Age vs. Cycling Ability

[pardes]

I have to agree with SadieKate. Age can't be ignored. I'm not saying bow to it and take up knitting and complaining but no one can define what "age" really means and what are the rules for doing it "right." It's the elephant in the room as long as we see it as an elephant rather than a fascinating journey.

On most levels age classifications are an external thing that is molded by society and culture. Yet on an interior level it's something altogether different and completely individual to each person. On the inside no one feels 62 or 92. Instead we feel exactly the same as we did when consciousness first bloomed as an infant. The physical body may get rusty and crusty and that never ceases to amaze us when we pass a mirror.

Perhaps if we stop applauding "oldsters" doing things that aren't typical, we will stop creating our own image of others. Sexism and Ageism cut people off at the knees and squash them into a pigeonhole. Unfortunatenly it's often the aged who reinforce all the boundaries given to them by others because it's just too scary to step out and be unique in whatever way that pleases them from beng restful and reflective to swimming the English channel.

Out of shap is out of shape whatever the age. Alleged recovery time differences are a mental construct of expectations.

I often wonder if the care seniors take to protect themselves isn't just the fear of impending death, a death for which they aren't ready to accept. Unfortunately the medical profession is the first bugler to shout the alarm to be careful, take precautions, know your limits, work up very very gradually to change.

Some seniors blossom into type A personalities and push the envelope while others become quiet navel contemplators, while still others fill the bell curve in between. Bravo to them all!

[Crankin]

I think age is a factor, but it's very individual. All of a sudden, I need lots of recovery time and my average is going down.... some of it is my particular situation, but there is nothing unusual going on with me compared to a couple of years ago. I didn't start cycling until I was 48, but I was very active in other fitness things. I improved steadily until last year, when health issues interfered. Now, I am frustrated. I am only competitive with myself and myself is not happy thinking that this is age!
I feel like I have to make a decision between whether I will concentrate on distance or speed, because i don't seem to be able to do both well.

[OakLeaf]

I think we're talking about two different things here: the specific demands of cycling, vs. age-related changes in our bodies. (We're also talking about competitive sport, when the OP had to do with participation in mass fun events.)

The top competitors in most sports are much, much younger than the top competitors in cycling. That doesn't mean that cyclists' bodies age more slowly than other athletes', it just means that endurance and strategy are so important in cycling that, to a point, they outweigh incremental declines in reflexes, recovery and strength.

Obviously statistics don't define individual situations. Just as it would be perfectly accurate to say generally that men are stronger than women (by about 20% based on weight-class weight-lifting records), nevertheless probably many of the women on this forum are stronger than most men in our demographic.

Bottom line: we still age. Oh, well! I'm at the point where I'm realizing I just have to deal with it.

[teawoman]

Well, after a year in my bike club, I can finally keep up with the 60-something men. (I'm 43 and new to cycling).

[lph]

I think rather than expecting "old people" to be stereotype knitting grandmas, we're seeing that people are more individualistic no matter what their age. People still talk about feeling old, or getting too old for this and that, but that's mostly a habit and bad excuses. The hippie generation is now in their 60s and I don't think there has ever been a generation with that much time, money and attitude to truly do what they want. Caveat: in the well-to-do corners of the world and society most of us live in.

I still think elite athletes will always be young, there's no beating biology but in the sports that take time, money and patience it's quite logical that the over-40s will be well represented on the amateur level. A generation or two ago it might even be seen as a little unseemly for a grandmother to compete in amateur sports, now she's probably the hero of the neighbourhood. The social constraints are pretty much gone so it's down to how much training you put in.

[PscyclePath]

One of my favorite books on training is Joe Friel's Cycling Past 50, available thru Adventure Cycling... but then I got my copy at Borders in Augusta six or seven years ago... I mentioned some of Friel's principles off in another thread somewhere around here about his Three Rules of Training, but the book goes a bit farther in explaining how maintain an active lifestyle can prolong and enhance our quality of life as time takes its toll on our bodies.

Friel has a few good suggestions on how we get better as we grow older... we may not be able to go out and win The Tour, or even consistently beat our riding buddies in the county-line sprint, but every bit does help us. Friel recommnds:

• Ride Regularly. At least three times a week – optimally four. (10 to 12 weeks at this rate to build aerobic capacity.) At least 30 to 45 minutes, 90 minutes the minimum for a long ride. Cycling is primarily an endurance sport. At start, a long ride (> 90 minutes) 1x week; as fitness gains, every other week. Riding at intensities > 90% of aerobic capacity – e.g., just starting to breathe hard – brings substantial gains in fitness. Ride consistently – Ride Moderately – Rest Regularly.
  
• Rest Regularly. This means following a periodization plan where you peak for your selected events, and give yourself time to rebuild and prepare in between.
  
• Set Challenging Goals. Challenge yourself... you'll be surprised what you can do if you try. When you achieve one goal, set the notch a little bit higher, and try for another one.
  
• Eat like a hunter-gatherer. Watch your diet... Get back to eating at Mother Nature’s original training table – lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and water.
  
• Believe in Yourself. Because if you don't, who else will?
  
• Seek the Support of Others. Cycling is a team and social sport as well as a great way to get off by yourself on your bike. We all improve when we work together, whether in a paceline, or simply by supportin and encouraging each other. Bike clubs, teams - whether formal or informal - and even little communities like the TE Forums are all good examples of this.
  
• Don’t Slow Down. Too many people these days simply rust from the inside out due to inactivity... A physically active lifestyle does wonders for our health, well-being, and general outlook on life...

I've read a bunch of training books and plans, but this book is the one I keep coming back to...

Tom