For those of you that are around 50 YO and over - do you think about death?

[Doodski]

Jigaro Kano was a very interesting man. The thing I love about judo is that the opponent gives you his 5 out of 10, so you add your 5 out of 10 to his-he gets 10 out of 10 and it’s over. But what if he gives you his 9 out of 10, well you add your 9 out of 10 to that-dude gets 18 out of 10. On the street he ain’t getting up, ever.

When I've had the opportunity to use it in righteous circumstances I've never failed in using it. It's to be respected and used very rarely and only if absolutely req'd. The last guy I reached from behind and grabbed by the balls and tossed down some stairs after he tried to break my face. Just some aggressive guy looking for a innocent victim. A uber twist on the usually clean harmless throws of Judo. A horrible experience but I'm proud of myself for sticking up for me and not being his victim. I did as I was instructed by my instructor and all worked out well and I even made some Judo noises to freak the guy out. After I telephoned the coppers and explained that I defended myself and they attended and where easy to deal with.

 

[watchnerd]

That’s awesome, I love to hear this!
My t spine mobility is the biggest enemy of my snatch at the moment-limits me through the window and even more in the hole.

That's why I do mobility every single day....

I do OHSQ, snatch balance, etc, through the work day, using an empty bar.

And sit in a squat for about 30 min a day, cumulative.

 

[Phorize]

That's why I do mobility every single day...

There you have it. It’s a mind game at the end of the day.

 

[Juhazi]

My father died suddenly at 63 when I was 30 and just had my first child. That was sort of peak of life crisis... During next years I got more kids and lost more relatives, we had funerals almost every year. My two uncles died before turning 60 and two of my male cousins around 40. Most ladies died at 90-100...

It is a natural poinf in life to realize the circle of life and generations around 40-50 years. It can be hard for some people and I don't have any advice to give. Now I'm 61 and expecting first grandchild to appear, very happy time to live. I work only 4 days a week now and enjoy music and freetime with my dog. Only thing I'm afraid of is to get a disease or condition that invalizes me permanently. I'm agnostic ex-christian, so I don't expect anything special after...

 

[Leporello]

I'm 68 and just started flying lessons.

I still ride a motorcycle, an old (2002) 1200cc Suzuki Banidit, for which I changed the tires (quite a chore) and endless chain last year.

I replaced the water heater here last week, rebuilt the plumbing attachments to my own specifications.

I don't think much about death, because I'm not dying yet.

I'll be 59 next autumn. I am wondering if I should learn snowboarding. I took up skiing three years ago and after a few practice days I headed to the Dolomites. Next year it was France, then Austria. I will never be a good skier but it has been fun.

 

[Doodski]

I'll be 59 next autumn. I am wondering if I should learn snowboarding. I took up skiing three years ago and after a few practice days I headed to the Alps. I will never be a good skier but it was fun.

Snowboarding has a much easier learning curve. One can approach more difficult slopes within months instead of years of skiing. I am a expert advanced all-mountain skier starting from the age of ~3 so I can ski and I've tried snowboarding and it was way easier.

 

[Phorize]

There you have it. It’s a mind game at the end of the day.

I was actually surprised at the philosophy to be found in lifting. Obviously it’s a doing thing rather than a thinking thing, sort of....however, my coach will sometimes say ‘let’s see what you own’ when we introduce a new phase or emphasis on what I’m doing. That is a phrase that is as dense as any one can find in quantum physics or moral philosophy! I use it at work now with junior managers, with a smile on my face obviously. I work in a field where career progression can be achieved by what the legendary David Hackworth pejoratively called ‘ticket punching’. A lot of managers expect rapid promotion-they say ‘I had a job where I was responsible for lifting 50 kg (notice this is not the same as ‘I can lift 50kg’) so I now I want you to give me a job to lift a 100kg’. I say, I want to see you own the bar without any plates on it first. They leave and on and on failing upwards. I didn’t cut my management and leadership teeth in this sector so I am stuck in my ways, but thanks to lifting I have a conceptual basis for explaining why, and my team out performs everyone else’s.

