I am over 40 as well and I would agree with you that most training plans are geared toward younger athletes. I have tried various on-line plans, trained myself and finally have an individualized program from a coach who understands training differences with age. You might search the internet....I think Dave Scott and others have written about this.

KK

I had just done a quick search and got little more than papers on how exercise is good for older women.

Like I didn't know that?

I'll look for Dave Scott. I'd be interested in how your current program differs though. I am starting to despair of a coach that really "gets it."

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There is no justice, there is only me. -- Death

Not sure if this is the same situation for you but for me, it's not the over-40 thing as much as the with-children thing that makes a difference. Before doing duathlons, I was training with a local running group with median age probably 45 but they were mostly single, divorced, no kids or grown kids. They could do a lot more group training and volume of training than I could do as a married with 2 kids under 10 person.

Now I work one-on-one with a coach who is 40 and who is a single dad who gave up pro level triathlon racing so that he could be a 50% time dad instead of just every other weekend. He totally "gets" the time constraints. My training plan is totally written around my life and what is do-able as opposed to me trying to do a volume that is just not realistic. I was just saying to him today how exciting it is that every year my kids get a year older and a year more independent, I will be able to add a bit more intensity and volume to my plate.

I don't beat myself up for not being able to do the volume of training that that the 25 year-olds with a 9-5 job and no spouse or kids, can manage.

I sure miss the Sat and Sun afternoon naps that my husband and I used to have every weekend prior to kids though!!!

You might try Cherie Gruenfeld, 55-59 AG Ironman World Champion. She coaches out of Triathletix.com.

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DFL > DNF > DNS

Hey Cat - Last year I used a training plan, and I felt like it just wore me out. ANd I was telling all my friends, maybe if I was a 30 year old male, I could do this! SO this year I hired a coach, and every week feels like just the right amount of what I can handle. She spreads the hard workouts perfectly. I guess I probably could have figured it out on my own, but I'mkind of lazy, and thought after all these years, a coach would be a nice change of pace for a year or two, and I can learn from her, then do it on my own.

Cheryl

I'm not in a position to pay for a coach right now, and there are other women I know in the area facing the same problem. All the coaches one of my friends has tried put together plans that just didn't work for her 44yr old body. I was kinda hoping there was something with some guidelines published that I could SHARE WITH some coaches to hopefully improve the offerings as well as use on my own. It'll become even more important as menopause hits, and from my symptoms and family history that's quite possibly going to be a major factor within the next 5 years, possibly sooner.

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There is no justice, there is only me. -- Death

Can I ask this to the crowd..... do you all think that menopause will significantly affect your ability to train and race? if so, how? Or if you are already in or through menopause, what was your experience?

Maybe I am naive but I am not anticipating much impact. I'm 46 and am already into memory/alertness issues, some hot flashes and some grey hair. No period changes yet though.

Thx.

I'm 50 and training for my first HIM. I took an online training plan and modified it from 6 days a week to 4 days a week (4 days on/one day off). I've found that works much better for my old bod. It makes the training time from 20 weeks to 22, but I'm certainly enjoying it more than if I tried to cram in 6 days a week.

good point about the time thing...I am 42 and do not feel it and feel better than I did 20 years ago, and I keep getting better. I don't think of myself as in my 40s at all. I think numbers like that can be a limiter...BUT...I also don't have kids. I have a job that is not very demanding and a BF who does this also...so for me I don't see age as a limiter.

>>I don't think of myself as in my 40s at all. I think numbers like that can be a limiter...BUT...I also don't have kids. I have a job that is not very demanding and a BF who does this also...so for me I don't see age as a limiter. <<

Very much agree and I'm hitting a new age group on a couple of weeks. Switching from many years of IM training to very high intensity (with about a third of the volume, timewise) has been difficult and I find I need a little more active rest.

clm

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

So, you don't think you'll slow down with age at all?


I'm in better shape for endurance sports than I was in back in my 20's, but I recover more slowly than I did back in my 20's. In those years, I could do high intensity activities and recover from them in a day. Now, a high intensity workout leaves me wiped for several days. Not saying I can't do anything for several days, but I certainly can't do another high intensity day like I would have 20yrs ago.

There's a science to this of course, hormones playing a part in it and each of us ages at different rates, but over time the body recovers slower. That's why you see pro athletes retire at such young ages. Their bodies can't take the same kind of punishment and training that a 20yr old can. That's why the older athletes are VERY focused on how they train. You'll find few pro athletes in their 40's not saying that their age is a limiting factor to be taken into account when planning their workouts, food, and competition strategy. It's not that it can't be done, just that it takes a different approach.

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There is no justice, there is only me. -- Death

Hi Cassie: Interesting question - I'd love to hear what others say. Hard to say whether menopause impedes ability to train and race. I think everyone will have a different experience with this. I'm about 8 months into full menopause (prematurely; I'm in my 40's), and I guess I feel a little slower and get overuse injuries more quickly but maybe that's because of age. Endurance is the same as before and I honestly don't feel that much of a major difference in speed. I just did a 5K race last weekend, and finished only 1 minute slower than my time in '08 so not much change at all.
Yes I do feel memory/alertness issues but this is more of a problem at work :) than on the race course.
Hope this helps.

