Training is easy - get up, loosen up, out the door, then work your ass off. Depending on the day it may be intervals or something as simple as an aerobic-paced run. No matter what the schedule says it is fairly easy to get up and put the work in when you are a motivated, Type-A kinda athlete. Triathlon is a sport made up of Type-As.
Science tells us that once we hit roughly age 35 the body starts to fight us a bit. Now I am not talking about your average Joe who spends more time sitting on the couch or a bar stool who "suddenly" realizes he has a 42 inch waist, surprised by the whole situation. No, I'm talking to you, the athletically inclined soul who wakes up at 4:30 in the morning to get that run in before work or sits on the trainer, pedaling away at 9:30 pm because that was when you finally had the time to get it in. Even as we deny it, things get different as we age. Vo2Max levels decline over time and the body doesn't recover from hard workouts as fast as in the past.
As we get older we need to adapt. Joe Friel said it better than I can:
"... it appears that aging athletes are fighting an uphill battle. But for most I don’t believe the issue is aging so much as it is detraining, misuse and disuse. We simply fail to adequately and appropriately change our lifestyles and training regimens as we get older. When younger one can make more mistakes in lifestyle and training without significant negative consequences for performance. As we age there is less latitude for mistakes." Source
Change my lifestyle and training regimen? Are you crazy!!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE my routine!!!
Yeah ... reality is, just like everyone else, I'm getting older. Doesn't mean I need to give things up, just means I need to adapt. I have the whole nutrition thing down as well as the must lift weights thing. Sleeping 8 hours a night is something that will never happen (I am sure I fall on the need less sleep spectrum) but I do get more sleep these days than I ever have. I love the Saturday afternoon power nap!!!
The problem for me is the whole rest thing. I remember the days of training for my first few full Ironman events with some crazy, crazy workloads. I had a peak week that included 14k in the pool, 300+ miles on the bike, and 45 miles of running. Sounds nuts because it is. But just like any other motivated athlete I remember those days and see no good reason why I shouldn't be able to do that now.
Just as a little side note: if you've ever been out for a post-run breakfast with me and you think I eat a lot of food today, should have been there 8 or 9 years ago.
Anywhooo ...back to that age thing. Can't put in the type of workload I did "back in the day." In fact, back then I remember training like I was trying to bury myself in a training hole. Now that I'm in my mid-40s I can still make that happen. Difference is, too much training today is not only digging that hole but also jumping right in. For example, read this.
And while I would have to admit that killing myself with intensity and/or volume is fun, the days of suck that follows I could live without. Thus, I have continued to modify my training to fit the reality of the workload my body can handle.
1. Redefining Rest Days - Ten years ago a rest day might be an easy morning run and an aerobic/casual bike ride in the evening. Today a rest day is either a complete day of rest or a short, easy swim.
2. Diet - In 2010 I was having trouble recovering from workouts and made the decision to eat more fruits and vegetables. Today I give zero thought to calories in/calories out and focus more on the nutrient density of what I consume. Is my diet perfect? Heck no. But 80-90% of the time I'm eating real, high quality foods. Basically I follow the wise words of Michael Pollan - "Eat real food. Mostly plants." A synopsis of his seven rules for eating here.
3. Recovery Weeks - This is really new for me and am currently in the middle of one right now. Some of you would call it barely training. With the crappy weather we have been having in Eastern Pennsylvania this hasn't been so hard to do. This will take some work to do when the weather breaks and I can get outside on my bike every day.
4. Taking the Warm Up and Cooldown More Serious - There was a time when I could go from head on the pillow to out the door for a run in about 10 minutes. Today it is more of a process.
5. Foam Rolling - This is something I have done on and off for some time, but have been more consistent about this year.
6. Massage - I have the best massage therapist who I see on a regular schedule. If you don't do this you should call Joe (610-865-1418). You can find his website here.
Simple but not easy. I'm not a physically gifted athlete. I'll never be the fastest runner, strongest cyclist or best looking swimmer. My results come from hard work. If I have a default mode it is to put my head down and work, work, work. For 2015 I'll be taking the more cerebral approach my body needs.
Thanks for reading!!!
Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon
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