Closing in on the big 50
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Closing in on the big 50
This may not be the correct forum but I'll start here. I'm closing in on the 50 mark (currently 47). Just curious what kind of diet/physical exercise/mileage/etc...changes you had to make as you got older? Things really started to change for me when I hit the 45-46 yr mark. I'm finding it way more difficult to drop the excess pounds and to tone up. I'm not riding the mileage I used to but most of my riding partners have quit riding or moved away so most of my efforts are solo. And sometimes I just can't "rise to the occasion" like when i was 20 I guess I'm not growing old gracefully
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It is a good time to start looking into nursing home and assisted living facilities, and perhaps make a living will so that your relatives will know it is time to have you euthanized when you start repeating anecdotes about earlier years.
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At 50 you get issued the Old Man card. Just keep at it, recovery is more important. Heck jppe is 66 and can ride a century no problem. 47 ain’t that old no panicking.
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No, it's the correct forum to ask about age related issues. You can expect more of the same, it's not going to turn around. If you are a performance-type rider you will have to keep working hard to maintain your abilities. Things didn't start to go south for me until around 55, prior to that I could always do a hilly century any Saturday. Now I have to train a bit to do long rides and the fitness goes away faster than ever. I'm 65 and just stopped working so I am going to try and regain some of my strength and endurance.
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This may not be the correct forum but I'll start here. I'm closing in on the 50 mark (currently 47). Just curious what kind of diet/physical exercise/mileage/etc...changes you had to make as you got older? Things really started to change for me when I hit the 45-46 yr mark. I'm finding it way more difficult to drop the excess pounds and to tone up. I'm not riding the mileage I used to but most of my riding partners have quit riding or moved away so most of my efforts are solo. And sometimes I just can't "rise to the occasion" like when i was 20 I guess I'm not growing old gracefully
Last edited by gobicycling; 05-08-19 at 07:55 PM.
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People age differently. My boss is 70 and he has more energy than I do at 54.
He doesn't exercise, but he spends his physical energy on projects at home that he does for pleasure. Most of my physical energy is spent at work so I'm usually tired before I do anything for myself. Especially when I have a 14 hour work day like I did on Tuesday.
The biggest thing that has changed for me is the quantity of sleep I need. Not long ago, 6 hours of sleep was plenty of rest for me to wake up with a clear mind and energetic body. Now I need 7.5 to 8 hours of sleep to feel the same way.
He doesn't exercise, but he spends his physical energy on projects at home that he does for pleasure. Most of my physical energy is spent at work so I'm usually tired before I do anything for myself. Especially when I have a 14 hour work day like I did on Tuesday.
The biggest thing that has changed for me is the quantity of sleep I need. Not long ago, 6 hours of sleep was plenty of rest for me to wake up with a clear mind and energetic body. Now I need 7.5 to 8 hours of sleep to feel the same way.
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It is a valid question.
Recovery is very important, as well as nutrition - we can't recover as fast and can't eat pizza and hot dogs every day like when we were 20.
At 55, getting enough quality sleep can be difficult for me. Take naps when you can.
The most important thing for me is to accept that I'm getting older with grace. It doesn't mean I won't ride or train hard but I don't beat myself up and feel guilty if I need to take a few days off due to injury or rest or just life getting in the way. I'm not as fast as most 30 year old's and that's OK too. It's OK to just ride and not compete.
-Tim-
Recovery is very important, as well as nutrition - we can't recover as fast and can't eat pizza and hot dogs every day like when we were 20.
At 55, getting enough quality sleep can be difficult for me. Take naps when you can.
The most important thing for me is to accept that I'm getting older with grace. It doesn't mean I won't ride or train hard but I don't beat myself up and feel guilty if I need to take a few days off due to injury or rest or just life getting in the way. I'm not as fast as most 30 year old's and that's OK too. It's OK to just ride and not compete.
-Tim-
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That's way too healthy.
I just sit in a corner and cry "why me?"
I just sit in a corner and cry "why me?"
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This may not be the correct forum but I'll start here. I'm closing in on the 50 mark (currently 47). Just curious what kind of diet/physical exercise/mileage/etc...changes you had to make as you got older? Things really started to change for me when I hit the 45-46 yr mark. I'm finding it way more difficult to drop the excess pounds and to tone up. I'm not riding the mileage I used to but most of my riding partners have quit riding or moved away so most of my efforts are solo. And sometimes I just can't "rise to the occasion" like when i was 20 I guess I'm not growing old gracefully
BTW, not being able to rise to the occasion is not always a by-product of getting older. Just saying!
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Yeah, in all seriousness, it can be indicative of a cardiovascular issue, or a number of other concerns. Get it checked out if you are being serious about this. That shouldn't be a significant problem at age 47.
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Meh.
