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Sport

What sports do you do and why?

(26 Posts)
grannyactivist Mon 22-Oct-12 07:40:29

A few weeks ago I was discussing with the Wonderful Man how he might like to celebrate his 50th birthday next year..... a party perhaps? A family holiday? An extravagant gift?
"No" he said, he would "like to do a Triathlon". shock So, he has been training by swimming (in the sea), cycling and running - and yesterday he took part in his first Classic Triathlon. (He didn't stop grinning throughout - he loves having an adventure, and the more arduous it is the better.)
It got me wondering about sports - apart from swimming (purely for health reasons) I don't do any. What about you?

Soupy Mon 22-Oct-12 07:52:38

Oooh, well I have done a bit of running but nowadays I have a hamstring problem so have had to stop because of that.

My big love is rugby union, but only as a spectator.

My fun (and exercise!) comes from NW Morris dancing and folk dancing generally but it's not exactly a sport!

Well done to the Wonderful Man as a Triathlon is quite extreme. Wonder if he'll try another?

janeainsworth Mon 22-Oct-12 08:21:28

Respect to your Wonderful Man Grannya - triathlons are generally thought to be the most demanding of events.
I loved netball in my younger days - not just the game but the friendship and camaraderie that went with it. it was my escape from domesticity and brought me into contact with people who didn't have children at a time when I felt slightly overwhelmed by it all.
Now I play tennis and do ballroom and sequence dancing, though I realise the latter hardly qualifies as a sport. But it does provide the same benefits of gentle exercise and socialisingsmile

tanith Mon 22-Oct-12 09:09:58

What a wonderful to take up good on him... I swim and walk and thats it for me.. OH wants me to take up bowls but arthritic joints puts paid to that .. he plays golf, bowls and snooker though so is quite active . My lack of joining in stems from my shyness I guess I just can't make myself 'join' anything.

tanith Mon 22-Oct-12 09:10:31

Thats should say wonderful sport... (edit button where are you?)

annodomini Mon 22-Oct-12 09:32:08

Congratulations to the WM. A great achievement to complete a triathlon. One of my DSs is having thoughts about it and is even researching kids' triathlons - though youngest GS will have to get rid of his stabilisers before he can take part grin I played squash regularly until my mid 40s when my elbow gave out, swam a lot and am just about to get back into that and aqua-aerobics. I've joined a health club so must make the sub worthwhile.

absentgrana Mon 22-Oct-12 09:49:33

I swim a mile each weekday after a cardiac workout in the gym because I enjoy doing it. Couldn't fit in a single visit last week because of a family death and funeral – and anyway I wasn't in the mood – so I am looking forward to this afternoon with enthusiasm.

glammanana Mon 22-Oct-12 12:12:42

Up until 4 yrs ago we where lucky enough to have a swimming pool right outside our patio area when we lived abroad and I used to do a good 15/20 lengths ever day rather than siesta also did nordic walking with some of my friends around the low mountain area's not far from where we lived.I now find that I have to make myself go to the bath's and must confess that three times a week is my maximum,I also walk alot at a brisk pace to get the heart pumping.
So well done to the WM and his achievement he really is a superstar.smile

absentgrana Mon 22-Oct-12 18:34:36

I did go to the gym and pool today. The backs of my calves are so painful and I could barely walk to the shower when I got out of the pool. I missed my usual bus home as I must have walked really slowly up the hill to the bus stop, although that did give me lots of time to watch the swifts gathering for migration. One of the trainers told me that if you exercise regularly, you should never stop for more than three days at a time or you will suffer. I think he was right. [throbbing muscles emoticon]

absentgrana Mon 22-Oct-12 18:35:53

By the way grannyactivist, well done Mr ga. No half measures there. Respect – twice over.

Grannylin Mon 22-Oct-12 18:45:35

Went for a swim today and convinced myself absent that you must have your own pool to swim everyday!Extra respect to you for catching the bus and bothering to gosmile

absentgrana Mon 22-Oct-12 19:37:31

Grannylin My idea of total luxury is to have my own pool and perhaps, eventually, when I am living in New Zealand, I might have one. (It doesn't seem awfully likely but I live in hope.) It wouldn't be worth my while paying the membership fee for the health club if I didn't have a bus pass – the fare there and back would be well over £4.00 and I couldn't afford that five times a week on top of the fee.

I actually typed bust pass which opens up all sorts of Barbara Windsor possibilities. grin Btw is the actress related to the Royals. I do so hope so.

grannyactivist Tue 23-Oct-12 20:41:09

I'm a bit surprised at the response to this thread. I was imagining that with so many young grans I'd be in the minority and you'd all be out there playing tennis/golf/horseriding or whatever. Apart from mention of the odd swim or a game of tennis it seems that only bags regularly talks about her sport. I wonder if it's only bags who's actually doing any serious sporty activity? hmm

JessM Tue 23-Oct-12 21:21:02

Thought bags was more frustrated about the things she can't do - but do you count cycling?
Yoga, trying to jog, and walking fast. That is what I do.

grannyactivist Tue 23-Oct-12 21:41:13

I definitely count cycling Jess - it's one of the many sports I'm totally inept at. I never learnt to ride a bike as a child and although I have one (bought for me by the WM more in hope than expectation) I can't ride the wretched thing without falling off it - or fearing that I shall fall off it! confused I can't turn corners, cycle uphill, lift a hand off the handlebar to give a signal - or in fact cycle without wobbling so much you'd think I have Parkinsons. Ho hum!

