Yeesh! No thanks to the anabolic steroids. I respect my guts too much and don’t like needles. I don’t mind some healthy, natural muscle mass, but this…?
I think that’s a picture of Harper.
We often have people hiking along on the local group rides; it’s not a race. The #1 way to avoid fatigue is to consistently push your limits.
I generally try to pee through the fly…
Peeing on bugs, cockroaches, spiders, etc. in pub urinals is really satisfying though.
haha embalmer your special someone is really rocking that bikini…
(ps you the woman out there who think taking protein or working out will get you like this, that is 100% false, this woman would of had to workout 2 times a day, consume 100’s of grams of protein and inject themselves with some intense steroids for 10-15 years for these results)
That still wouldn’t be sufficient. Notice that if “she” were to relax her arms at her sides, her hands would be down around her knees. Somebody has some ape blood in them…!
I would enjoy riding with the group when people are hiking. I could hike along anything too technical and not feel weird about riding slower than the gung-ho hotdogs. (I mean that in a nice way)
Try aiming on anything let alone a urinal, as a girl. When I was little, I did try to write my name in the snow. It didn’t work.
mbalmer, i guess there really isn’t a magic answer although it would be amazing if someone stumbled on one 
There has been some good advice already, what I do and it seems to help …If I know I’m going for a long ride I try to eat healthy before my ride, usually I will eat a low fat high protien breakfast an egg white, fruit, and maybe some turkey bacon (which really shouldn’t be called bacon, but I’m sure you get my point, lol) I take with me one or two protien bars and a camelbak with water. I only take/drink water while riding but if I don’t have water I become useless after a mile or two I have to hydrate. If I need a rest, I stop for a few minutes and then if I feel like a snack I have part of a protein bar.
I usually go to the bathroom before my ride and most times I’m ok until after either I just don’t think about it or sweat the water out haha
Also on off hours a good exercise regime helps build strength/endurance.
I do what most people probably don’t but I listen to music while I’m riding, only one earbud and low
but again I don’t ride as well without listening to my music (it may be a bad habit and I should break it, but most likely I won’t)
Don’t think about your age, think your getting younger heck with being older
I’m not the best rider but there’s my two cents
Nurse Ben you sound like my doctor, last time I went in with a sprained ankle
he told me if I’m going to continue doing things like riding injuries will
continue to happen, his reasoning was because I’m a woman and older
I’m fighting that line of thinking with every fiber of my being.
Sorry for mistakes in this post, I’m attempting this post through my phone.
+1 I didn’t let partial paralysis in my legs stop me from learning to ride and then doing Muni 
Increasing my fitness really helped. Because of my legs, I often don’t UPD on my feet. To combat this I train my core really strong so that it’s the last thing to weaken when I get tired. I do lots of single single leg lifts, 30 reps each side non stop for a half hour, starting and ending on harder to UPD on leg. The point where UPD’s were no longer a problem is when I could easily do ithis w/ 10 lb. ankle weights on each leg.
I also train my legs a fair amount, again going more for endurance. Most machines I’ve tried in gyms don’t quite work the muscles I need for Muni (upper hamstrings, glutes and lower back), esp when climbing hills. I have a rowing machine w/ adj resistance that hits these spots way better than any one exersise I’ve tried. When I can go for 30 min @ 30+ RPM’s on level 6. Anything less and my riding ability is significantly less. The legs move in addition to everything else and the legs move down and out, whereas most rowing machines the legs just move out in relation to the seat.
I would ideally do these twice a day, everyday untill I get to the desired level for the leg lifts and rowing and then twice a week for maintenence. If I’ve already achieved my baseline w/ the leglifts I often do a wide variety of core exersises. I glance through magazines at the grocery store for ideas. Womens’ fitness mags are consistently better for core exersizes (plus it’s nice to look at all the fit women 
) IMO Oxygen is the best.
I’ve found juggling has helped my unicycling slighly and if I juggle for a hour at least several times a week but don’t unicycle, my skills depreciate significantly less. A friend recently showed a cool exercise: squats while juggling. If that’s too easy you could do them w/ a weighted backpack, on a balance board, and/or pistol squats.
