A shout-out to the 64year old studs of HST

[balzaccom]

I learned that my wife and I are no longer in our mid fifties. We like packs that are lighter than when we did 11-12 day segments of the JMT before resupplying. We plan to hike all the PCT that we haven't already hiked. Most of what is left can be down with 7 day or shorter resupplies. We will take several years to finish the rest and only plan to spend about 4-6 weeks each year on the trail hiking areas when conditions are most enjoyable with regard to lack of snow, moderate temperatures and non-summer crowds. We also plan to keep our daily trail miles shorter when resupply options allow. Looking forward to doing more segments that don't require our Berikade Expedition bear cans.

Exactly!

[giantbrookie]

Well to add to the spirit of this thread it's safe to say we should give a shout-out to the >70 year olds who are still getting out there and doing great hikes. I hope to follow in their footsteps and they are indeed an inspiration!

As a little update of sorts...Sometimes the 64-year-old athlete thing crashes and burns, but, guess what, it can happen for folks much younger, so now the latest, which I guess one can see as karmic retribution for doing some of my expected displays (showing off?) of athleticism while leading this 4-day field trip class in the northern Sierra which included me catching some very nice fish in brief periods of spare time. So first the good part which set me up for the fall. The "show off" stuff included: 1. Outhiking, or more correctly, outrunning , two groups of jeeps on a jeep trail I was hiking to get to a lake to fish (and catch a very large brookie, it turned out), 2. holding the plank on a picnic bench waiting for students to load into vans (they did in fact hustle up so I only had to hold it for 7 min). 3. doing my signature aerial push ups in a parking lot while waiting out a very long bathroom stop (these were my "easiest ones" which involve a behind-the-back hand clap followed by the clap in front before landing). So a week after I get back I find this bulge where I shouldn't have one and go to get checked for a hernia that I was sort of worried about for at least a week before the field trip--it was in fact confirmed as a hernia. And then my blood pressure readings are astronomically high, even in four repeat measurements taken over the span of an hour.

OK, so that now sounds more in line with a 64-year-old, but....Subsequent blood pressure checks have been more normal so I will monitor more closely now and then consult with my doctor to see if it might be time to increase my Lisinopril dose. Hernia? Not a serious one yet, so its in "monitor it" stage rather than "I need to have it operated on now". I left the hospital and went to the weight room. It was important to me to get the fear of strength training (with a hernia) out of my head. Fear is a useless emotion whereas calculated risk management is a better approach and everyone has a different risk tolerance. We all know it's a balance that is different for everyone: up to some limiting point more risk opens up more quality of life, but there is a level where the risk gets unacceptable and this depends on the individual. Alex Honnold clearly has a higher risk tolerance than I do, for example. This week I found that my weighted stair well climbing needed a bit of adjustment. The two-steps-at-at-time long stride seems to put a bit more strain in the wrong place, so I adjusted to doing every step which doesn't build my leg drive as well, but it is tougher on cardio (because I have to take twice as many steps and have a higher turnover rate). Friday I will do another solo dayhike, so I hope things will be in order.

[Gogd]

Hernia? Not a serious one yet, so its in "monitor it" stage rather than "I need to have it operated on now"...

.. This week I found that my weighted stair well climbing needed a bit of adjustment. The two-steps-at-at-time long stride seems to put a bit more strain in the wrong place, so I adjusted to doing every step which doesn't build my leg drive as well...

Hernia
Not a doctor, here, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn... Might reconsider getting that hernia patched. Your fitness level allows you to push hard. A hernia can't. The last thing you would want is for what feels like a no biggie physical move to transform that hernia into a major discomfort, while boulder hopping around a lake, miles from the car.

Stairs
Yea, double stairs are good for quads - bad for knee joints. You can still get all the joy you can stand, however, by upping the weight payload without undue abuse of the joints.

Ed

[giantbrookie]

Hernia? Not a serious one yet, so its in "monitor it" stage rather than "I need to have it operated on now"...
.. This week I found that my weighted stair well climbing needed a bit of adjustment. The two-steps-at-at-time long stride seems to put a bit more strain in the wrong place, so I adjusted to doing every step which doesn't build my leg drive as well...

Hernia
Not a doctor, here, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn... Might reconsider getting that hernia patched. Your fitness level allows you to push hard. A hernia can't. The last thing you would want is for what feels like a no biggie physical move to transform that hernia into a major discomfort, while boulder hopping around a lake, miles from the car.
Stairs
Yea, double stairs are good for quads - bad for knee joints. You can still get all the joy you can stand, however, by upping the weight payload without undue abuse of the joints.

Ed

As an update, yes I'm trying to get surgery on the hernia surgery scheduled. Getting a follow up to confirm the hernia was like pulling teeth (the usual Kaiser situation). In order to get seen you have to make things sound much worse than they are and the irony was that by the time I went in for the follow up imaging I was indeed pretty uncomfortable. But I am now scheduled to see a surgeon (10/27) to assess things and schedule surgery. In the meantime I guess I didn't do myself any favors, going on another backpacking trip on which I tripped a few times (ouch). On the other hand, if I had used a hernia belt from the beginning I probably would have been much more comfortable. My wife got me one before I went to Pittsburgh for a geologic meeting and it was hugely helpful. When I went hiking with her upon my return, it was vastly more comfortable than before. Without it, the wait for surgery would have been no fun. In the meantime I received news that my prostate cancer has probably returned again, so I'll soon enter another iteration of treatment and my counter-moves in adjusting my conditioning routine around whatever weakness is brought on (by the treatment).

[Gogd]

Very sorry to hear about the recurrence of your cancer.
Ed

[texan]

Hernia? Not a serious one yet, so its in "monitor it" stage rather than "I need to have it operated on now"...
.. This week I found that my weighted stair well climbing needed a bit of adjustment. The two-steps-at-at-time long stride seems to put a bit more strain in the wrong place, so I adjusted to doing every step which doesn't build my leg drive as well...

Hernia
Not a doctor, here, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn... Might reconsider getting that hernia patched. Your fitness level allows you to push hard. A hernia can't. The last thing you would want is for what feels like a no biggie physical move to transform that hernia into a major discomfort, while boulder hopping around a lake, miles from the car.
Stairs
Yea, double stairs are good for quads - bad for knee joints. You can still get all the joy you can stand, however, by upping the weight payload without undue abuse of the joints.

Ed

As an update, yes I'm trying to get surgery on the hernia surgery scheduled. Getting a follow up to confirm the hernia was like pulling teeth (the usual Kaiser situation). In order to get seen you have to make things sound much worse than they are and the irony was that by the time I went in for the follow up imaging I was indeed pretty uncomfortable. But I am now scheduled to see a surgeon (10/27) to assess things and schedule surgery. In the meantime I guess I didn't do myself any favors, going on another backpacking trip on which I tripped a few times (ouch). On the other hand, if I had used a hernia belt from the beginning I probably would have been much more comfortable. My wife got me one before I went to Pittsburgh for a geologic meeting and it was hugely helpful. When I went hiking with her upon my return, it was vastly more comfortable than before. Without it, the wait for surgery would have been no fun. In the meantime I received news that my prostate cancer has probably returned again, so I'll soon enter another iteration of treatment and my counter-moves in adjusting my conditioning routine around whatever weakness is brought on (by the treatment).

Hi GB,

I hope your upcoming hernia surgery goes well and sorry to hear about the prostate cancer coming back. Take Care.

Mike(Texan)