Training for the worst day of your life / personal self defense

[crofter]

I recall they say that moderate weight lifting is really good for old timers, into their 80s and 90s. And given your scale, that makes me a long hair...

Too funny. I guess I am a short haired long hair. HaHa

Weekly report: about 21 miles and no weights. Struggling with a long lasting back spasm, so no weights this week. Back in the day, just pop in a muscle relaxer and good to go. Now doc's are not willing to help you out with such things. Closest thing I can get for back spasms is megadose of hydrocodone, which I avoid like the plague. DIY cure is hydration and electrolytes combined with slow stretches.  I think I was dehydrated when the spasm started.
-crofter

 

[Qxxx]

crofter, as you may be in the local area, the facilities at FOY may be of help with your back issues. $29/day dry camping, hot mineral water spas, soaking tubs, on and on. Just a thought.

https://www.foyspa.com/rates/
https://www.foyspa.com/facilities/

 

[crofter]

Ooh nice, in Niland. I will have to make my way over there. I am really doing much better after 2 hours in the hot tub here with a jet pointed at the "spot". I will be ready for some mineral water for sure.

One thing I have gotten sucked into is drinking reverse osmosis water that has all minerals removed from it. And we all need minerals, so they need to get put back in there somehow. In the past I have added trace minerals supplement to the water.   -crofter

 

[Qxxx]

I have it on good authority that the biggest problem with FOY is that, once having partaken of the goodies, you'll not want to leave, your body will feel so good, . OTOH, it's also as low as $378/month if you want to stay for a bit. You can run in the hills inbetweenst soaks in mineral baths. 

In regards water, I should think that using it for tea coffee and diluting drinks like apple and orange juice (I always do 2:1) will put some nutrients back in.

 

[Dingfelder]

I recall they say that moderate weight lifting is really good for old timers, into their 80s and 90s. And given your scale, that makes me a long hair...

Yup.  I remember reading about a yogi who lifted very heavy well into his old age.  It can help with strength and flexibliity, at the very least.

 

[Qxxx]

".... lifted very heavy well into his old age....". Oof, that's not quite what I had in mind. Lifting "very heavy" would kill most of us mere mortals, who've not spent a lifetime in the weight room. OTOH, moderate weight lifting will help keep the muscles from totally disappearing. Well, this past 5 days, I did two 3-hour long walks in the desert, one up on the mesa in Ehrenberg, and the other north from the big boondocking spot along Hwy 62 near Big River. And last month I climbed all the little hills west of Tyson Wash in Quartzsite. Actually, I guess having old legs lifting my body weight for 3-hours almost qualifies as heavy lifting, especially when there is no good place to sit down to rest in the desert, lol.

corfter, I hope your back is doing better. When you get older (more so than you currently are), your back really suffers from too much work.

 

[nature lover]

I have been in a weight lifting program for years. Every morning I lift my large butt off the bed. Heavy lifting!

 

[Dingfelder]

".... lifted very heavy well into his old age....". Oof, that's not quite what I had in mind. Lifting "very heavy" would kill most of us mere mortals, who've not spent a lifetime in the weight room. OTOH, moderate weight lifting will help keep the muscles from totally disappearing. 

Well, yes, you do not want to be precipitate.  It is easy to get used to heavier weights simply by lifting lighter ones first.  

But the main thing is lifting heavy "for you."  That has nothing to do with lifting heavy according to some sort of wild and crazy standard.  It just means "for you."

If five pounds is a heavy lift for you right now, then fine, that's what it is.  If it's ten pounds, etc., who cares.  It's the principal of the thing, not the specific poundage, which is an entirely personal matter.  

The yogi I was talking about did what everybody does; he started light and progressed upward.  Eventually he got fairly strong.  Being strong wasn't a gift that he was given, though ... he did have to earn it.  I thought it was pretty cool that well into old age this skinny fellow was still pressing a considerable amount of iron weights overhead.  A lot of teenagers couldn't do what he was doing.

