Faster IS possible
#26
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A few years back I found myself laying in a ditch gasping for air only 50 miles into a 24hr race. I thought my health issues, combined with turning 50, had meant I was past my peak and headed south FAST.. Pretty much had given up on myself and the thought of ever racing long distance again. Luckily for me, I have good friend that wouldn't hear any of that noise and helped me to train right and not only get back fitness, but also increase my speed.
Last weekend I went back to that same 24hr race and set a new track record of 497.5 miles in the 55-59 age group category.
#27
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Gleason 10 and a bilateral orchiectomy ended my "exploring any untapped potential." Did manage 122 miles of solo riding today.
#28
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Damn straight!
A few years back I found myself laying in a ditch gasping for air only 50 miles into a 24hr race. I thought my health issues, combined with turning 50, had meant I was past my peak and headed south FAST.. Pretty much had given up on myself and the thought of ever racing long distance again. Luckily for me, I have good friend that wouldn't hear any of that noise and helped me to train right and not only get back fitness, but also increase my speed.
Last weekend I went back to that same 24hr race and set a new track record of 497.5 miles in the 55-59 age group category.
A few years back I found myself laying in a ditch gasping for air only 50 miles into a 24hr race. I thought my health issues, combined with turning 50, had meant I was past my peak and headed south FAST.. Pretty much had given up on myself and the thought of ever racing long distance again. Luckily for me, I have good friend that wouldn't hear any of that noise and helped me to train right and not only get back fitness, but also increase my speed.
Last weekend I went back to that same 24hr race and set a new track record of 497.5 miles in the 55-59 age group category.
I missed it but possibly back next year.
#29
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#30
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Damn straight!
A few years back I found myself laying in a ditch gasping for air only 50 miles into a 24hr race. I thought my health issues, combined with turning 50, had meant I was past my peak and headed south FAST.. Pretty much had given up on myself and the thought of ever racing long distance again. Luckily for me, I have good friend that wouldn't hear any of that noise and helped me to train right and not only get back fitness, but also increase my speed.
Last weekend I went back to that same 24hr race and set a new track record of 497.5 miles in the 55-59 age group category.
A few years back I found myself laying in a ditch gasping for air only 50 miles into a 24hr race. I thought my health issues, combined with turning 50, had meant I was past my peak and headed south FAST.. Pretty much had given up on myself and the thought of ever racing long distance again. Luckily for me, I have good friend that wouldn't hear any of that noise and helped me to train right and not only get back fitness, but also increase my speed.
Last weekend I went back to that same 24hr race and set a new track record of 497.5 miles in the 55-59 age group category.
#31
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@ctpres Better is always better no matter how many seconds. Congrats. I cannot tell you how many times I do the same climb at or near the same time and same average power.
#32
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OP Here: Stars aligned, moon phase, training, motivation, tail wind etc. got me thinking WHY/HOW could I could I get better years later on a ride I probably have done over 100 times since. I think I know. STATINS. Doc wanted to increase level and I talked him into six month delay to see what I could do by myself. When I explained that I was getting ready to ride 100 mi. - he did one better and took me off altogether about one month ago. Thinking back a few years to how I feel after a couple hours and how I feel now - it is not the same body! I have normal (for me) problems with butt, hands and feet. BUT legs do not begin to tire like before. Three hour ride two days ago - heart rate 90% zone three and four. And I felt very good at the end.
As usual your results may vary - but statins are not for me as long as I can ride.
As usual your results may vary - but statins are not for me as long as I can ride.
#33
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#34
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BTW, are you riding Cross Florida One Day in April?
#35
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Not sure yet about the Cross Florida ride. Have a few friends that want to do it but no firm plans set.
#36
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Damn straight!
A few years back I found myself laying in a ditch gasping for air only 50 miles into a 24hr race. I thought my health issues, combined with turning 50, had meant I was past my peak and headed south FAST.. Pretty much had given up on myself and the thought of ever racing long distance again. Luckily for me, I have good friend that wouldn't hear any of that noise and helped me to train right and not only get back fitness, but also increase my speed.
Last weekend I went back to that same 24hr race and set a new track record of 497.5 miles in the 55-59 age group category.
A few years back I found myself laying in a ditch gasping for air only 50 miles into a 24hr race. I thought my health issues, combined with turning 50, had meant I was past my peak and headed south FAST.. Pretty much had given up on myself and the thought of ever racing long distance again. Luckily for me, I have good friend that wouldn't hear any of that noise and helped me to train right and not only get back fitness, but also increase my speed.
Last weekend I went back to that same 24hr race and set a new track record of 497.5 miles in the 55-59 age group category.
