Gut check

[24/7]

It's been a few years since I got out and I have purposely shy'd away for self imposed gut checks/suck fests but I've been feeling a void over the past year or so. I like to watch Survivor Man on the tube, like to watch him eat grubs and bugs while failing miserably to catch anything of substance. But watching Les Stroud test himself gives me the itch to leave the comfort of the house and have some quality time in the hurt house.

Last week a buddy of mine who's into ultra-marathons, had a birthday, he turned 46. For his birthday he ran 46 miles, I guess he's been celebrating his birthday like that for a few years. Anyway, it took him 10 hours and (?) minutes to finish. His wife and a couple of friends came and ran and walked with him, he did it at a casual pace but he did it. I can personally think of many better ways to celebrate a BD, but I really admire him for his accomplishment...46 years old running 46 miles, that cool.

It planted an urge in me to do something special for my next senior moment. There is no way I could run my age unless I broke it down into a week time frame...right now I'm thinking maybe a bike ride. Don't know if that will satisfy the urge only time will tell.

Curious though...those you who stepped out of a sometimes adrenaline filled lifestyle or job do you feel the same type of void? What kind of self imposed-suckfests to you put yourself through just to prove that you're still got it?

[Ranger5280]

46 at 46...very cool. I'll be celebrating my 46th tomorrow at a local Amphitheatre with my 50 pound son on my shoulders as I climb the stairs.

The urge to feel the suck again for me is strong and daily.

[24/7]

46 at 46...very cool. I'll be celebrating my 46th tomorrow at a local Amphitheatre with my 50 pound son on my shoulders as I climb the stairs.

The urge to feel the suck again for me is strong and daily.

Happy Birthday...enjoy

[eltrane]

I made a commitment to press 400lbs before I turned 40...I did it, actually it was 405 but in retrospect I think the cardio challenge is a better idea.

[JRB11]

I joined the Army at 18, in 1980, as a long haired, dope smoking retard-my dads words. Got my "flash" at 19, and only served 4 years. But that 4 years has stuck with me, and I continue to push myself. My wife thinks I'm nuts, but I usually set a goal each year, something that is gonna hurt and make me wonder why the hell I'm doing it. 10 years ago me and a buddy cycled from seattle to Boston, avg about 95 mpd. That really sucked, but we usually stayed in fire houses, so that was fun. 2 years ago I cycled around Mt. Rainier in a day, by myself, 154 miles w/10,000 feet of climbing. That sucked big time, but I loved it. This year I'm doing the seattle to Portland in a day, 205 miles. I know it's gonna suck big time, and will kick my 47 y/o ass, but I'm looking forward to it. My dream is to kayak the inside passage from Alaska to Seattle, but thats a few years out. I don't know what it is, that kind of stuff keeps me going!

[RipperTOW]

Anyone looking for a self-imposed suckfest should set out to learn the Army's new on-line travel pay system - DTS - by their 50th birthday. If you start this goal at 21 and accomplish it, it's a remarkable achievement. If you start in your 40's and make it, ultramarathoners have nothing on you.

[Scratchy]

My dad did something like 48 miles on his 48th.. if that's what you want to do, go out and do it! Good luck!

[armorer1]

Be like Randy Couture....UFC heavyweight champ at 44.

[MikeC2W]

It's been a few years since I got out and I have purposely shy'd away for self imposed gut checks/suck fests but I've been feeling a void over the past year or so. I like to watch Survivor Man on the tube, like to watch him eat grubs and bugs while failing miserably to catch anything of substance. But watching Les Stroud test himself gives me the itch to leave the comfort of the house and have some quality time in the hurt house.

Last week a buddy of mine who's into ultra-marathons, had a birthday, he turned 46. For his birthday he ran 46 miles, I guess he's been celebrating his birthday like that for a few years. Anyway, it took him 10 hours and (?) minutes to finish. His wife and a couple of friends came and ran and walked with him, he did it at a casual pace but he did it. I can personally think of many better ways to celebrate a BD, but I really admire him for his accomplishment...46 years old running 46 miles, that cool.

It planted an urge in me to do something special for my next senior moment. There is no way I could run my age unless I broke it down into a week time frame...right now I'm thinking maybe a bike ride. Don't know if that will satisfy the urge only time will tell.

Curious though...those you who stepped out of a sometimes adrenaline filled lifestyle or job do you feel the same type of void? What kind of self imposed-suckfests to you put yourself through just to prove that you're still got it?

Bro, I just turned 39 yesterday.....well, maybe 2 days ago.

Either way about a year or so ago I realized something was missing from my life. I spoke to many different people about this.......ultimately I came to the realization that I was missing the SUCK.

Fucking A, man - nothing keeps you happier than 'the suck'!....

...So I went and bought me a kayak, a mountain bike, and a good pair of walking/trail running shoes and started kicking my fucking ass again.

I haven't been this happy in years. It's all about kicking your own ass. I did a Adventure Race last year and failed, this year my new team (beginners) took first in the first race we'd ever raced in.....

It's all about the SUCK!

