Exercise and sports (preferably endurance sports) as a hobby/interest. Anybody else?

[LunaticCentruroides]

Anybody else here doing sports and would like to talk about it?

My life is (for a large part) about trail running. I also ended up doing competitions this summer and have many more coming next summer.
I love my mountains and I'm in the alps all the time. Yeah, you could say I'm pretty much obsessed with mountains, but also generally nature and maps
I also had the pleasure to run the highest peaks of several countries in the world and I plan to do more such projects.

Would love to exchange about exercise and endurance sports specifically.

 

[Levitator]

Nope. Endurance is what I don't have. I can keep up a brisk walk for a while, but only if it's nice and cold outside.

 

[VictorR]

Trail running is an awesome sport and I wish I had the ability for it as I live in a mountainous area many races that traverse beautiful terrain.

While I haven't done trail running, I do get the aspects of training, preparations, reading about and sharing in others' experiences and the joys of "runner's high" and setting a personal or seasonal best.

One thing I will offer up is to respect one's body and to recognize that it's okay to DNS or DNF, especially if one isn't quite 100% - there will always be another race.

I unfortunately was really excited for a certain marathon, got injured in the lead-up, completed it anyways and re-injured myself in the process and it hasn't quite been the same since.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

I have done canoe marathons. To even be competitive one must maintain a pace of about 80 strokes per minute. A mistake most beginning canoeists make is using their arms too much. One needs to apply power through torso rotations, bringing the larger muscle groups into play. While I no longer marathon, I can comfortably paddle all day. Currently, I have enjoyed participating with kayak support for Ironman Triathlon swimmers; chasing down those going off course or allowing tired swimmers to hang onto my boat. Not a marathon, but I enjoy Whitewater OC1 slalom. [BTW, I build cedar strip canoes and kayaks.]

My other passion is cycling. Because of severe arthritis in my neck I have gone to a recumbent, tadpole, trike, an ICE Sprint. I love it. 40 mile days are easy with it, depending on the number of hills, but we have some nice rail trails around me. The most demanding hill riding from my house is having to climb back up to return - everything is downhill from the house. The steepest is about 0.9 mile of a 13% grade. But I would not call my cycling an endurance activity since I like to find a nice restaurant to have lunch at before my return leg. Though for a short 20 mile round trip I enjoy peddling to the Port City Smokehouse for some fresh fish to prepare later or pick up some fried Lake (Yellow) Perch or a Lobster Roll to have at the beach.

 

[marc_101]

@LunaticCentruroides I used to run a lot more (marathons, relay races, etc) before but running is my most durable sport. After the New York marathon, I decided that road marathons are not for me. Up to 17 miles all is good, but afterward my body just doesn't like it. Trail marathons are a lot easier.

I moved West in the US to a state where trial running is awesome, so I do that from time to time. I have run into (literally) famous trail runners here. You can probably guess where I live.

I don't like to run in the winter so I lift weights or use the treadmill in the winter. But in the summer my dog and I do a long run during the weekend.

There is something very calming about a long and slow run. It does help a lot mentally.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

Before The stroke I liked to run or at least do my stationary bike at a moderately high level. Now walking any real distance is difficult.

 

[Tom]

I was in younger years and particularly liked the interesting mountain terrain whether forested or desert. I ran or hiked for sport but then later mostly as a hobby. I found it very helpful in controlling mental equilibrium. Other sports I enjoyed a lot were surfing and swimming which are also endurance for the most part. As change-ups I liked canoeing or rafting.

They have done some studies and are finding certain environments contribute to mental and physical health. The ones I have seen discussed in studies are the forest and ocean front. In the woods I know they theorize that certain chemicals present play a part.

One problem I had was if I could not participate for some reason, and then would feel almost a kind of withdrawl and mental frustration. Like you get addicted in a way to the exercise. So it is good to have multiple options to fall back on and even non-strenuous activities to do in case you are nursing an injury.

These days I just do short walks with my sled dogs (Chihuahuas) but am fortunate to live in a rural area of the forested mountains and actually embedded in a nature preserve. Not as pretty as the Alps though! You are very fortunate to live there. I've only been a few times and they are just breathtaking.

If you experience knee trouble I would recommend swimming (indoor pool typically) as a good counter balance. Great exercise and no weight on the joints.

 

[Jeff T]

hmm, exercise and sports?

Walked 10 miles a day outside on the job.
Over the years have hiked quite a bit. Got to the top of Mt Lassen, Wheeler Peak (nevada), Half Dome, etc. I'm built more like a draft horse than a thoroughbred, so running long distance isn't a thing.
Got into Orienteering about 30 years ago. I ended up being the cartographer of the club making the maps. Again
I'm not a runner, but at a fast walk I could score pretty good. I enjoy it because it takes constant concentration to navigate to the next control.
Other than that, probably have ridden/walked my horses a couple thousand miles through the years, often bareback.

