How old were you when you realized you were past your prime?

[Mustonen]

I'm 35, and am just beginning to realize that maybe, just maybe, things I could do 5 years ago without a second thought might not be completely possible for me anymore. I'm stronger in a lot of ways, but in terms of agility, speed and direction changes, etc, I'm beginning to suspect that it might not JUST be about not being in top physical condition, but that my top physical condition upper limit might have declined.

A lot of it is state of mind, and I'll work myself back into a state of denial soon enough. How old were you when you began to doubt your immortality? When you stopped laughing in the face of Father Time?

[The AD]

I'm 46 and I still feel like my upper limit is still there, but it is fleeting. Recovery takes longer, injuries take longer to heal, etc. I just can't go out there and punish myself day in and day out like I could when I was younger.

[Buster Highmen]

I haven't gotten there yet. Then again, I don't remember laughing in the face of father time; I don't remember much from the 70s.

I did a lot more stupid shit then. So there's that.

[stfu&gbtw]

Funny you should write this... I just had a serious "come to jesus" meeting with myself about 3 weeks ago. I'm getting ready to turn 40 and things were starting to slide. I had just crested 200lbs for the first time in my life, where 180ish is more appropriate for my build. I realized two things - one, my body is definitely slowing down, and two - if I was going to choose not to become the pudgy mid aged dude I always said I wouldn't be, now was the time to prevent that. So, for the last 3 weeks I've been working my ass off. 2 hours of exercise and eating roughly 1000 cal/day. I'm lucky to have the sort of personality that once I decide to do something, some switch gets flipped and I don't have to continue debating with myself. I started at 204 and weighed 187 this morning. I'll switch to some as-yet undetermined maintenance routine when I get to <175, figuring it'll probably increase from there a bit. I'm guessing that's another 4-6 weeks. But all that being said - my knees are shot, I'm waiting on back surgery... My best skiing has been done already. There's just no getting around that.

Bottom line - getting old sucks. It's a losing battle to attempt to stave off the inevitable, but the alternative to fighting it is pretty fucking unpleasant.

[riser4]

I was 5. All downhill from there.

[old goat]

One year the Sierra Sun published all the times for the Donner Lake Triathalon. In every 5 year age class the winner was in the youngest year of the age class. Everyone knows a 25 year old is going to beat a 45 year old every time; it's discouraging to realize that most often so will a 40 year old. Starting in your late 20's we all start to lose endurance every year; as you get into your mid 50's or so you start losing more than you lost the year before; the curve keeps getting steeper. Also, you're past your prime a lot sooner than you realize you're past your prime.
When I go to a club to hear music the line for the men's room is longer than the line for the women's.
I leave you with this cheerful tune:

[mcski]

When all the pro athletes my age or older had retired

[sb]

[Kopi_Red]

I was 19 when I realized that I was a mere mortal. I narrowly avoided a head on collision where both cars were traveling at or above 70mph. I should have died that day.

I'm 31 now and last year was when I noticed that I've lost a step or two. A friend bet me that I couldn't do something and instead of proving him wrong, which had been my SOP, I just accepted his assertion. I know that when I was 25 I would've jumped at the opportunity to prove him wrong and then rub it in his face when I completely dominated the task. When I was working last week it him me again that I'm slowing down. I was loading a sprayer full of chemical and I needed to hop up on the bed of a split deck trailer and instead of just jumping up there I hesitated for a moment and then climbed up. Finally I really noticed it in my skiing this year. I've slowed down a bit and I don't push it as hard as I used to.

[SkiBall]

44-45 when it was most dramatic. Energy/recovery started becoming a non-given.

[nutmegchoi]

When my ex-boyfriend told me "If you were in your prime, I would've never had a game".
I didn't know what to make of that...

[Mofro261]

A lot of it is state of mind, and I'll work myself back into a state of denial soon enough. How old were you when you began to doubt your immortality? When you stopped laughing in the face of Father Time?

I have persisted in a non-aging state for a very long time, but tracing it back, it was probably around the time I crushed my 4th ACL.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

45 after a near fatal ski accident. Things were really great until then, now I'm much slower and more cautious.

[PNWbrit]

But you can't beat the free two day delivery.

And the free streaming video is nearly as comprehensive as Netflix.

[frorider]

If you focus on the endurance question (not agility), the data are encouraging. Here's a recent study : https://runnersconnect.net/running-t...ultramarathon/

In both men and women, the average time per age group followed a gradual U-shaped curve. Finish times improved significantly when moving from the 18-24 age group to the 28-29 group, and again when moving up to the 30-34 group.
From here, there was no statistical difference in finish time all the way to the 45-49 age group in men and the 50-54 age group in women.

Some of my Mtb partners over the yrs have been pro adventure runners or endurance riders...it was common knowledge that your 40s were the best decade for that shit.

[GiBo]

44-45 when it was most dramatic. Energy/recovery started becoming a non-given.

