After 30 years of attending Carlisle, the last season led to total pain and exhaustion after each event I attended (three total), and the Chrysler Nationals was the finishing touch, with two full days. I've been cutting back over the years, reducing last year's Chrysler show to the red show field (50s and 60s cars), and car corral, and I was still hurting for three days afterwards. Thinking about stuff to make it easier. Carlisle events web site states that scooters are available for those with a disability credential. I kind of doubt they enforce this, based on the scooter count at the event, but the rental place supposedly requires it. I don't have one (scooter or credential).
Ironically, my wife has a PA credential, but was too cheap to rent a scooter during the years she went with me. She used a series of lightweight wheelchairs for the five years she attended. As mentioned earlier, the fact the field isn't completely level creates issues for manual propulsion. She would wheel on the on the flats and downgrades, get out and walk the uphill stretches. She finally decided doing so was psychologically unacceptable (she feels it's inappropriate for ambulatory people to wheel), and stopped going. Her underlying medical condition (peripheral neuropathy) improved considerably after she retired five years ago, and she hasn't touched the last chair (a high end titanium ultralight) since.
To further stir the pot, the gentleman who sold me my latest GTX, has used a wheel chair full time for the last 30 years, and attended Carlisle regularly. He tried a scooter a few years back (because of the hills), but got rid of it after the throttle stuck. He is a high level professional electrician, and after examining and replacing the switch assemblies, sold the the scooter, cautioning the buyer not to use it outdoors, said the switches aren't sturdy enough to withstand the vibration. His recommendation was a manual chair for the more level sections of the field, walk the others, if you can.
Ran this by my wife, and she went ballistic, said I should pace myself, and use her portable stool when I need a break, or don't do the whole show field anymore. I ditched the swap meet years ago. Buddy of mine brought a pedometer last year (we have attended the show together since 2007), and the two reduced days still clocked out at over nine miles. Curious to see what other Baby Boomers think about this issue, which I'm sure many of us are facing to varying degrees.
