Originally Posted by Carbonfiberboy

Not just a pet theory or worthless anecdote. Statin side effects: Weigh the benefits and risks - Mayo Clinic

There's been a lot of discussion of this over in T&N with some folks getting off statins so they could ride well and keeping their markers in range through diet and exercise.

To ramp up the intensity a bit, do like I did: Alpine ski over 20,000 vertical feet, then go home and do an hour of one-legged pedaling on your rollers, then go to the gym and do full body work, lifting to failure and PRing your squat. My legs were so sore the next day I couldn't touch them. That was a bit much. I won't do that again.

Don't worry, you're still below my 63 age threshold for when it starts to hit the fan. You ain't seen nothin' yet. I was riding doubles, randonneuring, and doing RAMROD when I was in my early 60s, no problem. I'd like to ride RAMROD again this coming summer and climb Mt. Rainier again. The latter should be fairly easy but not the former.