Feeling Old and Decrepit

[JPB]

I am an active and I thought fairly fit 58 but my average speed on rides and long walks had been dropping and no matter how hard I pushed I just could not get back to having times I was happy with. Sucks to be getting old I thought.

After my annual birthday blood tests late last year the (new) doctor said I was anaemic and recommended an iron transfusion plus also give my body a rest from the blood donations.

Two months later and my times are back where I like them - happy days Just need to keep an eye on the iron levels to make sure they don't markedly drop again which could indicate something else not right.

[brumby33]

Eat more grass fed red meat....heaps of iron

[P!N20]

After my annual birthday blood tests late last year the (new) doctor said I was anaemic and recommended an iron transfusion plus also give my body a rest from the blood donations.

So were your iron levels ever picked up when donating blood? I've bent sent away on a couple of occasions because of this.

[P!N20]

Eat more grass fed red meat....heaps of iron

Or cockles...

[JPB]

Eat more grass fed red meat....heaps of iron

Or cockles...

I am not a sea food person

[JPB]

After my annual birthday blood tests late last year the (new) doctor said I was anaemic and recommended an iron transfusion plus also give my body a rest from the blood donations.

So were your iron levels ever picked up when donating blood? I've bent sent away on a couple of occasions because of this.

It is normally borderline low. Sometimes they do a second finger prick and squeeze harder to get the good stuff.

[DavidS]

I am an active and I thought fairly fit 58 but my average speed on rides and long walks had been dropping and no matter how hard I pushed I just could not get back to having times I was happy with. Sucks to be getting old I thought.

After my annual birthday blood tests late last year the (new) doctor said I was anaemic and recommended an iron transfusion plus also give my body a rest from the blood donations.

Two months later and my times are back where I like them - happy days Just need to keep an eye on the iron levels to make sure they don't markedly drop again which could indicate something else not right.

Yeah, I'm 58 and can't seem to get back to the average speeds I was capable of before COVID. All that time in lockdown and far less riding as most of my riding has been commuting.

Will need to sort out getting motivated when I take a redundancy shortly, but I can get back to donating blood.

DS

[Retrobyte]

Have never had back pain or issues in my life but now at 62 for the first time I'm in a lot of pain. Am seeing a physio tomorrow to see if they can help - I'm assuming it is muscular given I've not lifted anything heavy recently.

I suspect there are a few contributing factors - spent three days last week sitting on a picnic rug on hard ground at a music festival, slept in an AirBnB with a very soft mattress, and went for a longer ride with a younger friend who rides in A grade and pushed myself a bit too hard. Thought I felt good enough to ride to work yesterday and that has aggravated it considerably.

[g-boaf]

Yeah, I'm 58 and can't seem to get back to the average speeds I was capable of before COVID. All that time in lockdown and far less riding as most of my riding has been commuting.

Will need to sort out getting motivated when I take a redundancy shortly, but I can get back to donating blood.

DS

As you get older you have to be smarter with your riding and training, and pay attention to all the recovery tricks as well. All those things matter a lot more otherwise your body will complain.

I dare say I feel like I'm getting some speed back - it's taking a while but the consistent longer commute rides I've been doing along with some very difficult Zwift Academy workouts (over/under intervals) in Zwift are really helping.

[LateStarter]

My inspiration is the five 80+ year olds who started last years Paris-Brest-Paris 1220km ride (90 hour time limit), none finished but all would have had to do the qualifying series (200/300/400/600 km rides in the 9 months prior to the registration close)

And the 178 70-79 year olds (40% finished) and 1,370 60-69 year olds (70% finished)
A lot of determination and a bit of good luck, and maybe a lot of prior riding.

See "Riders Distribution by Age Range" page 20
https://www.audax-club-parisien.com/dow ... 023-EN.pdf

[foo on patrol]

Yeah, I'm 58 and can't seem to get back to the average speeds I was capable of before COVID. All that time in lockdown and far less riding as most of my riding has been commuting.

Will need to sort out getting motivated when I take a redundancy shortly, but I can get back to donating blood.

DS

As you get older you have to be smarter with your riding and training, and pay attention to all the recovery tricks as well. All those things matter a lot more otherwise your body will complain.

I dare say I feel like I'm getting some speed back - it's taking a while but the consistent longer commute rides I've been doing along with some very difficult Zwift Academy workouts (over/under intervals) in Zwift are really helping.