 

[Phorize]

I'll be 59 next autumn. I am wondering if I should learn snowboarding. I took up skiing three years ago and after a few practice days I headed to the Dolomites. Next year it was France, then Austria. I will never be a good skier but it has been fun.

Do it! BTW I’m will never go on snow again, that and alpine climbing. Not for me

 

[Doodski]

I was actually surprised at the philosophy to be found in lifting. Obviously it’s a doing thing rather than a thinking thing, sort of....however, my coach will sometimes say ‘let’s see what you own’ when we introduce a new phase or emphasis on what I’m doing. That is a phrase that is as dense as any one can find in quantum physics or moral philosophy! I use it at work now with junior managers, with a smile on my face obviously. I work in a field where career progression can be achieved by what the legendary David Hackworth pejoratively called ‘ticket punching’. A lot of managers expect rapid promotion-they say ‘I had a job where I was responsible for lifting 50 kg (notice this is not the same as ‘I can lift 50kg’) so I now I want you to give me a job to lift a 100kg’. I say, I want to see you own the bar without any plates on it first. They leave and on and on failing upwards. I didn’t cut my management and leadership teeth in this sector so I am stuck in my ways, but thanks to lifting I have a conceptual basis for explaining why, and my team out performs everyone else’s.

I seriously cross trained for several years. I did thousands of hammer and bicep curls a day with wrist weights as I in-line skated 30-70km a day. I was easily benching 177 lbs while I weighed ~174 lbs. I never went to the strength training method but I saw a young guy doing that and he was pushing 260 lbs and he weighed about the same as me. Is it really in the mind or the electrical connections. I say more the electrical connections that make the grade.

 

[Phorize]

I seriously cross trained for several years. I did thousands of hammer and bicep curls a day with wrist weights as I in-line skated 30-70km a day. I was easily benching 177 lbs while I weighed ~174 lbs. I never went to the strength training method but I saw a young guy doing that and he was pushing 260 lbs and he weighed about the same as me. Is it really in the mind or the electrical connections. I say more the electrical connections that make the grade.

I think Kerry Starrett would agree with you. All movement is highly proprioceptive, right down to individual joint movement, but also as a system. Add to that the transformation of tissue strength from years of lifting, and the constant feedback that this gives to the nervous system and brain, the nervous system of a person with a high lifting age will be asking very different questions of the body, questions that would break a non lifter. The same happens in grappling. I train with a couple of proper old school catch wrestlers, their bodies work differently, years of conditioning, not just strength, but strong movement has turned them In to men of iron. When Connor Macgregor tapped to Khabib, people who have never wrestled a lifelong grappler thought he’d been weak. If an office worker did that submission, it would never work, but a lifelong grappler-may has well been a silverback gorilla-Connor probably would have been permanently disabled if he hadn’t tapped. Lifting and grappling are so similar.

 

[Doodski]

I think Kerry Starrett would agree with you. All movement is highly proprioceptive, right down to individual joint movement, but also as a system. Add to that the transformation of tissue strength from years of lifting, and the constant feedback that this gives to the nervous system and brain, the nervous system of a person with a high lifting age will be asking very different questions of the body, questions that would break a non lifter. The same happens in grappling. I train with a couple of proper old school catch wrestlers, their bodies work differently, years of conditioning, not just strength, but strong movement has turned them In to men of iron. When Connor Macgregor tapped to Khabib, people who have never wrestled a lifelong grappler thought he’d been weak. If an office worker did that submission, it would never work, but a lifelong grappler-may has well been a silverback gorilla-Connor probably would have been permanently disabled if he hadn’t tapped. Lifting and grappling are so similar.

I am a strong proponent of strength training even though I have never done it that way. If I return to training I will shorten the process and risk injury with short interval strength training and I won't have a coach. I'm not as concerned with being cut at this age I am more concerned with results.

