Training smarter as we get older

A change in the way we approach our fitness training has made a massive positive difference. We’re trying to train smarter as we get older, not just for performance but for enjoyment and our general health. Hopefully, it’s a change that’ll maximise our life expectancy too.

We’re not twenty anymore.

The problem with aging is that it happens gradually.  Often, we keep hammering away at things like we were bullet proof 20-year-olds, expecting the same results.  But, while we weren’t looking, a few decades have passed and we finally have to admit that we’re not as bullet proof as we once were. We don’t want to look this fact in the eye because we don’t feel that much older. But that damn mirror tells a different story.

Don’t get me wrong, I think raising your middle finger to aging is often the right thing to do. There’s a great quote that says; “The trick is to die young, as late as possible.” Here here!  Don’t let getting older stop you from doing or trying anything if you can help it. That’s certainly my motto, and it’s absolutely (with bells on) Glynis’s.  But if you are into physical fitness, getting smarter about how you train as you get older is worth considering.

The spark for change.

As is often with me, much of the impetus for this change came via reading. Specifically, about longevity and fitness needs as you get older. I credit the spark to a book called “Bike For Life:  How to Ride to 100 and Beyond” by Roy M. Wallack.

The rest is down to Glynis and me tweaking things, finding what works for our lifestyles, with a good dollop of making-it-up-as-we-go-along thrown in for good measure. To qualify things, we do both have a long background in fitness. As much as G will hate me saying, she’s been an athlete most of her life, as have I.  So, making it up as we go along is laced with long experience in knowing what we can individually do.

So what are we doing differently?

The difference is essentially down to three simple things:

1. Shorter intense sessions rather than endurance training. It’s been a bit of a needs-must approach for me as I’ve simply not had the time to train like I used to. The result, however, has been increased fitness on less training, and the way we’ve been doing it has been fun and engaging at the same time!
2. We’re also getting off the bike and doing other training, thereby adding other important dimensions to our fitness: weight training, cross training, and I’d like to say flexibility, but I can’t claim that, though Glynis can.
3. Having a training partner to support, cajole, challenge and be in your corner come what may.

Intensity via our Smart Trainers

I’d go so far as to say we couldn’t do what we’re doing without our smart trainers. They’ve been a total game changer for us, letting us add intensity in a short time-frame. While they can provide absolute torture sessions sometimes, they have also been the gateway to increased motivation and fun.

So, what are they?

Our smart trainers are sophisticated machines that sit in our garage. They replace the rear wheels of our bikes

and hook up to computers. Using these we can ‘ride’ in online, virtual worlds: just like the real world, if you ride uphill it gets harder, if you ride downhill, or even behind someone else it gets easier.  You can just ride and explore these worlds, or enter a myriad events and races. If you want, you can compete against 100’s of other actual people doing the same thing in real time (all of them in their own basement, garage, or spare bedroom).

The thing that’s helped us most is the workout mode. Here you do prescribed training sessions, with the computer precisely controlling the power. It will be easy, hard or anywhere in between, at different sections of the session.

You can even design your own custom sessions. I did this a lot in the lead up to the Age Group Nationals earlier this year. The bulk of my training was done on the smart trainer, programming in the sessions according to what my coach wanted me to do.

I could go on and on about the benefits we’ve seen with the trainers. It’s been a massive change, and for the good. There are game elements to it, it’s motivating and engaging, and super tough at times.  It’s also targeted and precise with training sessions and plans aimed at specific things (like Time Trialling for me). Because it’s so targeted, it’s possible to get fantastic training in a much shorter period.

For me, I can easily find an hour to train, and even do it while the kids are around (whereas I can’t go out on the road to train for a few hours while they are here).  Ted will often sit on the exercise bike in the garage and ‘ride’ with Glynis or I while we’re training.

Getting off the bike

We were doing weights for a good period, and though we’ve tailed off it due to a few things, it’ll absolutely come back into our regime.  Weights are frowned upon in some cycling circles but it’s something that has so many benefits, not just for cycling but for general health as we get older.  It’s a complete must for retaining muscle mass and bone density; big things to hold onto.

We also add a liberal sprinkle of mountain biking, tramping, walking, swimming, and even dancing.  Glynis has a regular core class and has also just started back to yoga.

The importance of a training partner.

Having each other as training partners has been a major key.  We support each other, but equally, seem to know when It’s OK to be competitive with each other, egging each other to new levels.

Crucially, we also have open minds and aren’t afraid to try new things to see what works.  We listen to each other (mostly) and each of us will take the lead sometimes. Conversely both of us know when it’s best to just hang on for grim death and follow.

As always, there’s a big difference between knowing what to do and actually doing it, and that’s where a good training partner to keep you honest, a good plan (whether your own, or from a coach), and some clever tools makes it all possible.

What we love…

One thing we really love about this way of training; it doesn’t suggest slowing down as you get older. It says, go at it hard and intensely and swap some of the volume of training you might have done as a younger person for this shorter intensity. It’s an approach that resonates with us and it’s working.  “Growing old is not for sissies” is something we’ve got written on the wall in front of our trainers in case we need reminding 😊

What we’re not so good at…

While the smart trainers have been a revelation, we do both get a bit carried away at times, like stringing together days on end of very intense workouts when we should be taking it easy on some rides.  The Ride For Life book proposes a whole-of-life training plan that is simplicity itself, whereby you follow an intense training day with an easy training day; go hard, then go easy.  They call this plan ’The Blend’ and it’s something we aspire to but often find it hard to adhere to. Instead, we’ll do blocks of intense days followed by a day or two off. There’s always something to work on 😊.

I’m also not so good at stretching and really need to incorporate this into my life.  It’s weird how I know it will absolutely help me get better as a cyclist and specifically as a time trialist, yet I don’t get off my butt and do it.  I feel bad about it and need to find a way that works for me.

It’s making us better.

So, there you have it. More intensity, less volume, more than just cycling, and adding fun and interest into all that we’re doing. It’s made for engaged and stronger ‘us’. We have a few goals in mind that will give us a gauge as to how this approach plays out. But really, regardless of results, we’re better humans because of it