Originally Posted by
Happy Feet
I think the key thing is to be skillful about it. Remaining (relatively) competitive is possible as we age but requires a degree more dedication and calculation/scheduling. Recovery from fatigue and injury just takes longer.
What makes for a good older athlete is the continued internal drive required to work with those limitations and move forward. Others bump up against them and assume it means their time has come and gone, and stop. Or.. they mainly engage in sport for external rewards and when those decrease they are no longer as motivated.
I've always thought that being athletic doesn't require any particular base skill other than the ability to endure discomfort and fatigue. DOMS, heat/cold, exertion, boredom, bonks... some meet those experiences and quit to seek comfort. Others work through them and continue to develop. As we age you now add longer recovery intervals to the mix.
I had an older cycling mentor who simply hung up his cleats when he could no longer ride with the recreational A group. I told myself I wouldn't be that guy... actually I can't be that guy because I was always with the B group, but you get the point. And I'm not lamenting the inevitable loss of athletic potential and performance. It's about the drive and willingness to suffer. Maybe it's just the impact of recovering slowly from immobilization.
I registered for a 1200k in August that was supposed to be my motivation. In my head I know that strategic suffering between now and then is essential to avoid intolerable suffering at the event, but it ain't working.
I'm just going to put my head down like it's a long headwind stretch, stop thinking, and grind it out.