Boomer (Virtual Meet Up) Idea....

Coach Patrick · February 14, 2018 4:03PM

Folks, we have so many great people on this team and I'd like to find a way to better connect you all to one another.

I was thinking that maybe we do a Zoom Video Call. Everyone can talk, so we'd need a moderator, but it would be a good chance to just put a face with a name (and a race?). It might even make the digital side of what we do a bit more sticky / effective for you all.

What do you think?

Steps I see are:

Gauge Interest
Identify a "moderator / leader" who would take the point.
Pick a date/time for a call (can use a Doodle Poll for this)
Set some intro guidelines for the call....name / city / race? Blah...
Have a topic to stay focused.
Set a time limit of say 45 minutes and we are good.

Let me know what you think!!!!

@Sheila Leard @Al Truscott @carol_defazio @Turby Wright and all the others I am forgetting!!!!

~ Coach P

Sid Wavrin · February 14, 2018 4:09PM

I really like this idea. I think by accident a few of us connected on the Saturday Zwift ABP, but other connections would be great. good idea!

Al Truscott · February 14, 2018 4:31PM

We have an awesomely strong team of OFs (Old Folks/Fogies/Farts/Fools/...) here @ EN. When it comes to high finishes and international races, we lead the way. Personally I think 55 is a good dividing point when the issues of "racing while grey" really start to come to the fore, but it should be a self-selected group. In other words, if you are 49 and consider yourself "old", welcome. and if you are 57, and do not think you are ready yet, well, we'll be here when you are.

Time wise, I am off to finish up my ski season until March 13, so between then and April 9, is when I could focus on this. Or between April 26-May 21, when I return to CO.
Topics to consider:

What are the challenges faced by dedicated triathletes as we age (not limited to physical changes - lifestyle issues and societal expectations are just some of the others)
When and how is it necessary to modify training to account for inevitable changes of aging.
How can we best provide support, both to older "newbies" and younger athletes? We've got a lot of wisdom and experience, but it may not seem obvious to some.

19 years ago, I started in this sport with the goal, among others, of finding out and demonstrating just what is possible athletically as one gets older. That still drives me to this day.

Sheila Leard · February 14, 2018 4:46PM

I always like sharing and picking the minds of experienced athletes. Being a lifelong learner I'm curious about how to blend science with practical application.

For example - Last week on Zwift @Sid Wavrin and I got talking about muscle and weight lifting. In between deep breathing in Watopia, I brought up Creatine. I said I would post what the research is showing about Creatine and Master athletes. I haven't posted yet but that would be a fun topic to talk about.

Oh and by the way ... @Al Truscott ... does the OF Forum stand for Over 50, Old Folks, or Old Farts?

@Alicia Chase

Topics of interest that come to mind:

Monitoring recovery in the EN plans - signs to back off
Quantity of threshold work necessary to maintain V02
Sarcopenia - how to treat
Lab work to stay on top of - particularly Lipid panels
Hydration and thirst mechanisms of Master athletes
10 day vs 7 day periodization training model (Al)
Race pacing - RPE, Watts, HR - which is most effective if durability is a limiter?

Alicia Chase · February 15, 2018 12:34AM

@Sheila Leard Thanks for the tag. I would love to be part of this. For the most part, who we are and what we are doing is ground-breaking. Not many people out there studying the OFs, but what is out there is pretty interesting. Another topic I would add—HIIT training for older athletes. I’m definitely noticing not necessarily a decline in performance, but a need to take more recovery and/or have longer cycles of specific training (10 vs 7 day periodization model). I find every other week is a pretty good week of training, and the intervening week, not so much.

Turby Wright · February 15, 2018 12:20PM

Great idea!! There is a big group of smart older people, many of whom have been giving me an ass kicking on Sat mornings (good thing) that have a ton of knowledge that we should be sharing! I know for me the biggest topic is how do I have to modify my training for my age, which I definitely have had to do the last 3 years.

Todd Bray · February 15, 2018 3:23PM

I'm on the younger side of being a Boomer (I'll be 52 this year) but am very interested in learning all I can from the experienced folks on this team.

I'd specifically love to learn/talk more about how to use Training Peaks and WKO4 in the most efficient manner. I look at it daily but am not always certain I understand what it's telling me.

Brenda Ross · February 15, 2018 5:58PM

I think @Steve Ross and @Cheryl Turpin and myself would be interested in this exchange. Steve is turning 55 this year and I know he has modified his training over the years.

