"BIG 4-0"BIG 5-0"huh?

[Donzo]

I remember when I reached the "land mark" age of the big 4-0 I was somewhat concerned ... I am turning 5-0 next month and feel great about it. Maybe this has something to do with being done with the work treadmill or just plain ol' growing up?
Did these "lordy, lordy look who's forty type of moments effect/motivate you?
I have a long time college freind that lies about his age....

 

[Gumby]

I don't mind getting older. It beats the alternative. I never have understood the fascination with the decade transition birthdays.

 

[razztazz]

That 40 crap was just crap I was fine at 40. Felt 28 and apparently looked much younger. An Army recruiter strikes up a conversation one time about a month after I turned 40 back in 1997. Telling me what a good deal the Army is.....steady paycheck, education bennies yadda yadda. I think he said the max age was 26.  I had already been retired from the Air Force for 2 yrs. Had long brown curly, curly hair down to my shoulders. I felt better than usual for about 2 months after that exchange.

Got jacked up by the poh-leece twice for running in public. Looked suspicious. I was playing that old game of "See if I can run from where I am all the way across the intersection and beat the light" on a 100 degree+ day.  No jogging gear,  just street clothes and  long brown curly, curly hair,  jeans and T-shirt.

Cop was cornfuzed and mystified when he got up close and saw that I wasn't  20. But he had to get that close.

50 is just fine too except  for poor health caused by taking that popular TV drug that lowers cholesterol.

As far as big mental or emotional transormation, none I guess. Except maybe that  40 felt so young and not at all old and beat, like those sorry-assed poor excuses  for "adults"  I used to know way back when.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

somehow i missed 30 and so i've been a little confused as to my age ever since. apparently i'm 49 and a half now.

tomorrow and the day after my two favorite cousins turn 50, both women, both still looking hot. i went to the bank and got a crisp $100 dollar bill, cut it with sizzors and sent each a half. the cards read: between the two of you, yer a 100 (open the cards) dollars richer.

on the one hand, as i've got a peter pan complex, i think i'm still a kid. i've got youthful genes from both sides of the family (mom's face even now almost dead with end-stage alzheimer's at age 75 has hardly a wrinkle).

on the other hand, as i've got a peter pan complex, it is a little disappointing when i go out only to find i'm becoming invisible. for my whole life i was a bit of a looker and i've had my share of gawkers to the point that sometimes it would become uncomfortable and i would wish them away. now that i refuse to dye my s&p hair, i will have to learn to be comfortable as i become invisible, no longer the youthful headturner.

so the saying: be careful what you wish for.

 

[laurence]

Exercise! Two coworkers, early 30's, 80 pounds overweight (they'll tell you 20), on multiple meds and sleep apnea machines at night. Another coworker, almost 55, runs half a dozen races a year between 5ks, 10ks, half and full marathons, and the odd triathlon, ideal weight, and just the salt in his hair keeps him from passing for 30's. People joke that eating right and exercising won't make you live forever, it will just seem that way! But I think the opposite is true. Those 30-somethings are miserable, and my 50-something friend is loving life. That's why I'm running.

24 minute 5k today, shooting to break 20 by the end of the year!

 

[kramer]

Laurence,

YOu are gonna have a lot of fun. I only started running just over a year ago. I did my 5K workout tonight in ~22:30. People get scared when you are running this fast and they start to remember you, too. I try to be careful about not alarming people, including other joggers, from behind.

Recently, a tiny dog came after me and I didn't really see him or I would just have turned on the afterburners. The little bugger bit me in the sock and I could feel his teeth grinding my ankle through my socks -- the owner just yelled -- "Keep running, keep running" which I did instead of hurling him off my ankle since I didn't want to hurt the little guy and he couldn't keep up after that. A week later there was a van driving along the road I was running, and two kids came to the window and were yelling, "hey, you are the guy our dog bit, look mom, there is the guy our dog bit!!"

There is a smart alec in my neighborhood, and whenever I pass by and he his home he often yells from his window, "Forrest. Forrest. Run, Forrest, Run!!"

Running definitely makes me feel younger. I definitely recommend.

Kramer (40)

 

[mb]

Lawrence,
Kramer,

I LOVE hitting the 5 and 10 year age mile-stones because it means that I get to move up in age group at road-races and triathlons.

I'm currently 48 and was running 5k between 18:15 and 18:30 a few years ago. Have had a couple of injuries over the last year and would be lucky to break 20 now but I'm trying to get back to that level by 50 when I enter a new age goup.

If you have only been running for a year or so you should have a lot of improvement ahead.

