Where is everybody?
The boomers and the beyonders must have something to discuss. EN Rally plans, response to the new OS, discussion of aches and pains, races planned, etc.
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The boomers and the beyonders must have something to discuss. EN Rally plans, response to the new OS, discussion of aches and pains, races planned, etc.
Comments
Yeah, I guess we're not segregating ourselves so much in this forum. Here's my thing, though ... up until two years ago, since I only started running and doing tris when I was 50, I kept getting PRs. Now, I have to figure out how to measure success when my times/speed/power (but not my effort level) are going in the opposite direction. And what does place in AG mean when my fellow competitors keep disappearing? I was looking at possible races to do in a year or two, Ironman Wales caught my eye. But there were TWO (count 'em) finishers in the AG I would be entering. I'm struggling with the new frame of reference. I may have lost some speed, but not my ambition. I don't think I can (d)evolve from being a competitor to being a participant.
Al - i've been running for over 40 years and set my last running PR at age 30. It has been all downhill since then, but I still view myself as a competitor. If I make it to the point where I am the last man standing in my age group, I will declare myself the victor, but only somewhat. Meanwhile, the clock is the most vicious competitor and will always be around to keep things in check.
I started tris to be more fit and debunk the traditions that say you can't get better as you age. I defy that. I have made steady progress for the last 11 years, but hit a plateau this last year in the bike, but made steady progress in my swimming. In September I had a PR in the Olympic distance, beating my time for any OLY by 7 minutes. The Key? Allowing more recovery. I find I have to adjust pretty much all my workouts by getting more rest. My philosophy now is higher peaks and longer valleys! I think there are many ways to make gains...especially in my thinking and attitudes. You are a champion there first.
Every workout I remind myself why I'm doing this. Fitness and preservation of function for as long as I am able to move, and do something fun with my fitness. So it's impossible to have a "bad" workout!! They are all doing something very good for my health. I remind myself of this often when I'm unable to keep an interval that's been prescribed for the mostly younger folk!!
I started tris @ age 55 so I've got no "young man PR" to compare my times to. I guess that is a blessing since now I just worry about getting faster today. And I do think I can get faster. Finished IMWI this year in 11:58 and think I can get down to 11:30 next year.
I love the way Sue is thinking about this. I feel lucky that I "get" to do stuff that many others my age can't d/t health issues or won't b/c of unwillingness to push themselves. I feel most alive when I'm pushing myself in a workout or racing. I know that some day my body won't be able to do tris, but that is not today, not yet. So I'm making the best of everyday and letting the race results be what they are.
John- I like your plan of focusing on the 70.3 distance and getting faster at that. EN plans will get you there. Then steppping up to the full after a couple of years of building speed and durability.
Al- Why not consider your real competition the guys in the AG younger than yours? That might keep you motivated. Of course then you'll be kicking my butt.
I too had an exhilarating rookie year with a win at Pleasant Prairie ( OLY ) and an invitation to the Age Group Nationals. The invitation came so late in the season (and was so not on my radar) that I had other commitments and was unable to attend. I want to get to the 2013 Nationals but I've never done more than one event in a season. So here's the question for my more experienced team mates: I'll need to win an event to qualify. (As other's have pointed out, in order to finish in the top 10% you need to win in our age group). And then I'll want to be competitive if I get there. How do you manage more than one event in a season? This may be a very naive question. And the answer may be, we do it all the time. I'm just looking for some reassurance. I look forward to some feedback.
My first race - the MDI marathon - was my whip to get me to train regularly. Since then I continue to sign up for stuff to keep me busy and focused. Without a race, I lapse back into the duldrums. No excuse is too lame to prevent me from physical activity. Life begins to suck and the world seems to be in a state of constant overcast with periods of steady rain......
... but fill the calender with races and suddenly I have a reason to be. A target to shoot for. A new opertunity to strive for another PR.
At the same time I dont take training and racing too seriously. I am fine taking a day off if I feel fatigued and don't feel the need to force myself - If I'm not feeling it, it's OK. On race day, I know were my fitness is and what my pace is likely to be and so I toe-the-line and race the best race I can with the fitness I have ON THAT DAY. As long as I execute the best plan I can, give the day all I have, I finsih knowing I did all I could. No second guessing, no "if I only..." or "I shoulda....woulda..... coulda."
Life is good, running marathons and doing tris just make it better.....
