Just wondering about this as I am definitely of the age where I’m not going to be setting any more PRs (although I keep trying to compare my race times to the times I had years ago). I’ve been trying other distances and new races to keep me motivated and I still enjoy just being out there racing and training.
So, how do you deal with this - trying to come up with new goals and motivation for training as you get older, slower, creakier…
One of the frustrations for me (age 47) is that your upside is often limited by injuries that nag on and on. Recovery from a hard workout is definitely slower.
Motivation for me is not tough right now. I had been out of tri for over 20 years and since coming back early this year, it is all new and wonderful. I love being in rare company, in that most have thrown in the towel or a resigned to the golf course at my age. I love being fit and I really love my bike.
I’m grateful to have started into this at a relatively late age (49) and have been in the sport for five years. I have some tri friends that have been into this for twenty years and are constantly lamenting how their best days are behind them, even if they are still winning their AG.
In contrast I made really big improvements after my first two years and smaller ones every years since. I figure this might continue for another year or so, at which point once I’ve plateaued it’s my intention to then do an IM instead of just concentrating on sprints.
As you might be able to guess from my unimaginative screen name, I’m also past the point where I will be setting any PRs (well at least in running). Two things keep motivating me to train hard. If I end up in the top three in my age group, I’m usually satisfied. If I have a fast run (either in a road race, du or tri), I get satisfaction out of that. Unfortunately, Father Time has changed my definition of fast from sub 17s to sub 19s for 5ks.
I’m 39, and have been doing this triathlon thing for about 15 years now.
My main goal is to live into my 80’s. I think the 80’s will be a good time to drop out for me, and suppose I have a pretty good chance of getting there, based on ages of my recent ancestors.
My racing goals? To do an Ironman every few years, at least once in every age group. To remain as injury free as possible, and to keep my 28" waist, as it has been since I was in high school.
Here are a few of my current goals, long term and short term. I’m 43 and have been racing triathlons since 1982:
Short term: Remain consistent in training. Improve my swimming and running over the next year. Maintain my health and complete the recovery from being sick the entire month of June. Help my friends in their training. Enjoy the sport for the sake of the sport itself, i.e. not necessarily just for the racing. Get back on the road and race outside the U.S. some more (I’ve already raced on all 7 continents but haven’t raced outside the U.S. in about 7 months). Help my buddy Sarah as much as possble in her training. I like her- she is a good friend and great training associate. Help Frankie at his training camps and also go to Doug Stern’s Curacao camp this winter.
Long Term: Set an Ironman PR and get back to Kona. Finish 10 Ironmans. Do every race I ever wanted to do: I have already done Eco Challenge, Raid Gauloise, Marathon Des Sables, Kona, Desert Cup, Alcatraz, Laguna Phuket and IM New Zealand/IM Canada (2X). Now I want to do: IM Austria, Brazil, Germany, Western Australia, Lanzarote. I’d also like to do: Laguna Phuket again, St. Croix, St. Kitts, Marathon des Sables again, the Jungle Marathon in the Amazon and quite a number of other races. Stay active at as many levels as possible in the sport. Expand my work in race announcing and writing while maintaining the rest. Stay helathy and continue to remain fit. Improve my eating habits.
so you’re getting older. big deal.
looking for goals? look at these partial results from the elite category of the tennessee state championship tt (40km) from 2004…
1 Bostick Kent 00:49:51.63 USPS Masters Cycling Team
2 Zyriek Gary 00:51:21.66 Memphis Motor Werks
3 Carpenter Steven 00:52:04.33 North Chattanooga/River City Bicycles
4 Raspet Richard 00:52:41.58 Memphis Motor Werks
#1 (a true legend) is 52 this year, and # 4 is 58 this year. how many of you can match their times? this is what you can do if you don’t let you age be your excuse. quit whining and be glad you’re getting older.
#1 (a true legend) is 52 this year, and # 4 is 58 this year. how many of you can match their times? this is what you can do if you don’t let you age be your excuse. quit whining and be glad you’re getting older.
Agreed. I don’t believe peak performance drops all that much after age 35 (I’m 42). Sure, recovery and injuries are a much bigger issue, but that requires that we treat our bodies much better.
In my opinion, the reason why most of us slow down is that we fall in love with the slow training - piling on “easy/base” miles when we really don’t need them, and not maintaining basic speed. This is especially true with running. Basic speed needs a lot of maintenance, and will make us more prone to injury, but it’s absolute essentially to keeping what you have, or improving.
It depends on the race and the distance. Do to life, etc I am now just a 45 yr old MOPer at IMs and other long distance races BUT you better be ready to toe the line at a sprint b/c I’ll give her a serious run. I came in 6th OA in a sprint earlier this year and the guy just in front of me was in my age group…we were 1, 2 off the bike.
For IMs, etc, I just say that on race day I’ll be the fastest I’ll ever be that given day and at that given age, so I can’t lose!
But more than racing, it is lifestyle. My fitness, and that of my wife, certainly has an impact on the kids’ development and allows us to do family activities that other families just can’t physically do.
