I am still in touch with a friend that I worked with many years ago, he was, in fact still is to a certain extent a fitness Guru. Not a 6 foot 2 inch muscle bound Gym Bunny, but a 5 foot 8 inch racing snake seemingly made of hardened spring steel whose powers of endurance were legendary. Carrying heavy loads over rough terrain never phased him. He is now a wrinkly although a few years younger than me, but still very fit. He is also completely potty and always was, his party trick was to run up a wall and backflip to a standing position, and I don't mean just in a Gym. This involved taking his boots and socks off as he claimed bare feet provided better grip on Wallpaper and other wall coverings...He did it in a Wetherspoons in a West Country Town once, just to impress two ladies who were indeed impressed, as were all the other clientele. Not so the Manager who demanded that we left his establishment before he called the Police...
I mention him because in his readings of mystical far Eastern Wisemen, all connected with fitness, body and mind control and other Ninja attributes, my mate would explain that a person's fitness through life could be envisaged as a curve, like a Rainbow. A young Lad, or Girl starting at Sports would achieve a certain level (depending how keen they were) which would be at the top of the Rainbow at a certain age. From there fitness would ideally follow the curve downward in a smooth arc until end ex.
Of course this ideal is quite rare, too often after the Apex the 34 inch waist goes to 46 inches, the evening jog becomes a waddle to Mcdonalds and a run up the stairs from Platform One over the Bridge to Platform Three is a potential killer.
What has all this fitness baloney got to do with trips out? I managed to injure my legs some time ago but until then my curve wasn't too shoddy. I've done a fair bit of walking, load carrying, and overnighting since but not really anything too stressful, but my old oppo 'phoned a week or so ago and the result was a trip to the Brecon Beacons, on which I shall post a report. Relevant photos will require a double post, if I can manage the whole thing without pressing the wrong key and losing the lot...
I camped on a small commercial Campsite down in the River Usk Valley. This is not a yarn of macho daring do, just me being prompted by my mate to get out and try to realign the curve which took a serious dive after injury. I'm 78 next month but still the same waist size as I was at 28 but mobility has seriously gone out the window compared with previous abilities, so just a test of sorts.
I rate the Vango tents, all mine have proved bulletproof even in really dire weather, and the second night here involved a dramatic Thunder/ Lightning Storm and night long torrential rain. Dry and cosy inside.
Not crowded, that's me in the middle.
A beautiful location, the river is a haven for wildlife and provides night music too.
And not just Mallards! I actually managed a shot of a Dipper working his stretch of the river. Pity my camera skills are not up to scratch...
A post about a totter up the hill to follow....
I mention him because in his readings of mystical far Eastern Wisemen, all connected with fitness, body and mind control and other Ninja attributes, my mate would explain that a person's fitness through life could be envisaged as a curve, like a Rainbow. A young Lad, or Girl starting at Sports would achieve a certain level (depending how keen they were) which would be at the top of the Rainbow at a certain age. From there fitness would ideally follow the curve downward in a smooth arc until end ex.
Of course this ideal is quite rare, too often after the Apex the 34 inch waist goes to 46 inches, the evening jog becomes a waddle to Mcdonalds and a run up the stairs from Platform One over the Bridge to Platform Three is a potential killer.
What has all this fitness baloney got to do with trips out? I managed to injure my legs some time ago but until then my curve wasn't too shoddy. I've done a fair bit of walking, load carrying, and overnighting since but not really anything too stressful, but my old oppo 'phoned a week or so ago and the result was a trip to the Brecon Beacons, on which I shall post a report. Relevant photos will require a double post, if I can manage the whole thing without pressing the wrong key and losing the lot...
I camped on a small commercial Campsite down in the River Usk Valley. This is not a yarn of macho daring do, just me being prompted by my mate to get out and try to realign the curve which took a serious dive after injury. I'm 78 next month but still the same waist size as I was at 28 but mobility has seriously gone out the window compared with previous abilities, so just a test of sorts.
I rate the Vango tents, all mine have proved bulletproof even in really dire weather, and the second night here involved a dramatic Thunder/ Lightning Storm and night long torrential rain. Dry and cosy inside.
Not crowded, that's me in the middle.
A beautiful location, the river is a haven for wildlife and provides night music too.
And not just Mallards! I actually managed a shot of a Dipper working his stretch of the river. Pity my camera skills are not up to scratch...
A post about a totter up the hill to follow....
