HERE WE GO 2014

As I mentioned in my last post, I needed some time to reflect and evaluate what activities and goals to set for 2014 that will acknowledge that my knees are going to prevent me from doing what my mind wants them to do.  Growing old gracefully is not in my makeup as it probably is not in yours either. While the recommended treatments for rheumatoid arthritis is to lose weight and exercise, I already meet those recommendations.  Unfortunately running is not included in their recommend exercises.

So I've been experimenting with a limited amount of desert trail running/walking as a substitute for run training in the classical sense.  It appears my knees will not let me perform quality speed work or long distance runs, the cornerstones of improving your running performance and conditioning.  I've resorted to the following after 6 weeks of experimentation:  1) Desert trail runs with material elevation changes twice a week following a 3:30 min jog then a 1:30 walk, repeat as needed.  2) Alieve 1 hour before said runs. 3) Ice on knees following said runs.  4) Machine weight workouts twice a week emphasizing the lateral leg muscles (ie, abductors and aductors), calves (eccentric foot drops), quads, hamstrings, gluts. 5) Bike rides twice a week. 6) One rest day per week.  7) At some point I may actually start some pool workouts, don't know when.  I don't follow this routine uniformly each week, but target the workouts around "living".  I have worked my longer "runs" up to 8 miles with 1,000 ft elevation change and can average under 10 min/mile with the run/walk routine.  Not fast but better than walking the whole way.

This gives me the opportunity to digress into the impact of aging on the competitiveness of athletes. I used the USAT Rating system  as a "for example" (visit usatriathlon.org for a complete description of how this is calculated --- basically 100 = par and your time is measured relative to par as a percentage).

The graph and data below demonstrates how age impacts the top performances achieved by the best male triathletes as a function of age (similar results for women).  You could use the USAT Ratings data to literally handicap each athlete by age, similar to the par ratings of golfers.  And,  you can compare the relative effort of a 30-yr old male to that of a 60-yr old male. For example, a 30-yr old would have to be about 21% faster than a 60-yr old (108/89 = 121) on an age-adjusted basis to have out-performed him in a race.

 
Even more interesting is the steady improvement in the top athlete ratings in each age group over time. For example in the 65-69 age group (mine) the top rating has improved over time as follows:  2010 (79.1),  2011 (83.1 - the year I finished first at age 65),  2012 (85.3),  2013 (86.6).  And, these numbers are usually put up by the younger athletes in the age group. So, I'm not only getting slower due to age but faster athletes are entering my (and your) age group.

OK, for 2014 I've settled on two "A"races:  ITU world championship in Edmonton Canada (September 1), and the Arizona Ironman (November).  I don't expect to win my age group in either as I won't be as competent on the run as the other age groupers, but would like to podium.  Besides, at the Arizona Ironman I will be racing with my son in the field which is a treat.  I will fill in the calendar leading up to those races with a variety of events including bicycle races, duathlons, and a few triathlons as my knees will permit.  And some golf.