The Armour Archive

Man...I learned a valuable lesson at fighter practice tonight.

Being old and fat sucks.



First practice since Gulf Wars I've been able to go to.

Ugh.

The suckage was in full swing tonight.

Only made it through fighting 3 folks. Thought I was gonna hurl.

Yeah, it does.

But there are two bits of good news.

First, this is a game where it is possible to do pretty well while unfit. I think that it may be impossible to be the best without a particular base level of fitness, but you probably can be good. You CERTAINLY can have fun.

Second, it is relatively easy to improve your basic fitness. The best gains are seen in the earliest stages.

And welcome back to the field.

f

Asbrand, I feel your pain, friend. I'm just getting back into the game after being out for about 4 years and more. I haven't fought consistently in 10 years. Hang in there.

From over in Bryn Madoc (in Bethlehem,GA)
Fynvar

You forgot slow.

That's what I tell the whippersnappers when I haven't fought in a while.

I'm old, fat and slow.

But you are FIGHTING! This is GOOD! Most all of the "old and fat" in the USA don't get exercise. The fact you are makes you a hero in my book, and I salute you.

SCA heavy fighting is actually very good exercise IMO. Melees are good too BTW. There is a lot of walking, carrying evenly distributed weight-belt (as a body suit) {cardio} combined with some dynamic, partner assisted muscle building exercise!!

Huzzah!

Now, if only I could get out there more often.

Hrolfr wrote:You forgot slow.

That's what I tell the whippersnappers when I haven't fought in a while.

I'm old, fat and slow.

Uh huh... and the ones that fall for it die shortly thereafter!

fat and slow.. like an old grizzly... kind of smell like one too!

You forgot feeble.

I'm a feeble old man.... From a peaceful people known for their gentle and philisophical ways.



.

Have you tried "GET SOME STICK, YOU NELLIE!!!"
Quit whining and complaining and GET WITH THE MINSTRELS PROGRAM!!! It works

At any age past 40, the comeback trail can be a long hard road to travel.

But it's worth it.

Fat you can work on. Old.... well... not so much.

Every time I have an 'Old, fat, slow' moment I tell myself - 'Yeah, but you're still better than every one that wouldn't get onto the field.'

Hang in there.

Gilebert wrote:

Hrolfr wrote:You forgot slow.

That's what I tell the whippersnappers when I haven't fought in a while.

I'm old, fat and slow.

Uh huh... and the ones that fall for it die shortly thereafter!

fat and slow.. like an old grizzly... kind of smell like one too!

GEEEE, you say the NICEST things

Although Thorfinn said I smelled like roast beef

Dilan wrote:You forgot feeble.

I'm a feeble old man.... From a peaceful people known for their gentle and philisophical ways.



.

Get off my Lawn

POWER 90!!!!

asbrand wrote:Man...I learned a valuable lesson at fighter practice tonight.

Being old and fat sucks.



First practice since Gulf Wars I've been able to go to.

Ugh.

The suckage was in full swing tonight.

Only made it through fighting 3 folks. Thought I was gonna hurl.

16 months ago I was fat enough to be dead tired after one fight. last week I was 200 pounds lighter and I did 230 fights in a day, 50 of those before my first proper break.

It IS possible. Dont doubt yourself, dont lose the will. You can and will do it!

I've actually gotten to the point where I'm fighting almost as well as I was in my 20s...it's the several minutes of wheezing after the fight where I feel the old and fat hitting me.

Hehehhe...

I think one of the main problems, aside from innate laziness, is my weird work schedule.

It changes every 3 months. So, right now, I'm off on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights (I work at night).

Our FP is Tuesday.

Then for the next 6 months, I'll be working Tuesday nights. Then I'll have 3 months of them off again.

And having a desk job doesn't help in the fat department either.

Ugh...

Welcome back, Az! You gonna make Border Raids?


Yeah... old SUCKS. Keep at it though, you have enough treachery to persevere



(Oh... and hot compresses. Don't forget the hot compresses!)

asbrand wrote:I think one of the main problems, aside from innate laziness, is my weird work schedule.

And having a desk job doesn't help in the fat department either.

But what are your hours like?

twoswords wrote:[L]ast week I was 200 pounds lighter and I did 230 fights in a day, 50 of those before my first proper break.

The very idea of fighting that many fights in a day's time boggles my mind. Even the amount of TIME such a feat would require does so.

I'm usually one of the last to leave the field, but if I turn in a score of fights in a day I consider that I'm doing well. Ten times that number?



That is conditioning!

asbrand wrote:Hehehhe...

I think one of the main problems, aside from innate laziness, is my weird work schedule.

It changes every 3 months. So, right now, I'm off on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights (I work at night).

Our FP is Tuesday.

Then for the next 6 months, I'll be working Tuesday nights. Then I'll have 3 months of them off again.

And having a desk job doesn't help in the fat department either.

Ugh...

As others have said you doing better than many others getting out onto the field.

I humbly suggest you adopt a fitness and nutrition program that you can do regardless of your work schedule. That way when you can fight you will be in better shape to maximize the fight time. Perhaps you can squeeze in some fighting at events if your schedule allows.

I my be Slow, Fat and "Broken" but I sure don't feel old... just what constitutes "old" anyway?
Hell I think that eve with all it's ding's bruises, aches and pain it might give this game of ours is one of the things that keeps me from feeling old!

Fat I'm working on (dropped 20# so far!)
Slow I'm working on
Broken... well I may not chase you down but sooner or later my opponent will come to me.

So there

It is amazing how a few years can change things.

After 9/11 I fought 157 bouts in a bit under 3 hours to raise money for the Red Cross.

