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Post by Warkitty on Aug 17, 2010 19:38:19 GMT -5
That is largely what Justin and I were pointing out.
It's all good though. I've accepted that it's a conversation no one wants to have. I can seethe privately.
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Post by professorx on Aug 17, 2010 21:29:03 GMT -5
That is largely what Justin and I were pointing out. It's all good though. I've accepted that it's a conversation no one wants to have. I can seethe privately. People are having the conversation, you just aren't hearing the answers you want to. I'll be as explicit, blunt and totally humorless as I can. You wrote: What the heck does that have to do with anything? Is it because everyone else seems determined to think that at 40 they have the same abilities they had at 20? Ask Lance Armstrong, at this point even a year makes a difference. I didn't say you can't be physically fit or even super impressive at age 50. I'm not saying that someone 70 yrs old isn't capable of outrunning me or lots of 20somethings. I'm just saying that *I am aging* and part of that is going through this phase in my life. Why the HELL do I always get some twit trying to argue with me as if I should pretend it isn't happening? Why is it so many seem so darned determined to get me into a sick state of denial of the facts of life? People want to imagine they are competitive when it comes to athletics when they are not. This is not a slam at you, me, Justin or any other person. "Oh well, I am old now. I am not the runner I once was. Even Lance Armstrong isn't as good." Nevermind world class athletes, look at local recreational athletes. 2010 BlueCross Riverbend Run & Walk Age 25 Chattanooga TN 16:28.04 This guy was the overall winner. I couldn't run that pace at 10, 20, 30 or 40 years of age. Here is someone close to my age range- Age 40 Charleston TN 18:36.58 I couldn't run this pace at 10, 20, 30 or 40 years of age. Look at this guy! Age 61 Lakeland FL 22:53.29 I actually could beat this pace, but not by much (10 years ago). Right now I can only run 8 minute miles, he'd beat me. I'd write "hopefully he'd trip over his nuts", but I promised no humor in this message. Its not that we are getting older necessarily, it is just more mature. The immature illusions we had are slipping away and we are devoloping a more realistice self-image. Blaming age is an easy excuse to make excuses for not being able to live up with an unrealistic self-image or what we never really were. Get out the running shoes, bike or whatever and get back at it. That's pride FUCKIN' with you! You gotta fight through that shit! Let it go. Be not a poser anymore. Its freedom! |
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Post by professorx on Aug 17, 2010 21:46:46 GMT -5
As I passed people I said "''Sup poseur?"  Actually in all reality I felt kind of stupid during the last few races. I work a lot of nights and early mornings and don't get a lot of sun. My day-glow fish belly white legs made me self-conscious. I'd never really call a person a poseur in real life. One race they had to take a giant black magic marker and write my number on my arm. The lady said "Wow, Snowflake it is really easy to read your number on your deathly white arm." I was branded with my age and race number in giant black magic marker for all to see. As I walked around the race wearing the Scarlet Letter of Chronology, I noticed a lot of people could have been wearing numbers that read "Professorx's Age / 2". Irregardless, I am a special kind of badd-ass and notice the numbers as I went by them. "How'd you like me now bitches!!!" What's the moral? You define yourself as you get older. Not fucking Lance Armstrong, not your fucking dipshit expensive gear. Not your lack of fucking sun exposure. Not the guy in front of you in the race, not the guy behind you. Not the guy pass out in the ditch. Existentialism baby! One day when you are old broken down piece of meat like Randy "The Ram" Robinson climb up to that top turnbuckle and go out in a blaze of glory. Hells Yeah! That's the shit. No one is watching, you suck, and you keep going anyway.  |
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Post by Justin Thyme on Aug 17, 2010 22:34:12 GMT -5
29.12 miles 13.95mph avg speed. That was tonight. I'm in my mid 50s. Considering I was looking at 12miles @ 11mph avg speed this spring I think I'm doing well. Monday night it was 17.2 miles @ 14.7mph avg speed. Tomorrow I will take a needed day off and then hit the Battlefield Thursday night for a 25 mile ride. Friday will be a travel day as I drive back to Lawrenceville with a 35 mile ride tentatively planned for Saturday morning. Sunday will be a ten mile ride on some steep and long climbs before heading to Church.