 

[MyLifeAsAnAspie]

Cycling, distance running and hiking, love all of it. I tried trail running once. It was fun until I did my usual trail after a heavy rain and hurt my foot due to the bad erosion of the trail. I think minimalist running is the best way to avoid injury when road running.

 

[mw2530]

I enjoy long distance running and is something I got into at a young age by competing in cross-country and track. Now I still enjoying competing in road races up to the half-marathon distance. I train pretty seriously and love the feeling I get after finishing a race and knowing I pushed my body to the limits. There is kind of a love/hate relationship over the discomfort one feels while competing and training in endurance sports. I may attempt a marathon at some point, but that requires a bit more time commitment.

I have also gotten into cycling the last two years which is a nice alternative to running that gives the joints a break. I live in the Midwest so mountains are not available so I am a bit jealous of those you who have the limitless trails that come with it. I love traveling to the western U.S. and hiking in the mountains. It is so unique compared to to the terrain in the Midwest.

 

[jellyfish]

Running I find tedious I just get bored and my mind won't allow me to stay focused. I have to do something that keeps my mind engaged. When I was is school I ran to the next school and went to a fair that were selling friendship bands.

 

[Shevek]

For decades, a bicycle was my main transportation because it was fast and cheap. Without it I'd never have gotten fit, because I don't enjoy exercise at all except for the long term benefits. However, a bike tour was a highlight of my life, and my vocation was all about using human power more efficiently.
I suspect that I didn't develop athletically because my AS mother was into efficiency, and had discovered that by being stingy with the fluids, she could change fewer diapers. I grew up weak and depressed, rather than noisy and troublesome.

 

[SeanF]

I prefer weightlifting, but during the warmer months, I run 3 to 4 miles a day on a nearby trail. The silence is a bit much for my brain to handle because I generally go crazy with my internal dialog. I have found that listening to books or podcasts as I run helps to lessen this.

 

[LunaticCentruroides]

Sometimes I have the thought that I'd like to meet other people that do the same. I always do these type of things by myself, since it's easy to do it solo. But I honestly don't really know how or where to meet these people. I went in a trailrunning group once, but the people weren't my cup of tea somehow.

 

[Shevek]

Sometimes I have the thought that I'd like to meet other people that do the same. I always do these type of things by myself, since it's easy to do it solo. But I honestly don't really know how or where to meet these people. I went in a trailrunning group once, but the people weren't my cup of tea somehow.

Ha ha! The trouble with riding a bike is that you only meet other cyclists who are either going the other way, or don't ride at the same speed. On my tour, I met another guy at a campground and we teamed up to fight the wind. We were fine all day, but he had been a recreational rider, while I'd been a commuter. I had to hold my brakes on for the first mile or so until he warmed up.
One morning when I'd been commuting I found I had a flat tire. Then I noticed I was light-headed - I'd been hyperventilating in anticipation of a sprint for about a minute.

 

[LunaticCentruroides]

Ha ha! The trouble with riding a bike is that you only meet other cyclists who are either going the other way, or don't ride at the same speed. On my tour, I met another guy at a campground and we teamed up to fight the wind. We were fine all day, but he had been a recreational rider, while I'd been a commuter. I had to hold my brakes on for the first mile or so until he warmed up.
One morning when I'd been commuting I found I had a flat tire. Then I noticed I was light-headed - I'd been hyperventilating in anticipation of a sprint for about a minute.

Having a different pace was always a reason for me to go solo. But now after all these years I realize that I'd enjoy to have friend circle based on this.

 

[justin_havu]

Running for me. No races, though, except for maybe one local 5-miler. Longest I've ever gone was 13.5 miles in maybe 2:36:00. Even though I'm working pretty hard, it's very relaxing.

I used to cycle a lot, too, until last summer. Sold my bike simply because over the last 20 years I've had too many anxiety attacks dealing with cars passing me, and it's just not worth it to have another one, and I'm not a fan of trails at all; for running or cycling.

 

[Neri]

My favorite is dancing. I like to dance for many hours, but my health depreciated over the last few years so I need to work my fitness up to be able to do that like I use to (I am 51 and a grandma now).

 

[Shevek]

I'm still riding a bike almost daily, but I'm definitely slowing down. I'm pleasantly surprised that riding still feels good even though I'm now using to waste energy instead of save it, having nowhere to go that isn't either a ten minute walk at most, or an hour or more of driving. Sometimes I re-live some of the street races I enjoyed to induce a hard effort.