Age is catching up with me!

[flash49]

I just come in to take a break from splitting some red oak. Whew! I don't remember it being this hard on the body!
It's still enjoyable work though.
Jerry

 

[branchburner]

I hear ya. Used to think I was a real man. Now you can call me hotflash49.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

I'll be 49 end of November. Just said to the mother-in-law on the phone tonight "I feel like I've aged 20 years in the last 1 1/2 years" to which she said "you're still young yet-wait till you hit 70".

Great...really looking forward to that...

 

[savageactor7]

^Well turning 70 is better than the alternative. Don't be so hard on yourself...it's just not easy splitting wood by hand.

 

[SolarAndWood]

In this heat and humidity, very little to do with firewood processing is easy no matter what tools you have.

 

[John_M]

flash49, Doing anything outside in this high heat and humidity is hard on the body. We've been in the low 90's here in upstate NY so I would imagine where you are in Virginia the temps have been in the mid to high 90's. In these weather conditions, splittin' wood like you wuz killin' snakes might cause exhaustion to the point of temporarily limiting your immune system's ability to ward off disease.

Four years ago, at age 67, and in excellent physical health I exhaused myself (poor nutrition, little sleep, hard work, etc.) while building my new house. Became very ill and two years, eight months, eleven days ago came close to the "alternative" mentioned by Savageactor. Doctors speculate that the exhaustion I caused my body during the year of house building so weakened my immune system that disease had the opening it needed to do its damage. Currently, I seem to be on the mend so all looks well. But I learned a very hard and expensive (about $1.5million) lesson about exhaustion.

Keep working but definitely slow down in these weather conditions. Drink lots of water-more than you think necessary. You will urinate away any your body does not need. Work for an hour and follow with a 10 minute break in the shade. Develop a reasonable work schedule with breaks and slow down even more and take more breaks or even stop working for the day when you feel the onset of exhaustion. We men sometimes think it is a sign of weakness to slow down a little. I would argue that knowing when to slow down is a sign of intelligence and good judgment.

Best wishes and good health.

John_M

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Jerry, I can guarantee that it will not get any easier as the age climbs! So you either learn to work smarter or less or both.

Take heart you fellas out east. Cooler weather should be on the way. It feels like fall here! That's good because I had to cut up a couple of dead pines and yesterday was a good day for it weather-wise. Still hard on the body. I've been taking it pretty easy because of my back really acting up on me this summer but went ahead with the cutting anyway. Yes, I really feel it now...


John, its good to hear you are on the mend. Work is good for us, but as we age we do have to cut back a little rather we like it or not. You just learned a lesson the hard way. Hopefully from this point on things will go better. Besides, now you have the time to stop and smell the roses....like you should have done before.

 

[edthedawg]

I'm only 35 and I was laid up all weekend w/ a bum hip. Can't barely walk on the dang thing. Doc sez it's a torn piriformis muscle (look it up - real fancy way of saying "pain in the butt") likely from the repetitive motion of stacking 4 cords last week. bend - lift - turn - walk - drop - turn - walk - bend... repeat x 1000... bleh.

I don't got time to NOT be working on stuff. And I jsut got my best 2 cords EVER dropped Saturday - now have to watch it sit in the dirt :ahhh:

 

[velvetfoot]

You guys are still healthier than this year's Mets!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Ed, I hope you heal fast. Don't worry about the wood though. It will wait for you.

 

[Captain Hornet]

I know exactly how you feel. I usually work in my wood yard at least every other day, but sometimes every day. I have about twelve cords stacked and drying, ready to go into the stove. I cut and split everything by hand. My favorite splitting method is with a 12 lb sledge and a bunch of wedges. I like the heavier hammer because it cuts down on the number of blows a log needs. I stay in shape this way and don't need to go to the gym. I usually work for a hour and a half, than quit as soon as I start to get tired, less chance of a injury that way. I am just ready to turn 67 years old and my family wants me to get a hydraulic splitter. They think I should start to act my age. Not too shabby for a old retired airline captain. Captain Hornet

 

[Flatbedford]

At 39 I am starting to feel it now too. I think I peaked at about 35. That was the strongest I've ever felt in my life. I'm still doing Ok now and I'm sure I could out work guys younger than me. I have stepped up my firewood production this year and I'm feeling and looking better than I have in a few years. Staying active will surely keep us healthy as we get old as long as we don't go and hurt our selves or something stupid. My father turns 73 this year and plans to spend some time downhill skiing in the Rockies as well as here in the East this winter. He rides his bicycle regularly year around, and sails on his boat all summer.

 

[Duetech]

Just being philosophical here but it seems to me that old age never catches up to us. It just waits and we catch up to it.

 

[TreePapa]

I think age caught up with me a while back. Every now and then I try to outwit it, but it seems smarter and more persistent than I am so I just have to live with it (well, until I don't).

Peace,
- Sequoia

 

[Duetech]

I think age caught up with me a while back. Every now and then I try to outwit it, but it seems smarter and more persistent than I am so I just have to live with it (well, until I don't).

Peace,
- Sequoia

That's why I say we "run into it"...once we get there we never outdistance it.