I'm saying this to point out that, while past my prime, I am pushing myself to improve and I have a goal of finishing a metric century in October. At this point I'm not too concerned about not finishing but then there is another metric century I want to ride on May Day of next year that involves a mountain. Before next year is over I want to ride a full century and continue riding them well into my sixties and maybe beyond. One thing I have to remember is that two days a week I have to rest. I may swim on those days or I may do some other activity but my legs get a break twice a week. That's due to age. As I age I need to train harder and take more time to recover.
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Babs
Senior Forumite
Diet Spryte
Even cuter?
Posts: 3,674
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Post by Babs on Aug 18, 2010 3:02:03 GMT -5
absolutely right, Justin! Thirty years ago when I first raced, a lady usually beat me, except once when I was the overall female winner. She is late 60's now and still comes in ranked one or two in her age division. She is competitive and trains like hell every day. It's worth it to her, not to me anymore.
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Post by Warkitty on Aug 18, 2010 6:10:59 GMT -5
*sigh*
Prof, I've never held the illusion that I either was or could be a world class athlete.
I've backed off this year not due to age but due to repeated injuries. Some non-competitive time seemed the appropriate response.
As I tried to say before, I'm well aware that age doesn't mean "can't do it at all," only that it means a different approach to training. Lance's year is merely an example of the process happening, not an expected level of my own abilities.
Am I not getting the answers I want? Maybe. Maybe I'm just not getting answers that relate to the conversation I was initiating rather than a conversation the other person thought they wanted. For instance, you rather than discussing the different ways one must approach training have changed the conversation into a diatribe on how I'm not a world class athlete and shouldn't expect to be anyway.
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Jay
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Posts: 5,070
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Post by Jay on Aug 18, 2010 8:02:58 GMT -5
Irregardless, I am a special kind of badd-ass and notice the numbers as I went by them. "How'd you like me now bitches!!!" What's the moral? You define yourself as you get older. Not fucking Lance Armstrong, not your fucking dipshit expensive gear. Not your lack of fucking sun exposure. Not the guy in front of you in the race, not the guy behind you. Not the guy pass out in the ditch. Existentialism baby! One day when you are old broken down piece of meat like Randy "The Ram" Robinson climb up to that top turnbuckle and go out in a blaze of glory. Hells Yeah! There ya go! Kick fighting the good fight! Hell Yeah!!! |
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Post by professorx on Aug 18, 2010 17:53:58 GMT -5
*sigh* Prof, I've never held the illusion that I either was or could be a world class athlete. I've backed off this year not due to age but due to repeated injuries. Some non-competitive time seemed the appropriate response. As I tried to say before, I'm well aware that age doesn't mean "can't do it at all," only that it means a different approach to training. Lance's year is merely an example of the process happening, not an expected level of my own abilities. Am I not getting the answers I want? Maybe. Maybe I'm just not getting answers that relate to the conversation I was initiating rather than a conversation the other person thought they wanted. For instance, you rather than discussing the different ways one must approach training have changed the conversation into a diatribe on how I'm not a world class athlete and shouldn't expect to be anyway. None of my tirade was meant to be directed at you, just all people getting older. Injuries suck, but it can happen to us all regardless of age. Look at these guys in WHEELCHAIRS that do long road races and their hands are blisterd to the bone. If a person is active they have to find a replacement exercise, or they'll go nuts. Find something non-damaging. Just do it! |
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Post by professorx on Aug 18, 2010 17:56:34 GMT -5
29.12 miles 13.95mph avg speed. If you went one mile at 5mph, so what? And you did it in cut-offs on a Huffy. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. Not to be a dick, but that's kind of my point. We guage our activities by other people and it shouldn't matter. I did a 100 miler once and was trying really hard. Some recumbant bikers whizzed by me and I thought "how dumb!". I know better now. They were enjoying the same ride with a lot less effort and doing it just for themselves. They could care less about anything but enjoying their ride. |
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Post by Justin Thyme on Aug 18, 2010 20:45:55 GMT -5
The time is all my time, the average speed is my average speed. These are my benchmarks, not anyone else's. I'm gauging my activities by what I did yesterday. I was actually the slowest person in the group last night. I didn't care. Neither did the group. When I ride the Sequatchie Valley Metric Century my only concern will be that I finish it. I'll use my time on that to measure myself the next time I ride that ride. My competition is myself. My only concern in improving is that I know that my current physical condition isn't what it should be and I'm looking to see signs that I'm improving. Now that doesn't mean I won't grin if I pass someone, just that I won't be crushed if I'm the one being passed.  |
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