Aging

[yellow]

Well, it took me over 40 years to realize that I am not as "big" (in stature, bravery, or ability to do whatever I want) as I've always believed myself to be. Maybe I got my humbling later than others, I dunno. But reconciliation (and that is what I see it as) had nothing to do with age, but more to do with some...physical limitations associated with a recent surgery (which was kind of related to age).

I'm looking at it as an opportunity to reprogram. I'll need to do a lot of things more slowly and differently, and age will definitely affect the reprogramming and my reprogrammed self. Will it limit what I can do? Probably not. Will my expectations about my ability to do those things need to be more thoughtful and perhaps realistic? Absolutely.

No, I do not like the lost elasticity in my skin, the wrinkles, the fact that I am turning into a rectangle (hey! where did my waist go??!), or that my boobs get smaller every year. But as long as I can do the things that love to do (consistent with my reprogrammed self), then I really don't have much to complain about. No, I am not an Amazon princess and I am not 20-something. But at least I'm out there.

[Crankin]

I don't like the idea of being old, I admit. At 56, I think I look pretty good for my age. I am at peace, pretty much with my body, and have been for awhile. I've been both too skinny and overweight, and both were not good.
Truthfully, I'd love to get a dermal filler for my laugh lines. DH said "go ahead and do it, if you want," but I am afraid of the side effects (allergic stuff). I've had these lines since I was in my 30's and they run in both sides of my family... the jury is still out; I will be looking for a job in a year and competing with people a lot younger than me. No gray hair yet.
I don't like having to take more recovery time after exercising. I haven't been riding as fast for the last 2 years, and I've had one thing after another with sports related injuries. I am looking at the long haul of being able to ride until I die, so I deal with it. Cycling keeps me young and if I have to go slowly as I age, I will. But, I still don't like it.

[OakLeaf]

I'm still not convinced I'm going to live long enough to worry about aging. No one I knew when I was young thought we were going to live to see 40. We walked around in wonderment when the year 2000 rolled around. Now that I'm 50 and had that health scare a couple of years ago, I think I'm comfortable with my own mortality. It's easy to say "we're all going to die," it's harder to say "I'm going to die," but I'm there and I think I'm okay with it. I do wish I had a better sense of how acceptance looks different from denial, though.

I will paraphrase something I said on my Facebook page the other day though: I have to do intervals just to maintain, now; I liked it better when it was "speedwork."

[Bike Chick]

I have to do intervals just to maintain, now; I liked it better when it was "speedwork."

I love that statement Oak and it's so true. I have noticed such a big change in my body since turning 50. It was like someone flipped a switch but I, like the rest of you, have seen the result of not exercising or eating right in our mid to late years. My brother, who was always the althletic one when we were younger, is now struggling with high blood pressure and refuses to change his diet or exercise. My mother who is 74 years young can't hardly lift her leg to climb in the car because she sits on the couch day after day. It's sad so I keep plugging along to improve my quality of life. I refuse to sit on the couch and wait to die.

My question is, "When did I become middle age?" It seems like yesterday I was 35 and suddenly the last 17 years were gone in a flash. I sport the silver hair and I am starting to resemble a rectangle as yellow stated but I don't feel any different inside. I commented about an interest rate in the paper for a 15 year cd the other day and DH remarked that we may not live long enough for it to mature. That was a startling thought! And now we are looking at retirement communities. I'm loving every minute of my life right now and grasping each opportunity and hanging on for dear life!

[shootingstar]

I commented about an interest rate in the paper for a 15 year cd the other day and DH remarked that we may not live long enough for it to mature. That was a startling thought!

LOL. Can relate to that when looking at financial instruments and their projected maturity date! Suddenly time into the future isn't so endless after all.

Not sure what I regret not having physically in the past and now. My physical shortcomings are only shortcomings if I use European/Western beauty standard as a benchmark. Not at all health based.

I don't regret the years of being a non-exercising, geek girl prior to cycling. My energy and free time was thrown into other non-sport/non-fitness activities that made use of my other passions/skills. But then, I didn't have health problems either.

