Wow I feel old looking at the age brackets being in the 56-65 racket. That being said age is just a number.
I had a widow maker heart attack at 43 just months after winning the over 40 division of the brazilin Jiu Jitsu Pan Ams. At 53 in 2019 I did my first western hunt in Colorado and was able to get myself in good enough shaper to climb a drainage that had a 1000 ft. elevation change in only 1/3 a mile. Our camp was on a ridge next to a highway and had to drop in and then climb up the other side which was higher to get to the elk. Did this with about a 25lb pack and hiked between 5-8 miles a day. I slowed my 20 yr old son down but I knew I had to work within my own body and not his. On one climb my Fitbit recorded a heart rate of 196 bpm which was the highest I have ever recorded other than the night with the heart attack. He gave me shit one time because I was slowing him down on a climb. I asked him what friends father could do what I was doing even though they were 10 years younger. When he thought about it he apologized.
We almost got it done on the 3rd day of the season with a cow coming to within 80 yards of us sitting a water hole we found good sign by, but the wind swirled and it took off. Unfortunately he woke up with altitude sickness the next day and after 4 hours 2000 feet lower than camp he wasn't feeling any better I made the decision to leave because I was afraid he would end up in the hospital 2000 miles from home. We planned on going back the next year but then Covid hit and we haven't been able to get back between the virus and now he is in the Navy. I hope to get back out there again but it will be at least a couple of years since he won't be done with his service until then. In the mean time I will continue working out and trying to keep myself healthy enough to do it when the time comes.
I had a widow maker heart attack at 43 just months after winning the over 40 division of the brazilin Jiu Jitsu Pan Ams. At 53 in 2019 I did my first western hunt in Colorado and was able to get myself in good enough shaper to climb a drainage that had a 1000 ft. elevation change in only 1/3 a mile. Our camp was on a ridge next to a highway and had to drop in and then climb up the other side which was higher to get to the elk. Did this with about a 25lb pack and hiked between 5-8 miles a day. I slowed my 20 yr old son down but I knew I had to work within my own body and not his. On one climb my Fitbit recorded a heart rate of 196 bpm which was the highest I have ever recorded other than the night with the heart attack. He gave me shit one time because I was slowing him down on a climb. I asked him what friends father could do what I was doing even though they were 10 years younger. When he thought about it he apologized.
We almost got it done on the 3rd day of the season with a cow coming to within 80 yards of us sitting a water hole we found good sign by, but the wind swirled and it took off. Unfortunately he woke up with altitude sickness the next day and after 4 hours 2000 feet lower than camp he wasn't feeling any better I made the decision to leave because I was afraid he would end up in the hospital 2000 miles from home. We planned on going back the next year but then Covid hit and we haven't been able to get back between the virus and now he is in the Navy. I hope to get back out there again but it will be at least a couple of years since he won't be done with his service until then. In the mean time I will continue working out and trying to keep myself healthy enough to do it when the time comes.