Tag Archives: Garmin Fenix 6X Sapphire

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Keep it Rolling!

” Don’t count your years, make your years count.” – Billy Graham

You know it is interesting, when I spend time on my mountain bike I tend to think about a lot of things. Entering the seventh decade tends to do that and I think about the friends that I have lost, and many who have been injured or are recovering from medical issues. Stuff happens when you hit my age, and I am so grateful to have been blessed with good health so far. I make it a habit to visit people when they are in the hospital, and try to be there for the family of those who have lost a loved one. But I also try to do the best that I can by eating right, and exercising. Doing it all of these years I believe has helped me. But you never know. Try to do the best that you can and thank God every day for your health.

Recently, I finished Dr. Peter Attia’s book called ” Outlive- the Science and Art of Longevity.” The interesting takeaway for me was that he says his methods are not to extend life for as long as we can, but rather to maximize the quality of life in the years we have left. He says we have to backcast to where we are now, if we want to see a future of rolling on the ground with our grandkids and being able to get up off the floor. He says whatever decade in life we are, we need to figure out what we would like for our future and make changes if necessary to create that future.

From the chair at Diamond Peak.

But as much as I think about these things, I also know that you have to keep things rolling. It has its rewards like my last day of skiing this year with my good friend Eric. We had some great snow and I hauled out the fat skis (107mm under foot) and made a day of it. We were the first on the chair and last off at 70 years old. The cool thing is that there were a lot of people there that day who were a decade older than us.

This guy Freddie is 88 and skis 4 -5 days a week.

Lots of vertical that day and even though my friend does a lot of skiing and basically is my mentor on the slopes, he smiled at the end of the day. He said that was one of the best days of the season for him and it certainly was mine. We just need our pal Hutch with us next year. Yes, we don’t ski like we did when we were in our 20s, but we keep it rolling by staying in shape and just going for it.

I don’t ride like I used to back in my 20s,30s,and 40s, but I still enjoy it and can head in a slightly different direction now. I used to be the weekend warrior and loved to chase the age group awards as I got older. I loved to get into the next decade to compete and beat up on the older guys. Sometimes successfully but often getting my head handed to me by an older guy. Now, as I head into this decade, the object is not to be competitive with anyone other than myself. I will still try to eat right, exercise, and basically enhance the quality of life that is left. Not necessarily ” counting the years, but making the years count.” Thanks Reverend Billy Graham. Also, the new Pope Leo IV is just entering his seventh decade in September. He needs to make his years count too. My friend Jaime reminded me that we are older than the Pope. We laughed, but it is kind of sobering too. I always thought the Pope was an old guy. LOL!!

Keeping things rolling along, I like to use a little technology on my rides. It is important to be aware of your state of being while exercising. And the new technology of “wearables” are pretty accurate.

I check out the data on my Garmin watch after a ride and just look at some metrics that are beneficial to me. Lots of data on there that is not necessarily relevant, but interesting things about miles ridden, altitude gained, aerobic and anaerobic effort, sleep quality, HRV status, that can tell you how you did and where you are with your fitness. But nobody knows better than you. You know your body and can listen to it. No matter what the data says, you know better than the Garmin. It can give you some signals, but do what makes you feel good. But listen to the “wearable” if it tells you to back off. LOL!!

In any event, as I wade through this new decade, I won’t think about what can happen. I will just be aware of things. Ride to ride another day, and appreciate things like that last ski day of the season. Thanks for reading, take care of your health, and be there for your friends.

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The Secret Stache

Lots of people have a secret stache. Hidden collections of Oreos, candy, money, or other things that perhaps they want to keep quiet and only have available for their use only. I have a few of those, but perhaps my favorite stache is my “private” collection of MTB trails. Well, not so private, but I don’t want to spread the knowledge around too much for fear of private land owners shutting down my access to the trails. But suffice to say that these trails mean a lot to me and they offer me some privacy while riding.

Lately, I have been riding by myself and really enjoy the solace of the peaceful, uncrowded state of affairs on my stache of trails. I enjoy listening to music on my Shokz head pieces as I ride along. I have a rather eclectic collection of music. Grateful Dead, New Riders of the Purple Sage, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Poco, and other sounds from my college days. Other times I have Celtic music or even Gregorian Chant which keeps me in a mellow mood all the way around. My Garmin can tell what kind of music I have on by the results of the ride. But in any case, I enjoy riding by myself on the trails that I kind of keep to myself.

