Feelin' it.

[Gunner46]

I dunno. Y'all tell me. I only clocked off 27 miles of boot leather, in 4 days, and I'm feeling it.

A couple of joints I didn't know existed have now introduced themselves, very rudely I might add. The muscles aren't bad to say, but Man do I need some WD-40 on the squeaky parts!!

Is this what it's like to get 'old' ?

Old Frats out there. Gimme some pointers on keeping it real-in-the-field !

 

[hank4elk]

....it aint for sissies ,if you wanna be outdoors at our age, But not giving up...

 

[Gunner46]

That holds true for the 17 yr old wannabe's as well.

 

[mixedbag]

Keep getting your legs strong and you'll be fine.One year I didn't and paid for it with jello legs on day 4.Realized I couldn't get an elk out at that point so went antelope hunting.Its a mistake I never made again.Don't think you need to go back 6-7 miles.I usually camp at about the 2 mile point and fan out daily from there.Never had any reason to move camp on any hunt as I was always in elk.If your joints hurt maybe some arthritis meds will help.I take them and they help a lot but joints are full of arthritis.You don't need to be a tri-athlete to elk hunt.Thats only I magazines.Heck, my spot in Wy. I have to hike a whole 300 yards from a roadside camp to the elk,but it is uphill,lol.Don't train so hard you walk past all the elk.Spend as much time on maps as the treadmill

 

[T Bone]

legs and core strength along with cardio training will pay big dividends.

I assume you are backpacking.....If so, buying a good mattress, it makes a huge difference on aches and pains.

 

[Muskeez]

I have found that stretching a LOT before and after my runs and hikes helps immensely. I hate doing it as it seems like a waste of time when I want to just get going, but I have hurt enough the following days that I am stretching more now. Is anyone out there an exercise guru that would know which stretches I should be doing for my "knee pits" ? As in the back side of my knees are awful sore, I must be missing something in my stretches. On another note, I messed up something in my shoulder and am scared as heck that I may not get to bowhunt elk this fall. Can't even pull my daughters little 20# school bow back right now. Bad deal. I have been through the same thing with my other shoulder and had surgery. I am going to keep working on my legs and hope that I can at least go to call elk for my hunting partner. Ya, getting older sure has some disadvantages for the body, but life is still good as I get to goof off more

 

[Gunner46]

"but life is still good as I get to goof off more".

DAMN ! You just Had to go and tell everybody the secret........

 

[NKQualtieri]

I have arthritis & joint issues from a bad bout of Lyme's disease a few years back. Glucosamine, trekking poles, making the switch to ultra-light gear where possible, a great load-bearing pack (I've gotta Mystery Ranch that makes a 50lb pack feel like a 30lb pack) and not eating dairy before or during any time in the woods is really helpful for decreasing inflammation & taking the pressure off. Seems weird but lactose can be a hidden inflammatory substance. I notice a huge difference when I avoid it. And I shouldn't leave out the time-tested ibuprofen & ice. Rivers are great substitutes for ice packs, at least out west.

I did 150 miles with just me and my pack in the backcountry on the northern Continental Divide last summer and managed to get through it w/my arthritis using those practices. Worst day was a 2500ft drop over the course of ten miles. I was basically crippled for two days after that hike out. But after a few more intense painkillers and a lot of ice, I was back on the trail within 48 hours.

 

[NKQualtieri]

As in the back side of my knees are awful sore, I must be missing something in my stretches.

Have you been stretching your hammies and calves?? Hamstrings are usually the culprit for me.

This article is really good and encompasses a lot of the exercises I've done in PT for my knees: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=363

 

[huntin24/7]

One thing that has helped me a lot the last 2 years for my joints has been supplementing fish oil pills. I noticed my knees and shoulder joints being more stuff and sore than normal 2 years ago when working out. I started taking these pills again and it made a big difference after about a week or 2.

 

[deer_shooter]

legs and core strength along with cardio training will pay big dividends.

Thru the summer I hit the gym 4 or 5 days a week and focus on legs and core. Then as season gets closer I'll shift the focus to cardio and throw in a heavy leg day and a core workout once a week. I take glucosamine daily and stretch before and after. When hunting I try to eat a lot of protein not much dairy and toss in a couple aleve or ibuprofen every morning.
Even after that, last year I packed out my cow solo almost 2.5 miles in two trips and I was wrecked for almost a week!