# Age and Endurance Racing



## kosmo (Oct 27, 2004)

Anybody getting up there in age, and still racing fairly seriously? I'd be interested in your experiences, good and bad.

I'm 63 and "retired" from 100 and 50 racing seven years ago. Couldn't have been happier just riding for fun and fitness and ability to eat a bit too much.

Then last fall I almost accidentally ended up with a Supercaliber. That rocketship, combined with a new location, tempted me to sign up for a few 50s this year.

First race was Saturday, and it went well, but let's just say I also realized that time is not kind. When I quit racing at 55, I was never in the hunt for overall podiums anymore, but at Saturday's race it was more than a bit demoralizing to see how many went up the initial climb at a pace that just made me shake my head.......but still, a fun experience, and I got to meet a bunch of the local racers.

At least I could still claim the title of fastest racer over 60 -- in a field of one!


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## mikesee (Aug 25, 2003)

'Just' riding for fun and fitness?

People! This man is a capital S Sandbagger!


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## Dunnigan (9 mo ago)

I got Friel's Fast After 50 book a year or two back, and he notes that age is particularly unkind to the anaerobic efforts like an uphill race start. VO2 max tends to decrease with age (the O2 volume utilized numerator of the ratio tends to decrease, and the kg denominator tends to increase). Training can slow the decline, and gains can be made, of course. But if you haven't trained for anaerobic efforts, those that have will hand you your head on an uphill start, no matter how old you are.

My experience...I turned 50 this year and raced a bit last year in beginner class XC. This past winter I lifted weights and did PT for some nagging stuff. This spring I was consistent with Friel's plan and I am doing my VO2 max intervals. This year I'm competitive in the Sport class. Before last year, my last racing was in 2009, and I'm in better shape now than then. To be honest, masters racers are often bringing in some of the fastest times of the day. This past weekend at a local race, 10 of the 14 riders in Cat 2 were 50+, 5 of those were 60+, and one of those was 71. I raced this course last year as well, and this year with a solid off-season (and with my new Supercaliber), I was waaaay faster. (The Supercaliber is freaking amazing, right?)

My experience is just for <2 hour XC racing. It would be great to hear from masters doing 50 and 100 mile races. Seems like VO2 max would play a lesser role as the length of the race increases, but building up the endurance for 50+ miles in the saddle takes some time. I would get my head handed to me in a 50 mile race.


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## ddoh (Jan 11, 2017)

"age is particularly unkind to the anaerobic efforts like an uphill race start." I haven't read Friel, but I find this an intriguing statement. I know so many people that can drop me on the first climb of the day, but I out-climb them on most (or all) of the uphills after that. On 95% of my group rides I'm the oldest by a lot.


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## jimPacNW (Feb 26, 2013)

I've half joked about finding the other guys who used to do better racing and starting a support group for the formerly fast. It is a transition to accept going from being a 'fast guy' to being 'fast for an old guy'. I'm certain you beat a lot of younger guys, and hopefully gave them some perspective. 

During your 7 year break, did you ease up on the high intensity? I think Friel talks about how common it is for older racers to keep the volume, and give up the high intensity, which is the wrong thing to do if staying fast is your goal. That would be a lot of seasons of high intensity to miss, if so, I bet you could sharpen up quite a bit in just a few months. 
It's totally fair to lose interest in high intensity training, you're motivated until you're not. I've used upcoming races as motivation to stay fit and train, hopefully I'll stay motivated for quite a while, but if not, then I'll have to find some balance for fitness. I do plan to 'cat down' this fall for cyclocross to 55+ cat 3 from 45+ cat1/2 (that group is a little bit crazy fast), and the best I did this year so far in the smaller series races I do is 3rds, but still had some satisfying races.
My local training trails have some great short steep hills, including one that I consider to be exceptionally steep, assuming I stay in the area for a long time, I hope to be able to use that steepest hill to keep my short hill power as I age.


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## Dunnigan (9 mo ago)

ddoh said:


> "age is particularly unkind to the anaerobic efforts like an uphill race start." I haven't read Friel, but I find this an intriguing statement. I know so many people that can drop me on the first climb of the day, but I out-climb them on most (or all) of the uphills after that. On 95% of my group rides I'm the oldest by a lot.


IIRC, he would say it drops off quickly as you age if you don't train it. The decline can be slowed for the elite trained athletes, but not put off forever. For the rest of us who may not have trained to our absolute maximum capacity before, we may actually make gains if we train consistently. As we age, we don't bounce back from the high intensity workouts as fast--our training volume necessarily decreases. It can take a longer "Build" phase to get ready to race. At any age, there's only so much training you can absorb, and age is not your friend on that either. But there's no reason to go gently into the good night. 
There may be more to your success on later climbs than VO2 max. You may buffer lactic acid better and recover faster from over-threshold efforts, have higher watts at threshold, or better endurance in your legs. So those riders that can do that one blistering climb may not be able to match you in your strengths that pay off over the rest of the ride. 
I still enjoy training and racing, learning my changing strengths and weaknesses, strategizing how to get my best results. It's fun to drop guys younger than me, but I'm really racing myself at this point. There's always going to be someone faster, but I can be faster than the me that didn't train and put in the work.


