Aches, Pains and being 45 years old.

[jono]

I think the challenge to biking safer is knowing when to go and when not to. Slower isn't always safer. So I have started to try to listen to my subconscious and back off if I don't feel confident in the moment. If the subconscious has a plan then I'm good with it; otherwise, no.

For example, there's a spot on a local trail that's challenging because the most reliable line presents a likely pedal strike, which could pitch you right off an edge. I use it to practice listening to that subconscious calculator that knows where my (right, in this case) foot is going to be 2 pedal strokes out and ratchet accordingly without letting it become a conscious thought. I try to be in the right gear at that spot, but it varies a little so I never trust any conscious calculation (even if I could find one to do fast enough).

As a result, I have skipped a few spots and one of them might be in my head now, but I find I ride mostly the same as before and I haven't been injured except when I forget to be mindful in the moment. Harder/slower challenges have appealed more to me since my 20's anyway, so that helps with the attitude, I'm sure. But the flow state is the goal anyway, and getting more in tune with that is all to the good.

[::: :::]

One of my docs: “Don’t stop moving. But don’t move too suddenly.”

Turning 50 this year
Battling to get back to where I was 3 yrs ago, and it’s not going well thus far. Im at least not regressing. Fighting to get some forward-moving patterns in place. It takes some work everyday.

[old goat]

Everybody isn't the same. I read once that 73 or 4 is a real dividing line that determines how long and healthy one lives, and it may just be genetics. If you make it to that age with no serious chronic problems, and, yeah, eat smart and don't do anything stupid, you'll probably make it into the 90s fairly well. But, if you're starting to experience issues in your 60s, no matter how much you take care of yourself, you're no getting past mid 70s. Sorry. It's still pretty good, compared to even the early twentieth century, when the average life expectancy of an American male was 50. Vacciantions increased that number dramatically.

I have a few questions. Is anybody indulging, or has indulged, in a lot of ibuprofen use? I have spoken to a few older ski patrollers and instructors who have warned me of problems when taking too much. Kidney issues. But, how much is too much? I'm careful, but, ain't nothing like three Advil gel caps even before skiing or exercising to hide the pains. Not every day, though.
And, muscle pulls and strains. I stretch a lot, but still get nailed at moment's notice. Fuck, last week I just started walking in my ski boots and something happened in the front of my right knee that hung around for an hour. Is this a hydration issue? Diet solutions?

NSAIDS can be hard on the kidney and cause stomach ulcers with bleeding and perforation. They can also increase the risk of heart attack--naproxen is a little safer than ibuprofen. I haven't seen good numbers on how much you can take for how long without damage, presumably it varies. I got away with taking 800mg of naprosyn daily for 4-5 years for my back, eventually dialed it back to 600. Then my back got better, so I'm down to 400 every other night to help me sleep with my bad shoulder. Nothing during the day. Don't take more than you feel you really need, alternate nsaids and acetominophen to minimize the damage from either.

Limb Preservation Surgeon cut me off ibuprofen. Said some studies suggest it inhibits bone repair.
Also, some people think the body heals based on the inflammatory response, so if you take anti-inflammatory pills too often .. no healing, only masking injury. I know some surgeons who try PRP insist on zero ibuprofen.

My anecdotal study of 1 supports the theory, ymmv.

The data on this is sketchy. see post 30 https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...-healing/page2
What do you mean by limb preservation surgeon? It has a very specific meaning in surgery, it's what I did, I doubt it's what you're talking about.

[Zap]

I just turned 74 and my wife is 76. We still downhill and backcountry ski, and in normal years we ski 60-75 days. With 50 years of skiing we've developed a great support system of doctors and physical therapists to rebuild body parts and keep us going. We have a 21 year old 20 foot campervan that we use to chase the snow. Although we can't do the steeps and deeps the way we used to, the important thing is that we're still in the mountains doing our thing. I used to be a downhill and backcountry ski instructor. We've skied in Europe, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, Canada (of course), and all over the US. We still love it and always have a smile on our face when we are out making turns.

[Shredhead]

I ride bikes everyday, year round and ski 150+.
Biking is easier on your body, until you fall.
You don’t have to kill it everyday!
Listen to your body and take it easy every once in a while. Like now, when it’s kind of firm.

Yesterday was the 1st day I missed snow skiing, this season.

Sometimes it helps to change your location.

[Harvey44]

Wow great thread RA and all. Have not read it all yet.

I went over the handlebars on my MTB several years ago and dislocated my finger. Being a desk/computer jockey it REALLY made my life hard at work. I started taking a different approach to riding.

