Re: Question for other old beginners!

[wobbling bear]

As a professional trainer my goal is to get youngsters to do better than
me as soon as possible.:p (I do not train in uniing!)
So I am philosophical about slow progress as long as I feel pleasure in
riding ... the only thing I really crave for is rolling hop ....
anybody willing to teach me rolling hop at UNICON?
thanks


--
wobbling bear

One Wheel : bear necessity
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[olwyn]

wobbling bear wrote:
> the only thing I really crave for is rolling hop ....


Me too and idling, but I'm sure once I master those there will be the
next challenge. That's one of the best things about unicycling, it's a
constant learning curve. I'm a self confessed addict.


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olwyn

Why does life steam passed so fast when your enjoying yourself?
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[Tet]

Ahhh! I feel much better for reading those responses and they have
given me some ideas!

Thanks very much

Tet


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Tet
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[Jerrick]

Terrybigwheel!

Search for him, watch his videos, he is in his 50s, I think youll like
what you see =p


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Jerrick

~*~!I ride for Christ, Fun, Challenges, and a lot more, so leave me
alone about it!~*~

'Easy Tire Removal Guide.' (http://tinyurl.com/jpkoz) ' and HERE!'
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[unicus]

Riding with other people helps, well it did for me when I started. Get
yourself to BUC, a unimeet or just meet other local riders. I learnt
loads at my first BUC.


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unicus

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[underdog]

I know that for me, fear of injury keeps me progressing at a very slow
rate. At this advanced age we don't heal as quickly as the younger
riders, even from mild sprains or pulled muscles. I tend to really
creep up on new skills. I remember learning to hop. I was trying this
skill on my 29er and came off to the side, landed on my right foot and
twisted my ankle badly. I was off the uni for a couple of weeks and
after that the memory of the pain kept me from even trying for a much
longer time. I eventually eased back into it but it took quited a bit
of time for such a basic skill. I hop pretty well now (albeit still
lacking the directional control I'd really like) but it was slow
getting to this point. I think the moral of the story is, just keep
working at the skills you want. Slow of fast isn't important, just
keep at it.


--
underdog

'I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody
tell you different' - Kurt Vonnegut
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[digigal1]

I knew the active ankles I spent a ton of money on weren't a frivolous
purchase! Sorry you had to go through that. I say buy every piece of
protective gear you can fit on your bod.


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digigal1

Raphael never stopped being my hero.
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[cathwood]

I too have the fear of injury thing. I tend to bail out when I'm doing
stuff for fear of injury, so it takes me a bit longer to get there.

I would give 2 words of advice

1) Enjoy what you're doing. If it starts becoming a chore, do something
else.

2) Definately do not (I repeat do not) read the "look what I have
accomplished in 2 hours" posts from 12-16 year olds, it will just
encourage you to compare your progress to thiers.

One thing that I always think to myself is that I get all the more
satisfaction when I can do something after struggling for 3 months than
some youngster gets when he/she accomplishes it in half an hour. They
will never know what it's like to strive in this way. :D

Cathy


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cathwood

Say no to unicycle genre discrimination! - MrBoogiejuice

http://www.chuckingandtwirling.co.uk
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[abridged]

I only started unicycling last July. It took me until October, before I
could go around the neighborhood. There were weeks in between of
little or no apparent progress. Now I'm getting ready for unicycling
the Tour de Cure charity ride (160 miles for bicycles!) at the end of
next month. What helped me the most is just carving out some time
every day to unicycling. Even if it's just five minutes of freemount
attempts per day, that's much better than waiting until the weekend for
a longer (and perhaps more frustrating) practice sessions. It's safer,
too; I think it is easier to fall in the beginning when getting
fatigued. After 20 minutes or so, there may not be much more learning
benefit. You are subjecting your body to an entirely new set of
circumstances and it takes constancy of effort in order to get
accustomed to the necessary body english and developing the right feel
for balance.

Some other practice activities that did not require much time per day:
1. Riding the unicycle up and down a hallway in my house a few times
2. Buying a unicycle for my daughter and learning together (she's
great inspiration and a constant reminder to keep trying)
3. Keeping the uni by the back door when I'm home and riding across my
driveway (~30 feet) a few times when I go out for the newspaper or
mail
4. Keeping the Uni in my car's trunk and finding a secluded parking
lot near work where I can practice on occasion for 20 minutes or so
during lunch

My family thought I was going nuts, at first. Now, at least they
accept that I am but that this is a much healthier form of mid-life
crisis than other activities I could have chosen. Good luck and keep
trying.


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[Tet]

I like some of the suggestions made. I think riding with others would
certainly motivate me but I can't find any other unicyclists in my area
(East Kent, UK). I also think trying to do a little each day or as
frequently as possible anyway, would help.

Cathy: your comment about not comparing oneself with the younger forum
members is SO true. When I first found this site a read a few threads
(those I could understand - I don't really speak 'uni' yet) and thought
'blimey, I might as well turn it in now'. It was only when I noticed
by the style of posts and then the profile info that some of these were
teenagers that I eased up a bit on myself.

Another slight hinderance is I am a runner and although I enjoy uni
much more than running I am fairly self disciplined about my running as
it gives me a lot of fitness and enables me to eat what I like but try
riding your uni after a long run !

Anyway, I remain much encouraged by all your suggestions and comments -
thanks!

Tet


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Tet
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[goldenchicken]

cathwood wrote:
> 2) Definately do not (I repeat do not) read the "look what I have
> accomplished in 2 hours" posts from 12-16 year olds, it will just
> encourage you to compare your progress to thiers.
> Cathy



Children go about it in a fashion older people should learn from. For
instance, the element of play. As an adult you are often goal-oriented
and hence you have already from the outset planted the seed of failure.
Children just play. They don't think, they don't plan, they just play.


"Don't think - just cycle", is my advice.


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goldenchicken
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[underdog]

goldenchicken wrote:
> "Don't think - just cycle", is my advice.



Sound advice from a one year old.;)


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underdog

'I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody
tell you different' - Kurt Vonnegut
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