At 69 years of age, road cycling has become my exercise of choice. I can spend maybe 30 minutes on a stationary bike before the boredom wins out, but I can cycle for hours on the road. I find it easy on my knees (which blow up like balloons if I try to run), and a terrific aerobic activity - wind in my hair, the steady rhythm of peddling and breathing, and a sense of accomplishment at the end of a nice ride. I will never ride fast enough to win any competitions, but, as you said so well, that's not really the point. The point is to feel the zen-like freedom that the activity can give you, as well as the benefits of maintaining good cardiovascular function and good leg strength for schlepping up hills during hunting season.
Man - i get it and you have 10 years on me. I tore my miniscus last year. I have always been a skier, mnt biker, soccer player, and runner as well as life long hunter and fisherman. The betrayal of age, like you said, the great irony of hunting...as I learn to be a better hunter, a better fisherman, my body stops responding in the way i need it too. Its a tough adjustment and I really appreciate your candid self awareness; it helps.
Love your attitude hank gotta keep after it! I’m only 28 though so don’t have any advise I just like people who have the attitude to stay in shape. Peter attia has a lot of good info on fitness as people get older too. Lotta people I see advise strength training along with the cardio
ran marathons and ultramarathons until my 30s, triathlon since then. Went off the cliff after 55, at 50 could run a 5k under 20min, at 55 still managed 22, nowadays it's 28 with more suffering than seems reasonable. Swimming and biking are still OK but slowing.
I gave up elk hunting at 62, last hunt limping out with backpack and doing about one mile an hour, realized it was not going to get better. If I actually got an elk back in the woods it would probably kill me packing it out..
Run when I can, walk when I have to, still going down the trails..
Thanks for sharing all this Hank. Replace "running" with "sports" and "knee/Achilles tendon" with "neck/shoulder" and I'm exactly there. I've been trying to re-frame my sense of identity away from those sports to maintaining enough fitness for those deer and bird hunts. I've tried biking as a replacement and while I found it satisfying in it's own right... it didn't seem to help as much for trekking around in the mountains. As I approach 50 I will be mindful of your comments that this is setting the stage for the next couple of decades.
The brain never forgets, but the body moves on. I tore my rotator cuff almost a year ago and am just now starting to be able to exercise pain free. Mounting a shotgun was painful last fall, but I did it anyway. Fortunately my hunts were abysmally free of birds and flushes, so I didn't get to raise the gun much.
One of my old bosses used to buzz me in my office and ask me if thought I would ever amount to anything. I was frustrated and then puzzled before I finally realized it was an existential trick question. All answers are correct and there are no correct answers. I realized at a certain point that if I answer the question internally and be happy about it, then I could move on.
My wife is a hospice nurse and we talk about aging and dying a lot. As hunters we deal in death and the life cycle every year. I am cognizant that I am marching steadily to the end and that it could be catastrophically ended with bad luck or the wrong move.
Honestly, IMHO you just need to keep your body moving no matter what. In the end it doesn't really matter, but it is entirely up to the individual how they want to navigate the post-50's. You can dream about what you used to do in your 20's, but those days are never coming back.
I am working on accepting my age-imposed limitation with integrity and grace. And I keep on pushing against it with my body to make sure that I will extend my hunting career. That's about all I can do.
Keep on fighting the good fight, Hank! The most important mode of exercise, as you age, is strength training. At 46, I know it's really the only way I will be able to continue to live the active life I desire. I have been able to return to all the activities I love (mountain biking, trail running, hiking, open water swimming, etc) after a number of serious injuries (broken clavicle, fibular spiral fracture (surgery), multiple separated shoulders, accessory nerve damage rendering my left arm almost useless). I always knew I would make a full recovery because of my near lifelong dedication to whole body strength.
I plan on continuing my active pursuits, without slowing down, well into my 90s. The success, or failure, will depend on my strength training program. Disclaimer, I worked in a weight room, as a strength and conditioning coach, for 18 years (UNC-Chapel Hill). I wrote programs for a multitude of sports, including cross-country and track. All this time in the gym, working with elite athletes, has made strength training a vital part of my life. These experiences also afford me the ability to write daily strength programs for myself and my wife without too much thought.
I agree with Abe's recommendation below regarding Peter Attia, and would also suggest checking out Ben Patrick's (knees over toes guy) YouTube channel.
Thank you so much for all the wisdom you have freely given to all of your followers. I would be happy to return the favor if you wanted to discuss strength training plans for your specific active pursuits, and how you can maintain this well into your 80s and 90s.
