To Build a Balance Board

And I'll make one for DD as well as a Christmas present!!

 

[TargaDave]

Just realized I can make my own, duh! How To Build a Balance Board

And I'll make one for DD as well as a Christmas present!!

Great idea and easy to make. Just be sure not to forget the end bumpers on the outside of the bottom of the board (or it will go flying) and some type of non-skid on top. Stock Indo is ~2' travel and ~6" diam tube.

Here is my old guy "one trick" session. Next trick to learn is spinning the board (with me on it) 180 deg in two 90 deg steps. Both DD's are getting into it as well. DW says she will stick to her "Firm" workouts

YouTube - IndoBoarding

 

[Martha]

Just realized I can make my own, duh! How To Build a Balance Board

And I'll make one for DD as well as a Christmas present!!

Al, do you have an idea what kind of four to six inch diameter pipe are they using?

 

[haha]

Here is my old guy "one trick" session. Next trick to learn is spinning the board (with me on it) 180 deg in two 90 deg steps. Both DD's are getting into it as well. DW says she will stick to her "Firm" workouts
YouTube - IndoBoarding

Dave, great performance. I have one of these things and for sure it is a lot harder than it looks!

Ha

 

[Nords]

Here is my old guy "one trick" session. Next trick to learn is spinning the board (with me on it) 180 deg in two 90 deg steps.

Boy, that one video is worth a thousand posts. I get it now.

Does the pipe rotate 180 degrees in two 90-degree steps, too, or is it supposed to stay where it is?

So will this guarantee that I'll be able to do a longboard helicopter off the lip next summer?

 

[TargaDave]

Al, do you have an idea what kind of four to six inch diameter pipe are they using?

Heavy wall PVC (not the thin wall stuff unless you brace the interior) drain pipe should work fine. Use a jig saw to cut wood plugs for both ends if you can't find interior (male) PVC plugs

Boy, that one video is worth a thousand posts. I get it now.

Does the pipe rotate 180 degrees in two 90-degree steps, too, or is it supposed to stay where it is?

So will this guarantee that I'll be able to do a longboard helicopter off the lip next summer?

Pipe is fixed, board rotates. So first 90 deg you go from leg-to-leg balance to heel-to-toe balance. Second 90 deg gets you back to leg-to-leg. Need to be sure your tube length is less than the distance between the end bumpers or you'll hang up at the half way point. I can make about 25% of my tries but not so pretty. I'd take a vid but on a college tour trip with DD at the moment.

It will help your long board helicopters about as much as it helps my "inverted handle passes". Good for regaining some of that reflex speed we all had when we were young, and fun to do when the weather-surf are not cooperating.

Warning: if unsure of your ability or fearlessness use a helmet, elbow-knee pads, start on a mat and have a grab handle. In big letters on a stock Indo board, "Use at your own risk"

 

[TargaDave]

Does the pipe rotate 180 degrees in two 90-degree steps, too, or is it supposed to stay where it is?
quote]

OK here's a video (straight jump, 180 deg spin jump, 180 deg 2-step board spin) though the sound track seems to have gotten srewed up in the upload. Next week we'll try some one footers. Now back to those not-so-fun tasks of of day

YouTube - Indo2

 

[TromboneAl]

Al, do you have an idea what kind of four to six inch diameter pipe are they using?

Heavy wall PVC

Right. I had some 4" inner diameter pipe (see photo) and that works OK, but the official Indo board has a roller that is 6.5" in diameter. I found a hardware store that has 6" plastic sewer pipe, and I'm going to take a look at that when I go into town. My preliminary test with the smaller pipe showed that it worked OK, but it would be better (and maybe more difficult) with a larger diameter pipe. That is, with the smaller pipe, the ends of the board hit the floor even when the board was tilted just a little.

Cutting the pipe with a hacksaw didn't give enough control to give a nice right angle cut. I used a jigsaw and that worked OK. If you only have a hacksaw, make multiple starting cuts along the guiding tape.

I'm not sure there's any reason to close the ends of the pipe except for looks, or if you want to put sand inside to slow down the action.

TargaDave, you can ignore my private message, since I see you answered it here (re non-skid top). Are you sure a non-skid coating is necessary?

I just put the primer coat on the bottom of the two boards I'm making.



Great videos, Dave. I noticed that the instructional video that comes with an Indo board is available on YouTube.

 

[TargaDave]

TargaDave, you can ignore my private message, since I see you answered it here (re non-skid top). Are you sure a non-skid coating is necessary?
Great videos, Dave. I noticed that the instructional video that comes with an Indo board is available on YouTube.

Al, quite the production line there. Non-skid probably not a must if you're not jumpin around or trying to spin the board. However, it should be pretty easy to just mix some fine sand in with the paint for the topside. Yep, instruction video is fun and helpful. Of course they make it all look soooo easy. Always something new to aspire to. Only other tip: carpet or mat will really slow things down (more pipe rolling resistance) for learning and help cushion any falls. Cheers

 

[2soon2tell]

Yes, getting old ain't what its cracked up to be. I had cancer surgery in Jan. followed by radiation and chemo for several months. My last chemo was in Sept. and I am just now getting my pre cancer stamina back. I am able to walk a 15 min per mile pace for five miles. Not the greatest but not bad for a 61 yr. old cancer survivor. Of course I am 25 lbs. lighter than I was before my surgery.

I am also trying to do light upper body workouts to regain muscle tone. After multiple shoulder surgeries with scars, a long mid line incision on my stomach and a chemo port under my collar bone, taking my shirt off might scare some people.

2soon2tell

 

[haha]

Yes, getting old ain't what its cracked up to be. I had cancer surgery in Jan. followed by radiation and chemo for several months. My last chemo was in Sept. and I am just now getting my pre cancer stamina back. I am able to walk a 15 min per mile pace for five miles. Not the greatest but not bad for a 61 yr. old cancer survivor. Of course I am 25 lbs. lighter than I was before my surgery.

I am also trying to do light upper body workouts to regain muscle tone. After multiple shoulder surgeries with scars, a long mid line incision on my stomach and a chemo port under my collar bone, taking my shirt off might scare some people.
2soon2tell

Congrats 2Soon on backing back in the game!

Ha