Father Time?

[JaapvanE]

I recently did a martial arts class over a 4mnth period for 1hr a week and it turned into a fortnight after 2mnths then on the 3rd month I could not be bothered as cycle and rowing training was suffering, recovery was hard. But in my 20s I was heavily into kickboxing and did 3 lessons a week but had to give up weights as I was too tired, and this was the early 90s and I was unemployed and had no worries virtually. So based on this, I know recovery for me is important and not a lot has changed into my 50s, little and often for training but I am lucky enough to get away with the bare minimum and still turn in times and weights I want. I also know I am not the most powerful or the best at long distance as others, but will still hold my own.

Here an active Judoka (over 3 hrs/week, aside training some soon-to-be-blackbelts). Many martial arts require some lifting of bodies, making it quite a strength-excercise, at least when starting out. Once technique is really developed, it becomes less hard as you don't lift people, you tip them over. But typically people get there after a decade or so when training for their black belt exam.

For me, the social aspect of Judo is extremely important and it is actually the thing that keeps me going. But falling a lot during training can be extremely hard on your body. Getting used to that takes some time, and again technique plays a big role: knowing how to fall well is extremely usefull to keep going.

Combining it with rowing is indeed challenging. On Saturdays I do an hour of strength training, two hours of Judo, have a long break and then close the day with rowing a HM. I don't do that much on my saturday evenings, although after doing this for over a year, it does get easier.

Having said that, I train polarized, as combining my (daily) rowing with Judo and cycling really requires me to manage the peak sessions and make sure I get some recovery throughout the week. Overdoing it on a single session really can mess up a week of training or more...

[Dutch]

Here an active Judoka (over 3 hrs/week, aside training some soon-to-be-blackbelts). Many martial arts require some lifting of bodies, making it quite a strength-excercise, at least when starting out. Once technique is really developed, it becomes less hard as you don't lift people, you tip them over. But typically people get there after a decade or so when training for their black belt exam.

For me, the social aspect of Judo is extremely important and it is actually the thing that keeps me going. But falling a lot during training can be extremely hard on your body. Getting used to that takes some time, and again technique plays a big role: knowing how to fall well is extremely usefull to keep going.

Combining it with rowing is indeed challenging. On Saturdays I do an hour of strength training, two hours of Judo, have a long break and then close the day with rowing a HM. I don't do that much on my saturday evenings, although after doing this for over a year, it does get easier.

I did try Judo about 2 yrs ago and it was hard on the body yes,I liked the simplicity of it but was too paranoid about injury.

My last go to is bjj. There are a couple of clubs nr me but one is a fortune and the other seems ok, but again i have always held off with the paranoia of injury. But the social aspect is good.

I have tried combining diff aspects on same day, just as long as they are steady I am fine like 20 mins weights, a cycle then walk. But anything like yours would have me off training for a week, more mentally so prob CNS burn out.

[H2O]

80% of training at 2.07/ 2.08 500m splits UT2 anywhere between 10 and 15k
20% of training at 1.45 / 1.50 500m splits anaerobic threshold workouts . Supplemented with some weight training

Has anyone had success adopting something like this?

This looks good. I think all you need is simply more volume. I would add in AT workouts (2 x 10 mins, 3x8 mins 1:56).
1:45/1:50 at your 5K pace is likely a workout close to 2K pace (a VO2 max workout). 20% of such is too much.

[H2O]

I’m caught between 2 stalls of not knowing whether to train to increase the power ie holding 201 watts at 19/20 spm for 20 min or upping the rate and getting comfortable at 22/23/24spm and having the watts at 200+

200 watts at 19/20 spm for 20 mins would be a brutal workout for me (barely possible). I would try this only to prepare for a 1K, not even for a 2K. A reasonable stroke rate for a 5K is 26 spm. If you can hold 8.5 Watt per stroke you are at 221 Watts
(about 1:56), i.e. already below 19:30.

8.5 Watt per stroke at 26 spm is very much easier than 10 Watt per stroke at 20spm, at least for me.

[Tsnor]

80% of training at 2.07/ 2.08 500m splits UT2 anywhere between 10 and 15k
20% of training at 1.45 / 1.50 500m splits anaerobic threshold workouts . Supplemented with some weight training

Has anyone had success adopting something like this?

This looks good. I think all you need is simply more volume. I would add in AT workouts (2 x 10 mins, 3x8 mins 1:56).
1:45/1:50 at your 5K pace is likely a workout close to 2K pace (a VO2 max workout). 20% of such is too much.

80% of training at 2.07/ 2.08 500m splits is brutally fast for zone 1 training.

Give it a try and see how your heart rate compares to max, and see if you can still speak normally at the end... or if you are puffing. For comparison, someone with a 20 min best 5K is closer to 2:25 for a zone 1 target.

