Older Athletes - 40's, 50's 60's +

[John Foy]

Very interesting article you must read as an older athlete.

http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0261.htm

[George Dunning]

Tks John

[125shifter]

It's our mentality and anti-couch attitude. @ 41, I'm as antsy today as I've ever been. Having (4) boys chasing me (in motocross) helps motivate me too. I'll won't fend them off forever, but I won't stop trying either!

[Citroen]

Very interesting article you must read as an older athlete.

Are you taking bets on how soon one well known member of the forums will take that article and attempt to use it to convince us he can pull a 6:16 2K?

[Stefan]

Good read for motivation and also one solid tip.

More fast interval work should be on the menue for most of us!

[sledgehammer]

Another good article on this topic here:

http://tinyurl.com/2plhgm

[Byron Drachman]

Hi John,
Thanks for posting that. I'll try to remember that next time I want to slack off and just do an easy row.
Byron

[diannagail]

At almost 56, I am still motivated and have a passion for weight lifting, cardio, stretching, cycling, whitewater & surf kayaking, rock climbing, indoor rowing, and staying active in general. I own a garden maintenance business and do hard physical work 6 to 7 days a week in addition to my other gym and sports activities.

I'm still motivated...and still feel good... but I can feel time taking it's toll. I have actually had to come to grips with the idea that I am no longer 16 and can go _____ to the wall all the time, pushing through the pain regardless. I don't recover as quickly as I used to. I have learned that if I back off when I feel myself starting to drag, I will be able to play or work the next day, instead of losing time because of fatigue or injury. As a lifelong competitive athlete I know the difference between discomfort and pain, but now I have to pay attention to both. It wounds my ego, but it is how I will be able to keep going for another 20 to 25 years... hopefully.

I am around active and athletic people because I belong to several sports clubs and a gym. Everyone is different due to genetics or the way they have taken care of themselves over the years. Some blow out at (what I consider) a young age, while others are just incredible and dispel the myth of getting old and raggedy. I compete in the senior olympics in track and field, and I just love watching people in their 70's, 80's and beyond participating in long jumps, high jumps, pole vaulting, sprints, etc. I love to look in their eyes and see the twinkle and spark there. They are my mentors and my role models.

[mikvan52]

Very interesting article you must read as an older athlete.

http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0261.htm

Very interesting: but I wish they had said how many athletes were in the various studies.
Also, I note that comparisons were done for people who, when younger, were not record holders. That, in itself, makes it hard to gauge what is really happening w/the aging process.

I would think that if you just looked at the times of all WIRC ( Crash-B ) participants as a whole (in various age classifications - over many years)you'd get a better idea as to trends in what happens with age.

For Instance: A conclusion could be drawn on trends of 10 years of performances such that:
a 50 year old will be (x)number of seconds slower than an open class indoor rower (on average). Far more scientific than talking about the exploits of one athlete who achieved better success in later life (all things not being equal {training methods, diet, work load, etc})

=Mike=

[iain]

As I see it there are 2 issues:

what decline (if any) occurs when maintaining an intense training regime and

what happens to the theoretical potential of people who are not training optimally?

The articles concentrate on the former, but suggest that people can still improve in later years after sub-optimal training, although to a lower pinnacle. There are plenty of IRC examples that prove that progress in fitness can be made even for the older who are unfit. As someone who spent the first half of his life without training, I would be very interested in any research into that.

Regards

Iain

[Heaviestuser]

This is a long and very interesting article. The start of the article focuses on adults in the age range 35-45 yo.
I summited Mt. Blanc ( 2-nd highest mountain in Europe with 4808 m ) in
2005 together with a 18 yo boy on the same rope.

Long distances and mountains are easier to stay the course with the younger people.

The thread is about us ( 50+,60+). Keep moving, keep fit ! I wonder though who will tell the stories to the young Lapps when the older Lapps are erging.

Greetz,

Heaviestuser