Even in the winter, these trails offer great opportunities for quiet hikes and riding. I have always ridden with groups of people on the road and on the MTB. But lately, I have found that I really enjoy either riding with one or two other people or just by myself with my music. Gone are the days when I have to chase people or have people riding up my back. To have a nice conversation with one or two other people or just having a conversation with myself or singing to myself has been very rewarding. This began as a COVID habit, but stretched into present day stache enjoyment.

My Shokz headpieces.

Now don’t get me wrong. I am not becoming anti-social. I will ride with a group if the opportunity arises, but I don’t seek that out anymore. There is something relaxing about riding with a small group or by myself. Especially on trails that a lot of people do not know anything about. I can still get a good workout and review my progress on my Garmin, but I tend now to do it at my own pace. You can see on Garmin Connect if you are loafing or working hard. But doing it on your own is something that I am finding value in lately.

The finish of my secret stache rides are enjoyable too. I ride to a bench in the area and just sit down and relax to my music. I have shown several of my friends this habit, and they enjoy it. The other nice thing about the bench is that if you look around, you can see the intimate details of the change of the seasons. Those first snowflakes, the blossoms coming out in the spring, the greenery of the summer and the flowers on the sides of the trails, and the telltale signs of the fall with the changing leaves. I really like seeing the change from the position of the bench. The music adds to the atmosphere and then……………I head home.

I am always trying to encourage older people like me with my blog posts. The purpose of a lot of this is to get people out of their comfort zones, take up an outdoor activity, and enjoy the fresh air. Like it is always said,” you don’t quit things because you get old, you get old because you quit things.” As we age, we look at the other sides of exercise. We don’t have to keep up and make it a race. We can ride pleasantly and still get good exercise. We can ride, to ride another day. And you can enjoy your own company and get answers when you talk to yourself. LOL!! So, maybe think about this? Think of your own secret stache of things and perhaps share them or………. keep them to yourself. Thanks for reading.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven” Ecclesiastes- 3:1

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Age Fluid

I was headed to the mountains this weekend and was listening to the Rich Roll Podcast as per my usual custom. It keeps me entertained on my way up and I heard an interesting comment from Rich’s guest- Chip Conley. Chip is a noted author, speaker, hotelier, and founder of the Modern Elder Academy. His purpose is to create awareness of the benefits of aging and how to best utilize the tools that we have acquired as we age. He spoke about being age fluid which basically means that if you have a meaningful purpose in life- career, hobbies, faith, outdoor activities, you can have a lot of friends that are from all different ages. He says most people really don’t care how old you are chronologically if you are able to be a vibrant member of that particular community. Rich Roll even stated that most of his friends are 10 years younger than him because he is involved in fitness, and he is age fluid. His chronological age of 57 doesn’t matter. He just does his thing ,and he is involved in a younger community of fitness enthusiasts. 

My MTB group in West Virginia 

Chip also said another interesting thing when he referred to the three stages of life being like the life of a butterfly. In the caterpillar stage, which typically is in our 20s and 30s, we are consuming. Attaining knowledge and skills, like a caterpillar is consuming to grow. In our 40s and 50s, we are in the chrysallis stage where we are transforming to what will become the final outcome- a butterfly. Finally, when we are in our 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond, we are in our butterfly stage, having transformed from the caterpillar and flying freely and pollinating as we spread our experience and knowledge and enthusiasm to others in an age fluid atmosphere. 

I reflected on my drive as I heard this and thought about my life stages and where I am, and where I want to be. Interesting that on my Garmin Fenix fitness watch, which takes in lots of data from my exercising, it says that my biological age is 57. When I look at that I think that yes, I am aging chronologically, but as far as how I feel, I am not anywhere near my chronological age. My neighbor, who recently retired said to me not to attach a number to my stage in life. He says that it is all in how you feel. I am in agreement with that because as I assess my fitness and overall well- being at the beginning of a new year, I think- “can I still do the things I like to do?” Then of course I get out there and just have at it and don’t think much more about it as I ride my mountain bike and ski. I don’t feel any different and am thankful to the good Lord that I am still able to participate in these things and not show off……… but show up. And like the butterfly, I can share some knowledge and experience when asked. 

Keep it going!!! 