As a former marathoner and ultramarathoner I feel every word of this Hank. It was what allowed me to go one more ridge than everybody else on a bow hunt, one more day on a chukar hunt and steep and deep in a wilderness with confidence. It was natural, it saved me from my addiction and led me to many places I’d only dreamed about. It was also an ugly transition out after lots of ‘scopes and a titanium knee after 100+ long races and training runs over 20yrs post small college football. I won’t run a 4.4 again, that seems easy to take at 59, but not having the meditation and endorphins of a long run with the elk is a grievable loss. I will never run or hunt the way I was accustomed again. My hunting partners are dwindling and it gets dark sometimes. It’s articles like yours that remind me I can still Mt or road bike, fish lakes and rivers and oceans, geese are lighter than bulls and calling is an art whether bulls, honkers or turkey. I live in the PNW where nobody faults a workout program of biking, swimming, hiking and yoga to keep hunting and fishing til I drop. I’m retired and I’m lucky enough to travel and experience it all in other cultures. That all said, I have to honor my opportunities and take advantage of them daily to stay off the pity pot and right size my grief processes. So thank you for the article of truth and hope and let’s all go remember that a good hunt begins with a good workout with our friends pain, sweat and endorphins!-) See y’a in the field, on the trail or stuck in a back eddy!-)
I know how you feel. I raced motorcycles, raced snow skiing, white water kayaked, raced bicycles,
ran every other day, and worked on cars on a concrete floor for 49 years. Ten years ago my knees just stopped working. I have hunted, fished, gardened my whole live. Life sucked for the last ten years. After retiring two years ago, I started researching to find the best knee doctor I could find. Two surgeries later, at 70 years old, I am climbing my ladder stand, red fishing all day, working in the garden, and loving life. I should have had the surgery ten years ago. All I can say is find the best doctor around. Every thing I read from your blogs and cookbooks is beyond my expectations. Thanks for all you do. Lloyd
Thanks for opening this conversation, Hank. And thanks to all who replied. My Instagram account is dedicated to “us old guys” who still have the burn to get outdoors and continue our adventures, be it hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, canoeing, etc.
I agree with many of you readers as to how one just needs to keep on moving! At 66, I bike 3 times a week, lift light weights 5 days a week and take dog walks of several miles at least twice a week (good for my retriever too). I have torn meniscus in both knees and arthritis in one shoulder from multiple shoulder separations (a whole ‘nother story) My ortho surgeon put me onto leg exercises and lifting weights to strengthen the muscles around the joints to preserve their integrity. So far, so good.
Like so many of you, I still want to “compete” in the field, climb those mountains, hike those hills, and slog through those duck swamps. But, I have come to understand that my days afield are not a “race” for the biggest buck or limits of ducks at my age. It is truly just being there; just competing; being in the field. I have realized that my time in the field is not a sprint, but a marathon and that if I take a little longer than others to get back to the truck at the end of the day, it’s just that much more time to enjoy my outdoor experiences. Life has become a marathon, not a sprint.
Thanks again to everyone who shared your perspectives. Now, if you excuse me, I have to go over the packing list for a canoe trip into the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness next week. See you in the field, Hank.
May 19, 2022·edited May 19, 2022Liked by Hank Shaw
We’ll done. I just crossed 60 - a couple years ago I stopped fighting it and realized that walking is a metric shit-ton better for my knees than running at this stage of the game. Since I switched to walking I can do “up” again - my knees thank me. Vigorous walking with weights and yoga for core strength and flexibility is my current recipe. Keep on truckin’ folks.
Two Ironman races at 54 & 56, I now spend more time swimming, yoga class and biking outside at the age of 63. In the back of my mind I need to stay in shape to pursue game. Looking forward to walking 10 miles to hunt pheasants
May 23, 2022·edited May 23, 2022Liked by Hank Shaw
As an over 60 hunter, angler, cook and general outdoor enthusiast, I fully get where you're coming from. I'm a lifelong cyclist (road, mountain, gravel) and skier (Nordic, backcountry, alpine, formerly telemark), hiker/backpacker, hunter and fisherman. I ran in the "off season" (April-May mud season in SD, MT) for few years but never really connected with running. I've done the occasional bike or nordic ski race over the years, always hoping to be in the top 30% of finishers, or top 10 of my age group, even made the podium a few times in the overall but never close to gaining a sponsorship for any sport. Part of that is motivation to race, I'm in it for the fun, the breeze in my hair, and lifelong fitness for my other pursuits. Tore my meniscus in 2004 and had a minor surgical repair. My wife - who is a Physical Therapist, had me back on my bike 3 days later, and did a hill climb race (12 miles with 3,000' elevation gain) a month after the surgery.