2x what Sue said about the frequency of racing. For sprints or olympics I think you can race those every 2-3 weeks throught the season. Some days will be better than others, but just make sure you take 1 or 2 days completely off, then get back into training first with a swim, the next day a bike, then a run on the day after that. I seem to recover much quicker on my swim and bike performance after a race than I do the run. Basically, i follow the rule of thumb I used following running races...no hard run workouts for the number of days = to the number of run miles raced. So for an olympic race on a Sunday, I won't do a hard (Z5) run workout until the next Saturday, but I can get back to hard swims and bike usually by Thursday. For a HIM it would be 13 days before I'd do any Z5 running efforts, but I'd do Z5 swims and bikes after about a week post HIM. Finally, I make liberal use of ice for a few days on anything that is sore after the race. For me that is my left heel and once in a while my left knee and right hamstring.
@ Sue ... Like you, I started doing tris @ age 50 in part to demonstrate (& discover) what is possible as we get older. Through age 61, I kept finding ways to get faster, except in swimming, which had been my HS/Colleege sport. And I had to start going out of town to find some competition, which may be what got me more focused on IM races ... who wants to travel 6-8 hoiurs in a car or plane to do a 2-3 hour race?
Anyway, the time has come when I am starting the inevitable slowdown. Theyear it started - this year - I found myself not wanting to race at all, having two really slow results in Ironman, even though I did start the year with my fastest Olympic bike split ever. So the past month, I did a little soul searching, and decided whgat I really like to do is race, and win, so I might as well start training and planning again with that goal in mind. Next yesar, I'll combine looking for new races and events with honoring my competitive drive. A 70.3 in the spring, a multi-day bike trip in June, a bunch of Olys locally in July, then two IMs in the fall. That ought to keep be busy and focused.
I often soul search and evaluate the time and energy, focus and expense that goes into maintaining and gaining fitness for these races. I always come back to, it's a means to an end. Staying as healthy and mobile as possible. I've been sidelined momentarily with a broken collarbone that happened 10/13/12. And have had much time thinking about all that you mention. I'm not ready to hang up my racing kit yet. Might as well pursue world-class performance and unlock every ounce of improvement I can squeeze out of this body. That's part of the fun. As long as there is one more 61-year old female in the world who is faster than me, I know better is possible. I pursue!
All - back to one of the topics raised in John's initial post....anyone going to the EN rally in Tucson in March? I'm on the fence but my brother JT has already reserved a hotel room for us even thought neither of us have officially signed up yet.
@ John - The best part of racing is to "geezer" some young folks...so sweet.
Yup, I'm going also, as will my wife if her schedule allows. Staying @ the host hotel, but I haven't reserved yet.
Al - It was great for Carol and I to meet you and your wife in Kona and congrats on your race in tough conditions. I know well the feeling of slowing down too. I started triathlon around 50 after 30 years of distance running. I had my best marathon (2:57) at 47 and have been slowing down ever since! My mile repeat pace now is my old marathon pace. I'm 58 and am actually looking forward to moving up to 60-64 and the smaller field because these 55 yo's are tough! It's my only way (maybe) of getting back to Kona without riding Carol's coattails. Since slowing down, I've found other ways to stay motivated, beating my training partners, an occasional course PR, and nothing is better than racing the last few miles against a couple of 35 year olds and then pulling away at the finish. I also try not to forget what we all do here is pretty amazing for any age, not to mention meeting so many great people!
"I wanna be you when I grow up" is something I've heard more than once at the tail end of races, as I pass someone half my age.
Paul; i had a similar experience @ the Louisville IM. lots of encouragement signs along the route. one was "IMs r badass!" about the 20th mile i'm "running" downhill under a RR bridge and 3 young guys walking asked why i was running. my response "it's downhill" .their reponse "you're badass".
I passed a 35 year old guy at mile 100 on the bike @ IMWI this year. He asked me if i'm really 58. I said I will be in December (b-day next week), and he said his dad was 58 and just sitting on the couch getting fat. I told him to get his old man out training and he could race with us in a year. He said "that will be the day". I said too bad and then I rode off leaving him behind. Sweet.
Wow, gotta love the search feature in the new forums! Al, I'm seriously considering IM Wales for 2018. I've watched several youtube videos on the race including an episode of Ironman TV. Trirating ranks it as the hardest IM (excluding the extreme races). There have been no finishers at 70+ ... you should change that. At Wales you are competing against the course ... the run from the beach up to T1 is unlike any other place, but the crowd support is spectacular. Here are the finishers for M60 and M65 over the history of the race.
Year M60-64 M65-69
2012 6 2
2013 5 2
2014 7 4
2015 4 0
2016 7 2
I think the low finisher count is a combination of the difficulty of the course and the timing. By mid-Sep, most of Europe is raced out, and American athletes don't tend to travel and have much easier options going into the fall. So my current thinking is to follow up IM South Africa this year, with Wales in 2018 and Lanzarote in 2019.