Instead of speed and thrills, it's now all about the balance. We have 2 miles of single track on our land in the Adk and I actually spend a lot of time riding in my lowest gear, behind my wife, who is WALKING the dog. I try to get around the loop without touching down at all. It's not that I never go faster, but it's not the goal.

With skiing my background is nordic (lift service is tele) and I naturally like to take it slow and enjoy the feeling of the snow. I'm sure that is probably hard to accept for you guys who have been charging since you were 3 years old. (I started skiing, nordic, at 40, now 62.) All I'm saying is that the fact that I love the feeling of natural snow under my skis, at any speed, is a big advantage, IMO.

Another thing that happened to me when I was 35, I over extended on an adventure walking up a set of 4 cataracts in a river in the adks. It was an incredible experience but it left my knee swollen, I'd never experienced anything like it. I couldn't even walk for several weeks and I came to realize that to keep your heart and lungs in decent shape as you age, you NEED your knees. I take very good care of my knees. It may seem counter intuitive but I feel that TELE is a key part of this. IMO it really helps my knees.

One disclaimer, I do LOVE skiing the trees, and must admit, when I do it with better skiers, I take chances I probably shouldn't take. Here I am on an adrenaline high, my first time at Magic, following the pied pipers, probably exceeding my limits:



In this case the snow was really good and I was lucky to stick the landing.

Best of luck to everyone.

[Benny Profane]

We do live in the best of times, though, after the maturing of artificial joints. Fantastic invention that has improved the late life of millions now. Just fifty years ago, you were stuck with bad knees and broken hips until the end. The stats on broken hips were awful. Most were dead within six months after the break, even if previously healthy. Now you see people out there with fake hips and knees skiing trees, like the guy I was chasing through the woods at Bridger.

My orthopedist in Colorado, a surgeon who spent his whole career repairing knees, told me, eh, just take care of the damn thing as long as you can, and then just go for a replacement in your 70s, because they wear out. Medicare pays for them, too! The older instructors at Taos were just counting the days until 65.

[PB]

What Benny and Foggy said: every one's different, depending on where you're coming from and where you're going to, and there's a bitterness phase you may have to get through before accepting the brutal reality. Once you do, though, there's a wonderful peace that descends, allowing you to appreciate every moment.

Nice to know I'm not the only cranky dentist geezer.

[EWG]

Ibuprofen. I found myself taking more and more of it, wound up in the ER on vacation with serious stomach inflammation. Maybe 4 years ago. Have not had a single dose since. No painkillers at all for 2 years, now some Tylenol a handful of times a month at most.

Getting stronger has fixed so much for me. Weights. Squats. Deadlifts.

Recovery is the biggest issue. Need sleep and rest. Makes all the difference.

I have a buddy that I mtn biked a lot with back in the day when we were sponsored and very aggro. We went down very very fast, tried to clean everything, and did this all way backcountry where the was no help. I remember doing the Vail 100 DH course on a 4” travel Santa Cruz blur at serious speed. Anyway this guy is still ripping downhill but now he’s not out on the knife edge. He says he’s looking for “flow.” Where’s the line, feel the dirt, let the speed come, roll it. I’m tryin to focus on that on skis and wheels. It’s working. It’s fun, fast and flowy. When you are locked in it’s amazing the air and lines you hit, but when you hit them you are locked in and comfy. It’s cool.

So I’m looking for that flow now.

[new yabyum]

Speaking of vitamin "I", has anybody had luck with CBD? Can't get it in Idaho, but West Yellow stone is close enough

[rideit]

You can get it over here...(non thc)

[nutmegchoi]

Why did I start reading this.
This is depressing.

[yeahman]

I just turned 74 and my wife is 76. We still downhill and backcountry ski, and in normal years we ski 60-75 days. With 50 years of skiing we've developed a great support system of doctors and physical therapists to rebuild body parts and keep us going. We have a 21 year old 20 foot campervan that we use to chase the snow. Although we can't do the steeps and deeps the way we used to, the important thing is that we're still in the mountains doing our thing. I used to be a downhill and backcountry ski instructor. We've skied in Europe, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, Canada (of course), and all over the US. We still love it and always have a smile on our face when we are out making turns.

Right on man. I hope to be doing as well when I'm your age. Feel great right now for mid 50s. Knock on wood.