I discovered randonneuring at 50, started 24 hour races at 52, set an ultracycling PR at 55. Oh, and the year I set my PR at 400 miles in 24 hours, the event was won by a 55 yo who covered over 500 miles.
Increase your training intensity, improve your diet, take rest days seriously. Unless you've been a highly competitive athlete, your best athletic performances can be in front of you.
I discovered randonneuring at 50, started 24 hour races at 52, set an ultracycling PR at 55. Oh, and the year I set my PR at 400 miles in 24 hours, the event was won by a 55 yo who covered over 500 miles.
Increase your training intensity, improve your diet, take rest days seriously. Unless you've been a highly competitive athlete, your best athletic performances can be in front of you.
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Cherish yesterday, dream tomorrow, but live for today.
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Dr. George Sheehan ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_A._Sheehan ) quote ---- "We are each an experiment of one."
Reflect on your past, consider the present and decide for your future.
Will be 69 in July
.....Diet -- decades of heart healthy and cancer preventing eating fish, feathers, very little meat, VEGGIES, fruits, nuts & seeds, minimal alcohol, NEVER SMOKED, lots of spices
.....Exercise -- ride 2 to 3 times per week (9,000+ miles last year- just bicycled 141 miles on Tuesday), walk (can't jog/run due to bad knees) up to marathon distances, swim (max 2.4 miles Ironman event)
.....Even being PRO-HEALTHY, in 2015 diagnosed with very aggressive PCa (prostate cancer) like Dr. Sheehan. Been treated, came back, treated again, expect more recurrences = expect death well before wife's.
.....Recommendation --- take control, do your utmost to remain healthy, live in the moment hoping for a great future but prepare for the worse
Now get out --- RIDE and HAVE FUN!!!
Will be 69 in July
.....Diet -- decades of heart healthy and cancer preventing eating fish, feathers, very little meat, VEGGIES, fruits, nuts & seeds, minimal alcohol, NEVER SMOKED, lots of spices
.....Exercise -- ride 2 to 3 times per week (9,000+ miles last year- just bicycled 141 miles on Tuesday), walk (can't jog/run due to bad knees) up to marathon distances, swim (max 2.4 miles Ironman event)
.....Even being PRO-HEALTHY, in 2015 diagnosed with very aggressive PCa (prostate cancer) like Dr. Sheehan. Been treated, came back, treated again, expect more recurrences = expect death well before wife's.
.....Recommendation --- take control, do your utmost to remain healthy, live in the moment hoping for a great future but prepare for the worse
Now get out --- RIDE and HAVE FUN!!!
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Meh.
I discovered randonneuring at 50, started 24 hour races at 52, set an ultracycling PR at 55. Oh, and the year I set my PR at 400 miles in 24 hours, the event was won by a 55 yo who covered over 500 miles.
Increase your training intensity, improve your diet, take rest days seriously. Unless you've been a highly competitive athlete, your best athletic performances can be in front of you.
I discovered randonneuring at 50, started 24 hour races at 52, set an ultracycling PR at 55. Oh, and the year I set my PR at 400 miles in 24 hours, the event was won by a 55 yo who covered over 500 miles.
Increase your training intensity, improve your diet, take rest days seriously. Unless you've been a highly competitive athlete, your best athletic performances can be in front of you.
https://my5.raceresult.com/117563/#0_3EF1B7
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This may not be the correct forum but I'll start here. I'm closing in on the 50 mark (currently 47). Just curious what kind of diet/physical exercise/mileage/etc...changes you had to make as you got older? Things really started to change for me when I hit the 45-46 yr mark. I'm finding it way more difficult to drop the excess pounds and to tone up. I'm not riding the mileage I used to but most of my riding partners have quit riding or moved away so most of my efforts are solo. And sometimes I just can't "rise to the occasion" like when i was 20 I guess I'm not growing old gracefully
When I was 48 (2015), I dropped 25 kg and started cycling more.
When I was 49 (2016), I got back into Randonneuring and cycled the following rides over 160 km:
30-Jan-16 ..... 200.2 km
26-Mar-16 ..... 307.43 km
18-Jun-16 ..... 200.23 km
16-Jul-16 ..... 164.9 km
13-Aug-16 ..... 408.0 km
8-Oct-16 ..... 390.0 km
When I was 50 (2017), we cycled a Century-A-Month, plus some 200Ks and a 300K. Plus we did some good hikes. And I ran my first 10K event. First time I think I've ever run 10K!! Training for that was the first time I've really ran since I was a teenager.