So being age fluid, is a positive way to live life. It not only exists for outdoor activities, but also for other walks of life that include career, and worthy causes, sharing some of the knowledge and experience like the pollinating butterfly. I do realize that chronologically I am moving down the road, but I do think that as we all age, we can continue to be a vibrant contributor to the world around us by volunteering, and helping people in many ways through our experience and our enthusiasm. Some of my best conversations are on mountain bike rides, on chairlifts, and sharing a meal with friends who generally are younger than me. I learn from them for sure, and they, in turn, enjoy some of the stories and experiences I have had. I rarely am asked how old I am. That is because maybe I am…………age fluid. Thanks for reading and keep on keeping on. 

Jan and I enjoying a laugh and being ………….fluid. 

Be a follower on my Word Press site. www.chroniclesofmccloskey.com 

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Time

Ocean City, NJ

So we visited Janet’s cousin and aunt last week at the “shore” as it is called. Looking out at the ocean and listening to my soundtrack on my new Shokz Open Fit earphones, I had some contemplative moments. The Open Fits are a great item that allow you to listen to music or podcasts but fit outside your ear canal so you can hear what is going on around you. Check them out. But anyhow, I was thinking about the end of summer and the beginning of fall coming and getting close to another lap around the sun for me which will be the end of a decade. Next year is the beginning of a new decade for me and sometimes I feel like I am running out of time. I feel like I am in a Ferrari at full speed, standing and holding the steering wheel, both feet slammed on the brakes to no avail. Thoughts like that are on one side of the mental checklist, but more positive thoughts are on the other side of that checklist. Things like good health with which I have been blessed. The plant based diet seems to be working as I have lowered cholesterol significantly and lost 13 pounds which was not really intended. I don’t need to lose weight, but I did and feel so much better. I have been riding my mountain bike better and feel lighter and stronger even though I am getting older.

I use a Garmin Fenix 6 X fitness watch which allows me to track a whole host of data, some which I use and others that are not used. But two of the interesting metrics are that is says my fitness age is 57 and my Vo2 Max is 43 which is in the top ten percent for my age group. Not sure how much stock I put into those metrics, but it makes you feel a little better. I am not afraid of getting older, but sometimes when you have time to think, like at the shore, thoughts creep into your head. I lost some friends this year and that is sobering. But as Dr. Peter Attia says, it is not that we are trying to live longer, but to enjoy the years we have with good health. He also says in his book “Outlive”, that if you want to roll around on the floor with your grandkids, and get up with no issues, you have to “backcast” to where you are now and start exercising with that in mind. A lot of that is genetics and good blessings, but exercise is definitely a contributor and something to which I have always subscribed.

The mountain bike has been a wonderful tool for me.
End of summer floral greetings on the trails.

As I move to this new decade in 2024, I do still have some fitness goals. I also want to continue to learn. My friend Eric is helping me to work on a more modern ski technique which I will practice this winter. I need to get lower, wider, and use both skis in a turn like the modern race turn which is facilitated by the new equipment available to us. You can always learn new things. Sure, I can stay with my A frame classic technique but why not continue to learn new things and make more dynamic turns on the slopes?

I can’t do it like Mikaela but it sure is a good mental image.

But other than exercise, there are more considerations about the topic of time. I am moving towards retirement, and I am beginning to think about the use of time for Janet and me in a world where I will not be employed anymore. Janet’s cousin Jeff had an interesting comment during our stay at the shore. He is retiring next year, and he is a surgeon. He told me he thought that the most important thing is not what you are retiring from, but what you are retiring to. He says the new chapter in your life should be filled with a purpose. In his case, he is going to be actively involved in the ministry of the Eastern Orthodox Church. He not only has a medical degree from Yale, but a Divinity degree as well. He is going to make good use of that in retirement. I also think that is a good mission statement for Janet and me. There are so many worthy causes to which we can give our time and we will make an effort to pray about it and see where this path will take us.

Time spent together is priceless.

But getting back to that mental checklist, the fear of running out of time is offset by being active and enjoying all that life has to offer. Time together, traveling, active lifestyles, continuing education. To be honest, I feel better now and more fit than I did ten years ago. How that is possible is beyond me, but I will continue with the exercise and the diet and see how things go. God has been good to us. I appreciate all the blessings we have, and the contemplative thoughts are usually overshadowed by an active and productive lifestyle. And as most older people have said – keep moving.

