If I understand the OP's question, it's specifically about unique pain facing distance cyclists over 50. Having ridden centuries from age 20 to 1200k brevets at 57, I suppose I have some perspective on the topic.

The accumulation of injuries, disease such as arthritis, and loss of pliability in connective tissue are a few of the ways time leads to pain. How pain free you can be will depend on your particular situation, how successfully you learn to adapt to them either with fit adjustments or behavior adjustments.

Among distance riders, figuring out the cause of discomfort is a favorite pastime. We try sandals then carbon-fiber shoes. We try wide soft tires, then narrow supple tires. Gel filled gloves then cork bar tape. The point is, when something hurts, try to figure out why. Part of riding longer and longer is figuring out the things you have to figure out in order to ride longer and longer.

Being stubborn is necessary to ride long distances. That stubbornness against ever riding a recumbent could be to your benefit - if you use it to find a way to finish, find a way to solve the pain, or to push through it. Or your stubbornness could be your undoing as a distance rider - if you use it to refuse whatever changes are necessary in order to finish.

So the answer is - maybe.