Yup. It's hit or miss for me now (49... for another month anyway ). One day I can do my WO and I feel like I'm 25. Next time I feel 75. I just never know what I'm going to get. And if I say do chores all day Saturday and ski or ride on Sunday, my run on Monday is invariably shit. Just too much time on the legs with no rest.

But I'm fucking wise as hell. So I got that going for me.

[swissiphic]

A bit of drift here but thought i'd post anyway. Excluding all the other variables of what can happen in life to derail vitality and extinguish existence, these charts give me hope. I pretty much ski tour exclusively and though marathon running ain't ski touring, I'll keep these in back of mind moving forward. I'm in my early 40's and life has tossed a few pretty serious debilitating curve balls during the 20's and 30's and humbly grateful to feel the vitality and performance now that I missed earlier in life.

Yes, granted, a lot of stars must align to maintain a life trajectory that offers the context of the optimal performance moving forward, but, if life offers the opportunity to keep kickin' it into my late sixties and it takes an extra 60-80 minutes to ascend 4000 vertical feet, it really ain't that bad... Very narrow life focus here, but just sayin...

I think it's good to have old school role models; having extended in depth conversations about life, wellness and fitness with my mountain life mentor back in my 20's while he was in his 70's really brought about an awareness of the ebbs and flows of all aspects of fitness, health, injury and recovery.

The takeaway was, listen to the body, optimize the inputs, have patience in healing from injury, work back into exercise slowly, carefully and sensitively as one ages...and you too can hump 100 pound loads of roofing materials up a 1500 foot trail to a cabin in the mountains in your late 60's.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

One of the docs I work with won his first overall Ridge to River Relay here in Wenatchee at 40 and won 8 times between then and 50.

[rod9301]

The key is to stay with it. Lift heavy weights, at least 10 hours of aerobic something a week. Some stuff that redlines you.

And then ski a lot, and do all the stuff that you like.

I'm 67, and I'm still improving in my skiing, and in my uphill times.

And I think I ski better than ever.

Maybe a bit more cautious, but probably couldn't tell by watching.

[Dhelihiker]

a near fatal ski accident. Things were really great until then, now I'm much slower and more cautious.

I had a similar experience and it has affected me more than age, I'm 39, I feel strong AF but I get scurred when its firm over exposure. I used to absolutely love it.

I dont just throw myself off of shit anymore either, I still huck but it needs to be perfect. I dont ever want a persistent limp.

I have learned to enjoy skiing with my wife more too, its fun pushing her and watching her have breakthroughs

[MagnificentUnicorn]

But you can't beat the free two day delivery.

And the free streaming video is nearly as comprehensive as Netflix.

?????

[iceman]

?????

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DBYBNEE...kZaxoCA43w_wcB

[Buster Highmen]

My acl tear @ 45 made a dent in the psyche.

I'll still do little cliffs (<20') but anything big is out of the picture. Honestly, I never really liked to ski all that fast, I've always liked doing lots of gorfy turns.

But one thing the acl tear did was it forced me to focus on staying in shape. I never really worked out after I left ski racing at age 18, but after having a broom stick for a leg and a tough comeback season, that put the fear of skilessness in me.

Sso I'm trying to hit the gym more and more.

And while I'm sweating and grunting, I focus on that long bootpack up Tiger Claw @ Silverton and wanting to be able to float up that thing like Shocklee.

Since doing that, I sometimes think I'm actually getting better,.

Until I try to go tour with mofro, then I know I'm old and slow.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DBYBNEE...kZaxoCA43w_wcB

Oh I get it now, more of that British humour.

[raisingarizona13]

I was going to start a post about the mid-life crisis and coming to terms with the fact that we aren't what we used to be.

This happened to me about three or four years ago and it motivated me to go to school which in a way has forced me to realize even more that I'm no longer in my twenties or even mid thirties for that matter. Last summer I think I had my "final straw injury" that has had me deeply evaluating my personal values. It wasn't a very serious injury, I just dislocated two fingers but it hurt really bad and it still hurts today, this was over a year ago. All of a sudden my thinking has completely changed and going backpacking sounds a lot more attractive then flying as fast as I can down single track on my mountain bike. That being said I had a killer time this past winter while we were getting the snow. It made me feel young again and it was nice to find out that I could still ski as long as I get in a good chunk of consecutive days in a row with decent snow.

stfu&gbtw says that he feels the need to get motivated to work hard at staying fit and young but for me, in all honesty the drive isn't really there. I'm sort of having a bit of inner conflict with this, a part of me wants to fight and the other, well it wants to say fuck it and just enjoy getting older. I guess I'm not that type-a personality that is crazy driven. I'm finding that school is exhausting and I often don't have much energy left for the fun stuff. Another aspect is that riding bikes or skiing every day has lost it's magic for me, I still love both activities but if I do it everyday I get wicked bored with them so it's hard for me to stay in really good shape. I suppose there is running or the gym but fuck those just sound like work and unenjoyable imo.

I feel tired and I think I'm a little worn out from my youthful quest to prove whatever it was I felt like proving.

Unless you have trust fund or are wired to be an intense nut I'm afraid life eventually has it's natural impacts.