What does it feel like to turn 50?

I don't even drink, but I spent my entire 50th birthday drunk.

As long as I can keep up with these slow "30 going 40 year" olds, I don't think that is a problem.

If you kept yourself in good health then 50 can be a fantastic time in one's life. You got the experience, money, time and best of all great health at it's peak. You can go up, up and up well into older age.

Now if you smoked and drank since a teenager then 50's can definitely be the beginning of a sharp, fast decline in all respects.

A few thoughts about aging.

I remember when my future father-in-law turned 50, and I was told not to bring up his age because he didn't like turning 50.

Well that was a long time ago and I'm 66 now and never felt quite like that. Although at certain times not thrilled about the idea of aging.

But when I was in my 20's I never imagined that I would feel this good at 66. I have been lucky and I still don't feel old. I'm retired, my kids are independent, am financially comfortable and quite frankly I do whatever the hell I want to do.

I exercise daily, can do 50 pushups (okay only 45 good ones). I bike, run, lift, hike, take nature walks and fish.

Would I want to be 30 again? And give all this up, I don't think so. Plus if I want the kid thing, I have a cool grandson to play with but not have to worry about.

There are negatives. The body doesn't recuperate from exercise as easily and if I make a mistake, strain to hard when lifting, it takes forever to come back. Running is now the toughest on my body. I only run trails. My memory isn't as sharp as it used to be. Sex once a week, but there are an occasional failure to engage, but not frequent and not really an issue. I'm more sore in different joints, vision is less, stuff like that, but life in the mid60s is just good.

Back when I was young, I had no idea being this age would be this good.

(Truth in posting, a few years ago when my wife battled with an aggressive cancer, I couldn't have made this post. But she is in great health now so all is good)

The sex is awesome.

Warm apple pie.

But 5 times a day.

Passed 50 ahwile ago wrote:

As long as I can keep up with these slow "30 going 40 year" olds, I don't think that is a problem.

Except you can't. Not the good ones at least.

Co-Flounder wrote:

The sex is awesome.

This is very good news for me. Having a high sex drive I always worried that after 50 sex doesn't feel the same.

PineUp wrote:

Co-Flounder wrote:

The sex is awesome.

This is very good news for me. Having a high sex drive I always worried that after 50 sex doesn't feel the same.

The biggest problem with sex after 50 is that you're probably stuck with someone who you've been bored with in the bedroom for years by then, and on top of that they are becoming increasingly unattractive and undesirable.

Ron Scaremy wrote:

PineUp wrote:

This is very good news for me. Having a high sex drive I always worried that after 50 sex doesn't feel the same.

The biggest problem with sex after 50 is that you're probably stuck with someone who you've been bored with in the bedroom for years by then, and on top of that they are becoming increasingly unattractive and undesirable.

Not true.

I just turned 49. Rehabbing a quadriceps rupture/tear from back in March. This may be an injury that wouldn't have happened 15-20 years ago to me. A vicious thing, I can walk fine now, but struggle with stairs and climbing. So I would say as we approach or pass 50, you need to be more careful. Your mind may think you are 30 but your body isn't..

WinnytheBish wrote:

Passed 50 ahwile ago wrote:

As long as I can keep up with these slow "30 going 40 year" olds, I don't think that is a problem.

Except you can't. Not the good ones at least.

i'd knock you out

more gym time and less running will help the process

59 here, soon to turn 60.

Retired, very comfortable financially, not so comfy running. Was a consistent mid 30's 10K guy in my youth, but things have changed. Still run 4 times per week, bike, swim, chase and beg the wife a couple times per month.

Probably the best time in my life so far - good health is greater than any wealth!

WinnytheBish wrote:

Passed 50 ahwile ago wrote:

As long as I can keep up with these slow "30 going 40 year" olds, I don't think that is a problem.

Except you can't. Not the good ones at least.

I am not talking about the good ones. And I was never that good. But when these 30 year old in my running group start talking about running fast, I almost start crying. They are so damn slow it is unbelievable.

I (63) agree with every sentence of Dan's post, my wife's cancer put a lot in perspective also.

I'm closing in on 47 and already dreading turning 50.

To be honest though, I don't really notice anything to terrible regarding the physical aspect, but I'm seeing grey hairs pop up on my temples and chest, and nothing says "hey your changing" like your hair going grey.

I'm looking to retire at 60, so I'm well over half way in my career too. My wife is a few years older than I, and already past the 50 mark, and she handled it fine, although she did go through a very quick menopause and served as yet another reminder that we are closer to death than birth.

50 felt exactly like 49 and 51. I've been in shape for the past two decades of my life after falling off a bit in my thirties when my kids were young. I weigh 20 pounds less than I did in college playing football, I work out and run or ride six times a week, I have sex four times a week with my wife of over twenty years. That part of my life is the biggest surprise because it's so much fun. Money's good and I spend about zero time thinking about myself. Life is freaking awesome. Oh yeah, it helps a ton not to have drank for the past thirty or so years. So much wasted energy, money and poor health dedicated to that pursuit by so many. It's pathetic, really.

55 now. Physical activity has always been the greatest joy to me. Physically, I would say sometime around 50 the decrease in quad power (which I have done nothing to address) feels profoundly different. Can't see myself jumping down off a 5 foot wall, and just don't feel explosive any more. My mind and body have adopted to running at a slower pace, but I can still run comfortably at 7:30 pace for longish runs, and that feels good. Same endorphin release when I finish a run. Other things like reading vision has deteriorated for sure. I happen to have a couple of herniated disks, that annoy, but aren't really restrictive. I can run, bike, golf, (shot 75 on Sunday) and otherwise enjoy an active life. (Ditto what another poster said about recovery time being slower). Desire in the bedroom has decreased in frequency, but orgasms are still orgasms. I can't really complain. I'm hoping if I stay active the above will more or less hold true for many more years of enjoyment, albeit I'm sure the performances will decline gradually.