Concept2 Forum

I just turned 49 and have been back into fitness for the last year after a long layoff. In my 30's I had little worry pushing my limits as long and hard as I could stand it. But nowadays, even though I had a treadmill stress test couple yrs ago that showed normal, I feel more mortal, and when I push I feel a little more hesitant to squeeze every last bit of effort.

I'm very impressed with some of the times I've seen for guys 50 and up. To reach those times (eg, a sub- or low-7-min 2k) must have most of you pushing it to the max.

How do you middle-age and older guys (and women) feel about pushing your efforts to the max?

zen cohen wrote:How do you middle-age and older guys (and women) feel about pushing your efforts to the max?

It hurts!

More seriously, I'm only 42 (a mere whippersnapper!), but, like you, I hadn't engaged in regular, vigorous exercise for a while before going on an exercise kick for the past year. So I started and progressed slowly, took comfort in a normal resting EKG, and was satisfied after some research on the ever-reliable Internet that the odds of dying during vigorous exercise are actually extremely low, especially if you're in good shape.

Cheers!

I tried to get Max to do the work for me, but he wasn't having it. So I just get on and do what I've decided to do.

Until 12 months ago I hadn't exercised beyond a short, gentle stroll for over 15 years. I used to get tired and breathless just kicking a football around with my 12 year old son. In fact, if the ball went past me I used to make him run for it!

Andrew started row when he went to his current school. I used to take him down to the river every Saturday and Sunday, and gradually got tempted to have a go myself. I couldn't row OTW because the club times were not compatible with work and family commitments, so I joined a local gym.

My first ergo session (ever) ended as an ignominious, wheezing debacle after a mere 3 minutes! After that I built up gradually, starting at 10 minute sessions x4 per week, and building up by 5 minutes per session every 1-2 weeks. I bought a heart rate belt with interface and tried to avoid my HR rising above 140ish, because I didn't want to die on an ergo!. However, I used to find that it was my breathing that was a better guide to a comfortable pace; which at that time was about 2:10-2:15 @ 20spm.

I became so addicted to exercise that I bought my own C2D/PM3. I now erg x4-5 per week and do 40 or 60 minutes per session. I don't limit my HR, but find that it sits at about 155 when I go at my fastest comfortable, long-distance cruising pace (2:02 @ 20-22spm). I max out for the last few minutes of each long piece, and try to hit a new high HR in the last 30 seconds (currently 179 highest achieved; against theoretical 170 derived from 220-Age).

My 2K time was about 08:30 last October, and was 7:13 2-3 months ago. My ambition is to get to 7:00, hopefully sometime this calendar year (if at all).

I have no doubt that you will soon sail past that landmark, but build up to it gradually, to avoid injury, or worse!

Cheers
Dave

My one piece of advice to the "older crowd" is that, if you want to max-out, one should work up to it more graduallly than you might have done at a younger age.
The erg has a way of encouraging people to try to got too fast, too soon:
Get a good aeorbic base and then start working on speed.. remember to take the rest days and easy days.
-Mike vB

55 yr old lwt male, 6'0", 161 lbs., 1:47.5 for 2k this year; currently working on getting under 18 min for 5k again

zen cohen wrote:I just turned 49 and have been back into fitness for the last year after a long layoff. In my 30's I had little worry pushing my limits as long and hard as I could stand it. But nowadays, even though I had a treadmill stress test couple yrs ago that showed normal, I feel more mortal, and when I push I feel a little more hesitant to squeeze every last bit of effort.

One thing definately true, it's easier to hurt oneself, and longer to get better, so build up slow. I used to be able to recover from a cycling race in 1 day, now it takes 2 or 3 to recover from a hard erg session.

zen cohen wrote: I'm very impressed with some of the times I've seen for guys 50 and up. To reach those times (eg, a sub- or low-7-min 2k) must have most of you pushing it to the max.

Yeah, no kidding... I row with one guy in his mid 50's that can row a 1:48 12k. I would have to keep my current fitness level into my 80's, to set a world record.

For me it just a matter of being in shape. Its harder and takes longer to get into shape, hence is more difficult to push it to the max, but if I'm training regularly I can push it all out, I'm just slower when I do.

I'm 48 and have been exercising hard for the last dozen years, got my erg two years ago. As the others said, it takes longer to get into shape. Expect the ramp-up to be slower. I tend to have shorter workouts than most, with a lot of sprint intervals so my heart rate really gets up there.

I'm 63, I have rowed a sub 7:00 in the last year.
I have some qualms about pushing myself to the limit, whatever that is. I do all my exercising with heart rate monitoring. I feel much more comfortable rowing at a constant split and letting my heart rate climb slowly while rowing. I then sprint for the last minute, not all out but about 5 seconds slower than my best 500M trial. That usually gets my HR up close to my personal maximum (190) , but in a range where I still feel strong and can keep my form.

At 63, your personal maximum should be 220 - age, ie, 157. But it's just a guide, anyhoo.

pz1800 wrote:At 63, your personal maximum should be 220 - age, ie, 157. But it's just a guide, anyhoo.

Pretty much proved to be almost useless as a guide to either max HR or training thresholds .... best test for max HR is to so a step/incremental test in your chose sport as it will vary.

george

Now 61, I've been erging for about 6 years. For the last 5, I've regularly pushed my HR to 90%+ of max. I don't have any qualms about my body. It seems to be holding up. It is, however, increasingly difficult to motivate myself, especially because my times are slower.

Me, just the young demi-god,

It hurts, but then again it always did!

But I think I'm getting stronger, but getting there takes longer!

It's all about getting a base of time/meters under you. So, Tyn's right.

Dan 56H