[XXX-er]

I very seldom use IBU/ asprin/ naproxin

I still got a fulll bottle of tramadol from the ACL surgery

and i only use MJ to get high

[Benny Profane]

Speaking of vitamin "I", has anybody had luck with CBD? Can't get it in Idaho, but West Yellow stone is close enough

Hah, just wanted to bring it up. Went too far with the dumbbells yesterday, today advil and cbd/thc ointment on the area, much better. Great stuff.

[frorider]

Some doc answered this age old question with ‘choose good parents, then don’t fuck it up’.

I’ve been 39 for a while now. Gonna stick with that as long as possible.

[Bunion 2020]

Oh to be 45 again, I was in the best shape of my life then.

Currently 63. I had a pretty big repair on my R ankle several years ago that is a little gimpy and my knees ache a little bit after a day of skiing hard snow.

I spent 30+ years beating the shit out of my body by ski patrolling and skiing my days off and I am pretty happy I came through that as well as I did, never a serious injury. Some tweaks and sprains.

My days of 50+ days resort skiing are over, mainly because unless it is soft and fresh I get bored.

I use very little vitamin-I and never when drinking alcohol. I stretch some, ride a stationary in the winter some and try and walk a 3.5 mile circuit every other day. I still mtn bike but not at the level I used to, crashes hurt too much, I do still enjoy a long granny gear climb.

Getting old isn't for pussies.

[Name Redacted]

Oh the Vitamin I, I used to take it like a vitamin. Like 6-12 pills at a time, usually for a hangover, with more booze on top. Hair of the dog and all that. I also only have one functional kidney. Realized that I should probably stop that shit before it caught up to me. Now I just damage my liver with Tylenol instead. But even more so, I try to abstain from pain meds all together. Moar stretching and turmeric and glucosamine, oh and a heating pad is my best friend.
Life still hurts, some times for no reason, but usually for good reason.

[MiddleOfNight]

The data on this is sketchy. see post 30 https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...-healing/page2
What do you mean by limb preservation surgeon? It has a very specific meaning in surgery, it's what I did, I doubt it's what you're talking about.

UC Health Limb Preservation/Restoration.

"Specializes in the treatment of simple and complex fractures, nonunions, malunions, limb-lengthening discrepancies, deformity correction, amputation surgery, osseointegration surgeon for amputees, limb salvage and restoration"

Admittedly, the ibuprofen thing was not presented as fact, 'some people are studying it, might as well try, maybe it could help, prob not going to hurt' kind of thing. So far, thankfully it is helping. Mother just got a fusion surgery in foot, that doc told her the same thing fwiw.

[Trackhead]

Funny thing about this thread, is a lot of us "old timers" are almost 20 fucking years older than we were when we first logged on to this fucked up place. Now this forum is just a bunch of old, creeky, washed up fat dudes with bitch tits. (myself included). Hi, Xover, where are you?

[rideit]

Funny, I drove by a tracked vehicle store outside of Casper this last weekend, and wondered what you were up to. Hope you are well!

[old goat]

UC Health Limb Preservation/Restoration.

"Specializes in the treatment of simple and complex fractures, nonunions, malunions, limb-lengthening discrepancies, deformity correction, amputation surgery, osseointegration surgeon for amputees, limb salvage and restoration"

Admittedly, the ibuprofen thing was not presented as fact, 'some people are studying it, might as well try, maybe it could help, prob not going to hurt' kind of thing. So far, thankfully it is helping. Mother just got a fusion surgery in foot, that doc told her the same thing fwiw.

That is very cool. Obviously that clinic has expanded the meaning of limb preservation beyond vascular surgery. Multidisciplinary clinics are a good thing. Very common in cancer, not so much with the issues your clinic deals with. Wish we had a clinic like that where I worked. Thanks for letting me know.

[Trackhead]

Funny, I drove by a tracked vehicle store outside of Casper this last weekend, and wondered what you were up to. Hope you are well!

Well as one can expect...thanks. But also reading posts here, and swallowing curcumin with hopes for a strong placebo effect.

[timeo]

I am 52 w/ history of L5 S1 back issues so I started taking it easier the past couple years and flat out stopped hitting jumps and not charging nearly as much as in the past.

In a a normal year for me I will fall a couple times a season and maybe lose a ski once/twice per season but it would be a painful fall, since I ski fast. I still easily hit 40MPH a couple times most every day I ski but it used to be 50+ so that is dialing it back; my biggest fear is falling at top speed especially when I am skiing on race GS skis on a groomer day since it is pretty hard to not go over 50 on those. I have also started lowering my DINs a little so I don't blow out a knee.

[detrusor]

At 52 I’ve seriously dialed it back. Still ski the same terrain but slower. On the bike I just don’t open it up anymore.


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