When I commute and ride around town, it’s usually under an hour so I eat and drink normally. I fill up a 2 liter pollycarbonate water bottle every day and try to empty half of it by noon. My Muni rides are always long, 4 hrs (but short dist w/ lots of UPD’s). I set the count down timer on my watch on repeat for 20 min and take two sips at my next UPD, if the terrain is relatively easy I look for more difficult lines to increase the likelyhood of a UPD sooner. I split between my two one liter bottles a scoop of protien powder ~20g, and either powder Gatorade (double suggested dosage) or 2/3 juice w/ the rest water (anything w/ high potasium, orange is best IMO, better than Gatorade, apple the worst)
Normally I don’t drink anything caffinated, but I’ve noticed a big help by breaking off a caffene tab in my second bottle, 100 mg worth (IMO it’s better to take tabs every once in a while than coffee or soda). I use cheap CVS brand which hits really fast if I take the pill, so if I do I only take 1/4 tab (50mg) at a time. NoDoze seems to release slower, it takes longer to hit, but I get less buz and lasts longer, so 1/2 tab is fine (100mg). Since I try not to use much caffene my first choice is 2 tabs each of Ginsing and Ginko Baloba, but since they taste nasty, I dodn’t mix them in my drink.
For energy plenty of sleep is best, esp the nigh before. I carry a portable vitamin packet and take a B right at the begining of a ride. I’ve also noticed taking a E vitamin helps a bit w/ energy and heat moderation (best if it’s daily since it can take a while to feel the benefits).
I used to suffer from a bit of insomnia and about once a week I’d lie there for a hour before going to sleep or wake up in the middle of the night and lie there for hours. A while ago I learned an accupressure technique called Jin Sin Jit Su (sp?). After starting this I would fall asleep right away and if I did all of the seven steps just before bed, I would wake up an hour earlier than normal, fully rested, including the 21 min I spent doing this. I’d also be more energized and get stressed out less easily. If I’m really tired in the middle of the day, sometimes it realy helps to do this for 1 min in each of the 7 positions.
You put one hand on the top of your head and the middle three fingers of the other hand at each of your seven chacaras. Beween your eyebrows, tip of nose, sternum, 3" below your belly button, pelvis, and tail bone. I often add my brain stem, base of the back of my neck where that vertebrea sticks out and where I broke my back. You do this for 3 min each. I set my timer and meditate by visualizing my breathing, or if I have something big the next day (test, big ride, etc) I visualize every situation I can think of and it working out to my benefit.
To combat the heat the best thing is to get out early, quit before 11 AM and wear light clothing in weight and color. Usually on a hot day I don’t leave the house before 7, but ideally I get to the trail and start hiking up and try to time it so I get to the top as soon as it gets light enough to see well enough to ride easily (right now that’s just before 6:00). Of course I can only do this on the weekends or when I don’t have classes or work in the morning. IMO early morning is WAY cooler than evening.
That’s all very well Skilewis, but I think it would help us all if you would think your answer through a little before posting.
I’ll do that next time:p
(I sometimes have difficulty consolidating my thoughts and over do it on the info :()
[QUOTE=skilewis74;1472204I’ve found juggling has helped my unicycling slighly and if I juggle for a hour at least several times a week but don’t unicycle, my skills depreciate significantly less. A friend recently showed a cool exercise: squats while juggling.[/QUOTE]
Interesting. How does juggling help your unicycling? … and juggling for an hour?! That sounds like a mighty long time for such an odd activity.
I’ve never thought of juggling as a form of exercise. Should I take up that activity for some reason other than just to prove I could do it?
Interesting. How does juggling help your unicycling? … and juggling for an hour?!
That sounds like a mighty long time for such an odd activity.
I’ve never thought of juggling as a form of exercise.
Should I take up that activity for some reason other than just to prove I could do it?
Hi mbalmer, sorry to hear you are having these horrible issues. Getting old sucks! I think all the good advice has been listed, and the sad truth as well. There are men who are capable of setting wieghtlifting PRs into their late 50’s, then generally see a decline in their 60’s. Not sure about the women. I would have to go with 1) get a good night’s sleep, 2) eat to feed your body, 3) strength train a few times a week. Not that you would want to look like “harper”, but it is one of the best things you can do.
The “harper” picture makes me think. I met Jill Mills, “World’s Strongest Woman 2002”, at the Arnold Expo in 2003. She had quite a story to tell. I have my hand on her shoulder in the pic, and I swear it was like a boulder! She assured me her training is all natural, though many would doubt that when looking at her pictures. She is about 39 now, and may have insight into how her training/capabilities have changed since then. I think I’ll email her and see if I can get some information.
So, last summer I was coming off of a very strong winter/spring, had been riding and skiing tons, I was in great shape, hit the summer heat/humidity and started having high heart rates, bad enough to be nausea inducing.
I have mild HTN, so I figure it’d be best to get a professional opinion, so I went to a cardioligist. After getting an EKG, echo, wearing a halter, etc… he tells me I have nothing wrong, great.
