Secrets to being strong and fast in triathlon after 50

Edging towards middle life doesn’t mean you’ve had your best days in triathlon. If you took up the sport later in life there is a good chance you haven’t even peaked yet.

Those in the sport who started in their 20s or 30s likely peaked in those years. For many triathletes the fun was only getting started by then. Regardless of when you start, you will see a peak. You may be peaking now, or it could still be around the corner.

If you’re coming out on the other side of your best years in the sport there are ways to continue chasing your best. Your times may be a bit slower and your goals may shift, but getting older is no reason to pull back from the sport.

Shake up your goals and training plan

Training in the later stages of triathlon may look a bit different than it did when you were sprite and sporting a full head of hair. An advanced approach to triathlon as you age involves shaking up your race calendar, paying extra attention to recovery, getting enough protein, spending time lifting heavy things and resetting expectations.

Aging can sometimes come with more freedom. The kids have moved out. Work is a well-oiled machine. You’ve already crossed a lot off your racing bucket list. This is a great time to look across all the variations on offer in terms of racing triathlon and sports that compliment swim, bike and run.

Gravel is having a moment. It offers a novel way to get your cycling miles in, breaking up the often repetitive nature of road and trainer workouts. It’s also a grind. That’s a bonus strength component that is especially important for athletes as we experience muscle loss due to aging. Gravel racing also shakes up the vibe of racing with a culture that is different from traditional triathlon. Test out an off-road triathlon to have all the fun with swimming and running also.

Taking a discipline like running and going long is another common variation that older athletes often gravitate towards. Trail running, particularly the ultra distances, is another opportunity for strength building as most races involve a considerable amount of climbing.

The trail running race scene also attracts many athletes focused more on finish lines than finish times. Racing trail is a slower paced and community driven sport that can get you out of your usual comfort zone.

Treat recovery like the fourth discipline of triathlon

Now is the time to recover hard. Our bodies later in life don’t bounce back like they used to in our youth. More time should be dedicated to proper warm up and cool down, mobility work and rest. Adding an extra rest day in your weekly training plan can help manage cortisol levels, improve sleep and give you a lift on your hard training days.

 

Eating enough protein is essential to maintaining muscle mass naturally lost through aging, and to support adaptation and recovery from training and racing. Now is a good time to take an interest in exploring new protein focused recipes in the kitchen since you no longer have to cook for picky eaters if the kids have moved out.

Time to hit the gym

It’s never too late to start a strength training program. For muscle maintenance and strong bones it is wise to find time for two to three strength session per week. If you don’t have extra time consider swapping out some other sessions in your week to squeeze in some heavy lifting. Even shortening a run by 20 or 30s minutes to get some compound exercises done in the gym can help you maintain strength and bone density.

The combination of rest days, high protein intake and strength training is the foundation for continuing to train with consistency and quality as you get older.

Refresh you expectations

No matter how old you are, there is never a need to walk away from triathlon as long as you are healthy and motivated. You may not hit the same times you did when you were younger, but that does not mean you no longer have value within your sport.

Simply shifting your mindset to imagine new achievements in other areas of your sport can give you a new 20-year lease on triathlon. Just like we accept how our children, friends, family and the world around us change over time, so too can we accept a new version of the sport we so dearly love.