General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Birthday 53 = major hit in endurance building Rss Feed  
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2020-07-12 11:30 PM

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Elite
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Subject: Birthday 53 = major hit in endurance building
I was taken back this year when training for my 12th IM to find that my body is not building endurance anywhere near as fast as it used to. In just one year endurance is building at 50% or slower than just last year. Don't grow old......


2020-07-13 9:48 AM
in reply to: Baowolf

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Subject: RE: Birthday 53 = major hit in endurance building

Originally posted by Baowolf I was taken back this year when training for my 12th IM to find that my body is not building endurance anywhere near as fast as it used to. In just one year endurance is building at 50% or slower than just last year. Don't grow old......

I'm right behind you at 51.  I've noted more the lack of a top end than endurance.  I can still do everything slow forever.  LOL

2020-07-13 1:58 PM
in reply to: 0

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Master
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Subject: RE: Birthday 53 = major hit in endurance building
Sigh....I don't want to hear this. 51 in August, and guessing I'll be at least 53 by the time races are a thing again. I have been running and swimming since age 10, and a triathlete since 40. To be honest, so far I don't feel like endurance has been an issue. It does, however, tend to decline faster if I'm not training regularly and I can't "hold" it as long if I have to take an extended break due to injury, illness, pool closures, work, etc. But if I am keeping up with consistent training, I really don't see a difference. If anything, I think my endurance is a bit better because I REALLY know my body and how to pace. I think it might have been ugly if I'd first attempted a full IM in my 20's. Would have crashed and burned and learned the hard way!

What's been more noticeable since early 40's has been a decline in speed and ability to recover quickly after races and hard sessions. Speed has never been my forte and now it's even less so. But I can keep going at my steady pace for a long, long time. The real challenge is trying to avoid injury, especially from running. It's like I just trade one niggle almost immediately for another, for months, years, even decades! (Yes, I do stretch, do strength training, take days off, do PT when things get serious, pay attention to nutrition. and always have. Getting older just sucks.)

Edited by Hot Runner 2020-07-13 2:04 PM
2020-07-20 3:22 PM
in reply to: Baowolf

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Cypress, Texas
Subject: RE: Birthday 53 = major hit in endurance building

I was in k9car363's Gray Guys & Gals Mentor Group for two years.  I found my first gray hair when I was 37 years old but as part of the M40-44 AG was one of the young guys in the group.  The core of the group was athletes over 50 and we discussed many aspects of aging gracefully as an athlete including how training frequency, intensity, and volume should be adjusted with age.  I don't recall any discussions on slower endurance build periods though. 

 

I am trying to wrap my mind around how your 50% slower endurance build time relates to our discussions on frequency, intensity, and volume. 

 

How are you measuring your rate of endurance build? 

 

Are you doing the same training plan as the first 11 Ironman races, or have you made age adjustments?  

2020-07-20 4:58 PM
in reply to: BlueBoy26

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Master
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Subject: RE: Birthday 53 = major hit in endurance building
Wondering if this is recovery-related...
2020-07-21 5:32 AM
in reply to: Hot Runner

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Subject: RE: Birthday 53 = major hit in endurance building

Joe Friel published a book a couple of years ago called Fast Over 50.  Good read on this topic.



2020-07-21 9:48 AM
in reply to: Baowolf

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Subject: RE: Birthday 53 = major hit in endurance building

That seems like a steep and sudden drop.  Did you stop training altogether for an extended period of time and then restart?  Personally, I'd definitely go get a check up with your Doctor and have blood panel, etc.  From all the research and endurance-related literature I've read over the years, you should not experience that steep a drop in endurance building until you're well into your Senior years.  And at 53, you're not even close!  

'm 45 turning 46 and I have a few friends in there late 50's early 60's who still regularly CRUSH ME on the bike.  

Good luck and happy safe training! 

2020-08-13 11:01 PM
in reply to: Dream Chaser

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Elite
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Alturas, California
Subject: RE: Birthday 53 = major hit in endurance building
Little follow up. Finally the endurance is picking up.

I was putting in more rest into my workouts and allowed for smaller increases in distance with the build. The run was the last thing to move along. My strategy ended up doing the distance I wanted to do for the workout, but being ok with doing run walk even when I felt I should be able to just bang it out. This helped me to build distance with less stress on my body. Another thing that may have been affecting me was that aging and tolerating workouts in 95 to 100F temps. The weather has been in that range every day for 3 months. I have shifted to doing more workouts just before dawn to get some break in the heat. With a 95 mile bike ride I will end up in the heat, but if I can get 50 miles or so in before it gets hot, then the overall impact on me is less.

Next year I will work on having multiple base levels of fitness which will basically move me into a 40 week training plan instead of a 20 week training plan from my base fitness. This will allow for a very gradual build with a few cycles with no build to long workouts before moving into the next build sequence. We see how it goes.

Right now I have 3x bike rides in at 90+ miles in the last month, long swim at 4800 yards and long run with no walking now at 14 miles with the race 2 months off (if not cancelled or moved back again).

2020-08-23 3:15 PM
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Master
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Subject: RE: Birthday 53 = major hit in endurance building
Heat really affects endurance and feelings of well-being, no matter what your age. I always found that a bike or run workout in Vietnam would take roughly the same amount out of me (in terms of immediate post-workout fatigue and recovery over the next day or so) as one twice the time/distance in a temperate climate. That was regardless of my fitness level and remained consistent over the 12 years total I spent there. There is some level of "adaptation" but it's always harder (and slower) in those conditions, with longer recovery. One of the main reasons I never trained for a full IM there--the idea of 3+ hour runs or 6 hour rides in tropical heat/humidity on any kind of a regular basis--no, just no!

Edited by Hot Runner 2020-08-23 3:16 PM
2020-12-10 10:04 PM
in reply to: Hot Runner

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Elite
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Alturas, California
Subject: RE: Birthday 53 = major hit in endurance building
Follow up. Ended up doing the VR IM because IM Santa Rosa got cancelled. Ended up with 12:45 IM, my 3rd fastest of 12, maybe not that far over the hill yet. Yay.
2020-12-11 4:01 PM
in reply to: Baowolf

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1508
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Cypress, Texas
Subject: RE: Birthday 53 = major hit in endurance building

Originally posted by Baowolf Follow up. Ended up doing the VR IM because IM Santa Rosa got canceled. Ended up with 12:45 IM, my 3rd fastest of 12, maybe not that far over the hill yet. Yay.

Congratulations!  I did a virtual 70.3 this year my race in September was Canceled.  I got a PR on the swim, but my overall time was number 6th out of seven 70.3's. I may do a virtual IM next year since there is a race I want to do that I may have to wait untill 2022 to do and a virtual race in 2021 would be good preparation.  :-



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