Anyone realize their best years are behind them?

My fastest years may be behind me, but not my best.

I've read a lot of studies and such that say that, no matter what age you start, you can expect a good 7 years of improvement.

I hit 30 couple of months ago. Still not over it.

At age 38 (I can say that for 2 more weeks) I am entering my 3rd year in triathlon. I didn't improve as much as I liked last year so I bought a tri bike to help me out a little. We'll see......

But yes, I am enjoying the challenge and realize it will not last forever!

I have not been "athletic" for a terribly long time, so I tend to look at this differently.

My recent knee surgery and subsequent issues have changed my game dramatically though, as in I HAVE no game at the moment. But rather than feel my best is behind me, I am trying very hard to just change my focus. I may never actually be able to do another tri again. I just don't know. 

So instaed of gazing backwards, I am looking forward: planning on hiring a cycling coach, interested in pursuing ultra cyclying, want to learn to rock climb and really REALLY want to learn to ice climb.

This is how I am dealing with it............which is not to say that this approach is always successful, as I still have my "I feel terribly sorry for myself" days. But I am trying......

I only got into triathlons a couple years ago, and at 38 I hope to still have some improvement left in me.

I do wish I had discovered triathlon a long time ago so I could see what I was really capable of, but better late than never!

I am 56 and just started tris last year.  So I still feel like there is lots of room for improvement, but also realizing that the years for that are limited.  So if you have been doing tris for a long time, as you get older your fastest years are probably behind you.  And if that is particularly frustrating, maybe you change it up a bit and try something different.  The beauty of starting something new is there is lots of room for improvement.

Jim

I'll be 50 this year and have been at this since 2004.

I continue to get faster in my IMs more due to execution than speed. I find race execution improvement a good challenge for me.

I'm hopeful I can get faster...set a swim PB in January, optimistic my bike bike FTP can get higher, not so sure about running since I have had some injury issues that I'm struggling with. My fastest run race times were in 2008.

It is all about having fun, training consistently and see what happens.

I am 48 now and have been a lifelong runner but more recent triathlete.  I will never be the runner I was in my 20s and 30s (sub-17 5k, sub- 38 10k), especially since 2 back injuries forced me to reinvent myself, but feel my best tri times are ahead on me. 

I have never focused much on the bike, but feel if I do I can improve quite a bit there from my best race average of 21.7 mph over 20 miles.  I do have a goal to AG podium at some point in a local race.  Steady and smart training yielding fitness and speed gains while staying injury free will be the key for me, as it is for most folks I'd guess.  We'll see if I ever get there, but I am enjoying the journey immensely, so no downside if I never do!

Interesting idea.

Best years???? Depends on what is "best." I know I can still get faster, but that will stop maybe in my 40's or 50's depending on how I treat myself till then.

But then again, I am in this for the health, fitness and fun. Overall, I hope it saves my life (family history of heart disease).

"...a man's got to know his limitations."

The lesson of philosophy, history and physiology is that man has very, very few limitations and that those limitations that do exist are largely a matter of perception.

We each create our own reality- as Arthur C. Clarke said.

There are so many examples of this. Nearly an infinte amount.

Each morning I ride the bus with a young woman who bares a stunning resemblance to Anna Kournikova- long, flowing hair and all. She is also an impressive athlete and she illuminates the bus when she gets on at her stop. Yesterday we discussed, in detail, the evolution of reptiles to birds. She was amazingly well read and knowledgable on the topic. She works in public service at the University here- obviously has some kind of advanced degree. She is also an expert in dog training- to an uncanny degree. She has an amazing sense of fashion and alway goes to work looking like a million bucks. Her boyfriend is a dashing young lad- as he should be, who dotes over her despite the fact that- also she always shows appreciation- she doesn't seem to require it. In short, she is a remarkable woman for her education, poise, personality, athleticism and articulate nature. She's also blind from birth. She simply does not acknowledge it as a limitation.

Now, different from this woman, we perceive limitations imposed on us by age. But they truly do not exist. Despite brain damage and vision loss from a stroke, I am nearly as fast as was 10 years ago, although not as fast as i was when I was 24. I am, however, a better, more appreciative, more involved and experienced athlete in many ways.

Can you stop the clock at the same time as you and I did when we were 27? Maybe. Two words: Joe Bonness. He's done it. It is possible.

What may be the higher order is a growing, evolving, improving metric of our involvment and performance in the sport.

Best years behind me? No. Not at all. And I fully anticipate that when I die I will reflect back for a moment on everthing done before that time and do so with a smile, knowing it finally lead up to this- and I can finally lay down and get some rest....

I just turned 39 and this is my 3rd year of doing triathlons and I still haven't had a solid training block where my performance can be maximized.  Hopefully this year I will be injury free and be able to see what this engine can really do on a good block of training, so my best years are still ahead of me.

That being said,  I'm long past the days of running where the people ahead of me in a race I could count on one hand.