I am about to turn 49. Is that old? I am not 50! I am still in my 40s. I can still run. I am not a grandmaster yet. That's 50 an above. Can l still run fast? Or am l just an old dude who was fast? If worked out super hard, would l be able to beat my 21 year old college self? What about the hot girls in college ?Would they talk to me at 49? I am married, but if l wasn't would they give me the time of day? Basically is 49 old or not yet?
I'm 48, also. And yes, I'm think about the big 50, also. Are we old?
Yes and no. It's all relative. In the eyes of those younger than us, we're old. In the eyes of all those 49 and up, we're young. And it'll always be that way. There's always someone older and always someone younger.
I've learned to embrace getting older (as much as possible). After all, the only alternative to getting older, is to die. Just realize, that someday you'll be 55, 60 or maybe even 80. You'll look back at your 48-50 year old self and be jealous af of him. Lol. So, make the most of it.
GettingFasterDude wrote:
I'm 48, also. And yes, I'm think about the big 50, also. Are we old?
Yes and no. It's all relative. In the eyes of those younger than us, we're old. In the eyes of all those 49 and up, we're young. And it'll always be that way. There's always someone older and always someone younger.
I've learned to embrace getting older (as much as possible). After all, the only alternative to getting older, is to die. Just realize, that someday you'll be 55, 60 or maybe even 80. You'll look back at your 48-50 year old self and be jealous af of him. Lol. So, make the most of it.
I remember when I was 49 working on turning 50. I felt young for my age and my goal was to dominate the 50's age bracket in local races. The idea of turning 50 did seem a bit weird to me. I didn't feel at all like a guy working on 50.
Well I still feel young and active, but back when I was 49 I would have felt my life was over at the age I am now. But its not. We have many years to adjust to the age we are turning, but sometimes it still feels strange.
Life expectancy at age 65 is increasing by about 1.5 years/decade. Antiaging medicine is advancing, but it might not be fast enough to make a big difference for you and me.
I suspect by the time the twentysomethings on this board reach 50, we will be on the cusp of near immortality. I know that sounds impossibly science fiction, but the advances over the past 10 years have been promising.
Not if you are older than 49.
Just win the day. Don't concern yourself with what others may or may not think because that is not important. It's your life, live it.
There's nothing wrong with being a Grandmaster, so embrace the Nasty:
fisky wrote:
I suspect by the time the twentysomethings on this board reach 50, we will be on the cusp of near immortality. I know that sounds impossibly science fiction, but the advances over the past 10 years have been promising.
Are you kidding? Even with all of the medical advancements in recent years, the life expectancy in the US dropped several times during the period of 2012-2020. Right now it is nearly identical to what it was in 2013. As our waistline keep getting bigger (and they are every year), we are barely able to maintain the same life expectancy. If the obesity trend continues like it is, we will begin to see a reduced life expectancy. Science can't keep up with our eating habits and lack of exercise.
Just look at the change from 1990 until today.
https://obesity.procon.org/us-obesity-levels-by-state/You're only as old as you feel. Keep running, racing, track workouts, whatever!
I felt 48 was old. I stopped 'healing normally.'
Paper cuts took longer to heal and I need more sleep for recovery.
50 felt like a wall. Cognitively. We just get worse.
I'm pretty big so women still look at me. I don't feel good looking though. I'm still a guy but want to be decent.
50 is the new 30.
Enjoy every day.
Lazier and Lazier wrote:
fisky wrote:
I suspect by the time the twentysomethings on this board reach 50, we will be on the cusp of near immortality. I know that sounds impossibly science fiction, but the advances over the past 10 years have been promising.
Are you kidding? Even with all of the medical advancements in recent years, the life expectancy in the US dropped several times during the period of 2012-2020. Right now it is nearly identical to what it was in 2013. As our waistline keep getting bigger (and they are every year), we are barely able to maintain the same life expectancy. If the obesity trend continues like it is, we will begin to see a reduced life expectancy. Science can't keep up with our eating habits and lack of exercise.
Just look at the change from 1990 until today.
https://obesity.procon.org/us-obesity-levels-by-state/
Obesity, global warming, increasing gun culture, mutant viruses, increasing violence and erosion of democracy........ So far our track record with all its advanced science has not done well with these issues.
Good luck 20 something you will need it.
49 isn't old when you're 59.
To actually address your question, though: I felt the physical dropoff of 50s vs 40s was bigger than the physical dropoff of 40s vs 30s. But that may have been because I was drinking like a fish in my 30s and running 40 miles a week in my 40s.
49 ain't old. 77 is old.
I think it all come down to your 5k time and whether you can still beat Greg in the marathon.
34 only wrote:
I think it all come down to your 5k time and whether you can still beat Greg in the marathon.
That is a very low bar, since Greg has never run anything longer than 10 miles, ever!
Lazier and Lazier wrote:
Are you kidding? Even with all of the medical advancements in recent years, the life expectancy in the US dropped several times during the period of 2012-2020. Right now it is nearly identical to what it was in 2013. As our waistline keep getting bigger (and they are every year), we are barely able to maintain the same life expectancy. If the obesity trend continues like it is, we will begin to see a reduced life expectancy. Science can't keep up with our eating habits and lack of exercise.
The drop in life expectancy is mostly due to the opioid epidemic.
"the proximate causes of the decline are increases in opioid overdose deaths, suicide, homicide, and Alzheimer's disease."
https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-082619-104231You're not old, dude. Pretty sure Tom Brady is like 77 years old right now and he's still playing football at an extremely high level.
No it's not because you can still tap 20 year old escorts and feel the same age as them. I'd recommend lifting so your testosterone doesn't deteriorate excessively.
I'd gone through some overtraining phases in my mid-forties and seemed like I was also always injured. Rested almost the entire year when I was 46. Got back on the bike and slowly back into running. After I turned 49, I started training in earnest in January by setting some goals for different races for the year.
As a 49-year-old, I ran a 28 min 8k, a 59 flat 10-miler and a 1:20 flat half. I had plans on a 2:52 marathon but two weeks before the race pulled a hamstring doing some striders before a workout. Didn't make it to the line for the full. But from an age graded standpoint I think I was hovering in the 85% range for all of the times I ran.
While not earth shattering times, I felt as good at 49 as I had in years by training smart. Now I'm 58 and still feel pretty decent. (Not sure my 49-year-old times would be achievable again, but I may try!)