I'm not getting older! I'm just losing youngness.

At least I have experience on my side.....

Not getting older, just getting faster! ;)

Its funny, my husband asked me to clarify what I mean by "girls" that I know. We're all in our mid to late 30's, or older, and I'm still calling myself and them girls. Mentally I'm not a thirty-something, and physically I look much younger than my age (despite those nice white hairs that stick straight out of my head!).

Age is a state of mind. With this attitude, I'll be out there when I'm 90....

The 40's are brutal....look at any race and you'll see the 40's turning in really fast times..often much faster than he 30's and 20's.
I am very proud to have won some ag awards in my 40's...Really looked forward to my 50-54...half the number of people that are in a 45-49 usually.The only problem...they're ALL fast!

Not older, more aerodynamic (bald) and more efficient.

.....and when a lady thinks it time to color her hair, it probably is! :D

I'm with you Anton, in a coupla years I'll be in the 50-55 ag and hopefully the women will be slower and fewer:p

Interesting article - but no matter what we lose because of age, the benefits of staying active as we age should be everyone's top priority. I still feel like 21, act like 18 and luckily look a lot younger (thanks mom & dad).

Ant

I might die at 62 from a massive infarction during some race but...damn! I'll look good!...And remember..."It's better to look good than to feel good!"
mdittfurth...you rock! I agree...Noone gets out alive, but "I'll be a blue nosed gopher" if I'm going to sit in the rockin' chair...ever.

Interesting read, something I've thought a lot about in this last year. My times have been steadily faster over the last 5 years, but I know sooner or later that peak is coming (I'll be 41 in a couple of months). Realistically, I've got about the next 5 years or less to be competitive in an overall sense, after that it'll just be age group stuff. And I really don't have the time at this point in my life to be putting in the training and the racing it would take to be highly competitive over the next few years (having young kids and all) so it looks like my time will come and go without that happening. It's something I'm really having to come to terms with. It's weird to think about peaking and never getting faster, really weird!

As far as finishing times goes, the 45 - 49 isn't that much slower than the 40 - 44. I took a look at the Kona qualifying times in the IM that I did, and the last 45 - 49'er that qualified was only 7 minutes behind the 40 - 44'er. So the competition is still pretty stiff, even in the next age group up.

Other than that, aging doesn't bother me at all. I swim with a bunch of guys who are in their 40s, 50s and 60s and they are all tough and really in great shape. Many of them place highly in their age group at Masters Nationals (I swim with a guy who swam a 1:09 for 100 backstroke at age 55!) I like being around them because I feel very positively about getting older and staying fit when I have such great examples around me.

Did my first tri last year at 37 -- and ys the 35-39 male group is fast! My goal is to be really competitive by the time I transition to 40-44. In each of my 3 races last year I moved up in Ag % -- 40%, 32%, 24% of finishers. Would like to be top10% by 40...

Age is a state of mind. I am the same person I've always been, I just look different in the mirror (and your willingness to take risks drops a bt with kids). Great thing about this sport is that I don't look quite as "different" than my college buddies.

I will be hitting the big 4-0 in May.
I PR'd my 9th marathon this fall, 36 minutes faster than my 1st one in 2003.
Maybe I am just train better or smarter?

You can tell because I am so HUGE and Muscular can't you?:D

I'll be turning 41 in a couple of weeks and just started with my tri-training in January. Never ever done this before.... So I know I must get better as I get older. If you start at the bottom, as in even below the gopher holes, there's only up!:p