Bill McCollom was a former masters ski racer ,all American ski racer at Middlebury College and editor of Ski Racing. His famous line was, ” I want to go skidding across the finish line of life, missing parts, leaking oil, and screaming……..GERONIMO!!!” An interesting mantra from a very active guy. Thanks for reading and keep moving.

Now the time has come

There are things to realize

Time has come today

-The Chambers Brothers.

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A Slave to the Watch

The Garmin Fenix 6X- Taskmaster!!

I have always liked gizmos. I had Polar heart rate monitors for many years as well as sports watches and devices mounted to my bike to tell me my mileage. I regularly entered information into Velo-News logs about rides, who I rode with, maximum heart rates, and all kinds of information that was interesting to me as a weekend warrior. I had the first app on the I-phone for calculating vertical feet when skiing, and when the creators of Alpine Replay( the name of the app at the time) saw that my buddy Hutch and I had broken the one day record each for his app( 57,000 vertical feet in one day at Northstar at Tahoe), they texted me wanting to know more about us. I had a backup battery in my parka so as not to lose any data and to make sure I collected all the vertical from 8:30 AM until 4:00 PM that day. In any event, I have always liked these things and they have been of particular interest to me with their amazing technology.

So at the suggestion of my friend Mark ” the Shark” Sauers, I recently purchased a Garmin Fenix 6 X Sapphire watch. It was available on the Amazon Prime sale and I got a good deal on it. I had not purchased anything like this in a while and have been amazed at the data and information that it provides. I am only using a fraction of that data because I am not a real techie. But what I have discovered is very interesting but the watch is starting to make me feel bad. It is subtle in it’s insults and I am hoping that the information I entered as an aging athlete would have tempered it’s comments. But to no avail. This thing in a subtle way admonishes me, and I am starting to think it has a personality all of its own.

The Aging Athlete

To give you an example, it tells me I am a poor sleeper and I need to focus on getting better rest. I think I have had a decent nights sleep but I guess with the frequent trips to the bathroom as an older guy, it senses that I am not getting enough REM, and deep sleep. And it lectures me. ” Although you slept enough, your sleep was restless.” ” Try a white noise machine or earplugs.”

There is a measurement called load focus which tells me I am balanced based on my running Vo2 max trend. It tells me that my training load is sufficient to maintain fitness but I need to work out longer and more often to improve. WTH- I am riding four days a week on my mountain bike. I don’t race anymore and ride to ride again. I use my mountain bike for exercise. But this thing says I am loafing. Come on!!! Guys I went to high school with are coming home and getting a hot bath and watching Fox News. They have one foot in the grave and one on a banana peel but my Garmin won’t give me any slack.

When I look at the training effect measurement after a two hour weekday ride, it says,” This activity enhanced your ability to maintain a moderate pace for a longer amount of time” ” You gained a slight anaerobic benefit from this activity” My heart was pounding at 169 beats per minute on many climbs. I would argue about the moderate pace. I thought it was a pretty good pace at close to 8.5 MPH moving average speed. Come on Garmin- I am an old dude. It did say I had 64 minutes of vigorous intensity and 22 minutes of moderate intensity, so what gives? I think it just likes to insult me.

This winter, it says that there are over 2000 ski areas mapped into the Garmin. So wherever I am , I should be able to map how many vertical feet I log without going to the standard I-Phone app for vertical feet. I wonder if it will tell me I am lazy or not making enough turns? How will it insult me on the slopes? The watch has an app that connects to on my I Phone called Garmin Connect. It takes the data from the watch and downloads it to the app. So both the watch and the app double team me. Admonishment from two sources.

The watch- motivating or insulting?

Speed, Timing, Heart Rate, Training Effect, Elevation, Nutrition and Hydration, Temperature MTB Dynamics, and Intensity Minutes. What did I do do deserve this? TMI if you ask me but I was the one who bought the watch. So buyer beware!! If you sale for one of these watches and you are an aging athlete like me, be ready to be humiliated by a device. I am sure in its own little way- it is trying to motivate me, but my giddup and go for a lot of these measurements has gone up and left. I just need the basics to give me the data on the rides or the slopes. I don’t need much more than that. But I will still look at the watch. Heck, I sleep with it to get the after hours measurements. It is part of me now. Thanks Shark!!! Thanks for reading.