I tend to hunt by myself or with my dogs these days (mostly chukar, but also elk when I draw a tag, I've packed out 3 elk over the last 10 years). My cycling and skiing definitely keep me fit for the aerobic aspects of hiking-hunting.
My professional career doesn't hurt either - I'm a mineral exploration geologist, over my career I've spent over 25 years in the field, hiking and filling a pack full of rocks. I had a few years where my job was pretty sedentary as exploration manager on a mine site, when I got back into a dedicated field role 10 years ago, I lost 20 pounds and started placing in bike races again.
My primary advice to anyone is to find a physical activity they enjoy, and keep at it. If like myself you like cycling, buy a nice bike (or whatever other piece of equipment you need for your activity). It's a lot more fun on a finely tuned machine than a POS. Just like a nice shotgun, rifle or fly rod.
I have a mostly similar story, untold except in pieces. I was a pretty good soccer player, high school and college. Not your level comparatively but a better athlete than 95% of the world and it defined me in some ways. In 2008, I found CrossFit and did that for a few years until I realized it was increasingly dangerous for someone who occasionally still thought he was 25, not almost 40. Today, I feel lucky that I found Starting Strength and Greysteel's The Barbell Prescription. I'm turning 50 this year and can still keep up with my 6 year old in an all day energy fest for the most part. I'd suggest reading that book and see if it resonates with you.
I'm hesitant to recommend things to people but it's made a difference in my life. All the typical caveats apply and even more so if you've never gotten any training with weightlifting. If for whatever reason you consider it, make sure you are well trained. Lifting is safe but not when you do it wrong. I have found that I can only lift 2 days a week now instead of 3-4 but that's been plenty to do a strenuous aoudad hunt in 2016. I row for cardio on off days or just walk.
I LOVED soccer, it gave me the same feelings you got from running. I miss it terribly. Now, at almost 50, I treat exercise mostly as medicine, a prescription for allowing me to do other things I cherish like those slogs to the duck marsh you write about.
At 69 years of age, road cycling has become my exercise of choice. I can spend maybe 30 minutes on a stationary bike before the boredom wins out, but I can cycle for hours on the road. I find it easy on my knees (which blow up like balloons if I try to run), and a terrific aerobic activity - wind in my hair, the steady rhythm of peddling and breathing, and a sense of accomplishment at the end of a nice ride. I will never ride fast enough to win any competitions, but, as you said so well, that's not really the point. The point is to feel the zen-like freedom that the activity can give you, as well as the benefits of maintaining good cardiovascular function and good leg strength for schlepping up hills during hunting season.
The first 50 years are easy.....
Man - i get it and you have 10 years on me. I tore my miniscus last year. I have always been a skier, mnt biker, soccer player, and runner as well as life long hunter and fisherman. The betrayal of age, like you said, the great irony of hunting...as I learn to be a better hunter, a better fisherman, my body stops responding in the way i need it too. Its a tough adjustment and I really appreciate your candid self awareness; it helps.
Love your attitude hank gotta keep after it! I’m only 28 though so don’t have any advise I just like people who have the attitude to stay in shape. Peter attia has a lot of good info on fitness as people get older too. Lotta people I see advise strength training along with the cardio
ran marathons and ultramarathons until my 30s, triathlon since then. Went off the cliff after 55, at 50 could run a 5k under 20min, at 55 still managed 22, nowadays it's 28 with more suffering than seems reasonable. Swimming and biking are still OK but slowing.
I gave up elk hunting at 62, last hunt limping out with backpack and doing about one mile an hour, realized it was not going to get better. If I actually got an elk back in the woods it would probably kill me packing it out..
Run when I can, walk when I have to, still going down the trails..
Thanks for sharing all this Hank. Replace "running" with "sports" and "knee/Achilles tendon" with "neck/shoulder" and I'm exactly there. I've been trying to re-frame my sense of identity away from those sports to maintaining enough fitness for those deer and bird hunts. I've tried biking as a replacement and while I found it satisfying in it's own right... it didn't seem to help as much for trekking around in the mountains. As I approach 50 I will be mindful of your comments that this is setting the stage for the next couple of decades.