This is the key factor and something that I've been saying for age. This is also another reason why I have no interest in doing stupidly long rides or riding up stupidly steep hills, been there done that back in my youth and don't need to prove anything now. Ride smart not long. If you want to ride steep hills, don't do big K's with them in the ride, there is no point and you just make recovery from them longer than you should be at an older age.

Foo

[g-boaf]

But, if you are interested in riding in the mountains then you must ride those hills or similar to them as your training. Not just for the elevation but also the descents.

Riding at altitude has a huge beneficial effect as well which is properly proven.

Come back from a week of riding at up to 2000m+ and ride at normal altitudes and you’ll feel the difference.

Same as if your intended rides are long ones (eg, doing some sort of event or a race that is long) you really have to do long rides. You can’t just rock up and do 160km without some prior similar riding.

It might not be about proving anything, it may well be that some people just enjoy long bike rides with steep hills, and that’s their thing that keeps them from feeling old and decrepit.

[LateStarter]

I dare say I feel like I'm getting some speed back -

This is the key factor .... This is also another reason why I have no interest in doing stupidly long rides or riding up stupidly steep hills, ......
Foo

With their combined 30,000 posts compared to my tiny tally I am not really in a position to disagree with FOO or g-boaf BUT IMO the way to continue riding while also accumulating a few age related years is to NOT focus on maintaining speed but use the benefit of the mechanical advantage that god gave us when she invented bicycles. A triple or modern gravel type double crank set (46/30 & say 11-42+) provides enough to (admittedly) crawl up hills without over exertion and a steady moderate pace eats the kms, a slower pace allows me to enjoy the sights on the ride and finish without injury or too much tired / soreness but still knowing I did a "bit". My goal is to be 200 kms ready, (say elapsed 12 hours, with around 2,000m ascent), not as an "event" but a regular ride (each week or 2) and within reach of longer with a bit more training. (says the 72 year old)

[g-boaf]

My bikes are admittedly lighter ones (7.8 and 6.0kg) but I agree that no point grinding away up a hill in massive gears.

I saw someone doing that the other day, the old guy looked in agony grinding away at 40rpm something, out of saddle and struggling like mad. I felt like saying something (to save your knees) but decided to keep quiet and ride on.

That’s also where I love having a 6kg bike, on those days I feel like crap I can just use 50-28 and spin up a steep hill and not do too much effort. It helps. I have a couple of 10% bits on my commute and a 14-16% part as well. It helps.

The over/under efforts on Zwift and long distance commute riding has seen my power go up and my heart rate stays pretty low.

[foo on patrol]

But, if you are interested in riding in the mountains then you must ride those hills or similar to them as your training. Not just for the elevation but also the descents.

Riding at altitude has a huge beneficial effect as well which is properly proven.

Come back from a week of riding at up to 2000m+ and ride at normal altitudes and you’ll feel the difference.

Same as if your intended rides are long ones (eg, doing some sort of event or a race that is long) you really have to do long rides. You can’t just rock up and do 160km without some prior similar riding.

It might not be about proving anything, it may well be that some people just enjoy long bike rides with steep hills, and that’s their thing that keeps them from feeling old and decrepit.

But these people if they are over 50-60yrs, need to remember that recovery also takes longer, there is no escaping that part of the aging process. All of the Masters 7 and above riders that I know, all say the same = efforts = longer recover, so being smart with that part id the key to it.

Foo

[warthog1]

I am 55 and did 15000km last year.
I am getting slower and perhaps it takes longer to recover.
So what, if I aint feeling it on the bike I just slow down. Beats not riding at all imo.

[brumby33]

Yeah any fitness I gained a few weeks ago is now got up and walked away and back to square 1 once again.

It's been an incredibly hot and dry Summer this year with temps always in the very high 30's and less than 23% Humidity and so I haven't been on the bike much and just as it started to calm down, I wanted to start commuting to and from my work place ....then....I had recently found a new Doctor in Albury and after giving him a run down of my last 10 yr health History, he asked if I ever had a calcium scan done and I said no...what's that?? He explained and so I made an appointment and in the meantime had a blood test, well after he got the results from my scan he called me to come and see him asap....that afternoon.....and I'm thinking holy S**t this sounds serious.....so he sent me off to do another blood test and had arranged for me to do a stress test and see this Cardio Professor straight after.....man, I'm really packing it by that stage thinking how long have I got.....so, I did the stress test and breezed through that with flying colours although I was glad when they told me of the last 30 seconds.....me ol ticker was elevated.....but no-one seemed concerned at all, another Cardio Doctor overseen the exercise and results as per happening, then I had to see the Professor Cardio bloke and he was happy with the results and said yes, you do have some rust in your pipes but there was no sign of any blockages or concerning issues and go back in 12 Months to see him. He only comes up from Melbourne ever 2 weeks apparently.

