Your hobbies involving exercise over the years

[Rusty Nails]

5-11: Running around and cycling, football
12-18: Rugby, football & Tennis for school teams. Cycling with a group of friends.
18-21: University squash, and mostly unsuccessful attempts at horizontal jogging.
22-30: Local league squash, tennis, badminton and football. Cycling till around 25 then gave it up.
30-55: Local league squash, badminton and tennis. Running for fitness
55-60: Club squash and badminton.
60-63: Gym
63: Took up cycling again because knee problems had put paid to all the others. Occasional gym membership
63-74: Cycling and hill walking.
74+ Who knows

 

[gbb]

Childhood spent outdoors, exploring, fishing, exploring, walking, cycling, climbing trees, you name it. I would walk for 10 miles with friends just exploring.
School, favourite sport was RU, on the wing, light and fast. Hated football ( and most other sports)
Mid 20s i started cycle commuting, never far nut always with vigour, as fast as i could.
In my 30s and 40s, golf then squash with an old friend.
40s and onward...cycling cycling cycling
Nowadays, just staying mobile.

 

[purpan]

You were still able to do it at that age? Respect.

lol. I was barely able to do it in my 20s!

 

[Craig the cyclist]

Up to 14ish, just general dicking around, running, cycling, cricket, rugby whichever was in season.

At 14 we did a cross country run at school. I became like Forest Gump, I loved it. Never played football again, during sports at school in the winter I used to do 2 laps of the cross country course the teachers never had to check, I loved it.

At 16 I joined the Army, and during a sports Wednesday the QM SSgt asked if I fancied going orienteering. That was it. I have now been orienteering for 40 years, champion at various levels up to National.

Apart from that cycling and climbing, lots of mountain marathons etc.

Now I am a bit old and a bit f***ed, knees have gone, ankles are going, so this year I am having a go at mtb orienteering!

 

[presta]

Sorry to hear this. What was the overtraining on? Not cycle touring surely?

That and everything else. I spent 30 years overtraining, unaware I was doing anything wrong. I went to the GP right at the start, but he told me to ignore my symptoms and get more exercise, so that's what I did until it all went pear shaped 10 years ago. People think it only happens to athletes, but I've seen people come on here describing symptoms that look like overtraining, and everyone tells them to get more exercise just like my GP did.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

You were still able to do it at that age? Respect.

Most climbers will continue on the easier climbs through their 70s. Many still go up mountains in 80s.

 

[Venod]

That was it. I have now been orienteering for 40 years

What club ? I competed for about 35 years, I started with Aire, then Epoc, I now do MTB Orienteering.

 

[Craig the cyclist]

What club ? I competed for about 35 years, I started with Aire, then Epoc, I now do MTB Orienteering.

My first club was Sarum, alongside BAOC. When I left the Army I was one of the group that started SMOC in about 1988 or whenever. Then I moved down to the South West and variously in BOK and QO.

So what is MTBO like? Will I enjoy it?

 

[Venod]

So what is MTBO like? Will I enjoy it?

If you enjoy maps and cycling, yes you will enjoy it, but it's not the same as foot O.
I did my first event in 2004 a score event, in all that time since I have done loads of score events but I think only two normal events, because route choice is obviously limited in a normal event, ie: you can't just cut through a section forest if it's the quickest looking route, you have to use the tracks same as everyone else.
I prefer score and all the events up here are score events, 2, 3, 4 and, 5, hour events are the norm.
It's a bit more informal than foot O, ie you are not expected to join a club to compete.
A map board is a must have IMO.
Give it go, there are quite a lot geriatric competitors, me included.

 

[HarryTheDog]

11-18 Rugby ( played for the school, found too small to be competitive in "adult" rugby)
18-32 Running ( Army)
25-28 sailing (Army
32-34 Judo start of civvy street
34-43 Got fat just worked
43-50 sailing again ( raced F18's with my son, Sprint 15 on my todd gave up a year after my son did, no fun sailing on my own)
43-present day walking + cycling ( cycling commuting, raced mtb, road, CX now only CX)
44-48 horse riding ( family all rode, gave up before one of us died, horses are a flight animail )
56 till now (59) Latin and Ballroom Dancing , exercises the brain as much as the body.

 

[Craig the cyclist]

If you enjoy maps and cycling, yes you will enjoy it, but it's not the same as foot O.
I did my first event in 2004 a score event, in all that time since I have done loads of score events but I think only two normal events, because route choice is obviously limited in a normal event, ie: you can't just cut through a section forest if it's the quickest looking route, you have to use the tracks same as everyone else.
I prefer score and all the events up here are score events, 2, 3, 4 and, 5, hour events are the norm.
It's a bit more informal than foot O, ie you are not expected to join a club to compete.
A map board is a must have IMO.
Give it go, there are quite a lot geriatric competitors, me included.

Right then, that is all the recommendation I need.

I will enter this evening, after I have checked we are not busy....... https://www.bmbo.org.uk/calendar/details.php?event_id=1281

 

[Moon bunny]

Until I left school and for some years after:
Fat knacker.
Early twenties, I took up boxing training to lose weight, and found I had a talent for punching people, which I continued until my early thirties when I started to lose form and went back to just training.
Later after coming across the sea I bought a bike and haven’t looked back, with the addition on non-competitive rowing for upper body exercise.

 

[Archie_tect]

Played badminton and tennis with the same 3 friends for years as a teenager- went everywhere on my bike... then life moved on - only cycling carried on doing the C2c when I turned 50... just started playing B + T again in the last year since [semi-] retiring. Loving all the exercise and probably fitter now than I was in my 30s, 40s, certainly thinner!

 

[Saluki]

Just down The road, there is a paddle board hire place. I think it looks fun, have done for a while but idea was ridiculed by my bike bud. Looking for new exercise/cycling/swimming/kayaking buddy.

i really want to have a go at paddle boarding. Also, decent launch point just outside my front door.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

What club ? I competed for about 35 years, I started with Aire, then Epoc, I now do MTB Orienteering.

Is it still organised by BOF? Used to make me laugh when I first did orienteering as a 10 year old.