why did I peak 55 , most of us are been racing for a number of years, we didn’t start last year , and today was another 1/2 iron . at the beginning I can here some comments like" I don’t feel like racing any more" ," If I get a spot in Ironman I 'am not going to take it", " if the race was cancel I wouldn’t care " and so on .
I’am talking about athletes that they are in the 2hr 15min in a olympic,and 5:15 on a half iron , we are not pros but we train and we are not bad for the age .
And the question is why are we keep pushing ourself to the limit , if don’t feel like racing any more why we don’t say “Enough”.
Are we afraid of something, to become to old to move a leg or get fat , what is the reason behind .
I would like to share this thoughts with the older crowd .
Marcelo
I am only 46 but have 3 friends that are all in the 55-59 age group and all three are freaking amazing. At a local race here in TN, all three battled for not just their age group but over all…in fact all 3 finished in the top 15 out of 400 racers.
What they told me is the kids are out of the house and they have more time to train. Its scary, but they think they can still improve. And really, they the competition.
They have motivated me for sure…
I always thought it was for kona slots.
So you can still keep pace with your young mistress.
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main reason i still do, is for that magic time of the race itself…whether it’s a Sprint, an Oly, or a 1/2, while i’m racing, the age clock has rolled back, and i’m out there competing against the 20 and 30 yr olds…not sure of anything else that produces that feeling, so that’s what keeps me going !
after 15 years of it I just have a fear of the unknown[ the alternatives}
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I think, you neil it we are afraid of the unknown, and that is the scary part that we are afraid of , but wont be easy to train 4 -5 times a week without competing, and just enjoy the training or the long rides , keep a healthy life style , or we are so Competitive crazy guys that we leave in this society with non stop.And I bet you that every one of us that keep competing we are modest successful in our life as well.
Interesting
I’m 65 and have been triing for 20 yrs now. Most days I enjoy training
(I think it’s even the challenge in training)but the reward is the race
where you can enjoy the ability to just be out there not to mention passing
younger folks but just being in the moment while racing is a great feeling.
Of course being chicked is a lot of fun also. The finish line is always a great
feeling to have acomplished what ever distance you set out to finish.
I always feel relaxed and calm after the finish and there are very few other
things that give the same feeling. Making the podium is fun but not as much
as the finish. I have a friend that is 75 and he says he will continue doing tri’s
and du’s as long as they remain fun and I hope some of that thinking has rubbed
off on me.
Mike
Hello swimmer_01 and All,
I am old and yet triathlon training is still fun for me.
I set my goals low enough so that I am not unduly discouraged by only small improvements or even setbacks.
I feel better when I train then when I am loafing and my blood pressure, heart rate, and general health numbers verify this.
I like triathlon training better now than model building, stamp and coin collecting, flying, sailing, making money, and so on. My wife will not let me have a mistress so I cannot speak to that but I am confident from what my friends say that triathlon is a lot cheaper.
For instance - until recently I have been swimming pretty much the same way I did over 60 years ago.
Now I am doing increased stroke rate, (no 2:3 breathing yet), EVF, power at the wrist, and so on. (Thanks garyhallsr - VASA - and All)
Today I worked on hyper extending my reach and wow! knocked a few seconds off my lap time - and it made me happy. (and my shoulders slightly sore)
This is fun stuff … 
and with some caveats - it is better for your health than watching TV.
Because of triathlon training and races I think about what I eat, drink, if I get enough sleep, how much I weigh, … asking myself - is this healthy? … will it make me go faster (or live longer)? However there may be a little dynamic tension here between getting faster and living longer.
I think triathlon training and racing is a touchstone for healthy living and a lot of fun to boot.
I am thankful that there are age groups and that old people can play too - as it is a lot more fun ‘doing’ than ‘watching’ sports.
Cheers,
Neal
Well, Thank you every one for their answers, and I think that all of them are very Valid .
I have to confess that today was my first 1/2 iron after an open heart surgery with a double by pass , over 9 month ago , and I can tell you that i cry when i cross that finish line , but in the back of my mind since my surgery I was question my self if I was pushing my self to much .
But I guess, you guys give me enough reason to keep pushing .
When ask my surgeon about the rehabilitation process , he sent me to cardiac wiliness centre, ( They didn’t know what to do with me) after 7 weeks of the surgery I was climbing the treadmill on 17% . I mention to my surgeon that the exercise that they are give me are for old fat people . and he said . For them you are an Elian .