PHEW!! I thought i was about to be on my death bed....so, now I just had another little surgical procedure straight after that (little lump on my back cut out) and i'll be back on the bike now it's cooling down a wee bit, daytimes now in mid 20's.....niiice but mornings now down to 10-12C in Albury.....Oh well....all I gotta do now is get up early enough.

My brain still wants to do this bicycle touring gig and camping off the bike, but i'm not sure if my 64 yr old body likes that idea or not.


brumby33

[tcdev]

I only started cycling at 48 and it took me a few years before I was doing any decent distances on the bike (decent as in, further than a novice could ride, nothing stupidly long). Then I got into Zwift and doing workouts and even the odd race. I was reasonably fit for a couple of years there in my early-mid 50's.

Last year - at 57 - was pretty dismal though and my performance on the bike was well below what I was achieving in previous years. However being objective and looking back, I wasn't doing the rides as often or as long as I was previously. I simply wasn't putting in the work.

This year (58) the plan is to regain (at least some of) that fitness and performance from previous years. I'm just now recovering from surgery but have just today been given the all-clear now to start incorporating gentle exercise. I have a yearly distance goal but also want to complete a specific 150km ride before year-end.

For me, having a goal is important. Without a goal it's too easy to slacken off but still tell yourself you're still putting in enough effort, because there's no metric. My distance goal can be broken down into a weekly goal and Strava also shows if you're on-pace for the year. The 150km ride is something I've wanted to tick off for a while now, something fun to strive for. YMMV.

[DavidS]

Lots of good advice above, but I have a couple of other issues I also need to deal with.

Firstly, I need to give up the fags, enough said really but I find it very difficult.

My regular ride is basically 50KMs along Beach Rd in Melbourne. No issue with long hills (see first point, for some reason I don't like hills!). But a different issue. Last week I did my usual ride to Mordialloc return and, as usual, there was a Southerly. I was on the steel bike which is a fair bit heavier than the Titanium bike (Yeah, I know, surprise all round) and was bashing into the wind pretty hard on the way to Mordialloc and cruising back. Trouble is the effort going down meant that later in the day my vertigo got quite bad (I have Meniere's) and a couple of days later had an attack. So, while my current average is very good by my standards, which is very much related to my previous riding being commuting and therefore having to do a lot of start/stop riding, I am limited in how hard I can push it.

Just have to regulate the effort. Only finished work a few weeks ago but am getting 2 or 3 50KM rides in each week, just need to make sure I don't overdo it. Without the cycling I would be unfit so I want to make sure I keep getting on the bike. Although I have had a bad back since I was a kid, cycling actually helps stretch out the back so no issues there. Knees have never been an issue. Not feeling my age too badly (58) just have to be a little careful.

In any case, today was a glorious day to ride along Beach Rd, and I have had no ill effects at all. I hope that the lack of stress from not working and keeping up the exercise helps.

DS

[Anrai]

Firstly, I need to give up the fags, enough said really but I find it very difficult.

I quit smoking several times (smoked 1-2/hr on and off from early '12 to early '17, free since mid '17) but I know a lot of people have a much harder time than I did with it, and I was only ever able to quit cold-turkey and in isolation from smoking friends. If you have a spare couple of days for social/shopping isolation and a really good distraction that can hold your attention you should be able to get through through the worst of it.

But then, I have neurochemical issues that throw me scarier swings than tobacco withdrawals all the time, so I don't really know what quitting is like mentally for the average person.

[foo on patrol]

I am 55 and did 15000km last year.
I am getting slower and perhaps it takes longer to recover.
So what, if I aint feeling it on the bike I just slow down. Beats not riding at all imo.

Yeah well that's 41Klms a day and when you're already fit, that's easy but it's when blokes go out and try and bust their gut every day is when it all goes to chit and the muscle tears don't geta chance too heal properly.

Foo

[brumby33]

Firstly, I need to give up the fags, enough said really but I find it very difficult.

