Any retirees out there-Is it as good as I think it is?
Hey, over in the IM AZ discussion, Patricia is doing 2 IMs a year to get to the Legacy threshold and she stated something to the fact that she will be 64 and retired and can train all the time. I dream of the day where I could workout all day and not worry about work. It is the old debate of who has it easier? The pros who can train all day but have to worry about race results or the age groupers who have a steady income but have time constraints.
My question is to those who are retired. Do you get to train all day and really focus on upcoming races? Or is your day filled with other important tasks-(the things that you never got to while you were working) ? Is my dream of training like a pro just that-a dream or is it really great because you can get your workouts in and then recover-nap,jacuzzi, massage etc?
Comments
Jim - after my last IM AZ, I was talking at the finish to a guy in my AG I finished 2 minutes ahead of. He was 60, I was 62. I mentioned my schedule, which was (still is) working 5 days a month, 24 hours at a time, effectively giving me all the time I could ever want/need to devote to triathlon. He said, "Hmm, I should do that, I'd have more time to train." I said, "No, I just have more to rest."
Now, I'm looking at my last day of work being MLK day in Jan, 2014. I marvel at how I was ever able to fit in all the training I did when I was working (close to) full time 5-10 years ago. How did I ever manage to get those early morning runs or swims in, get to the gym in the late evening, get out in any weather and bike or run, because it was my only day off that week.
I don't train any *more* than I used to. I do have the luxury of deciding *when* to train, and can design a schedule which makes the best sense from a recovery perspective. And I have more time to wander around the EN ecosystem.
My advice on the retirement decision - it should be based primarily on how you feel about your work - if you still get emotional rewards from it, if you still feel useful to both your clients and the people you work with, don't consider quiting. I'm stopping because I'm no longer prepared to make the emotional investment required. I still enjoy the work on the days I do it, but it is no longer the reason I get up in the morning. So I figured it was time to go.
Of course, having something *else* to do instead is important - you have no worries about that. And I would assume you have also prepared yourself well financially, and have the luxury of being able to not work. Don't use triathlon as an excuse to shut it down in your professional life; that decision should be based on how you feel about the work you do, the contributions you make, and whether it still motivates you.
One final piece of advice. It wasn't a conscious plan on my part, but over the past 5 years or so, I gradually reduced my workload to 90%, then 65%, then 60%, then 50% , then 40% of what I had been doing. (Go any lower, and I lose benefits). By this time, I no longer view retirement with trepidation as a sudden change, it seems more like the logical next step in my recent devolution of work time. Leading me to think that planning such a gradual slow down, if you can arrange it, might be the way to go.
I consider myself very lucky to have been able to retire from Air Traffic Control last year at the age of 50 (mandatory retirement is 56). However , I believe I paid the price with 21 years of shift work, nights , weekends , and holiday's.... My typical 40hr work week was tues/weds off , thurs 3pm-11pm , fri 2pm-10pm, sat 7am-3am, sun 6am-2pm , sun to mon midnight 11pm-7am..... 2 quick turns of only 8hrs between shifts every single week for 21 years.... On top of this I work day-trading hobby/work.... I did IM training on this schedule for 2.5 years.... Also worth noting I don't have children (that would be like too much work)!
Like Al said I can now train all I want when I want.... I don't train anymore than I used to .... Its all about the recovery now and sleeping at night when its dark like the rest of the world..eating when I want etc.. I thought I would take naps when retired to enhance my recovery but they are rare..... As opposed to when I worked those crazy schedules I used to lay down and pass out for 20 minutes waking up in a puddle of drool after my workouts.... So the big thing is I'm actually recovering correctly now but not training anymore or any less!
My thought on this.
I have set up my life in order to be in a better position than a retired person. I can´t think in terms of retirement (probably because I have never had a job).
This is what I am doing now...
1- Live where I can train. Live where I would feel always in vacation. Live in the place of your dreams.I live now in Lake Tahoe and this is paradise to train triathlon and in winter is paradise to do all sorts of winter sports. More than 300 days of sunshine a year.
2. Setup up my business in a way that I can CREATE VALUE while I am training or traveling.
I create value with my mind and thinking. And I have a team that does the work of implementing the thinking. In other words, while I am in the ski lift, or while I am in the lake swimming i can be creating an enormous amount of value that translates in revenue.
3. Divide my day in power sessions. I do 2 or 3 -2hr sessions of "work" with my team in order to complete specific projects. This allows me to do 2 training sessions a day (as elite athletes do) and have time for at least ONE nap a day. I totally agree with what Al shared. You need more time to REST (your body and your mind). My schedule is designed to give me time to cook my meals, which is essential for a good nutrition.
This has taken me few years to setup. My business operates completely virtual, so I can also travel 2-3 months a year. Another important thing is that my kids are older and gone now.
I totally believe with the French saying: "La vie commence aux 50 ans". (Life start at 50).
Rather than thinking on retirement, I would think in terms of integration. Bringing your passion, activities and focus on what makes you happiest.
Setup up your life so that everything works for you all the time.