Ann Dalkey heads to the grocery retailer on a motorbike.
(Ann Dalkey)
“My father did not allow me to join what sports were available back then. At age 5, I pestered a neighbor kid to [teach me to] to ride a bicycle, in particular, his bike. Once competent in riding and after constant pestering, he told me to ask Santa Claus to bring me a bike (he did).
I rode to work more times than I drove, which gave me a host of stories along the way. I regularly jogged at lunch with colleagues in addition to the bicycling, which enabled me to go on backpacking trips (a passion) and day hikes without additional training. I also liked the ability to eat more! Of course, the condition of age has slowed me down somewhat, but the riding continues through today.
My husband and I began dancing regularly in 2007 and haven’t stopped yet. Plus the backyard is always beckoning me, along with November to April native habitat restoration work.”
—Ann Dalkey, 73, Redondo Seaside, cycles for 3 hours, three days every week; ballroom dances or Argentine tangos for 2 to 4 hours, two to 4 occasions every week and gardens for 2 to 6 hours every week
John Rice cycles about 100 miles weekly.
(John Rice)
“I have pretty much been an athlete all my life in one form or another. I started running [outdoors] when I was 16. In high school, I was a football player and wrestler. In my 30s, I started running in road races and competed at distances from 5K to half marathon and marathon. I ran regularly until a few years after my hip was replaced.
[Now] I cycle about 100 miles weekly. I began cycling in order to do triathlons and have continued competing in endurance cycling events since then. I have been working out with a trainer and pretty much the same group of people for over 12 years. Ages range from 50s to 80. We have hiked up mountains and down canyons together, done Spartan races and triathlons. There is a really special social aspect to it that has kept us together. People come and go, but mostly when they join up with us, they stay around for years.”
—John Rice, 77, Phoenix, Ariz., cycles for one or two hours, 5 days every week
“I played sports in high school and did some recreational running in my 20s, 30s and 40s. My wife and I do occasional hikes and we do some workouts at the gym but cycling is still my primary means of exercise.
The feeling of being 12 years old, the camaraderie of riding with like-minded friends, the experience of riding local mountain roads that’s different from seeing it from a car and the occasional guilty pleasure of riding past another cyclist half my age are why I do it. Another huge factor is that I can get cardiovascular training for hours at a time without wear and tear on my knees, feet and hips. Cycling is a superb form of exercise for seniors.”
—Kent Gordon, 72, Fullerton, cycles for 2 to 3 hours, 5 days per week