JessM Tue 23-Oct-12 21:44:23

me too. when dh does it, it is definitely a sport.

picasoflake Wed 17-Apr-13 04:48:19

Mainly I prefer to play basket ball as it require jumping ability with some futuristic stunts. But recently i love to do wave surf riding as it provides lot of thrilling moments in my lifestyle. I watch some videos on the surf training program and then visited many website to learn this thrilling sport as I love to spent time along beach, but to explore it is really amazing under natural environment.

Bags Wed 17-Apr-13 06:29:16

Yes, jess is right. I can only list the things I've had to stop doing! I suppose you must be counting archery as a sport, ga.

Funnily enough I've never thought of it like that; it's just something I do for fun. When I danced I did it because I enjoyed it, not to get fit, though it did have an effect on fitness. When I cycled it was simply the most efficient and enjoyable way of getting to and from work. When I hill-walked, it was to look at scenery and enjoy the outdoors. When I swam it was because I enjoyed swimming.

The dancing and hill-walking were social activities as well, and even the swimming some of the time – going for an evening swim with a friend and then to the pub for a natter afterwards smile

Part of the enjoyment of archery is its social aspect – meeting new people with a common interest and skill.

Greatnan Wed 17-Apr-13 07:14:41

Like you, bags, I walk for the pleasure of being out of doors and seeing the wonderful scenery in my part of the Alps, but it has the secondary result of keeping my arthritic knees moving!
I don't think my type of walking would be classed as sport.
I was a very unsporty child and used to dodge PE and games whenever I could.
When I was 16, I started roller skating and learnt all the dances - waltz, tango, two-step, etc. My ex and I would go the rink five nights a week, and I only stopped when I was pregnant. I still have skates and boots and would love to find somewhere private to practise.
My snorkeling is, again, not done for the exercise, but to enjoy the wonderful world of coral, but I suppose it does count as a sport.

One of my daughters ran a couple of mini-triatholons after she became a grandmother,but she was only 42. Now, she spends a lot of time with her family, cycling, kayaking, walking, and 'wild' swimming (i.e. in lakes and rivers) as well as in the sea. She has a horse and spends many happy hours schooling her and riding. It does help that they live in a lovely scenic area of New Zealand.
I don't think she does any of her sports for anything but sheer enjoyment.

I can't imagine anything more boring than going to a gym and pounding away uselessly on an exercise machine.

PRINTMISS Wed 17-Apr-13 08:23:02

Here, here, to your last paragraph Greatnan (I can't get the bold to work, fool that I am). I have never been the sporty type, but have always enjoyed watching - I was sitting watching cricket with my dad the day the first siren was sounded for the 2nd world war. My husband loves all sport, and I have always thought that it is important to be able to watch and appreciate those who do enjoy it. I took up bowls about 15 years ago, and evidently I am quite good at it, but never good enough to satisfy me, and I class myself as not competitive! It is a lovely sport, some snobbery, but get over that and it is a good sociable past-time with some very nice people and excellent exercise, all that bending, lifting and stretching - I have aches in every part of my body after the first outdoor game yesterday, to prove it!

Greatnan Wed 17-Apr-13 11:33:44

Printmiss - I have only just learnt how to do bold. Just put an asterisk before and after the word, with no spaces in between. I don't know how to put lines through words, but I don't see the point anyway. Either have the courage to stand by what you post, or don't post it!

Nordog Sun 01-Sep-13 00:24:37

First time that I have posted here.

This section is on sport I believe mine at the moment is mountain biking, single track racing and or pump track racing. I also like road riding usually as fast as I can make my old Claud go 49.5 mph has been recorded for a down hill section into Longleat park for me. I have ridden from Portsmouth to Paris for H4H in 09 out of 300 came in second it was not supposed to a race but I'm on my own.

At the moment I can still beet my 36 year old son up the through the wooded hills & can give him a good run for his money on the flat single track rooted sections of our local trails. This last week my 13 year old grandson is challenging me, he is getting a little quicker now. My age 68 & 3/4's

Any one else here ride bikes over a good distance or just once a year on holidays. Or perhaps around your town for the shops?

liminetta Sun 01-Sep-13 08:47:37

Gosh, Nordog; Ime exhausted reading your post.You sound super-fit!
I do a bit of line-dancing, and some walking, and thats enough for mesmile Oh, and I once had an old bike, and used it to get to work(I was 63 at the time) It took me all of 6 minutes! I applaud your energy and fitness. Keep on..........!

Ariadne Sun 01-Sep-13 10:42:45

I am the ultimate spectator; the mother of quite high level rugby players (when they were younger) and wife of a cyclist, again once quite high level, I have spent a lot of time on the side of rugby pitches or in lay bys as the team zipped past. Then there's DDiL, the retired international heptathlete, DGD1 now a sailing instructor, DGS1 sailing in races etc etc. Makes me quite tired writing about it! Someone has to wash the kit / make the tea, cheer them on.

But - in case you didn't see my post - last week Theseus, 5 months after a total hip replacement, completed the cycling lap of a local triathlon as part of a "Vintage Veterans'" relay team. He is 69, and determined to improve on his time next year. (just showing off again!) grin

BerylBee Sun 01-Sep-13 10:59:07

Well done to Theseus ! That's very impressive.

I can't match that, but . . .
I can't be the only one, surely, who goes to a Zumba class?
I love it, and would recommend it to anyone.
It's great fun, and there are all shapes and sizes (and ages !) at the class I attend.