BTW, I haven’t given up on PRs yet!
I am actually getting faster as I age… wonder that stops and reverse itself…
Although my last IM was 25 minutes slower than my previous attempt, I am convinced that I can go faster. I started this sport ‘late’ when was 34. It was the one thing that helped me to quit smoking and get out of the partying lifestyle after nearly 17 years. Seriously, from 17 to 34 all I did was drink Millers and smoke Kools. At first it was something I used to help me free myself from an unhealthy lifestyle. It became something that I enjoyed and brought back a sense of acheivement and competitive spirit that I thought I had lost.
As I told my friend Marisol, I am determined to unlock the door that leads to my best performance. I’ve probably done 60-70 triathlons over the last 7 years…maybe more… these races were most mostly 1/2 IM’s and Oly’s. Of all those races I can think of only two, a 1/2 IM and an Oly, where I was ‘in the zone’ from the first stroke of the swim to my final step at the finish line. I’ve done 4 IM’s and DNF’d 2. My goal is to go sub 11. Although my most recent attempt was a setback, I know I can get faster. I tell myself that one of these days I will do it and that’s what keeps me going.
I draw inspiration from athletes older than myself who have once been overall race winners who now race strong in AG. I was never fortunate enough to be an overall race winner so if these guys can take being “slower” and still enjoy triathlon then I shouldn’t let my slower times keep me from racing either.
One thing to remember is that even though you are slower you may actually be BETTER than you were when younger. For example a 3 hr mara run by a 50 year old has an “age-adjusted” time of 2;4xxx I think (if you believe in those metrics)
rock on
Hey I’m at the same stage! And it’s kind of strange to think that we’re that old. I just turn 47.
But I still just love to ride my bike, I may not get any faster but you can still work at being in the best shape you can be. I still love the feeling in my legs when I know I’m going well, they just feel strong and fast.
I look at the guys that are my age that I work with and I’m glad I’m in top shape their paying for bad shape now.
And just on a side note, it’s funny when I’m out on a ride, and some young girl passes me in her car and take a long look! And I know I’m old enough to be her Father.
Ride hard and have fun!
Dan…
#1 Goal - Wake up every morning and thank God that I am still able to decide what kind of workout I am going to do today.
#2 Goal - Thank God everyday that I have been blessed enough to keep the rubberside down,the cars off my back, and smart enough to not totally grind my ankles,knees, hips into the ground over the last 35 years.
#3 Goal - Even though I am not able to do the volume and speed I once could, pick my battles and suprise the hell out of some of the folks caught when they were napping.
#4 Or should be #1 Be that “old fart” that is tough as nails and I hated getting beat by when I was a youngblood.
I probably will never run or swim as fast as I used to, but I do plan to hopefully get a 40k PR on the bike in the next 5 years.
I’ve been racing for 15 years, just turned 50 this spring. I’m faster now then when I was 35. My bike times are tops in my age group and normally top 10 OA in most of my triathlons. I LOVE TO BIKE!! Running is reduced to about 6 miles per week unless I’m training for a 1/2 or full IM. I’d do just one run per week and increase by 1 mile per week until I reach the 13 or 24 miles for the race. Swimming is non-existant…only swim when I race. My swim times are good enough to put me in about the top 33% coming out of the water.
I keep going because I love the bike…can place in the top 5 in my races in my age group (won one this spring)…use the training rides to think of NOTHING!!!(owning your own business can be hell on wheels sometimes)…Did I mentioned I love riding my bikes!! : ) …I like staying in shape and skinny (6-3 @ 173 lbs…sometimes as low as 161)
I’m not sure how old you are, but I’m 56 and I still managed a PR at a marathon in January, qualifying for Boston for the first time. Admittedly, my previous time had been somewhat of a “soft” PR, but at the time (back in 1983) I had already been running seriously for almost a decade and I had trained seriously for that previous marathon.
Mostly these days, I enjoy the age-group competition. I figure that if I’m competing better and better against my AG peers, that represents significant progress. Of course, at any given race I may or may not place according to who happens to show up, so I don’t get too hung up on getting hardware in any particular race. But if I look at my performance relative to age groups, I can discern a long-term improvement over the years. And in the case of swimming, where I never excelled in my youth, I still have some hope of attaining a PR even in absolute terms.
IMFL this fall will be my first Ironman, so–assuming I finish–that will be a guaranteed PR!
If I can finish middle of the pack in the (usually) toughest age group 30-34 then I’m happy. I’m 50.
Who in the hell is getting slower? I just ran 15:15 for a three-mile fitness test run today…exactly the same time I ran for my first ever Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test 18 1/2 years ago. I’ll be 37 in a couple of weeks.
Can you “reply” in this thread ONLY if you are old!!! : )
37 is NOT old…things start to change when you turn about 48. You still have a few years left.** : )**
I’ll be 37 in a couple of weeks.
Hey Sonny, this thread is for adults. After 37, each year is really a dog year. At 42, I’m really 35 years older than you. Just ask anyone older, they’ll tell you the same thing.