This is fascinating. I am 5'0" short and thought that the reason my legs and feet went numb was someway connect to my latest companion: Mr. Arthur Itis (along with Mr. Ben Gay)! Sandy Kramer who refuses to act her age even if her joints are! Well, Sandy! I'm 5' 7" and fit into my kayak rather well. But I'm also 64 (just had a birthday earlier this month) and while I don't feel numb while pad dling, stirring my bones and joints to get out of the kayak can be an experience not to forget. To my embarrassment (and to the amusement of others on the trip) I creak and groan when the moment of truth arrives -- getting out of the boat and onto dry land again. Everything feels wonderful until I try to stand up and exit the kayak. Then the hours of inactivity (for my lower half, anyway) take their toll. Nothing wants to work. Not hip joints, not legs, not anything! I have been known to hitch myself up onto the back of my boat (just behind the cockpit), just to fall flat on my face in about 12" of water. Most humiliating! When I stay too long in one position, everything freezes up and won't cooperate when it's time to move along. The upper half has been paddling furiously while the lower half has become frozen in time! Ah, to be 25 again... Liz Miller Sacramento, CA *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
LIZCSTM_at_aol.com wrote: I have been known to hitch myself up onto > the back of my boat (just behind the cockpit), just to fall flat on my face > in about 12" of water. Most humiliating! When I stay too long in one > position, everything freezes up and won't cooperate when it's time to move > along. I certainly know the feeling (or lack of feeling) of everything freezing up when I have been in the kayak too long, but if it is any consolation to you a pair of healthy teenagers were out paddling with me the other day and when we got home one of them stepped out of the boat only to find out that his legs didn't want to do what he expected. He fell backwards across the rear deck, bounced off the deck (it's a wooden kayak and he cracked my hatch cover, unfortunately) then rolled off- mainly onto the beach. So it's not just us older folks! John *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Fri, 29 Oct 1999 LIZCSTM_at_aol.com wrote: > Everything feels wonderful > until I try to stand up and exit the kayak. Then the hours of inactivity > (for my lower half, anyway) take their toll. Nothing wants to work. As you head in for shore try shaking your legs around inside the boat. For me "flapping" my legs back and forth quickly gets the blood to at least start flowing. I use this trick when doing races that involve portaging. The act of paddling hard, jumping out of the boat, running with the boat and then jumping back in and paddling hard again can be fairly ugly. For me the most difficult part is getting back into the boat and paddling again. My arms are usually very unhappy to resume paddling. kirk *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Fri, 29 Oct 1999, Kirk Olsen wrote: > On Fri, 29 Oct 1999 LIZCSTM_at_aol.com wrote: > > > Everything feels wonderful > > until I try to stand up and exit the kayak. Then the hours of inactivity > > (for my lower half, anyway) take their toll. Nothing wants to work. > > As you head in for shore try shaking your legs around inside the boat. > For me "flapping" my legs back and forth quickly gets the blood to at least > start flowing. I find it helpful to form the habit of doing little "isometrics" from time to time while paddling. Tighten up the gluteus Maximus and backs of the thighs 10-15 times about every half hour and maybe more often when approaching takeout. I also, while I'm thinking about it anyway, do some forward-and-back curving of the lower spine, too. I think that helps. e Elaine Harmon - eilidh_at_dc.seflin.org - eharmon_at_cs.miami.edu *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
At 10:53 AM 10/29/99 -0400, Elaine Harmon wrote: >On Fri, 29 Oct 1999, Kirk Olsen wrote: > >> On Fri, 29 Oct 1999 LIZCSTM_at_aol.com wrote: >> >> > Everything feels wonderful >> > until I try to stand up and exit the kayak. Then the hours of inactivity >> > (for my lower half, anyway) take their toll. Nothing wants to work. >> >> As you head in for shore try shaking your legs around inside the boat. >> For me "flapping" my legs back and forth quickly gets the blood to at least >> start flowing. > >I find it helpful to form the habit of doing little "isometrics" from time >to time while paddling. Tighten up the gluteus Maximus and backs of the >thighs 10-15 times about every half hour and maybe more often when >approaching takeout. I also, while I'm thinking about it anyway, do some >forward-and-back curving of the lower spine, too. I think that helps. e > > >Elaine Harmon - eilidh_at_dc.seflin.org - eharmon_at_cs.miami.edu > Gee whiz all this time when I have been paddling and pumping my legs with each stroke and braceing I could of just left my legs still and let them go to sleep? Really I do use my legs a lot when I paddle and they always go to sleep after 5 or so minutes any way. I think the main reason is pinching the main artery in each leg when you sit in that position to long. It happens to me when I sit on the floor. Do you think the BIG beer gut has anything to do with it, naw couldn't have, and I am young enough to be yalls kid, he he :) Dana *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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