I don't have that problem. With a helmet hiding my grey hair, most people assume that I'm in my mid-40s.

Think Diana Nyad.

I'm guessing it prolonged it.

It raises the thorny question of how much activity is too much. Even that question may lie in genetics.

So we can ride for enjoyment, and to improve the quality of our years on this planet.

Whether it adds to the years or detracts from them is a question above my pay grade.

If someone's years were indeed numbered then at least they could enjoy a healthier more energetic life till they get there I think. Anything should be better than giving up before someone has even tried. And so many seem to consider the remote control a exercise device.

There's no question that a healthier, active lifestyle prolongs your life from natural causes. It definitely improves the quality of life.

One needs to learn to listen to their own body. If you get tired on a ride, then stop, sit on a bench, have some water, smell the roses, and after 5 minutes, get back on and see how you do.

I don't get paid to do this stuff, so if it takes me 2 hours, instead of 1 hour, nobody really cares, that includes me. However it's not about how long your life is, but the quality of your life. If your afraid to do things you enjoy, because it might shorten your life, then is your longer life worth it? Besides we have all heard of the guy who only did things that were safe, only ate the right foods, had a pharmacy worth of vitamins and supplements. They were killed when a neighbours tree fell on their house and crushed them.

There is no "one size fits all" answer to this. While it is probably true in most cases, there are exceptions. Your friend, due to his active athletic lifestyle, may have had a ticking time bomb that went undetected. My dad had such. He was active and healthy all his life and had a heart attack at 70. It was later discovered he had a congenital valve defect all his life. He had a valve replacement, then lived to 83, still active when he was felled by a case of the flu.

I was the antithesis of my dad, having been out of shape and over weight most of my life. Had a MI at 52, that I blame mostly on lifestyle, though there is a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol too. I got serious, lost weight, started eating better, and riding longer and harder, and am now knocking on the door of century rides. It has been six years since my event, and at the time the doc's were telling me that half of all MI victims are dead in a year.

I completely agree with CommuteCommando, You have to consider "Never Give Up" in the context of the situation. For example, of the 64 California Double Centuries I've started, I've DNF'd (Did Not Finish) on four. Did I give up? Yes.

In two cases (Death Valley and Mulholland) it was severe dehydration . . . the organizers simply didn't have enough liquids available for the riders (and in their defense, the weather was way hotter than predicted). Two other cases (Camino Real and Spring Solvang) I DNF'd due to severe back pain caused by a pinched nerve. Besides the horrible pain, I literally could not keep the bike on the road. So in the context of those four bike rides . . . I did give up.

Did I give up riding doubles? Of course not. So in the larger context I did not give up. I still enter doubles; rode five this year and will try to ride five or more again next year. But . . . "there is no one size fits all" in the context that CommuteCommando detailed, or in my example (and you know, there may be more!).

Yes, you can say things like "Never Give Up" but sorry, life is often a bit more complicated than that!

Rick / OCRR

I am of the opinion that your mindset also affects how well you age. I lead a walking group at the local Y and we do a few half marathons during the year. Several years ago a woman who had recently joined the group decided she wanted to train for her first half marathon. She was 82 at the time.

I asked her why she decided to do her first half marathon at age 82. Her reply was "Because I've never done one before." I want to be just like her when I'm that age.

She finished the race with no problems and the following year she talked some of her children and grandchildren into joining her. She won her age division the last 3 times she did the race.

True. I DNF'd my first attempt at a full Century, the Temecula Valley Century, that had 6200 ft of climbing. That I completed over 80 miles of it, a personal best for me, and 5000 feet, again a personal best, I consider it a minor victory. I attribute the DNF to a number of things, including lack of proper preparation/training, and failure to meet my weigh goal by over twenty lbs. (onward on that front). My next goal; climb a mile before the end of the year, and get to goal weight of 180 (currently 210) before my next attempt at an organized C; Solvang in March, though I will attempt a less hilly solo before that. I can currently keep up with my age appropriate group of amateurs, until the route starts getting hilly.

I prefer "strategic withdrawal" to "giving up". I did the former, and not the latter.

When I was in The Netherlands last year, I saw plenty of gray-haired oma's (grandmothers) riding around on their fietsen. That's when I figured I'd start up again. Took a while for me to get started (last month). But it's my goal to keep riding until the end of my life.