I quit smoking several times (smoked 1-2/hr on and off from early '12 to early '17, free since mid '17) but I know a lot of people have a much harder time than I did with it, and I was only ever able to quit cold-turkey and in isolation from smoking friends. If you have a spare couple of days for social/shopping isolation and a really good distraction that can hold your attention you should be able to get through through the worst of it.

But then, I have neurochemical issues that throw me scarier swings than tobacco withdrawals all the time, so I don't really know what quitting is like mentally for the average person.

I had smoked since I was 15, now 64, I was an expert at giving it up, almost every 2nd week I'd attempt it but it was so hard because of the amount of work colleagues that i mixed with who always smoked.....and after a while I started to get fed up with it and there was the key.

You know how when you've given up for a few days and then you have one and it was like heaven in a stick.....the head goes light and the legs tingle and all is ok with the world.....but i found that over the years the quality of tobacco in cigarettes became of low quality and the taste of chemicals more prominent and you couldn't tell the difference of taste from one brand of ciggie to the other and if I happened to bludge one off a mate, i immediately think Say What did I do that for and not the heaven feeling i got some time ago when i did the exact same thing......I got fed up with the crappy lingering chemical taste it was giving me......so I just went cold after that.......rarely think about it......and that was over 5 years ago......I often think of the bicycles/Motorcycles/ Holidays that I could've bought in it's place, i was spending over $7K a year on smokes, hate to think what'd cost me now if I continued.......some are around $50 per pack. Say every 2nd day you buy a pack at least $9K per year, a brand new high level bicycle once a year, a new Motorycle every 2-3 years or a new car every 5 years. But...you've got to be fed up enough to throw them in the Garbage after you've screwed them up and not in your home either, it's gotta be a long way from home or you've go back for them.

I know...been there....done that


brumby33

[CmdrBiggles]

Despite a kidney transplant in 1977 and 46+ years total cycling experience, I don't feel either old or decrepit, and I've come a very long way from 15 to 63 years... Like the cat, I get up a bit later on these noticably colder mornings!

I don't push myself on rides (though I did in now distant past of bicycle touring days) and don't care for numbers and statistics that motivate (and exhaust!) others; I'm out there to enjoy the riding experience (with modern tech), the places I whistlestop and the people I meet up with (roadies, among) — and critique coffee! I am also heavily involved in fine art photography (rainforest/coastal photography, scanning, print production, framing), bushwalking and swimming. A gin and lamingtons in the afternoon. Wine only very occasionally, as I don't really like it; (house sold last week after 6 months, so we joined up and broke out the French Rosé and Hors d'œuvres to great aplomb, resulting in all but me getting pickled...).

I have never smoked fig tobacky, but I had a joint of weed in rehab in 1980 (that's what rehab and sharing with mates is for, innit?).
Not interested (ever) in playing football, cricket, tennis, pool/billiards or other sports where there could be, by or through whatever chance or circumstance, direct injury to a transplant that is now Australia's longest continuous graft. I got hit in the face (bruised) by a black billiard ball I think in 1985-86. That's what happens if you stand behind it...

[warthog1]

I am 55 and did 15000km last year.
I am getting slower and perhaps it takes longer to recover.
So what, if I aint feeling it on the bike I just slow down. Beats not riding at all imo.

Yeah well that's 41Klms a day and when you're already fit, that's easy but it's when blokes go out and try and bust their gut every day is when it all goes to chit and the muscle tears don't geta chance too heal properly.

Foo

Not too many people who have been riding a while are silly enough to ignore what their body says and bust a gut every day. What is important is to just get on the thing and get some consistent mileage. Get those legs turning and listen to how you feel imo.
Anyway, I am no expert but that is what works for me.

I don't go every day and like to do hundred k rides.
Couldn't really give too much of a rat's what the data says apart from a side interest.
I am getting slower not faster but I still really enjoy riding and have worked out I need it.
My way of unwinding and clearing the head. My approximation of mindfulness or meditation or whatever you want to call it. I feel much better when I do ride and crap when I dont. So I ride.

[g-boaf]

Well, I seem to be old and decrepit. Somehow I've managed to aggravate my back. I will not ride tomorrow I think. I didn't notice it at all until this afternoon.

My way of unwinding and clearing the head. My approximation of mindfulness or meditation or whatever you want to call it. I feel much better when I do ride and crap when I dont. So I ride.

Bravo!