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## Tall BMX'r (Jan 11, 2021)

VO2 Increases with the addition of Testosterone.......... One of our older (early seventies) friends is a competitive road biker. He does Testosterone theropy Hangs in there with the young guys.


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## kosmo (Oct 27, 2004)

Loving all the responses. Thanks, guys! In no particular order:

1. We'll start with a simple observation -- not a statement or judgement or whatever -- I got beat by a few women. That's never happened before. Thank goodness that one was Rose Grant, who beat me like a drum!

2. When I walked away, one thing I swore was that I'd never do another intentional interval workout again. But hell, I still mtb and intervals just happen, especially where I live now, which is more up/down/up/down in shorter bursts than where I previously lived, which was slog up for an hour or so, then descend, then repeat.

3. The start climb was nearly an hour. Not an anaerobic kind of thing. This has always been my bread and butter.

4. Dunnigan, a lot of good stuff in your posts, but at 50, I was at my peak for 100s. Your time will come, grasshopper! 🙃 

5. Jim, I'd have to say my interest in structured high intensity stuff definitely faded during those 7 years. In fact, I'd say I'd about had enough of that stuff two or three years before I pulled the plug! 

6. Finally, and I know better than this, I lost time and fatigue by giving in to the rookie mistake of firming everything up on race day. Tire, shock and fork pressure. I'm embarrassed to admit how many times I've strongly advised others against this nonsense.

Still, a blast, and I'm looking forward to another at the Butte 50, which for my money is the best and possibly toughest 50 anywhere.


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## Dunnigan (9 mo ago)

Tall BMX'r said:


> VO2 Increases with the addition of Testosterone.......... One of our older (early seventies) friends is a competitive road biker. He does Testosterone theropy Hangs in there with the young guys.


I have wondered how many masters are using testosterone. No testing at the small local races.


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## Tall BMX'r (Jan 11, 2021)

I was into standup paddleboard racing for years. I podiumed a number of times. The times I didn't, there was a handful of guys my age with veins bulging out of their necks and forearms. I've known some of these guys for most of my life, and they were never ultra athletes. In fact I did way more miles then they did training, and I never had veins bulging out of my forearms and neck. No testing in these races either. I know one time I had inner ear inflammation. I was causing vertigo to come and go, plus the pressure was very uncomfortable. The ENT gave me some oral steroids to reduce the swelling. He warn me, if I took too many I'd be cleaning my house all night. While I was taking them, I felt like superman. When I paddled my usual 6 miles, my averaging speed was around 5 mph. On the steroids' I maintaining 6 mph for 8 miles, and I felt like I could easily do more. It's crazy. I'm lucky I didn't tear a muscle or have a heart attack. Our friend who juice's with testosterone is thin and ripped with bulging veins. So are a bunch of the older guys he rides with. More power to them They are still charging into their 70's with no pedal assist


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## the mayor (Nov 18, 2004)

As I closed in on my 60s, I started to do more endurance races....maybe because I was losing the snap in my legs but could grind for hours.
The year I turned 60, some races ( both XC and Endurance) added a 60+ Cat 1 class ....Yay!
Then Covid hit and racing stopped.
Then Covid tried to kill me Nov 2020.
I'm now putting out about 15% less power than I did....And most races only have a 50+ Cat 1 class now....which often turns out to be the biggest class of the day( and has quite a few current and former Nat'l Champs) .
I did 2 XC races last year and was the last rolling Cat 1 across the line.
And seeing the prices of some of the Endurance events is getting crazy....I don't have a lot of interest right now.


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## kosmo (Oct 27, 2004)

Update: Raced race two of two 50s for the season. Went even better than the first. Hurt even more afterwards. Definitely done with racing, but not with long, fun rides! 🙃


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## Super E (Nov 5, 2004)

So you did the Butte 50? That’s one tough race. I’m on the fence for truly giving up competition at 60…I say I’m done then go and sign up for another event. Sometimes I regret it afterwards and sometimes not…It’s torturous. I love competition almost as much as a long, hard mtb ride on my single speed.


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## kosmo (Oct 27, 2004)

Super E said:


> So you did the Butte 50?


Yup, a great, TOUGH course. My wife's hometown; part of the course runs close to my late, great FIL's old fenceline; and I've been in and out of the 100 and 50 since the early days of starting at Basin Creek.

A fitting farewell.

Thanks for all the kind words!


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

Dunnigan said:


> I have wondered how many masters are using testosterone. No testing at the small local races.


I have to tell you that the guys I end up racing against in 50+ grind out some serious times. I can't help but think that some have T prescriptions and maybe some other drugs going on.


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