Cheryl Turpin · February 15, 2018 6:13PM

Yes I’m in! I turn 55 this year as well. I also had a Total Hip Replacement when I turned 50.im interested in picking Sheila’s mind about race nutrition.....I find as I get older I have to eliminate gels, blocks etc as they get my heart racing from the sugar.....using real food but interested to know what others are doing for pre and post workout for racing.....

just when hen I think I have got nutrition dialed in....my body changes

Cheryl Turpin · February 15, 2018 6:16PM

@Sheila Leard

What is Sarcopenia? I know I can google it but I’m certain you can give me the 25 words or less verion

Carol DeFazio · February 15, 2018 6:24PM

Love this idea! As one of the "older" OFs, I'm interested in all of the above. Especially recovery times and expectations as we age. Always working, always learning...

Scott Imlay · February 15, 2018 7:34PM

I'm turning 60 this year, so I guess that makes me an OF by any definition. I started triathlon 5 years ago so I guess I've been an OF from the beginning of my triathlon journey.

I'm interested in all of the above plus a discussion on strength training (what type, how frequently, how to integrate it with the training plans, etc.). I've come to the conclusion that strength (or lake thereof) is one of my biggest limiters.

Edwin Croucher · February 15, 2018 7:34PM

The idea is great. Although we are a small segment of the population, we seem to be changing the accepted thinking on how the "older" athlete should train. Certainly, EN is changing how the older athlete races. I would love to hear from @Steve Ross but @Brenda Ross doesn't make it into the group at 29.

Juan Vergara · February 15, 2018 7:44PM

This highly interested “old fart” goes to bed as early as possible (recovery required!!!).
Being on EST somewhere between +3 (winter) .. +1 (summer) .... I end up missing most of the out season “late evening chats” ...

Edwin Croucher · February 15, 2018 8:44PM

@Juan Vergara I am right there with you. Crawling up the stairs each night with a goal of lights out by 8:30 pm.

Cheryl Turpin · February 15, 2018 9:31PM

@Edwin Croucher. she’s my training partner and the only way people believe I’m actually 55 vs 65 is when I tell them her age cause she looks so young

Coach Patrick · February 15, 2018 9:33PM

@Edwin Croucher Is no dummy. He know who rules the roost!!

Image: https://media1.tenor.com/images/dd58d61d0ef151c4156bc092eadb6c75/tenor.gif?itemid=3315433

Coach Patrick · February 15, 2018 10:02PM

Everyone, I love where this is headed...I see both the "macro" stuff from @Al Truscott And the specifics from @Cheryl Turpin And love it.

My thoughts are we create a list of topics, then you call can "vote" to prioritize them. You can tackle them incrementally, and when information is collected, then we save it somewhere and find a way to put this in front of athletes who want it.

Will probably take a few tries to figure out the "process" of idea --> conversation --> content --> sharing but I think we'll figure it out in short order!

To help, here is a shared document where you can add your topic / info to the list!

~ Coach P

Sheila Leard · February 16, 2018 1:00AM

@Cheryl Turpin I had to chuckle when you said you had it figured out and then your body changes.

I think that's what makes this sport so fun ... always solving a puzzle.

Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle and strength as we age. Don't feel doomed. It can be slowed with exercise and adequate protein.

@Coach Patrick I'll add more to the shared doc. Maybe the OF's should have a discord channel !

Cheryl Turpin · February 16, 2018 3:33AM

@Sheila Leard

Brenda Ross and I are both on discord ....we talk while riding 3 times a week

Alicia Chase · February 16, 2018 11:45AM

@Al Truscott I also do not get any faster in the water. My race times do get better, which leads me to believe that experience is a big factor in racing—which is another thing OFs have—that big bank of experience. While the idea of a 9 or 10 day vs 7 day training cycle is appealing, I don’t see it working well for me as long as I’m working. The long workouts are going to happen on the weekend. I have to tweak the weekday stuff—for example, I’m trying to race every other week, partly because my work schedule doesn’t work well with the Zwift race schedule. Also, when I’ve tried to race consecutive weeks, my results aren’t good that second week. There still could be some value in racing and just hanging on as long as I can, but there’s also value in doing the FTP workout (what I usually trade for racing) as scripted and just let the fitness come to me.

cindy banchy · February 16, 2018 12:45PM

@Coach Patrick this is a great idea! As a newcomer to EN and a definite age grouper with the emphasis on AGE, I view this as a way to join a great community of active folks who get the age thing. And as I mentioned to you @Coach Patrick I'm passionate about getting folks over 50, especially women, into the sport.