26-Jan-17 ..... 161.9 km
11-Feb-17 ..... 161.300 km
4-Mar-17 ..... 212.700 km
18-Mar-17 ..... 202.900 km
14-Apr-17 ...... 301.200 km
16-Apr-17 ..... 203.300 km
6-May-17 ..... 163.300 km
24-Jun-17 ..... 213.400 km
1-Jul-17 ..... 161.500 km
19-Aug-17 ..... 183.800 km
2-Sep-17 ..... 161.900 km
21-Oct-17 ..... 164.000 km
18-Nov-17 ..... 162.300 km
10-Dec-17 ..... 161.000 km
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Last edited by Machka; 05-09-19 at 07:23 PM.
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Closing in on the big 50
I recently replied to a similar post by @OldTryGuy:
Dr. George Sheehan ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_A._Sheehan ) quote ---- "We are each an experiment of one."
Reflect on your past, consider the present and decide for your future.
Will be 69 in July...
.....Diet...Exercise ...Even being PRO-HEALTHY, in 2015 diagnosed with very aggressive PCa (prostate cancer) like Dr. Sheehan. Been treated, came back, treated again, expect more recurrences = expect death well before wife's.
.....Recommendation --- take control, do your utmost to remain healthy, live in the moment hoping for a great future but prepare for the worse
Now get out --- RIDE and HAVE FUN!!!
Reflect on your past, consider the present and decide for your future.
Will be 69 in July...
.....Diet...Exercise ...Even being PRO-HEALTHY, in 2015 diagnosed with very aggressive PCa (prostate cancer) like Dr. Sheehan. Been treated, came back, treated again, expect more recurrences = expect death well before wife's.
.....Recommendation --- take control, do your utmost to remain healthy, live in the moment hoping for a great future but prepare for the worse
Now get out --- RIDE and HAVE FUN!!!
…BTW, I have the killer - Gleason 10- PCa and that is why I am attempting to continue living, cycling, as if nothing has changed. Believe me, it has changed and quite drastically, but the joy AND PAIN I get from bicycling is confirmation that I am still alive.
Be safe, be well and enjoy your rides.
Be safe, be well and enjoy your rides.
Sobering post @OldTryGuy , and I have been impressed by your ride reports.
My most serious health crisis was a bad cycling accident in 2012, but even before that I had contemplated and posted on a few threads about my most metaphysical reasons to cycle:
My most serious health crisis was a bad cycling accident in 2012, but even before that I had contemplated and posted on a few threads about my most metaphysical reasons to cycle:
Ever contemplate your mortality on the road?
Actually, in one of my most serious contemplations of mortality, the Road served as a relief:
Actually, in one of my most serious contemplations of mortality, the Road served as a relief:
My magic moment when I realized what makes cycling fun (important) to me was at a lunch with two doctors about 20 years ago. We got to talking about the vicissitudes of life, like sudden death, or trivial symptoms as harbingers of a serious disease. We eventually came around to that old chestnut to live life to the fullest everyday.
As we were leaving, the surgeon, a marathon runner, said, “Well, any day with a run in it is a good day for me.” I was already an avid cyclist and cycle commuter, and that clicked with me, any day with a ride in it is a good day for me.
As we were leaving, the surgeon, a marathon runner, said, “Well, any day with a run in it is a good day for me.” I was already an avid cyclist and cycle commuter, and that clicked with me, any day with a ride in it is a good day for me.
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 05-09-19 at 05:05 AM.
#21
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It's all over the board. My wife and I started late (57 and 53 respectively) and were never racers or randonneurs. We typically did 20-35 mile rides with a lunch break in the middle. Approaching 71 I feel a few tweaks of arthritis and we typically do 20-25 mile rides (still with the food break). We still occasionally do 30-40 miles, usually on trips. But we are purely recreational riders cruising for fun and fresh air. I participate in a 65+ Facebook group that is full of folks older than me who are still cranking it out like kids - high average speeds and significant mileage (60 - 100 miles). If you are oriented to that kind of riding and keep your training up you can easily sustain it up through your 70s. With some compromises on speed and distance and a bit of luck health-wise you can keep spinning into your 80s or beyond.
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While I've ridden bikes much of my life, I didn't ride more seriously until I was 56. Did my first century ride when I was 58 (I'm almost 66 now). I've never been a racer or tracked speed as a primary goal - if I did, I'm sure I'd notice a difference from when I was younger. But, in my late 50's and now 60's, I'm riding longer and more difficult rides than ever. Not to say I may not walk a bit on an extended, steep climb or that I don't need to be conscious of proper recovery, but on balance, I'm very thankful to be able to do the rides I'm doing. Barring a genetic issue, or a health issue that crops up, you should feel confident that you can enjoy riding, and riding long distances for a very long time. You'll learn efficient cycling techniques, find equipment that's most comfortable, and refine nutrition, hydration, and recovery approaches that suit you and help offset (somewhat!) the aging trajectory. Now ... come back when you're actually 50
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