So then I reviewed my health hx and discover that on rare occassions, antihistamines can cause elevated BP, which, funny as it may sound, was a medication that I had started ten years ago, after moving to TN and getting a sinus infection; which also conicides with being diagnosed with HTN 
I stopped the antihistamine and my BP dropped to normal. I still have a slightly elevated BP at times, but not bad enough to be called HTN. Meanwhile, my racing heart has reduced somewhat, though, when it’s hot and HUMID, I still have the same issue and it sucks!
My conclusion: getting old sucks, not because you’re any weaker, but because your body is no longer willing to suffer your youthful urges, such as staying up all night, exercising hard every day without recovery, and working out at levels that you are not in shape to sustain.
Also, having been an avid, runner, skier, biker, climber, soccer player, etc… I have found that riding unis in high heat/humidity conditions is really friggin hard.
So, cut yourself some slack when it’s hot and humid. Move your ride times to low humidity hours, ride in the shade, hydrate before you ride, eat well and bring a good snack, consider cross training, try to make riding in the hot season fun, i.e. take short rides and save the brutal training rides for cooler and drier weather.
I’m 46, we are moving West (Oregon, Washington, Utah, or Colorado) in less than three years, once the kids are both off to college. I’m originally from the West Coast, I know how it can be, so if you can, just do it, maximize the “golden years” 
Today, I am going to go beat myself up, learning to ride my guni, temps in the mid nineties, humidity 80%, what fun
I wish I could be there to ride guni with you. I’m liking mine more and more and it only took a year. Most people like theirs much sooner. I take a timid approach everything new.
What is HTN?
Heat on a unicycle is pretty nasty. I used to ride in high heat on my bicycle but it’s sucky on a unicycle (Riding flat is okay).
I do get good sleep. Too much perhaps, but my diet is not great. I eat a fair amount of convenience food. I skip sugar and fries, but I do like my meatless fast food. I have a tendency to not rest while riding and I sometimes become hungry. I’ll work on those things.
GOLDEN YEARS? I can’t believe you said that. At least I’m not in diapers yet.
Skilewis74–I should come up to Santa Rosa to ride with you. Maybe you can teach me a few tricks on more technical terrain. How did you brake your back?
HTN = Hypertension
Runs in the family; thanks Mom 
Oh no, now you gone and said, where’s that can-o-worms when you need it 
In the winter I can literally ride my legs off, my endurance is so much higher, but come summer time I just get beat down.
I went to Colorado in June and rode in moderate heat and low humidity, did some tough and long rides, was able to ride and slide every day, felt great about my riding and fitness, then I returned to Tennessee and immediately sucked 
I’ve tried going out early am and late pm, when temps are down, but this is also when the humidity is up, so my new take on riding in the summer is to go out when it’s hot and humidity is low, so then at least my sweat evaporates and get some cooling. There’s times when I got so overheated I feel like I’m melting from the inside out, ugh!
In terms of fitness, you can do a lot for yourself in terms of flexibiity and strength training when not riding, so avoiding the heat by hitting the gym. I’m not a gm guy, so I run for cross training, which is a much cooler way of keeping my cardio up and getting me outside.
One more month and we should all start feeling a little bit cooler.
Diapers, nice thought, can’t wait 
Mbalmer, your in SJ, right?
Why noty head for some cooler temps, north bay, coast, even the foothills could be nice.
I grew up out there, nice time to ride is early before the heat and smog start kicking. I don’t miss the crowds, but it sure is a state for access to mountains and ocean.
Don’t come out this way, the humidity is awful!
I do not like gyms. They are way too smelly. I don’t care how clean the place is, it smells like old sweat. I do spend some time on the water though. Nothing like getting a free ride on a paddle board:D. Ha ha. Check out the farmer tan. I always wear T-shirts or wetsuits. My shoulders are as white as the day I was born.
Yes, I do have a lot of options. Mountains and coast. So many fun things to do and so little time! One good thing about being older is that you greater appreciate being able to do activities since you know it won’t last forever.
I’m not sure that juggling alone would help your unicycling much, but it does increase finger dexterity (especially when you’re juggling 5+ balls) and general coordination. If you do it on a balance board, your balance will also improve, and that can never hurt.
I would think that being in a unicyclist forum would make juggling seem not so odd. Only joking. It is a lot of fun though. I think you might find that time really flies once you get into it. The neat thing about it is that you can do it anytime, anywhere.
In a way it is a form of exercise. If you are juggling objects that are, say, 2 pounds each, you’re going to gain muscle. When you’re learning new things you get sore from bending down to pick up your objects every 20 seconds :). Experts can have some pretty intense routines, as well. At some point it becomes possible to use nearly every part of your body.