I would like the recovery time but I wouldn't trade it for the wisdom of my years.
I am in better health and shape now at 41 than when I was in my late 20's.
I have more endurance and have accomplished more than when I was younger.

I'm in my 20s... and I have aches too... but no wisdom apparently :P I really got the short end of the stick!

Agreed with Nutty, on my long days it takes me at least 3 miles to get warmed up and turning over with ease. Guess that means I need to be doing more speed work...

i don't think i am misremembering... i don't recall needing to be warmed up - and probably having lots of endomorphins flowing - before being able to get into a smooth, relatively pain free flow.

now if i was doing 15 miles maybe i wouldn't care, but i am talking about 6 - which was yesterday and i'm still sore.

Getting old doesn't bother me, it is the fact that it takes me 4 days to recover now vs the 1 day when I was in my 20's. I also had a better body. Hope the wife doesn't notice :)

I'm banking on the opinion that I won't get good until I'm in my 30s. If thats because of the focus and experience. So be it. Besides, Come 35, I'll only have to run a 3:20 to qualify for boston! ONLY A 3:20!

yeah - what i find interesting is how competitive the 40 to 49 age groups are. i think it is some combination of having enough money for a fancy bike and maybe some kind of empty nester thing.

although i doubt i'll ever be as fast as i once was, or be able to recover like a teenager, i think there is something to this idea that getting older is not worse - just different - leaving aside the wisdom thing.

training as a progressively older person is different than training as a young buck. it seems require more focus and pain, but there is definately some kind of deep reward, even if it is not the speed of a twentysomething.

There is definitely something to that. I was in a training group in Las Vegas that had 2 - peeps in the sixties with 14 IMs between 'em. They had laser-like focus. Perhaps getting a little older does bring the wisdom that unless you're willing to commit to something, you'll never reach your goals. Those two were powerhouses of consistency. They may not have been the fastest in the group, but they were at it every single day. I think that's the difference.

I was just recently thinking back to my college swimming days. I was averaging 15 hours each week (and the recovery day wasn't easy by any means) and was always ready to go again when I got back in the pool. Now at the age of 28 (yikes!) a day of recovery isn't enough and I need more. I'm wondering how I can get more energy because some days after work I've got no life left in me.

forward lookers...I don't get it.

I'm 23 and I certainly like to plan for the future and what-not, but I just don't understand people who say..."[insert life stage] sucks, I CAN'T WAIT to be [insert next stage]"

I just figure if you find ways to enjoy the now, you don't have to wait for the future...it just comes naturally. I'm sure when I'm 40 I'll enjoy what it brings, but I'll be 23 now and that's pretty awesome as well from my perspective

+1 to all of this!!!!

Live for no regrets, every day is a blessing. And yeah, any day with my kids are better than standing on the podium at Kona would ever be.

All that being said, the forties are definitely tougher on the ol' recovery than the 20's and 30's ever were. I busted my body up so bad when I was younger, I have a feeling that aging gracefully is not in the cards. More like keeping a lid on the various aches and pains. And hell, the 40 - 49 year old women are faster than the 20 - 29's. No breaks there!!!!!

Don't get me wrong, I ain't blubberin. My life is aweXome right now, its just that grad school takes alot of time and energy I could otherwise be putting into sport. It's an investment I know, and I wouldn't want it any other way... just sayin. This past weekend at an oly tri, I got passed like a chump by a 44yrold on the bike. From what I've learned in the last yr or two and how I've been able to progress... come 2020, I'm going to be a force.

There is no bloody way I would give anything to have the recovery time I had in my 20's...it would probably come with a healthy dose of zits, awkwardness, and angst...
All that said...I actually find now as I head into my late 50's (USAT 55-59 next year!) that my drop in speed is noticeable but my endurance is fine...my recovery is ...ok. but I'm the soul of caution and walking breaks help...
The plus side? My age group is smaller! Look at most races and you'll see that after 45-49 they drop by almost half...All I have to do is hold on till the 90-95 AG and I might break top ten in my AG!
I remember my races from the 40-44,45-49...sometimes I'd get hardware, but mostly I'd get spanked....but now? Those guys don't show up anymore... they quit a long time ago.

Anton - life is an endurance event!

I have lost sprinting speed, jumping ability, and some reflexive reaction time since my 20's, but at 39 I am without a doubt in the best shape of my life. I have been running for 10 years now and doing tris for 3. It is amazing how much better I feel training for tris than solely running. I have aches and pains now and then but they don't bother me much. The biggest difference in my attitude now, is that I don't feel like I have to be religious with my training plans. I use them as a guide and listen to my body in regards to rest and when to push it. I know a big mental adjustment will take place when the PR's stop coming, but I feel extremely fortunate that I have been lucky enough to get faster each of the last 10 years. My best marathon and triathlon are still to come.

+1 on the smaller age groups. I am 67 and although I am not as fast as I was in my 50's, but neither is the competition. It is much easier to have an age group placing and to qualify for things such as USAT Nationals, etc. as the number of qualifiers is the same regardless of the number in your group. In addition, it is really nice to be able to train whenever you want and not have to fit it around your work schedule ... so I say bring it on. I can't wait until I move to the 70-74 age group!!!