Any way
Thank you for the comments ,If you have any thing else to add will very welcome .
Marcelo
I am planning to race until I get old. Maybe around 80 : )
***why are we keep pushing ourself to the limit ***
-In my own situation, I was doing the same thing over and over again because it’s familiar. I convinced myself that I was “pushing myself to the limit”, while in reality what I was doing is sticking with the familiar. I was experiencing the dissatisfaction that comes with complacency, so I externally told myself that I’m “pushing myself to the limit”, while inside I knew deep in my heart that I wasn’t satisfied, yet wasn’t quite sure it’s time for me to move on.
***if don’t feel like racing any more why we don’t say “Enough”. ***
-because there is comfort in the familiar, especially when the familiar still strokes part of our ego. What you might be experiencing, the percentage of your ego that is being satisfied by this familiar activity is shrinking less and less. It’s just not “enough” anymore.
Are we afraid of something
-new challenges
-the unfamiliar, or unknown.
This is a subject I know a lot about, but only as it pertains to me. I could go on and on about this forever, but I’ve given you the summary above that I’ve come to realize after several years out of triathlon. One thing I like to say now, and it’s not a joke…
“I had to give up triathlon, because I wanted to try endurance events instead.”
Triathlon is known as the sport of the mediocre. Whether or not you believe this is your own personal opinion. I know for myself, after 7 years of trying to lower my Olympic and Ironman times, I began to finally see that the sport, the culture, just wasn’t worth it.
The good news, there is a WEALTH of endurance events out there just waiting for your retirement.
Or, just keep doing the same thing, over, and over, and over. See where it gets you.
The irony is, I moved on to ultracycling, and after several years of these pursuits, ONCE AGAIN I’m starting to feel bored, dissatisfied, complacent. As a result of experiencing this pattern once again, I have a much more solid understanding of what “happened” to me in those final years of triathlon. I realize now that it’s just the “way that I am.” I’m going to need to move on to new pursuits now and then in order to satisfy that part of me that needs an endurance challenge.
But I still swim, bike, and run as part of my daily life; none of that changed. It was the value I placed in comparing myself against others, that changed so dramatically, at least in triathlon.
With ultracyling, I’m just plain t…i…r…e…d. You have to give up so much of your time.
Anyway, I like these kinds of topics, and consider them very valuable.
there is always Everest
.
there is always Everest
money, people. Not for me.
last year I backpacked on the PCT from Tahoe to Yosemite by myself. I might have to try that again this summer. It would be more fun with another human being though.
Olddude just cant wait until the finish and grab 2 cold beers. Part of this is the continued health kick and strengtening the mind. The train/race motivates me more to stay positive, encourage others. The wife also likes the stamina that comes from training and racing. I need it to keep up with her. Im on the right side of the bell curve on age and the competition is getting stronger. Yes its nice to get to the podium, but after seeing others in different forms and desires, I aim for just my best.
And the question is why are we keep pushing ourself to the limit , if don’t feel like racing any more why we don’t say “Enough”
I am 49. It’s a good question. I said “enough” when I was 37. My son was born that year and I had been doing triathlon at a high level for nearly 15 years by that point. Since then. My goals are simple. Stay fit. No pressure to train or get ready for anything. No schedule. Even when I was training seriously it was fun for me, but now fun is even more important! A nice to have goal for me, is to never get dropped from the main group on any serious group ride. So far I have been able to stay on top of that for the most part.
I’ve seen the “alternative” in the mirror and it is not pretty. Wife and I started running in late 70’s and have either run or cycled since then excempt from '05 -'08. My weight was around 165. Due to medical issues I stopped training for 3 years and gained 30lbs and felt like $hit. Started training 18 months ago and used tris as a goal. Now I just enjoy the training and how being back in shape feels. I never want to become a blob again plus I really enjoy riding my tri bike! At 58, I’m with Fleck. No pressure, just getting out there and enjoying it.
I’m 53. I’ve found that I get burnt out more easily on racing (if you can call it racing!) the last several years. But I LOVE training. Two years ago I didn’t do any tris, just swam, rode and ran whenever I wanted, for as long as I wanted. It helped me to get my mind back to place where I could train for IM again. This year I have no scheduled tris but am doing other stuff- Some trail racing this past winter, swim around key west at the end of the month, maybe Big Shoulders in Chicago, planning a trail marathon later in the year.
Everyday I wake up I’m grateful that I can pursue these activites. There are many who can’t… or think they can’t. We certainly are a lucky bunch, are we not?