MB

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

another effect i find of turning 50 deals with mortality. i didn't experience that effect turning 20 or 30.

just got back this morning from the shop (oil change), before that a five mile walk along the beach and before that i got my friend to the airport at 5:30 so he could fly north to bury his mom.

my mom is slowly, but surely, dieing. i buried my best friend two years ago (age 52). already buried the ol'man. i have two friends up north who recently buried their moms. one buried a dad. a friend here has her mom in a nursing home and her brother dieing of cancer. a cousin here recently buried two parents.

if i had read that paragraph in my 20s, i would have thought i was a freak. and i know many people lose their parents and lose friends early in life. i understand martha lost her parents early and my mom also lost her own mom early. and something like that surely would have made me a basketcase for life.

but it seems so many of my contemporaries are now facing death at 50. not their own, but of those around them, of those who came before them. we've already buried our grandparents. now we are burying our parents. and we're next.

 

[Dawg52]

Exercise!  Two coworkers, early 30's, 80 pounds overweight (they'll tell you 20), on multiple meds and sleep apnea machines at night.  Another coworker, almost 55, runs half a dozen races a year between 5ks, 10ks, half and full marathons, and the odd triathlon, ideal weight, and just the salt in his hair keeps him from passing for 30's.  People joke that eating right and exercising won't make you live forever, it will just seem that way!  But I think the opposite is true.  Those 30-somethings are miserable, and my 50-something friend is loving life.  That's why I'm running.

24 minute 5k today, shooting to break 20 by the end of the year!

Running may pay off. I saw an old  buddy of mind yesterday jogging out by the reservoir and he didn't have an ounce of fat on him. I hadn't seen him in years and he looked like a 30 year old(hes 52). I take my dog for walks out there and walking helps some but it was obvious he was in much better shape than me. 

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

I think the closest thing to a fountain of youth (aside from dumb luck and good genes) is skinniness. Not just "not overweight" but downright skinny, like a BMI of 20 (6 feet tall, 150 lbs) and fit.

I can't do it. Not even close, and I struggle to keep mine 23 to 24.

 

[Mwsinron]

Ya exercise has made a world of difference for the DW and I. I go through withdrawls if I dont get some running or walking in everyday. Funny how the body is. You can treat it like crap for years but take half a year exercising and it will spring back quite nicely.

 

[kz]

Age is just a number to me. I don't mind growing older whatsoever. Probably has to do with the fact that I've never felt my age...whatever that is suppose to mean. I've never quite figured that out.
Hubby and I are both overweight and yet extremely healthy. I take a sleeping pill most nights....other than that we pop a vitamin every day and that's it. By 6am we're out the door for our 2.5 mile walk. We hate it when we don't get that in for the day.
I lost a sister at age 58 to breast cancer and her daughter (my niece) at age 40 to kidney cancer. Hubby and I try to eat healthy and exercise a minimum of 45 minutes a day 6 days a week.

 

[HFWR]

like a BMI of 20 (6 feet tall, 150 lbs) and fit

8)

 

[Scrooge]

I think the closest thing to a fountain of youth (aside from dumb luck and good genes) is skinniness. Not just "not overweight" but downright skinny, like a BMI of 20 (6 feet tall, 150 lbs) and fit.

My BMI was 19 when I was in my early 20s and I was in great shape. I found that one added advantage was the ability to buy size 28-30 clothes at a deep deep discount since I was apparently their only customer  8)

 

[laurence]

I've been running and doing triathlons for a while, but as a weekend warrior. "I finished!" was my mantra. But now I want to start having competitive times.

Oh yeah, the clothes thing is cool, too. I found the sweet spot to be a 34 inch waist, you can always find 34 and below. 36 and above is hard to come by. I'm a 34 now, but just barely! My BMI is 25 flat, which just puts me into the "overweight" category. 24.9 is "normal". I hope to drop an additional 20 lbs. and stay there.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Oh yeah, the clothes thing is cool, too. I found the sweet spot to be a 34 inch waist, you can always find 34 and below. 36 and above is hard to come by. I'm a 34 now, but just barely! My BMI is 25 flat,

BMI of 25 with a 34" waist - you must have found a way to deflate the spare tire. With me it's the last thing to disappear and I have to be well under 175" (at 6 feet) to see a 34. Good target to shoot for.

Waist circumference is a pretty strong marker for coronary risk and diabetes.

 

[laurence]

I'm not "buff" but I lift weights regularly, I like making the short sleeves of the Polo shirts bulge. So I may have a little more muscle mass that the average guy, BMI isn't perfect. 6'2" and 195 lbs.

My little brother is varsity wrestling and is always challenging me to arm wrestling, so I have to keep my strength up. Last time it was a win on the right arm and a tie on the left, so I'm about to give up my title!

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

I think the closest thing to a fountain of youth (aside from dumb luck and good genes) is skinniness. Not just "not overweight" but downright skinny, like a BMI of 20 (6 feet tall, 150 lbs) and fit.

I can't do it. Not even close, and I struggle to keep mine 23 to 24.

i've never related to bmi. in high school i was 5-10, 178 and "skinny" for me. not an ounce of fat, no love handles and i hadn't even developed a chest yet.

my body fat now is 20% which is, health-wise, acceptable but, for my tastes, too high. i find dealing with mom has me eating too much comfort food. it was up to 23% before i retired so i'm on the right track. two years ago, before mom deteriorated so much, i was at 15-16% and i hope to be at least there again by the end of this year. my ultimate goal is 11% body fat. i think much lower than that is not so healthy. i don't want my body to look like it's covered in shrinkwrap.

if starving yourself is the key to the secret of youth, give me a chocolate sundae and an early death.