Agreed 150%. I think there is a HUGE difference in recovery ability in just a few short years. Even up to 40-41 years, I could go hard and recover in a relatively short time, but now at 44-45, no friggin way. It takes me 2 full days to recover from my track workouts (they are long) and tempo runs and hard long rides.

I am spending more time with the massage therapist this year training for Canada and Arizona, trying to keep from getting crippled.

I've been at this a long time, and have some pretty good memories and training logs and there is definitive proof in there of my previous workouts, recovery. That said, my new coach does not get it. He is used to training 20 years olds, so I have to skip at least one of his runs and even one of his bikes each week in order to survive it all.

At the end of the season, we are gonna have a chat about this if he wants to continue collecting my $$$.

Having a great coach that understands all of your needs and demands is a wonderful thing but individuals can do a lot to create a triathlon lifestyle that works for them. I worked as a University women's basketball coach for years and did my masters focusing on the growth and development of female student athletes and have spent years trying to figure this balance out.

You have identified the biggest problem; The coaches out there want to fit you into their training plans rather than understanding your needs are the priority.

I am a big guy (42years old) and no matter what I did I couldn't get one of my triathlon coaches to understand the increased demands running hills put on my recovery. I even garmined each of us as we did the same workout and ran it through Topofusion...a great free tool... to show the differences in work. I just didn't fit his idea of what I needed to be successful.

The point is as we get older and are in this sport longer we have to realize that we do understand our own bodies and we have to listen to them more. If your heart rate went way up in a race, you might recognize to slow down....just start imagining your life as a whole as part of the race.

Eat when you are hungry...sleep when you are tired...fit the rest of life in.

What I have done is to create calendars or time based training plans.

Put in all the important things you have to do. Biggest ones first. Races, weddings, kids plays, spa visits...Remember they are the biggest ones for you not anyone else.
If your goal is elite level triathlon it will supplant other important things...but for most of us life is more important than triathlon...sacrilege on ST...

Go big to little. Start with a yearly calendar...then monthly...then weekly...

Now you can see your life and when you have time to have training fit in your life.

As I believe Pirategirl mentioned once...focus on what you want the most versus what you want now...

This brings a couple life questions to play:
What do you want the most?
What makes you happy?

Make sure that these two questions are answered in a way that allows you to have a focus of who you are.

Take advantage of your schedule... For me, I have never understood why training plans don't take advantage of holidays. How many times does it seem right when you have extra time a coach plans a rest day and then has you doing three workouts the day after around your work schedule. As I have said it it your calendar so use it to your advantage.

If life stays in balance you can do most of what you want. If your life leans to a specific focus other parts will suffer. IE sub 10:00 IM or renovating a house. Sub 10IM doesn't leave you life time and renovating a house leaves you less time and energy to train.

This obviously an important subject for me. I think there are a lot of coaches in every sport out there that are technically sound, but do not know how to help athletes to be the best they can be. I believe if you have your life organized and then add triathlon training to it you can experience the joy of training as well as the competition of race day.

After all this, you now can put together a triathlon plan that takes into account your specific needs. The running, biking and swimming are the easy part. You should now be in a situation where you can enjoy and have quality workouts, a great race and a happy life. Happiness is my goal anyway.

Just my two cents...

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it turns out that our OP is only "mostly" dead........ ElGordo

I just turned 40 this year and yes, it takes me longer to recover but it is worth it. I'm in better shape at 40 than I was at 30.

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Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce

I am 45 and training for my 6th IM this year. I did my first IM at 39. I believe in MAO online. Mark Allen and his staff are great and reasonably priced. If you can not afford coaching work with 180 minus your age as a training heart rate. I've found over the years that lower heart rate training is best for my recovery, whether that has to do with my age, body type or whatever..it works for me. Phil Maffetone has some books out that explains this training method in great detail as does Mark Allen. I also believe Joe Friel's book Going Long has some training plans using 180 minus your age or a similar formula.

For those ladies who wonder about menopause, here is my experience. I had to have a partial hysterectomy at 41. I believe in hormone replacement therapy. HRT has been a lifesaver for me. No more hot flashes, night sweats or moodiness. I have a great doctor who believes in bio-identical hormones which allows me to train and keep a "normal life".

I love being in my 40's. I love training and racing in my 40's. It is a great thrill to go out on a training ride with people half my age and kick their butts orrr just keep up with them. I am beginning to look forward to 50 so I can qualify for Hawaii.

I am 46 (turning 47 next month) and this is my second season doing triathlons, and the first year with HIM distance. I had NO background in endurance sports - college did downhill skiing and fencing.
I did things like weights, aerobics, rollerblading....sporadic for sure - my ex-husband liked me softer than firmer....

when I started last year, I was pretty overwhelmed so I hired a coach to help me out. Since last september I have been self coached (well mostly - I have a swim coach, and in the winter did a coached bike class). I am using 2 on line training plans and sometimes life gets in the way. My boys are 11 and 13, so a bit more self directed and understand if when they wake up saturday morning and I am not there it is because I am off riding....They have also been understanding of my missing some of their baseball games....to get my workouts in - but they also think it is cool that I do this.

If I need a day off I take it - sometimes I will just move things around and try to get all the workouts in and sometimes it just does not all happen. I don't always follow exactly what run/bike (in terms of intervals) but I get the time in - I am looking at this year as a build year anyway.

So I guess what I am saying is that even as a newbie I think the on line training plans are workable - remember, we do this as a hobby!

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cat
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