 

[crofter]

crofter, I hope your back is doing better. When you get older (more so than you currently are), your back really suffers from too much work.

Sounds like a great excuse to take the day off. Thanks for the well wishes, I'm pretty sure electrolites and caring for hardworking muscles could reduce the incidence of back spasm. Also sleeping in a hard bed helps.  -crofter

 

[crofter]

OK injuries are all healed up, back to work.  I am bored to death with this isolating, but I have a couple dumbells to work out with and still walking about 20 miles per week.

A hometown local gal makes good at the Arnold competition, here is her plank workout.  -crofter

https://befitapparel.com/no-gym-workout/

 

[Qxxx]

Glad yer feelin' better crofter. I try to avoid injuries. Ya may have been overdoing it, just a thought. I just returned to the wet and cold north after 2 1/2 months in pleasant AZ. I think the many days of 3 hour walks in the desert, plus climbing all the little peaks west of Tyson Wash has really helped my conditioning. My thigh muscles are beginning to feel like they did 20 years ago, . I drove 400 miles today, which is good at my age, and am not even pooped tonight. We're looking at 4 days of rain and snow, but I'm looking forward to getting back to hiking in the mountains soon. This trip has been kind of a renewal.

Just as a suggestion, one of the new places I visited was Nevada Telephone Cove, and there are some nice little peaks in there to climb too. You could run up them, crofter. I found a good regimen for me is a day of traveling, 2 days of computer work, and a day with a 3-hour walk/hike. But of course, you, BMS, and ding are on a different plain entirely.

 

[crofter]

...I think the many days of 3 hour walks in the desert, plus climbing all the little peaks west of Tyson Wash has really helped my conditioning....

Awesome results Q! When I get a break from cleaning germs, Tyson Wash will be my new destination. Can't wait!!   -crofter

 

[Qxxx]

I only ever saw one other hiker when I was in there, but zillions of putt-putts of course. The tallest peak with the flag on top was the most fun. You come in from the east, and as you can see, the putt-putt road goes part way up (left of center). Then you scramble straight up the ridge over a lot of loose rock, but then the ridge top over to the main peak is a piece of cake after that. All the other ways up involve all loose rock.

 

[crofter]

Great pic- thanks!  -crofter

 

[Dingfelder]

You must be young!   :dodgy:

A hair under 60.  So thank you for the compliment!

 

[maki2]

I bought a new container of gel pepper spray this week. I realized my container was way out of date. I have never had cause to use it but I have had some cause to carry it now and again.

 

[crofter]

I bought a new container of gel pepper spray this week. I realized my container was way out of date. I have never had cause to use it but I have had some cause to carry it now and again.

@maki
Awesome! What brand did you go with? Mine is actually bear spray, Counter Assault and also ready for replacement. 
-crofter (prefers bear encounters from a distance)

BTW my check in is still 21 miles per week, wishing for more of a workout. My barrier is myself, my level of fatigue.  -crofter

 

[maki2]

A gel pepper spray. Gel is supposed to help prevent blow back should you ever need to use it.  As I am not in bear country at present I have not purchased any bear spray and I wanted something pocket sized.   I just chose something that was on Amazon Prime and had thousands of positive reviews. No real clue if it is better or worse than any other brand. I suppose I could give it a test sometime in some location where it won't cause any harm. It did arrive in a reasonable amount of time but of course not in 2 days time. But so far Amazon deliveries have been arriving before the estimated time. I use one of their locker locations to receive smaller sized items.
SABRE RED Pepper Gel Spray for Runners.

 

[Queen]

Even though I’m older and have a bum leg I still manage to maintain my situational awareness that I developed in my LEO days. Head on a swivel is my best defense, I try to stay fit swimming and walking, and I’m fairly well trained in some weapons so I feel moderately confident that I could protect myself and my SO... but my best bet is to be aware and avoid any situation where it might happen.

 

[1shemp]

Could us poor folks just throw a bottle of hot sauce in their face?Asking for a friend.