 

[Dawg52]

My mom always has a good desert when I eat with her. I can't hurt her feelings you know.   But I did tell her the other day that it's time to switch to jello for awhile. I'm 6'0, pushing 190. I use to always be in the 175 range. Looks like its gonna be a slim fast shake tonight. 

 

[flipstress]

To the runners and the MD's:

I'm between the big-four-o and the big-five-oh. 

Is it too late to start running, i.e., would I be prone to more injuries than if I had started running years ago?

I am 5'3" and 130; I don't know my waistline but I am roll-ish around the middle.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

To the runners and the MD's:
I'm between the big-four-o and the big-five-oh.
Is it too late to start running, i.e., would I be prone to more injuries than if I had started running years ago?
I am 5'3" and 130; I don't know my waistline but I am roll-ish around the middle.

Course not. Just have to go gradually. Lots of good books at your local bookstore. Officially over age 35 or 40 you should see your doctor first, but often if you are not aware of any problems or worrisome family history, he/she will probably not do much.

One tip: get a pulse monitor and read the instructions about target heart rates. I am a big fan of this both for conditioning as well as safety. It gets your focus off of ever-increasing distance and time which thereby reduces injuries.

Enjoy.

 

[flipstress]

Thank you, Rich!

I will go slowly and try to monitor my heart rate.  I'll wait, too, until after this heat wave.

 

[HFWR]

A good way to start is walk-run; i.e jog for a bit, walk for a bit, ad infinitum...

Build slowly. Get good running shoes!! Keep good form.

 

[AltaRed]

I've been advised by doctors and by reading health articles that power walking does every bit as good as running and less wear and tear on the joints. It's the cardio-vascular workout that is the key objective.

I try to do some power walking each day, but not enough of it yet. Have to get into a better routine soon. I would never try to jog/run, especially now with a bad back.

 

[mb]

Flipstress,

One key to injury prevention is getting the right shoe.  Running shoes are generally classified as cushion, stability or motion control shoes.  Cushion and motion control are on the ends of the spectrum and stability is in the middle.  The type of shoe that you need depends on your running mechanics.

If a cushion shoe is optimum for your for example but you are running in a motion control shoe there is a much better chance of injury.

If you are biomechanically efficient you may be able to get away with any shoe but if you have defects in your stride the shoe is more important.

In general you get what you pay for but a cheap shoe that is matched to your running mechanics is better than an expensive shoe that isn't.

There are several self tests that you can do to determine what type of shoe is best but for a beginner it is to ask around and find a good running shoe store.  A good store will ask you about your running?  How many miles/week?  Previous shoes, etc?  Tell them that you need help determining the type of show that you need.  They should find a shoe that fits and then take you outside and have you run up and down the street or something similar so that they can evaluate your stride mechanics.

On finding a running shoe store:

(1) I have never found a good running shoe store located in an enclosed mall.
(2) If you ask what kind of shoe it is and the say "Nike" or worse yet "red" just turn around and walk away.
(3) Go to a specialty running shoe stores.  Tri shops are also usually very good.  Triathletes compare notes alot and if they're not good they don't last long.  Both are much better than general sporting goods stores and department stores are the worst.
(4) The best running shoe stores tend to hire runners.
(5) Ask a local runner about the shops near you.

Road Runner Sports (a mail order place) has a pretty good catalog that describes shoe types and some of the self tests.  They probably have the info on line but I have never looked.  If I'm getting a new model of shoe I will typically go to a running shoe store to try it on etc. and buy at least the first pair from them but after that I will usually buy mail order.  Save $10-20/pair.

There is a lot of advice in the magazines and books on how to start running and what you should do to prevent injuries.  Some have plans in table form, etc.  Some of the more common advice is below:

(1)  Start with one or two days a week and  only a mile or two or whatever you feel comfortable with.  Walk if you want to.  Nothing wrong with that.  Run/walk/run programs have become very popular for beginnners and have even been used by marathoners and ultramarathoners.  I have heard of guys doing 100 mile races where they stopped and walked for a minute or two every 10 minutes or so and set personal records.
(2) Don't go so fast and so far that you are exhausted and do not enjoy it.  If it isn't fun you aren't going to keep it up.  Don't make it a job.
(3) Don't increase mileage by more than 10% a week.
(4) Every fourth week decrease your mileage by 50% and let your body rest.  (The next week you can go up to the same mileage as the previous week.)
(5) If something hurts rest.  (I have a real hard time following this one.)
(6) Cross train.  Mix up running with swimming, biking, roller blading, kayaking, cross country skiing, tennis, b-ball or what ever it is that you like to do.

Sorry this is probably way more information than you wanted but you hit on a favorite topic.

Good luck,

MB