I rarely talk about my triathlon training at work, but I did recently. I have recently been working out with one of my colleagues, who has motivated me to put in the extra miles, and make my workouts more productive. I mentioned this to one of my non-athletic colleagues, whose immediate response was “Oh you’re too old to be working out that way.” The tone was more of a reprimand rather than a compliment.
I am in my early 50’s and I don’t have any health issues. My triathlon fitness continues to improve, and I am looking forward to good season.
So why would anyone resent fitness in in the 50+ age group?
People are lazy and don’t like tobe confronted by someone who isn’t. I’m sure that being over 50 is their excuse to let themselves go. I’d point out to them the 70+ AG at Kona, and then ask if they ever planned on playing with grandkids, or jsut watching them from the Lazy-boy.
I am not in the over 50 group yet but I would not consider that too old to be training I am hoping to be able to keep going and doing this well into my 70’s - we have a cyclist that is over 50 here at my office and there are several of us who are mid - late 40’s that run
I didn’t start triathlon until almost 50. Now 56 and still been getting faster every year (except maybe this one!).
Ironically, I was also initially advised by well meaning people, even including my own daughter, that I was also “too old”.
I may not always do triathlons, but I’ll always do my best to stay fit. My two main loves are scuba diving and cycling. As long as my body is not so frail that I can’t lift a scuba tank or turn a pedal, I’ll be doing them both for a long time yet.
It sounds like what you are butting up against here may be some degree of simple envy. I see that- people who are sedentary and likely have some guilt feelings about it try to rationalize that they shouldn’t exercise because of the risk of injury or some other malady brought on (supposedly) by exercise. I had a doctor tell me it would be impossible for me to get my heart rate up to 180 BPM. I see 180 BPM pretty regularly on a Computrainer ride. I’m 45.
We are a unique culture, us guys and gals involved in endurance sports. There is often times an “us” and “them” polarization between exercisers and non-exercisers. I think you were feeling that boundry through the person’s comments.
FWIW I think consistent moderate exercise is a tough doctrine to debunk.
How old is SlowTwitch? You’ve got to draw the line somewhere, certainly before his age. He’s waaaaay too old. I’m sure Peggy would agree with me. Take it easy. Don’t hurt yourself. Never ever overdo.
A comfy couch, glass of brandy, fine cigar, good company. There’s life after triathlon. But, okay, if you want to stretch it a bit, wait until you’re forty.
How old is SlowTwitch? You’ve got to draw the line somewhere, certainly before his age. He’s waaaaay too old. I’m sure Peggy would agree with me. Take it easy. Don’t hurt yourself. Never ever overdo.
A comfy couch, glass of brandy, fine cigar, good company. There’s life after triathlon. But, okay, if you want to stretch it a bit, wait until you’re forty.
rtk
i’m sitting here reading this, thinking “i hope ruth answers this—she’ll have something funny to add”. sure enough…
too old, huh? well, it comes as a surprise to most of us in the speaker’s category of old. and to the free market, also, where there’s been such a huge surge in activity (fun runs, sprint triathlons, 5Ks, etc.) with this same group, with very salutory health results.
envy, spite, whatever, just say the equivalent of “god bless you richly as you sit and are able to do less and less”, and get on with doing the fun stuff that makes you healthier, able to do more things, enjoying yourself tremendously.
peggy
Anyone who thinks 50’s is too old to do a triathlon has never heard of Joe Bonness. He doesn’t just race to complete them either. Nothing like a guy doing 3 ironmans in 2 months with an overall win at the GFT to prove age is just a number!
You have to understand that the average North American does absolutly nothing physical all day every day. The walk from the house to the car then to the office is about as physically active as they are all day. That’s it! So compare that to training for a triathlon and they think you are from outer space!!
I recall doing physical testing ont the general population when I was in university to get baselines for Vo2 max and other parameters. You would get people alll hooked up and going on the bike or the treadmill and set them off. Then you would look over and they had stopped. I would ask why, and they would say, “I was starting to breath harder” or “I was starting to sweat”!
It’s odd. A record number of people will likley finish a marathon and/or a triathlon this year. However, the number of people who are out of shape, overweight and possibly obese will dramatically out strip those marathon and triathlon numbers.
I suppose if you’re dead, you’re too old. Otherwise, keep training and ignore the defeatist non-athletes at the office. Sounds to me like that comment is driven by jealousy and/or low self esteem.
I recently visited my Mother for her 88th birthday (no, she doesn’t run) but while I was there I ran laps around her “over 55” community. I passed a couple who were walking and the lady says for me not to “over do it”. Good old unsolicited advice. I stopped to say good morning and the husband, in a pissed off tone, says “seniors don’t run”.
I’m old enough to live in their 55+ park, started running in high school and kept it up during the beginning of the running craze. I owned a red pair of waffle trainers. I aged with the attitude that I can keep doing this as long as I want but there are definitely people out there with a different mindset. There are people over 50 who are extremely strong and I’m going to try to hang with them to the best of my ability and I’m glad I picked up that attitude.
I guess this is a long way to say “don’t let others tell you what you are capable and not capable of doing” You decide.
The older AGs suck! All the slow guys have quit and the fast guys have retired so they’ve got all day to train. So unlike the 20-45 AGs, we don’t have many tourists just out there for the experience. And it is getting worse every year. About 8-10 years ago, a friend of mine walked away from a big race with a third place medal for 55-59. I don’t remember his time, but I think it was close to 3:00. Last year 2:20 didn’t get me on the podium.
But the good news is that we stay healthy and we look great. Or at least I do!!
Did I mention the part about having trouble seeing the race course? That might explain why there aren’t as many of us…
You’re being too harsh. The walk to the house, car and office… well sure that’s not much, but I know people who actually go up 2 flights of stairs in the morning instead of using the elevator.
I have to take the elevator every morning, there is no way to enter the stairwell from the lobby in my office building.
I wish I could take the elevator, but then, nothing quite starts the day like taking the elevator with 5 people who have just been outside for their cigarette break.