A few years ago, I fought 257 bouts in jsut under 4 hours for the Susan B Komen fund.


Now I'm in PT to squeeze a few more years of fighting how I want to be able to fight....



.

Saritor wrote:

asbrand wrote:I think one of the main problems, aside from innate laziness, is my weird work schedule.

And having a desk job doesn't help in the fat department either.

But what are your hours like?

I work 9pm to 7am.

Y'know, I used to work overnights, did it for years. The one thing I found is that there is pretty consistently a little downtime overnight - enough to slip in a few sets of pushups, situps, toe-ups, or other exercises here and there.

No one around? Get up off the chair, and do a set of exercises. Do another one an hour or two later. Do that every work night. Won't work for every job, but it will for many.

It doesn't take a lot to see some decent improvement.

asbrand wrote:I think one of the main problems, aside from innate laziness, is my weird work schedule.

Actually, that can work in your favor. You could tune yourself into a really fantastic muscle-confusion program based on your work schedule that would have you kicking sand in the faces of the nerdy in 6 months. When life gives you lemons, squirt lemon juice into the face of that which holds you back.

PS - You have no excuses.

PPS - Anybody who tells me they're old, fat, slow, & tired, I do my durndest to dispatch WITH PREJUDICE RIGHT NOW.

Owyn wrote:Y'know, I used to work overnights, did it for years. The one thing I found is that there is pretty consistently a little downtime overnight - enough to slip in a few sets of pushups, situps, toe-ups, or other exercises here and there.

No one around? Get up off the chair, and do a set of exercises. Do another one an hour or two later. Do that every work night. Won't work for every job, but it will for many.

It doesn't take a lot to see some decent improvement.

Unfortunately, can't do that here. Have to be at my desk all the time, monitoring the network, unless I am going to the bathroom or heating up my lunch. Even have to eat at my desk.

And, I am not in an office. In a large room with several folks.

Would the folks you share with support an effort to improve your fitness? You might be surprised - they might even be interested in joining in. If so, then you can challenge each other to sets of pushups or other exercises every hour. If management wonders what the heck is going on, explain that improved fitness helps health = less sick days, and improved blood flow from periodic stretching and exercise helps keep night crews alert and working optimally. Yes, there's even research to back that up.

If there's no support, then find other ways. Get a yoga ball and sit on it instead of a chair - this will result in *great* improvement in your core muscles. Get a dumbell or small hand weight and sit it next to your desk - do sets of curls once in a while. Get a device of your choice for grip strength and use it while sitting there. Stand up and stretch now and again - and do a set of toe lifts (great for calves). Park a mile from where you work, and you get two miles a day of walking in.

His Excellency is correct - there are no excuses. Fitness it something you either make a priority, or you don't. And for most of us (me too!) it's an ongoing struggle which you must continue to work at, strive for. If it's a priority for you, you'll find ways to make it happen. If it's not, you won't.

But remember, the benefits are FAR more than just swinging a stick a bit harder and longer. For me, my family has a history of heart disease and diabetes. Fitness is one way I can help ensure I have many years to spend spoiling grandkids, down the road.

I appreciate the suggestions.

Parking away from work and walking just AIN'T gonna happen. No way in hell am I about to leave my car unattended somewhere, and walk, alone, in the dark, to work, in Atlanta. Not without being armed, that's for sure. And, I'd like my car to still be there when I have to go home.

I like the idea about having a dumbell and/or grips at work to use. That I can certainly do.

asbrand wrote:I appreciate the suggestions.

Parking away from work and walking just AIN'T gonna happen. No way in hell am I about to leave my car unattended somewhere, and walk, alone, in the dark, to work, in Atlanta. Not without being armed, that's for sure. And, I'd like my car to still be there when I have to go home.

I like the idea about having a dumbell and/or grips at work to use. That I can certainly do.

You mean you don't walk around everywhere armed? Where's the Az I know, and what have you done with him!?!

-Ed

Get caught with my firearm at work and I'm fired. Unfortunately.

Seriously, Az, you didn't look that bad. Out of practice, yes. And we're both out of shape, but that can be fixed.

One thing I found out at the same practice is that my vow-related use of the greatsword and bastard sword may be a good thing for me if I want to keep fighting into advanced decrepitude. Why? Because when I used to fight two-stick, I had chronic pain in my left elbow. The five minutes of two-stick I did the other night brought that pain back, plus a sprained wrist. In the almost 3 years I've been doing mostly bastard sword, my arms have been fine. I guess that form is less stressful to the old joints.

Oh, I'm not saying I couldn't swing a stick, or block stuff.

I was just sucking wind in a very short time and after my 2nd fight, was so nauseous I thought I was gonna hurl.

I was doing about 50/50 on kills / deaths.

I just didn't last long. Ugh.

twoswords wrote:

asbrand wrote:Man...I learned a valuable lesson at fighter practice tonight.
Being old and fat sucks.

First practice since Gulf Wars I've been able to go to.
Ugh.
The suckage was in full swing tonight.
Only made it through fighting 3 folks. Thought I was gonna hurl.

16 months ago I was fat enough to be dead tired after one fight. last week I was 200 pounds lighter and I did 230 fights in a day, 50 of those before my first proper break.
It IS possible. Dont doubt yourself, dont lose the will. You can and will do it!

Swede women are the fountain of youth!

I hear you man I am old and fat too. Gotta fix that for next crown.

Its hard to get motivated most of the time I find

Gabriel

Gabriel Hawkes wrote:I hear you man I am old and fat too. Gotta fix that for next crown.

Its hard to get motivated most of the time I find

Gabriel

Har har.
Try to learn how to fight a little better too.

-Graedwyn