#37
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The older I get it seems like last year's best rides are nearly impossible to match or beat. Going back three or four years - impossible - until yesterday. In winter I ride paved trail around Lake Okeechobee and have several Strava segments - one is five miles. Best effort was five years ago. Until yesterday. I beat five year old best time by ONE SECOND.
When I turned 50 I weighed 212 pounds (I'm 6'3"). Getting out of a deep chair required a little push from my arms. I would get winded easily. As a software engineer, I spend a lot of time at a desk, and my body was fat and out of shape.
In April 2018 I set out to lose ten to twelve pounds. 200 seemed like a reasonable goal. And I set out to overcome this fear I had of not being able to get home after descending the 300 foot hill near my home that I have to descend pretty much no matter where I ride. The first time down the hill (and more importantly back up the hill) I was coughing and wheezing. I thought I had exercise induced asthma or something, and even got myself checked. Anyway, I kept riding.
In October the weather turned cold, and I had achieved about 2500 miles of riding, with rides up to 70 miles. My weight had dropped about 30 pounds, so instead of 212 I was 182. As the weather turned, I started hitting the gym, at first to keep up my cardio workouts, but later to layer in weight training. I started doing squats, dead lifts, and other really un-fun things. My weight continued to drop a little, settling around 178.
I turned 51 a couple days ago. At 51 I am 178 pounds, and suffer none of the issues I mentioned at the start of the thread. I'm stronger and healthier than I've been in a decade.
So yes, age is a factor, and we are all going to "age out" someday. But while we're here, staying fit is a huge factor for quality of life, and it's not too late for most of us to get there.
#38
~>~
Learning operational control of the machine, the basics of bike handling, pace-line dynamics and the racing line are given short shrift in all age cadres around here these days as if all that matters is FTP and big watts. Even the most basic of skills are neglected, like Starting Off, something that is done at least once per ride.
I was at a traffic light behind a local "pace-line" group which couldn't manage a good clean wobble-free "start" of six riders w/o looking looking like a herd of confused wandering mechanized sheep.
"Where's that off-side pedal? Let's look for awhile, it must be here somewhere......"
"That's way to big of a gear to start in. Who put it there?"
"Wait for me, I had both feet flat on the ground when the light changed!"
"Baaahh..."
Some of these guys are very fit, quite strong and can't ride a straight line as if their life depends on it.
Oddly enough it does.
Juniors get a pass, young people are just building skills that take experience to develop.
Masters not so much.
-Bandera
Last edited by Bandera; 02-19-19 at 03:31 PM.
#39
C*pt*i* Obvious
A slow ride is better than no ride.
Riding dangerously fast without getting injured is quite the skill, some people have it, I don't.
I don't want to put my wife through a repeat experience of pushing me around the hospital in a wheelchair.
The sheer look of horror and panic on her face is something, I'll never forget.
Haven't been to the ER since, and that was years ago, hope to keep it that way.
Riding dangerously fast without getting injured is quite the skill, some people have it, I don't.
I don't want to put my wife through a repeat experience of pushing me around the hospital in a wheelchair.
The sheer look of horror and panic on her face is something, I'll never forget.
Haven't been to the ER since, and that was years ago, hope to keep it that way.
#40
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I'm not quite sure what "dangerously fast" is.
One can have a speedy ride while being safe around traffic, intersections, corners, and road debris on corners.
I haven't raced since I was a kid. Perhaps if I return to racing, it would be as a TT. Those race pileups don't look fun for a 50+ rider, and since I never raced as an adult, I probably don't have the skills to be safe in a group.
One can have a speedy ride while being safe around traffic, intersections, corners, and road debris on corners.
I haven't raced since I was a kid. Perhaps if I return to racing, it would be as a TT. Those race pileups don't look fun for a 50+ rider, and since I never raced as an adult, I probably don't have the skills to be safe in a group.
#41
C*pt*i* Obvious
For me "dangerously fast" usually means behaviour that will most likely require an urgent visit to the E.R.
#42
Senior Member
Statins can be bad juju. In fact, I believe they are for nearly everybody, even if they don't know it. There was a thread on them here. When the doc warned me I'd be dead in 10 years without them, I told him I'd rather take my chances than choose the certainty that the drug would do the job in 2.
#43
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A slow ride is better than no ride.
Riding dangerously fast without getting injured is quite the skill.
Riding dangerously fast without getting injured is quite the skill.
#45
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I'm a bit surprised you were on the Statins. Has your exercise level changed in recent years? How many miles a year?
I would think that the exercise would actually show up with increased HDL levels.