[tulip]

"You have to keep the young adventurer inside your heart alive and long enough for it to someday re-emerge. It may take some coaxing and some courage, but that person is in you always--never growing old."

--Granny D (Doris Haddock)

She walked across the US in 2000 when she was 89. She recently died. I think she was 100.

Having said that, I recently got carded at a restaurant (I'm 42). Made my day, I tell ya'! Upon reflection, though, my BF might have asked the waitress to card me...knowing it would put me in a festive mood (as if the mojito's wouldn't do the trick all by themselves)

[ummbnb]

I'm 40 and lovin' it! Sure it takes me a little longer to recover from injury. Sure my metabolism isn't what it used to be. Sure I'm the queen of moodiness and hot flashes. Sure I just got diagnosed with asthma. Sure my tits aren't as perky as they were before spending nearly all my 30's nursing and my butt fell somewhere between 37 and 39. But each year brings more wisdom and comfort in my skin and I'm groovin it all the way! I'm rather fond of my wrinkles as each one represents a great accomplishment and I'm looking forward to the day I can sport a bold head of silver because most all the silver crowned women I know are wise souls whom I look up to with great admiration.

[Eden]

I'm always confused about how "old" I really am.....

I'm 38 married and I don't have any kids. Though my lifestyle has more in common with younger folks I generally feel much older than them with little else in common. Then again people my own age always seem to feel a whole lot older than me..... Most times I feel like I have the most in common with and relate best to people who are actually a bit older than I am - who maybe had kids, but they are grown up. I feel like I understand that generation (a little older than me, but younger than my parents) a lot better than really young people.

Physically, mentally I think I feel a lot younger than my chronological age. I catch myself thinking I'm not really that old am I often...

[shootingstar]

I'm always confused about how "old" I really am.....

I'm 38 married and I don't have any kids.

Since I don't have children, I don't witness the passing of years until I see my partner's children or my nieces and nephews. Also dearie and I hang out with alot of lifelong cyclists, around 35 yrs. and several up to 70.

These folks don't act nor move their "age" so I'm perpetually confused and abit clueless what the real health status norm is among general population.

[Biciclista]

well, then there's comparing ourselves and our bike friends to the other friends and relatives. the cyclists with trim bodies and younger faces; or the ones with serious health problems exacerbated by lack of exercise, weight gain, diabetes, hip and knee replacements, the inability to walk a distance; people we used to go hiking with now don't even want to mall-walk with us anymore because of knees/backs/hips etc.
My newly departed stepfather was a textbook case in what NOT to do. he had a reasonably healthy body but when he retired, he decided that he was done working. He got more feeble every day. When it was time for the BIG fight, he had no reserves at all. He taught us a lot by his mistakes.
I am very sad to lose the closer friendships with the friends and relatives who used to be our age but now are suffering from all those old people problems. But what can I do? I can only continue to take care of my body and hope that they get some inspiration from me and maybe won't get too many resentments.
Cycling without a doubt has bought ME some time.

[GLC1968]

Eden - I'm in a similiar situation to you. We are in our early 40's, we've only been married for 7 years, we both started second careers in our early 30's and frankly, because of all this, we often have more in common with people who are 10-15 years younger than us. Except that those people are not at the same 'place' as we are in terms of life and experience...so it gets complicated.

I am LOVING having met a bunch of new friends here in Oregon that are our age, active, and also don't have kids. I feel like my life is blossoming again.

That said, I rarely think about aging much. I guess if I were to criticize myself more for something other than my overweight-ness, then I'd see it. But frankly, with that staring me in the face, I specifically try NOT to focus on the other things that might not be so perfect so that I don't get too, too down on myself! In fact, that's partly why I started coloring my hair again. The grey just didn't jive with the age I feel and I really didn't need any additional hits to my self-esteem right now.

I will admit to noticing how flawless some of the high school swim team girls' bodies are...(I share a locker room with them at the pool). I catch myself bemoaning that I'll never look like that again. Then I laugh at myself and remember that I didn't look like that when I was their age, so what's the point of getting depressed about it?!