Comments on: Peak Fitness Event

By: Camp Software

Camp Software — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 12:24:03 +0000

This is a keeper! Good info! fatty I hope you keep writing more blogs like this one. I appreciate you sharing this with the rest of us fatty.

By: Michael

Michael — Sat, 13 Jul 2013 02:03:46 +0000

@AKchick55 – I’m not in Anchorage, but I did live there at one time, and I was in town last year when Holly won Mt. Marathon. It’s pretty remarkable what that APU team is doing, and it seems like no one in the lower 48 is aware of it at all.

When I was in town last year, I borrowed an old ’90s steel mt bike and was riding up one of the hills in Eagle River when I started passing teenagers on XC-ski-type roller blades working their way up the hill. Evidently, it was one of the local high school teams squeezing in a set of hill repeats (and getting a car ride back down to the bottom—sweet). It made me want to move my kids to Alaska and get them involved in the XC-ski scene.

Please do post your Denali pics if you get a good some good ones!

By: GregC

GregC — Sat, 13 Jul 2013 00:51:19 +0000

For me, my available time to ride took a significant bump up when I stopped coaching and refereeing my kids sports as they got older. As I got fitter, I enjoyed cycling more and rode more. There is a fine line between a passion and an obsession- sometimes we have to do a reality check to see where we are (and where we want to be with that work- family- cycling tradeoff). Riding on a regular basis with much younger and faster people has been a significant motivation for me to keep pushing hard and drop a few lbs. The downside is that every year I’m tracking my max HR decline, yet my times get faster, which seems backwards. I attribute my continued improvement to better equipment, better training and nutrition- who knows where my PFE is. I think the other key is staying healthy. And yes, I do relish kicking Matt C/ Marsupial Matt’s hind end on a regular basis too!

By: Kukui

Kukui — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 22:38:46 +0000

It’s time to buy a fast sports car to compensate for the loss of speed leading up to the Long Taper.

With a bike rack, of course…

By: Doug (Way upstate NY)

Doug (Way upstate NY) — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 15:40:13 +0000

Personally I am glad to be reaching a peak fitness. Not the fact that I may be peaking, but… If I can get this guy, who was a pretty nonathletic kid, to approach what my maximum potential at any point in my life could have been, I call that a win.

I also think its cool to say I am in the best shape of my life and have it be from my own blood, sweat and tears and not some bottle of palm oil or other crack pot scheme.

By: John

John — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 07:59:33 +0000

That’s the danger of being an over-achiever – you reach your potential way too early, resulting in a long, demoralizing decline from the PFE onwards. The secret is not to improve too fast (and/or start from a low base). I’m “planning” to reach my PFE at about 80, which gives me almost three more decades of enjoying PBs on the way to GVR-hood.
Get better more slowly – improve for longer!

By: Eric

Eric — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 17:15:29 +0000

It gets worse.

When you are 35, you are competing against all of the 35-year-olds out there. That gives you a broad distribution. Fast forward 10 years, and the number of people that participate has dropped, but the drop is mostly at the low levels of skill/fitness. So, the competition gets more select (“a very select group of riders”) as you get older.

I found this out the hard way playing over 40 indoor soccer. Those guys are animals.

By: AKChick55

AKChick55 — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 05:38:36 +0000

Hey @Michael – are you in Anchorage? Holly Brooks is one of my athletic idols. She is breaking the traditional mold of nordic skiing by coming into the sport a bit later than most as in she qualified for the Vancouver Olympics and is currently training for next year’s Olypmics. She is amazing.

The Hammer gives me hope that maybe someday, I can shed some of this chub and be sleek and fast (well, at least fast for me). I agree with Wife#1 – women peak for a long time (at least I hope we do!).

On another note, summer has temporarily returned to Alaska (well, Anchorage – Fairbanks has been in the 70’s and 80’s). Planning a 50 miler this weekend from Willow to Talkeetna. Will be fun. Temps will be around 75 to 81 and there should be some fresh pavement. :) I should be able to see Denali on the ride if it isn’t hazy.Might have to post a picture of this amazing place I live. Someday, Fatty, you and the Hammer must visit. I will be your tour guide (I know all the fun places to go and all the yummy places to eat).

By: Dave T

Dave T — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 02:01:23 +0000

Yes well I peaked around 30 followed by several years of slow weight gain hit bottom around 7 years ago lost 60+lbs since then. I’m now almost back to my weight at 30. Every ride new PR’s seems like I’m on my second curve. I’m thinking next year might be my new peek.

By: Mark in Bremerton

Mark in Bremerton — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 00:00:43 +0000

As a 62 year old amateur athlete (running, rowing, cycling), I bumped up against that curve a while back. I raced the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic in 2011 and you know who won the road race *overall*? And took KOM for both the road and MTB race? 56 year old Ned Overend. Beat all the young guys. And who beat all the younger women? 52 year old Jeannie Longo. True, I never reached that level, but those types are my inspiration nevertheless. You can’t do anything about the downward blue curve, but you can, as you have shown, at least stay with it. I am optimistic also. Great post.