The brain never forgets, but the body moves on. I tore my rotator cuff almost a year ago and am just now starting to be able to exercise pain free. Mounting a shotgun was painful last fall, but I did it anyway. Fortunately my hunts were abysmally free of birds and flushes, so I didn't get to raise the gun much.
One of my old bosses used to buzz me in my office and ask me if thought I would ever amount to anything. I was frustrated and then puzzled before I finally realized it was an existential trick question. All answers are correct and there are no correct answers. I realized at a certain point that if I answer the question internally and be happy about it, then I could move on.
My wife is a hospice nurse and we talk about aging and dying a lot. As hunters we deal in death and the life cycle every year. I am cognizant that I am marching steadily to the end and that it could be catastrophically ended with bad luck or the wrong move.
Honestly, IMHO you just need to keep your body moving no matter what. In the end it doesn't really matter, but it is entirely up to the individual how they want to navigate the post-50's. You can dream about what you used to do in your 20's, but those days are never coming back.
I am working on accepting my age-imposed limitation with integrity and grace. And I keep on pushing against it with my body to make sure that I will extend my hunting career. That's about all I can do.
Keep on fighting the good fight, Hank! The most important mode of exercise, as you age, is strength training. At 46, I know it's really the only way I will be able to continue to live the active life I desire. I have been able to return to all the activities I love (mountain biking, trail running, hiking, open water swimming, etc) after a number of serious injuries (broken clavicle, fibular spiral fracture (surgery), multiple separated shoulders, accessory nerve damage rendering my left arm almost useless). I always knew I would make a full recovery because of my near lifelong dedication to whole body strength.
I plan on continuing my active pursuits, without slowing down, well into my 90s. The success, or failure, will depend on my strength training program. Disclaimer, I worked in a weight room, as a strength and conditioning coach, for 18 years (UNC-Chapel Hill). I wrote programs for a multitude of sports, including cross-country and track. All this time in the gym, working with elite athletes, has made strength training a vital part of my life. These experiences also afford me the ability to write daily strength programs for myself and my wife without too much thought.
I agree with Abe's recommendation below regarding Peter Attia, and would also suggest checking out Ben Patrick's (knees over toes guy) YouTube channel.
Thank you so much for all the wisdom you have freely given to all of your followers. I would be happy to return the favor if you wanted to discuss strength training plans for your specific active pursuits, and how you can maintain this well into your 80s and 90s.
Thanks, again, Hank!!
As a former marathoner and ultramarathoner I feel every word of this Hank. It was what allowed me to go one more ridge than everybody else on a bow hunt, one more day on a chukar hunt and steep and deep in a wilderness with confidence. It was natural, it saved me from my addiction and led me to many places I’d only dreamed about. It was also an ugly transition out after lots of ‘scopes and a titanium knee after 100+ long races and training runs over 20yrs post small college football. I won’t run a 4.4 again, that seems easy to take at 59, but not having the meditation and endorphins of a long run with the elk is a grievable loss. I will never run or hunt the way I was accustomed again. My hunting partners are dwindling and it gets dark sometimes. It’s articles like yours that remind me I can still Mt or road bike, fish lakes and rivers and oceans, geese are lighter than bulls and calling is an art whether bulls, honkers or turkey. I live in the PNW where nobody faults a workout program of biking, swimming, hiking and yoga to keep hunting and fishing til I drop. I’m retired and I’m lucky enough to travel and experience it all in other cultures. That all said, I have to honor my opportunities and take advantage of them daily to stay off the pity pot and right size my grief processes. So thank you for the article of truth and hope and let’s all go remember that a good hunt begins with a good workout with our friends pain, sweat and endorphins!-) See y’a in the field, on the trail or stuck in a back eddy!-)
Health is everything. Nutrition, sleep, activity, state of mind, connections. Keep doing what you CAN do and LOVE to do.
I know how you feel. I raced motorcycles, raced snow skiing, white water kayaked, raced bicycles,
ran every other day, and worked on cars on a concrete floor for 49 years. Ten years ago my knees just stopped working. I have hunted, fished, gardened my whole live. Life sucked for the last ten years. After retiring two years ago, I started researching to find the best knee doctor I could find. Two surgeries later, at 70 years old, I am climbing my ladder stand, red fishing all day, working in the garden, and loving life. I should have had the surgery ten years ago. All I can say is find the best doctor around. Every thing I read from your blogs and cookbooks is beyond my expectations. Thanks for all you do. Lloyd
Thanks for opening this conversation, Hank. And thanks to all who replied. My Instagram account is dedicated to “us old guys” who still have the burn to get outdoors and continue our adventures, be it hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, canoeing, etc.