 

[Frank Dernie]

The best things for me in my great age have been, by far, my grandchildren.
It is a shame we can only see one of the 9 in the lockdown (she is in our support bubble) we have 5 others within walking distance and aren't even allowed to visit their garden yet (or them ours).
3 of them are a long way away anyway and we are used to seeing them less often but still 3 or 4 times a year

 

[Doodski]

The best things for me in my great age have been, by far, my grandchildren.
It is a shame we can only see one of the 9 in the lockdown (she is in our support bubble) we have 5 others within walking distance and aren't even allowed to visit their garden yet (or them ours).
3 of them are a long way away anyway and we are used to seeing them less often but still 3 or 4 times a year

That's the stuff! For sure. I don't have children that I know of, I've enjoyed friend's children and I think they would be ace and so I make up for it with the entire human race succeeding in space travel sort of idea. Then there is that Roman Catholic Filipino gal... sigh... maybe I do have children.

 

[Phorize]

I am a strong proponent of strength training even though I have never done it that way. If I return to training I will shorten the process and risk injury with short interval strength training and I won't have a coach. I'm not as concerned with being cut at this age I am more concerned with results.

You may find Dan John to be of interest. He has a YouTube channel.

 

[Doodski]

You may find Dan John to be of interest. He has a YouTube channel.

I checked it out. He has a very varied repertoire. I like a more scientific method and seek the minimum lifts for the maximum explosive result. I'm thinking like heavy protein intake 3-5 max strains with maybe 1 set or max 2 sets for training. That and some swimming, underwater diving, post stationary cycling and lots of sauna/jacuzzi wind-downs for relaxing.

 

[mansr]

If death is the absolute end, and you are just gone, that is the scariest thing I can imagine. Would you “care” that you were gone? No—because there wouldn’t be anything that would be “you” anymore. No more consciousness, no more mind, thought, presence, being. Everything just wiped from existence. Terrifying.

Not nearly as terrifying as the prospect of eternal torment in hell. Then again, the devil probably just wants to have some fun, and that's clearly against the rules. If hell exists, I reckon it's really just a big party.

 

[Harmonie]

Like the other (closed since) covid vaccination thread.
The OP starts a metaphysical thread and let us fill page after page of non measurable effects.
I truly enjoy it, but still wonder the (real) idea behind.

 

[Josq]

sometimes I can't even fall asleep because I'm scared that I won't wake up in the morning (my doctor says that I have death anxiety and he proscribed me some Xanax, which I decided not to take after I read the possible side effects... )

How do you deal with this sad fact of life? How does it feel to be over 70, knowing you can go any day?

Anxieties are best dealt with by confronting them. So I guess you did very well by starting this discussion!

I know no better musical way to confront mortality than through the music of J.S. Bach. For example this piece:

 

[jbags]

Hi.

I know this might be a touchy subject, but in 6 weeks I will turn 49. Recently I just can't stop thinking about how little time I have left, even if I'll live to be 80.

Thirty years pass quickly. I remember 1990 as if it was yesterday. I wonder who do people who are older than me deal with the fact that life must stop at some point, which can happen very soon if you're over 60...

I even stopped adding more music to my 50k+ tracks library, because I know that I don't have much time left to listen to all my music collection and enjoy it more than once.

I've also became a health nut. I only eat low carb raw vegan food, which taste like cr@p. Luckily, I don't look anywhere near 49 (most people assume I'm 35ish). But still can't shake the thought that I'm on borrowed time.

To make things worse, I'm an agnostic atheist, so I'm unable to assure my self that I'll be going to a better place. The way I see it, when you die, you "feel" exactly the same as you felt in the 1800's...

sometimes I can't even fall asleep because I'm scared that I won't wake up in the morning (my doctor says that I have death anxiety and he proscribed me some Xanax, which I decided not to take after I read the possible side effects... )

How do you deal with this sad fact of life? How does it feel to be over 70, knowing you can go any day?

I feel very bad for you. Friends of mine who I love and are aethiests are some of the most miserable/sorrowful/ I’m not sure how to describe them but it’s not good, people I know. Life is precious. Sleep is precious. Death can be precious. Or all of these events can be feared. It’s up to you. I suggest you look at life sleep and death as gifts we do not understand, we will not understand, and thank the giver of these mysterious gifts.

 

[Ken1951]

Nice Kingfisher pic. I use this Kingfisher as my desktop background on my pooders.
View attachment 116730

I was lucky enough to see one on a birding trip in Ireland with an outstanding guide who literally wrote the book on the birds of Ireland. It was a truly moving experience for me.