The thread on Marco Pantani and the discussion of keeping up with the expectation of past performance leads me to post this thread. As time passes, it becomes increasinly difficult to keep up with our former selves, but we try, usually in vain.
Many of us have been involved in Multisport for many many years. Dan wrote a wonderful series some time ago on turning back the clock. The reality is that Pantani could not, Dave Scott tried and did pretty good, but still not up to his standards, Molina can not. You and I cannot.
The beauty of triathlon is that we have 5 year age groups. A close friend of mine who once race 2:23 in a marathon in his 20’s introduced me to this approach. He said, Dev, “if I tried to beat myself to death to try and run 2:23, I would always be depressed”. In his 30’s he Pb went from 2:23 to 2:35 to 2:48 to 3:08. Today he is lucky if he could run 3:30 at the age of 44, but is glad to head out for a run any day of the year.
My PB’s from 10-15 years ago when I was in my twenties were: marathon 2:48, Ironman 10:25, Half 4:22, Olympic 1:59. My new PB’s in 35-39 at marathon 2:59.52, Ironman 10:42, Half 4:26, Olympic 2:05. Most of these were set at the “bottom end” of the age group. Not that much slower than in my 20’s, but there is no way in hell that I can shave off those extra minutes to beat myself from my 20’s. My tendons just can’t handle the high intesity running any more. Too much speedwork and wheels just “fall off”. In 1.5 years, I get to set a new slate when I turn 40.
This way, your expectations (relatively speaking) are benchmarked against your “current self” rather than your former self and more accurately reflect the changes in your life and associated responsibilities!
What do you all think of this approach. Anyone else use it ?
Heck, yes, I use it. I was the baby in the 45-49 year old group last year, and, even though this age group was faster overall this past year than the previous years, I hit my goal of placing several times. I might do that again this year, but the competition is getting faster in this age group. My biggest hope this year is that I moved to a state where the current year’s Tri’s aren’t mostly sold out in January! Then again, the top fellows here are just about as fast as the top fellows in my old stomping grounds…there just aren’t as many in the race.
I can’t wait until I turn 50 so I can have another “best” shot at it!
It wouldn’t be the case if starting young, but the big advantage I’ve had in starting into this so late in life is that I’ve actually been getting faster in each of my seasons of tri-ing. It’s kinda cool to be 52 and know that you’re faster than when first beginning into tri and that you can still be getting even faster for at least the next few years. Obviously it won’t last forever and the pendulum will eventually swing the other way, but for now it’s great motivation.
The realistic person will only live in the moment. You can’t beat the age clock indefinately. Sooner or later it surpasses everyone of us.
Yes, I look at things this way. I did a sub three hour marathon as a kid. I haven’t managed a sub four hour marathon lately. Itis way too depressing to compare this body to that long lost body.
I also get a kick out of comparing my age group to the young stud age group. Given everything they have going for them, youth, ability to recover, lungs and hearts that haven’t been ravage by time and fat, they are pretty pathetic as a group. That doesn’t apply to the ones at the top. It never does.
I went over the numbers from St. Anthony’s last year. The median kid’s time was all of two minutes faster than the median from my age group. My time was MOP for the young turks. That felt good.
I did my first triathlon at 46, and although I have limited time to train compared to most folks in this sport, I’ve managed to eek out a little improvement in two subsequent years. I am not competitive in my age group around here, but I get to race myself year to year on the course. Given the nature of age group triathlon, there will always be a reasonable standard to which I can compare myself: the others in my age group.
Others have talked about “the triathlon lifestyle” being what keeps them in the sport. I agree. Since starting triathlon, I have lived, eaten and worked healthier. The ability to test oneself against a standard that is appropriate for one’s station in life and have fun doing it is just one more benefit!
There are a couple of advantages to starting endurance sports when you are already old. You don’t have any ‘history’ of races in your twenties, getting better every year (even in your fifties) is a great feeling, and the bits that seem to get trashed easily (knees) are still relatively fresh. Except for some genetic freaks that followed me from 55-59 to 60-64, I am looking forward to racing against a new group of old farts this year. I am no threat to the studs in 30-34 or even 40-45, but I usually finish in the same day as they do.
Training for iron-distance races and the lifestyle thing might be the most important parts. Every time I get discouraged about my age, speed, weight, etc. I just go to the mall and see what ‘civilians’ in my age group look like.
Good show Dev. I didn’t really think of it but your post sure got me thinking. I am happy to report that I qualified for Boston at the Huntington Beach’s Pacific Shoreline Marathon with a PR. God willing I’m headed to some swimming PR’s too.
Great post, Dev. My PB’s at 65 are better than my PB’s at 48. Although an achilles injury in my second year back to triathlon hurt my run, my swim and bike have improved. In my early years, I only had one or two over 20 mph bike rides but now, if I only average 20 mph, I had to have fallen off the bike or flatted. I am totally in awe of guys like Don Ardell, Jimmy Fleming, Jon Amundson, Roger Brokenbraugh and Wayne McSheehy(71) who can finish in the top 50 to 100 in most triathlons in the country. Whatever you who read this do, do not burn yourselves out because triathlon, due to the cross training possibilities, is a lifetime fitness alternative. In other words, you can still train and race when the legs go south.