I agree with many of you readers as to how one just needs to keep on moving! At 66, I bike 3 times a week, lift light weights 5 days a week and take dog walks of several miles at least twice a week (good for my retriever too). I have torn meniscus in both knees and arthritis in one shoulder from multiple shoulder separations (a whole ‘nother story) My ortho surgeon put me onto leg exercises and lifting weights to strengthen the muscles around the joints to preserve their integrity. So far, so good.
Like so many of you, I still want to “compete” in the field, climb those mountains, hike those hills, and slog through those duck swamps. But, I have come to understand that my days afield are not a “race” for the biggest buck or limits of ducks at my age. It is truly just being there; just competing; being in the field. I have realized that my time in the field is not a sprint, but a marathon and that if I take a little longer than others to get back to the truck at the end of the day, it’s just that much more time to enjoy my outdoor experiences. Life has become a marathon, not a sprint.
Thanks again to everyone who shared your perspectives. Now, if you excuse me, I have to go over the packing list for a canoe trip into the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness next week. See you in the field, Hank.
We’ll done. I just crossed 60 - a couple years ago I stopped fighting it and realized that walking is a metric shit-ton better for my knees than running at this stage of the game. Since I switched to walking I can do “up” again - my knees thank me. Vigorous walking with weights and yoga for core strength and flexibility is my current recipe. Keep on truckin’ folks.
Two Ironman races at 54 & 56, I now spend more time swimming, yoga class and biking outside at the age of 63. In the back of my mind I need to stay in shape to pursue game. Looking forward to walking 10 miles to hunt pheasants
As an over 60 hunter, angler, cook and general outdoor enthusiast, I fully get where you're coming from. I'm a lifelong cyclist (road, mountain, gravel) and skier (Nordic, backcountry, alpine, formerly telemark), hiker/backpacker, hunter and fisherman. I ran in the "off season" (April-May mud season in SD, MT) for few years but never really connected with running. I've done the occasional bike or nordic ski race over the years, always hoping to be in the top 30% of finishers, or top 10 of my age group, even made the podium a few times in the overall but never close to gaining a sponsorship for any sport. Part of that is motivation to race, I'm in it for the fun, the breeze in my hair, and lifelong fitness for my other pursuits. Tore my meniscus in 2004 and had a minor surgical repair. My wife - who is a Physical Therapist, had me back on my bike 3 days later, and did a hill climb race (12 miles with 3,000' elevation gain) a month after the surgery.
I tend to hunt by myself or with my dogs these days (mostly chukar, but also elk when I draw a tag, I've packed out 3 elk over the last 10 years). My cycling and skiing definitely keep me fit for the aerobic aspects of hiking-hunting.
My professional career doesn't hurt either - I'm a mineral exploration geologist, over my career I've spent over 25 years in the field, hiking and filling a pack full of rocks. I had a few years where my job was pretty sedentary as exploration manager on a mine site, when I got back into a dedicated field role 10 years ago, I lost 20 pounds and started placing in bike races again.
My primary advice to anyone is to find a physical activity they enjoy, and keep at it. If like myself you like cycling, buy a nice bike (or whatever other piece of equipment you need for your activity). It's a lot more fun on a finely tuned machine than a POS. Just like a nice shotgun, rifle or fly rod.
I have a mostly similar story, untold except in pieces. I was a pretty good soccer player, high school and college. Not your level comparatively but a better athlete than 95% of the world and it defined me in some ways. In 2008, I found CrossFit and did that for a few years until I realized it was increasingly dangerous for someone who occasionally still thought he was 25, not almost 40. Today, I feel lucky that I found Starting Strength and Greysteel's The Barbell Prescription. I'm turning 50 this year and can still keep up with my 6 year old in an all day energy fest for the most part. I'd suggest reading that book and see if it resonates with you.
I'm hesitant to recommend things to people but it's made a difference in my life. All the typical caveats apply and even more so if you've never gotten any training with weightlifting. If for whatever reason you consider it, make sure you are well trained. Lifting is safe but not when you do it wrong. I have found that I can only lift 2 days a week now instead of 3-4 but that's been plenty to do a strenuous aoudad hunt in 2016. I row for cardio on off days or just walk.
I LOVED soccer, it gave me the same feelings you got from running. I miss it terribly. Now, at almost 50, I treat exercise mostly as medicine, a prescription for allowing me to do other things I cherish like those slogs to the duck marsh you write about.