Sid Wavrin · February 16, 2018 1:19PM

Wow. Looks like @Coach Patrick struck a chord here. One of the themes that I like to bring up is that triathlon is a great hobby and lifestyle, A really fun puzzle to try to solve that gets a bit more complicated as we age. In the end to say what has been said here before it is the way we currently choose to express our fitness and that will allow us to do "some other cool stuff". In my case I think about it as a way to help me age well. How can I best use a pass time I really enjoy to help me accomplish that? I think the topics already mentioned in the thread above (HIIT, strength training, periodization, nutrition and many more) will certainly be useful to ponder so that we can continue year after year in a sport we love with the added bonus that we crack the code on how to age well! It would also be cool if EN continues to be a force in the "more advanced age groups". I am excited to continue to learn from you all. What an awesome community!

Al Truscott · February 16, 2018 7:30PM

@Alicia ChaseI updated my thread from December, where I described my proposed changes to the OS, with what I actually did. Turns out following a weekly plan, with judicious placement of days off (totally off) one every week or two, is what works best for me still.

https://endurancenation.vanillacommunities.com/discussion/24109/modifying-the-os-for-ofs#latest

Mary Moore · February 16, 2018 10:47PM

Count me in as well. I am pushing 62 and feeling it more and more each day. Always willing to listen and learn!

Alan Brown · February 17, 2018 1:43AM

I retired the end on last year, yippee! It would be great to hear how others have used that extra, new time for training? Rewards and risk!

Juan Vergara · February 17, 2018 3:51AM

@alanbrown regarding use of extra time after retirement my favorite is no early (nor late) training sessions.
I never train before 9am or past 6pm (breakfast and dinner with the family / lunch with friends or business associates Mon-Wed-Fri).
I do my long bike rides on tuesdays and thursdays. That way I have a “break” between long bikes and shorter sessions on weekends (when I’m normally done by 10am allowing total dedication to family and friends on weekends).
My tipical week is as follows:
Mon - a.m. Functional + Swim / p.m. Run (optional)Tue - Long bike + brickWed - a.m. Yoga + swim / p.m. Run (speed)Thu - Longest bikeFri - a.m. Functional + Swim / p.m. RunSat - FTP bike + brickSun - Split runs

Juan M Vergara

On Friday, February 16, 2018, 11:44 PM, Alan Brown wrote:

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Alan Brown commented on Boomer (Virtual Meet Up) Idea....

I retired the end on last year, yippee! It would be great to hear how others have used that extra, new time for training? Rewards and risk!

Al Truscott · February 17, 2018 4:58AM

When I started reducing my workload and eventually retired, I didn't train more. I had more time to recover, which is when we actually get better...

Ralph Moore · February 17, 2018 1:16PM

I am in if you can overlook my tender age of only 55.

Steve Theobald · February 17, 2018 5:52PM

I love the idea as well. I turn 56 next month and will be doing my first IM in September. Being both older and "newer" in the sport causes me to have a lot of questions about what is about to happen and how best to prepare myself beyond just doing the workouts in the plan.

John Culberson · February 17, 2018 11:22PM

I am a professor of Geriatric Medicine, and I do study OF. There are no old folks or farts (well maybe a few of those) in EN. We are aging athletes. We are resilient individuals. Over Fifty if you choose... but Joe Friel decided at age 60 that he wasn’t ready to write his “Fast After Fifty” book. He felt ready at age 70. Sarcopenia is universal... that’s why they have AG records. I have trouble accepting that. It seems that my ego doesn’t espond to high intensity training in the same way my muscles do. I am now coming to terms with injury... and fear that I will be unable to fully enjoy the sport that has been part of my identity for 36 years. I’m grateful that I was a childhood athlete. An athlete always tries to improve. Faster... well maybe not, but hopefully, more fun and rewarding. Change makes being a successfully aging athlete a moving target. Older athletes have experience, but I’ve never experienced 58 before! Fortunately, to quote the famous runner and cardiologist George Sheehan, “The race still asks what it always has... no more and no less than everything you’ve got.”

Boomer (Virtual Meet Up) Idea....

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