It all started with getting back to my roots, which was just getting back into the country and the woods, no running no anything....just being in the woods. Then start kicking your ass...the rest will follow.

my .02

[The Corporate Guy]

It's all about kicking your own ass.

...or asking others to help you out. Resuming kickboxing and grappling in the 40's have added some periodic gut checks back into the mundane. There is now a little more satisfaction with the occasional black eye, cut and/or limp because they feel, somehow, more earned.

[T-Rock]

What kind of self imposed-suckfests to you put yourself through just to prove that you're still got it?

35 is when it hit me. A buddy of mine (LEO type) and I decided we should do a local adventure race just to cross the line, the NC 9-1-1 Eco Challenge in 98 … took us 43 hours.

At 40, the void reappeared so an IM was in order. I convinced another member here (rubicon) to do the 03 Ironman at Lake Placid…..we both completed our objective…HooYah..:D

Sometime between now and the age of 50, my next tentative gut check will be a Double Iron in Va.. More than likely this one: http://www.usaultratri.com/
06 video at bottom http://www.waramos.com/wp/multimedia/

I suppose the void will always be there & the gut-check desire will never completely go away…:D

BTW, HBD MikeC2W..

[SSG Surf]

..sorry wrong forum. ;)

I will just say getting old sucks.

[CDRODA396]

I will just say getting old sucks.

What he said!:D

[24/7]

..sorry wrong forum. ;)

I will just say getting old sucks.

Agree, that why I won't sit back and let the years trash me.

Thanks Bro's you guys are fueling the fire. I turn 53 next year, right now I can't think of anything that would suck more than trying to run 53 miles.:o :rolleyes: I may be seeing a goal drop from the clouds.

[Global Med]

How about 2160 miles then? You can hike the Appalachian Trail and the best part is you don’t have to do it all at once and it is in your neck of the woods. If your feeling highly motivated you can Thru-Hike it. ;)

[24/7]

How about 2160 miles then? You can hike the Appalachian Trail and the best part is you don’t have to do it all at once and it is in your neck of the woods. If your feeling highly motivated you can Thru-Hike it. ;)

It's nice up there

[ChuckaZulu]

I turned 40 this year and feel the same way. Maybe an adventure race is in order.

[PocketKings]

Absolutely I missed the 'suck.' I started doing triathlons, marathons, and Ironmans as a result. I tell people that Ironman was like one day of RS. The gut check portion was exactly what I was looking for. I don't even particularly enjoy the sport part, I just like the pain.

You could set out to do a century ride (100 miles). That's 5-6 hours of pain right there.

Or, a 3-5 day hike might be a good start. Do the peremter of a local park or a section of the AT. That's what my next 'gut check' will be. You can set some ridiculous distances per day (20-30 miles).

[3dRanger]

The urge to suck again for me is strong and daily.

You can take the Ranger out of 1st batt, but you can't take 1st batt out of a Ranger. :eek::D

HBD 5280! Enjoy.

[24/7]

3-5 day hike might be a good start. Do the peremter of a local park or a section of the AT. That's what my next 'gut check' will be. You can set some ridiculous distances per day (20-30 miles).

Oh, no my friend...my suck fest will not include a ruck sack...that's were I draw the line. :D

[TechRep]

I had a notion to kayak the Florida big bend, from Hurlburt to Crystal River area. I was doing 25+ mile paddles for fun and in semi-serious preparation, and then it happened; I got diagnosed with RA. Had to stop running, and kayaking. It has taken a couple of years on the meds to get near pain free (I went almost 2 years with RA, miss-diagnosed as sports injuries) but in that time, "Tri-Athlete Nazi" co-worker said I should get my ever fattening ass on a bicycle; told him I couldn't lean on my arms with the RA, so he recommended a recumbent high racer like this; http://www.volaerecumbents.com/2007/volae_recumbents.php
or this; http://www.bacchettabikes.com/recumbents/bikes/corsa-ss.htm

Now, in my late 40s, I’m cycling 60-100 miles and averaging 18-22 mph on the country roads of northern Florida most every Saturday and I'm thinking about doing some Ultracycling like; http://www.rusa.org/ and http://www.ultracycling.com/ It has turned out to be a great way to stretch my endurance, challenge myself yet save a lot of wear and tear on the ole’ bones and connective stuff, and yes, those bikes are so comfortable you could almost fall asleep.

[OldSwabbie]

Now, in my late 40s, It has turned out to be a great way to stretch my endurance, challenge myself yet save a lot of wear and tear on the ole’ bones and connective stuff,

I'm same age (almost 50), I have 5+ hierniated disks, Stenosis, Arthritis all over, Do you do anything different for the joint inflamation other than Meds? Hunting season kills me with all the walking up and down hills etc. Dang, what happened to that 20 year old kid I use to be? LOL

OldSwabbie

[Sharky]

Go do the Bataan Death March at White Sands. True suck fest and a chance to meet those who went before us and pay tribute to their sacrifice. Soon those guys wont be around anymore to tell them "Thank You".

