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Fitness challenge required


MarkW
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Evening all.


After several abortive attempts at sticking to a routine at the gym over the last 15 years I have come to the conclusion that I need some sort of physical challenge to motivate me - something in the diary that I can't back out of and that I need to train for diligently. A few years ago I half contemplated having a crack at swimming the Channel, but quickly came to the realisation that what actually appealed to me about it was being covered in lard.


One of my friends does Ironman competitions, and although they'd make the ultimate physical challenge I couldn't do them even if I could get fit enough, for two reasons:


1. I can't run for more than about 25 minutes. 20 years of karate - much of it on unsprung wooden floors - has left me with two knackered knees. The left one is particularly bad, to the point that just climbing stairs can be uncomfortable at times.


2. The sheer boredom of a two-and-a-half mile swim followed by a 112 mile bike ride and then a marathon would kill me. You get 16 hours to complete it - can you imagine that? 16 hours of mind-numbing tedium. No thanks.


So, I need some suggestions for something I could do that doesn't involve running but that would require great physical fitness. Not something boring and wankerish like the f*cking Tour de Yorkshire, something more obscure: competitive dwarf throwing or bear wrestling would be more the thing I'm looking for.


Over to you... :popcorn:

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If you lived in Scotland you could go climb/run/cycle Munro's and see how many you can "collect". I don't know what the equivalent is in the rest of the country :lol:

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Swimming, extremely difficult all muscles works and no stress to the joints, another good thing about swimming is you don’t sweat,

What can be better

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I like Toughmudders.


Yes, its 12 miles but the longest you'd run is a mile as there are at least twelve obstacles to do.

Also, there's no time limit really, so you can be casual. I think they start asking questions if you've been about 6 hours.


Also, a free bottle of cider, a headband, tshirt and snacks at the end. And your entry fee goes to charity and you could raise money. You can also take your mates and do it as a team.


Although you'll get very wet, muddy and electrocuted (a bit) ... you can skip obstacles if you want to :wink:


It's not a pushy course, lots of camaraderie and my 56 year old mother finished it so you can too :thumb:

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Learn to Unicycle and when you've got that mastered buy a Muni; that's a Mountain Uni and go off road.

You will improve your cardiovascular capacity no end, have quads like steel and it may well help with your knees. I had to stop playing rugby a number of years ago due to knackered knee and nowadays I even forget which one it was.


Google a guy called Kris Holm if you want an illustration.

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What about Kayaking, you will need insurance and a licence to use on the rivers and canals, but it is cheap, and if you join the British canoe union, some of it is included in the membership, it is the waterways licence is included :thumb:


https://www.britishcanoeing.org.uk/about

 

Funny you should mention that! We've been thinking about kayaking - my wife and I have both done it, and our eldest had his first taste of it on an outward bound course last year and loved it.


I was looking at the 125 mile Devizes to Westminster race the other day. It takes up to 4 days, although I think the record was something like 15 hours. My only concern is that I don't think I'd be able to resist the temptation of taking my fly rod along, in which case I'd never finish it!


Another slight irritation is that when I approached our local kayaking clubs they said we'd have to do a beginners course first, and that they only take new people in September so that they've completed the pool training and are ready to do their open water assessments about now. Bugger! Not given up on it though...

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You don't need to join a club, you can do it by getting your own licence from the canals and rivers trust, then get your own insurance, when i got my dinghy for fishing, the insurance was about £30 for the year, but i got a 30 day explorer licence, as i used an electric outboard, if i just used oars the a full years licence was around £35, and that was rivers and canals,

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Bet you can't do 10 pull ups

 

Who me? Hmm... not sure to be honest - I could when I was training regularly, but that was well over 10 years ago now. I suspect the muscle to weight (i.e. cake) ratio has changed somewhat since then! :lol:


I can put a Rowntrees Fruit Pastille in my mouth without chewing it though, if that counts for anything...

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Bet you can't do 10 pull ups

 

Who me? Hmm... not sure to be honest - I could when I was training regularly, but that was well over 10 years ago now. I suspect the muscle to weight (i.e. cake) ratio has changed somewhat since then! :lol:


I can put a Rowntrees Fruit Pastille in my mouth without chewing it though, if that counts for anything...

 

But can you eat a sugared doughnut without liking your lips?

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Bet you can't do 10 pull ups

 

Who me? Hmm... not sure to be honest - I could when I was training regularly, but that was well over 10 years ago now. I suspect the muscle to weight (i.e. cake) ratio has changed somewhat since then! :lol:


I can put a Rowntrees Fruit Pastille in my mouth without chewing it though, if that counts for anything...

 

Sorry, that was my challenge for you. Do 10 pull ups :lol:

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I have the perfect challenge for you.


You can crank my honey extractor for me. I'll do the hard bit and watch the honey flow out of the nozzle. You can do the easy bit and wind the handle to spin the honey combs.

 

Electric is the way to go. :thumb:


At least that would be a physical challenge with some purpose and a clear objective, which is what I enjoy. Years ago I had a student job at Michelin, chucking lorry tyres on the back of wagons. That kept me pretty fit! I also helped a friend rebuild his extension and re-do the floor, and moving bricks and concrete from here to there for a week was knackering but satisfying when you could see what had been achieved at the end of it. I just can't muster that level of enthusiasm for lifting weights in the gym.


Perhaps I should cancel my gym membership and look for some local volunteer work digging old biddy's gardens or something. Hmm... worth a thought...

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Charity boxing match or rock climbing... Indoor rock climbing at a serious centre is alot harder than you think, great fun too.

 

3rd the rock climbing - specifically indoor bouldering. Great cardio, excellent sense of achievement when you top a route, good easily measured progression, no weather issues, needs just you, friendly group...


Yours, bouldering addict, Geoff.

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Guest Richzx6r

Charity boxing match or rock climbing... Indoor rock climbing at a serious centre is alot harder than you think, great fun too.

 

3rd the rock climbing - specifically indoor bouldering. Great cardio, excellent sense of achievement when you top a route, good easily measured progression, no weather issues, needs just you, friendly group...


Yours, bouldering addict, Geoff.

 

Cant beat some outdoor climbing though, but must admit would like to try indoor climbing someday

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Charity boxing match or rock climbing... Indoor rock climbing at a serious centre is alot harder than you think, great fun too.

 

3rd the rock climbing - specifically indoor bouldering. Great cardio, excellent sense of achievement when you top a route, good easily measured progression, no weather issues, needs just you, friendly group...


Yours, bouldering addict, Geoff.

 

Cant beat some outdoor climbing though, but must admit would like to try indoor climbing someday

 

Outdoors is better, but needs 2 people, good weather, kit, practice...travel... For fitness bouldering is so easy.

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