RIDING/RACING AND AGEING

     My friend, Dan, posted a lament (comment, observation, whatever) yesterday about racing as he approaches 50.  The gist of his content was that he is new to cycling, six years, and is racing against guys who have been doing it for decades.  Each year he is getting stronger, faster, and feeling better than he did when in high school and college.  When will he hit his peak and will he know it? I gave him a short answer but immediately knew I'd be posting a rambling blog to cover the topic.
     I'll answer his last question first: yes, you will know when you have peaked.  There will be several peaks.   What you do is fight off the initial peak, the subsequent peaks, and then gracefully accept the final peak.
     Let's flesh out the strength part.  There is a reason very few pro cyclists race after 40, and many after 35.  They don't have the strength to compete against youngsters.  Not that they are slow as compared to us mortals, they're just not fast enough to hang with the peloton.  So, Dan, apples to apples, that train has already left the station.  Yes, you are faster than a lot of young guys, but that isn't apples to apples.  You are stronger and faster than you were in college because you are training more, and developing your cardio vascular system better (and probably have a much better diet).
     Cardio is key.  I have a mantra: trust your muscles, protect your heart (which includes lungs).   That is, assuming you have trained properly, you can over-work your legs in a race and they will forgive you, but if you over-work your heart it doesn't matter how much leg strength you have left.  Ergo, cardio should be the last thing you push over the edge in a race.  You told me the other day about how Zwift really pushes you to be better.  That's a really good cardio workout.
     Experience counts.  Here, you are behind the curve, but probably not as much as you think.  Being cerebral, you have already picked up on most of the nuances in racing.  Each race will give you a new insight.
     Ah, training.  Let me digress into my own history.  When I first started racing, it was merely something to do when I wasn't off on a cycling vacation.  There were only a few races per year.  After the first year I started getting medals, tokens of my improvement.  I concentrated on time trials and just did road races for training.  Continued podiums kept me looking for more ways to get better.  I went to the gym in the off season and worked on my legs.  Then, two years ago I finished last.  I had seen the signs coming but ignored them (see previous posts).  Something had to change.  I changed my diet.  Immediate improvement.
     After last year's Senior Games Nationals, I decided I wanted to branch out and also do road racing.  But for that, I needed to get better.  Enter a coach.  I no longer go to the gym.  He had me doing drills that instantly improved my strength, cardio, and confidence.  One more thing: equipment.  I also acquired a really fast, new bike.
     About your bell curve, the shape really is a quick (relatively) ascent to the peak, then a gradual descent.  Let's talk about peaks, which is really just a recap.  When you feel you have peaked it is time to see what you can do to get faster.  A new bike?  Gears?  Change your training?  Get a coach?  When all else has been done, then accept the inevitable gracefully.  BTW, it has been eight years since I realized I'd peaked.  But that didn't mean I stopped trying to get better.
     One last thing, I didn't know where to put this.  You have picked a healthy lifestyle that will keep you healthy.  Many folks blame getting older for lots of their ailments and lack of energy.  You are maybe fifteen years removed from that, but if something is wrong with how your body is working, look for a reason other than age.