[NightLandNav]

Ruck up, go off trail, use your compass to find your points. Three days later you get back to your POV and you feel like your old self a little bit.

Repeat as necessary.

[Ranger5280]

You can take the Ranger out of 1st batt, but you can't take 1st batt out of a Ranger. :eek::D

HBD 5280! Enjoy.

Bastard:D

[24/7]

Go do the Bataan Death March at White Sands. True suck fest and a chance to meet those who went before us and pay tribute to their sacrifice. Soon those guys wont be around anymore to tell them "Thank You".

You're breaking up, I say again you're breaking up....over (highlite it) :p

When are you going...I'll see if I can book a flight. :D

I'm looking for some sucking fun, not the white light at the end of the tunnel. :D

[SSG Surf]

I admire guys in their 50's-60's doing great things. I hope to be there also. I turn 41 this year and I have so many sports and a few job related injuries that my gut check is rolling out of bed in the morning. Screws, pins blah blah blah, I chew on more pills than my father. Passing our mandatory, divisional, quarterly PT test is also not as easy as it used to be. I put my body through a hard life and I am now paying for it. Having a full time, physically demanding job, a 2 year old, a 4 year old and building my own home at the age of 40 is all the gut check I can handle right now.

Maybe at the age of 50 I can do something extreme like driving my Rascal cross country. ;)

[TechRep]

deleted

[TechRep]

I'm same age (almost 50), I have 5+ hierniated disks, Stenosis, Arthritis all over, Do you do anything different for the joint inflamation other than Meds? Hunting season kills me with all the walking up and down hills etc. Dang, what happened to that 20 year old kid I use to be? LOL

OldSwabbie

Tried all the OTC and homeopathic supplements; Glucosamine, MSM, cherry juice, colloidal minerals, Jack Daniels, eye of frigg’n nuet, and even just simple denial, but in the end, it was a correct diagnosis and the prescribed meds, and time that have got me back to near normal. RA is a lot different from OA, so don’t act on what I say. I’ve heard and read a lot of anecdotal evidence for some that get relief by supplements, just didn’t work for me.

The best NSAID for temp relief, I found was Aleve. It would take the edge off much more effectively than asprin, Tylenol, Ibruprofen, Motrin, which before diagnosis, I was eating like candy with little or no effect.

Wasn't it George Burns that said, "If I would have known I was going to live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself."?

[Blackjack78]

Go do the Bataan Death March at White Sands. True suck fest and a chance to meet those who went before us and pay tribute to their sacrifice. Soon those guys wont be around anymore to tell them "Thank You".

Perhaps a SOCNET contingent next year :). Slow and steady.............

[MikeC2W]

Adventure racing is the shit.

The best part about it is us old guys have the advantage over the young bastards, as most of them can't freaking navigate worth a shit! OR is it we've just made all the mistakes they are now learning?

I like it as for the most part the packs are light and all you have is a map and a compass.

In the last race I did, we were in the beginners course....one of the teams that we kept coming in contact with had 3 Rangers (2 from 3rd Batt 1 from 1st) and a current SF type. The comraderie and shit talk started almost immediately, my team consited of 2 civilians (highschool bud and his wife).....we totally smoked them! LOL The shit talked really began after that!!!!

It's much much fun, a lot of military types are generally involved and all the civs were cool as shit.

[Blackjack78]

Adventure racing is the shit.

The best part about it is us old guys have the advantage over the young bastards, as most of them can't freaking navigate worth a shit! OR is it we've just made all the mistakes they are now learning?

I like it as for the most part the packs are light and all you have is a map and a compass.

In the last race I did, we were in the beginners course....one of the teams that we kept coming in contact with had 3 Rangers (2 from 3rd Batt 1 from 1st) and a current SF type. The comraderie and shit talk started almost immediately, my team consited of 2 civilians (highschool bud and his wife).....we totally smoked them! LOL The shit talked really began after that!!!!

It's much much fun, a lot of military types are generally involved and all the civs were cool as shit.

Navigate? You mean with a compass/map? Please don't tell me there are no Street signs out in dem dare woods......screw that. I'll meet ya'll at the 19th hole!!!

[rgrjoe175]

Navigate? You mean with a compass/map? Please don't tell me there are no Street signs out in dem dare woods......screw that. I'll meet ya'll at the 19th hole!!!

Bwahahahaha...Now that is funny.

JP

[Sharky]

You're breaking up, I say again you're breaking up....over (highlite it) :p

When are you going...I'll see if I can book a flight. :D

I'm looking for some sucking fun, not the white light at the end of the tunnel. :D



hahahahahah.......I hear ya brother. I did it back in 98 and lost 4 toe nails. Now, I'm 38 and back in ACU's over here tearassing around the Iraqi countryside with a bunch of 20-something year old SF dudes. So, yeah, I know what you mean.

[dustyrebel]

I've been thinking of the Endurance Horse race from New Mexico to Missouri. Two weeks long, 65 plus miles a day. I watched it as it passed by last year. Hopefully it won't pass me by again. It seems the older I get, the better I used to be.