I started biking again 2 years after 10 years of not doing anything particularly physical. I did not and do not need to lose weight (consistently about 185 to 190 lbs 6’3”).
I’ve had some strong gains these 2 years and am wondering how realistic it would be to see continued gains for the next 10 to 15 years and beyond. I’m 42 yo now, and I would expect gains to certainly slow.
My previous cycling background was a couple years working as a bike messenger and recreational mtb in my early 20s. I mtb almost exclusively now, so two trainer rides per week and one to two weight training sessions per week. I get in one to two mtb rides in per week. Usually 1 to 4 hours in length.
Hey thanks, I’m 5 years older. I don’t feel old and I’m not going to let my age get into the way of continuing to improve. I haven’t been here for very long (just 21 weeks) but I feel I have improved a lot
Yeah, as of 45, I’m at worst plateauing, but I think still progressing. If I was really focused on peak power, that might be a bit different; I’m sure peak power hasn’t improved. From about the age of 35 I’ve trained and raced more year over year, so if I’d been as serious at 30 as I am now, I might be telling a different story.
I’m a couple of weeks off my 63rd birthday. I’ve been with TR this time around for 2 1/2 years. General history is of a lifetime of endurance orientated sports - running, mountaineering and latterly cycling. Only really took the latter up full time about ten years ago when my hip started playing up and running was too painful - ended up with a replacement hip inserted 9 years ago.
Here’s my FTP history:
That’s a 23% improvement. Or put another way - what was once my VO2max power level is now threshold. Done a mixture of TR’s traditional Sweet Spot plans, last summer using the Polarised Plans then moving onto AT managed SS plans.
Remember that FTP isn’t the only metric, there’s other things like TTE and even HR at particular power outputs that have improved. AT has helped a lot with cramps - I was getting them daily but don’t seem so bad now.
At some point my Maximum Recoverable Dose will fall beneath my Minimum Effective Dose and I’ll begin the long slow decline. Not sure when that will be though.
At 42 based on my experience of me and others and reading other similar threads on this forum you shouldn’t be regressing. I cycled a bit as a kid (nothing serious just a transport mode really) and like a lot of people I put cycling on the backburner when I got a car. I only returned to cycling as a mode of transport in my late 20s and it wasn’t until my early 30s that I started to get more serious about it. I’m now 46 and apart from a cancer blip I’ve got stronger every year. 45years seems to have been my peak and lack of motivation has seen me plateau a bit but its still a higher level than pre 45year old. If I had the motivation based on others I think I could see improvements into my late 50s/ early 60s and like some people I’ve seen recently I would still like to be racing open TT’s at 92years.
Or put another way - what was once my VO2max power level is now threshold. Done a mixture of TR’s traditional Sweet Spot plans, last summer using the Polarised Plans then moving onto AT managed SS plans.