For me, that's actually irrelevant. I don't care if cycling makes me live one second longer or not. I don't measure lives in years ... I measure them in adventures, and cycling has immeasurably enriched my life in that respect.

Quit? I might have to withdraw and regroup. I might lose battles (if you didn't once in the while you're not trying hard enough and what's the point?). But quit? Only when and if I have to.

I'm actually kinda enjoying getting older. There are some things I don't do as well as I used to, but others I do better. At this point at least, life over 50 isn't better or worse than it used to be. It's just different.

I think George Carlin was the guy who noted how we lie about how young we are until we're 21, then lie about how old we are until we're about 65, then start bragging about how old we are. Couldn't find the video. But I found this, and he's got some good insights here too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGXU5Jvpdrk

We don't give up, but we don't have to be stupid about it

You did not give up. You staged a tactical withdrawal, or as some say, advanced to the rear in order to live to fight another day.

At this point I'm happy to live to fight another day.

A cycling legend in my city of Cardiff was a long time bike shop owner and keen racer, Charlie Alexander.

"He raced into his 70s and died in around 1990 at the age of seventy-eight riding back from the local Veterans Time Trial Association Christmas dinner - just fell off dead in the road after not having had a day's illness in his life."

https://www.classiclightweights.co.uk...pratt-rem.html

I am not talking about setting a goal and having to give up only to try again another time. What I wonder about is people that seem to believe there is a specific age when we should all give up trying trying activities deemed too difficult for anyone beyond that age. Oh I know it isn't as easy to take up hiking or cycling as it might be for someone in their twenties. But It is also possible to take something up and get better at it even after 50. People in this forum are living proof that people well past retirement are can and do improve at activities they enjoy.

Anyway, in San Fran I met a guy who ran his first marathon: at 90.

He's my role model. That's when I intend to start training.

While I don't mind it if exercising or riding extends my life, that's not the main reason for me. The main reason is riding and other exercising improves the quality of my life. I'm able to do more. I don't just mean ride more miles on a bike. But I'm able to walk and hike more, more yardwork (not always a good thing), live more.

Mobile 155 I'm glad this is working well for you. The diet is the part I fail at. The jamocha shakes at Arby's call my name everytime I go there. So do Subway's cookies. I have a hard time refusing. And the clerks never even ask me if I want one, or two.

Dnf > dns

Actually.....DLF>DNF>DNS

Lol ... don't you mean DFL?

I note that because this thread got me thinking ... I've only DNFed once, and that was because of a mechanical failure. But I've also DNSed. The infamous Butterflood double century years ago. When they have to do a reroute because of tornadoes in SoCal, you know you made a good decision.

Believe me I understand the addictive attraction to food. And I am not pushing diets. What I have seen is one thing like exercise often leads to another, like giving up smoking. I have no complaint with someone setting their limits lower than someone else. I was just pointing out that if I am expected to be more sedentary because of my age then I am not ready to act my age. I know as well as anyone else you cannot outrun age. (I used to be a Hospice Chaplain) I am just saying far too many are willing to sit down and let it catch them. If the grim reaper wants me he can chase me or ambush me but I don't plan on waiting for him.

Confused - did you perhaps leave out an apostrophe and a "t"?

I know as well as anyone else you can outrun age

I know as well as anyone else you can't outrun age

Edited

I was not so smart. I actually started (in the pouring rain) and finished the Butterflood double. Miserable day, pretty much all day long. I even got hailed on in Santiago Canyon! Makes for great stories though and I did get a cool T-Shirt out of it!

Rick / OCRR

You da man, Rick! I still remember that day. Driving to the start, I saw 3 wrecks because of all the water (in places, several inches deep) on the freeway. I had talked Saralie into the ride. Believe it or not, it would have been her first double.

We sat there in that restaurant next to the hotel, hemming and hawing, saying yes and saying no, and all the while it was pouring outside non-stop. I've ridden many miles getting caught in the rain, but there is something about pushing off to start a 200 mile ride in a pouring rainstorm that promises to last all day. Add that to the fact that road debris and potholes are much harder to see and motorists' visibility is affected, we decided to bag it for the day.

I felt like that was a good decision until I looked at the ride stats. I think there were about 160 riders registered, and more than half pushed off into the maelstrom. And of those, well over half finished the course, tornadoes and all.

I was in awe.

Hey wait a minute ... <dawning realization> ... you FINISHED the Butterflood? If that isn't "Never say die," I dunno what is! I didn't even have the cajones to start.