[KeithT]

My favorite topic!

As many know I have ben battling with Father Time for a while now. I did good keeping him away in my early 50s as I continued to hit PRs and do some good times. Then I started noticing a drop in performance overall but still had days when I felt "normal". This was seen in my weight training too where I was gradually getting weaker. I also had some health issues that sat me back. Then my mental game really got bad as I would decide one day to accept I am slowing down and then the next being mad that I was and thinking I could train thru it. I have been stuck in this mode for a while but I have finally decided I am just older and it is what it is. I will still try to do some good rows and train hard but I am starting to come around to the fact I will not match previous times.

[Dangerscouse]

I will still try to do some good rows and train hard but I am starting to come around to the fact I will not match previous times.

You have to focus on the fact that your sub-par performances are still very impressive. It's easier said than done, but many many people your age would be extremely proud of your capabilities

[MPx]

I will still try to do some good rows and train hard but I am starting to come around to the fact I will not match previous times.

You have to focus on the fact that your sub-par performances are still very impressive. It's easier said than done, but many many people your age would be extremely proud of your capabilities

Wot Stu said....

[KeithT]

I will still try to do some good rows and train hard but I am starting to come around to the fact I will not match previous times.

You have to focus on the fact that your sub-par performances are still very impressive. It's easier said than done, but many many people your age would be extremely proud of your capabilities

Thanks - I keep telling myself that, just need to believe it more - LOL.

[Dangerscouse]

Thanks - I keep telling myself that, just need to believe it more - LOL.

FAR easier said than done, and if you figure it out please let me know how you do it

I'm world class at not practicing what I preach.

[Lucasd48]

Thank you to everyone who contributed suggestions and comments on this topic.

I took all the advice and my experience to date on the erg
and today pulled a 19.43 for 5k. So having said at the outset I’d be happy with sub 20 min I’m okay with that for the time
being!

For myself it shows that yes age is a factor but it’s also
just a number and that with the right mindset, approach
etc etc you can still be pleasantly surprised at what your
still capable of.

[reuben]

Several years ago I pretty much gave up tracking how many km I hiked or rode, how much time I spent stretching (yoga), or however many pounds I pushed or pulled in some direction. I now look at rowing the same way.

While all of the above are good for me, I now mainly consider the weekly and yearly hours, with one eye on the ratio or total hours for a single activity if I happen to have some trip or goal on the horizon. The weather's too hot and humid for hiking in the summer, but it's great fall through spring, so activities naturally wax and wane.

I don't just want to hike or ride from A to B in a week or two or three, I want to enjoy it along the way. Buy a one way ticket, come back when I'm ready.

Mental relaxation and calmness is a goal, and while physical exercise can help with that, obsessing over details like kilometers, pace, and FTP don't.

From thermal physics I know that fighting entropy is a losing game, but I am fighting atrophy. And I'm trying to do so without being obsessive.

[Dangerscouse]

Mental relaxation and calmness is a goal, and while physical exercise can help with that, obsessing over details like kilometers, pace, and FTP don't.

That's a very underrated goal, albeit I try to work on it whilst still working on pace and kilometres

[reuben]

Mental relaxation and calmness is a goal, and while physical exercise can help with that, obsessing over details like kilometers, pace, and FTP don't.

That's a very underrated goal, albeit I try to work on it whilst still working on pace and kilometres

Well, the relaxation and calmness definitely tend to come AFTER a workout, whatever type it may be.

To be clear, I was definitely thinking in terms of both short and long term lifestyle and mental health, not necessarily during hard workouts. However, a few hours hiking in the woods can yield immediate results.

[Cyclingman1]

Being close to 79, the aging topic has been of some interest for a while. Complex subject for sure. Aging decline is mildly serious for the 50-something crowd, but starting in mid-60s, the decline ramps up and by mid-70s its got you. The impacts of aging vary considerably for every one. A great deal of it is dependent on one's athletic past. Based on a very intense athletic background, mostly cycling, my best rowing times occurred in my mid to late 60s. For example 2K: 6:40.7; 5K: 17:34; 30min: 8337 - all verified. More recently, age 75, 2K: 7:02.6. All times similarly declining.

Factors not mentioned are injury and illness. I've been in constant battle with that and has affected my rowing far more than aging, per se. Now a TKR has me virtually sidelined.

A lot of references to how to train: how fast; how far; SPM; SPI; etc. It's all over blown. People gravitate to what works for them. Actually, I've seldom trained, as far far as following a program. I definitely don't do rate controlled stuff. I doubt I could do 30 min at 20 SPM. I go fast when I feel up to it, and slow down otherwise. Admittedly, I largely ignore aging.