The Advantages of Getting Older as an Athlete

It’s not all doom and gloom

Selfie with Greg Whyte (same age as me at 55) who doesn’t let his age deter him from a world record attempt

Perceived wisdom about sport is that as we get older we slow down, get more injuries, take longer to recover and suffer declines in strength, aerobic capacity and flexibility.

These changes are seen as remorseless and inevitable, but don’t despair. There are advantages to getting older that we talk about much less but are real nevertheless.

Of course, “older” is a relative term. For me, it starts about 10 years ahead of where I am now. I don’t feel old at 55 but I know my 45-year-old self would have considered it as getting on a bit, while my 35-year-old self thought it was ancient. Perspectives obviously change with aging, but from where I am now, here are some of the benefits of getting older as an athlete.

Experience

Experience counts for a lot in sport, both in the competitive arena and in how you plan and manage your training. Young people employ coaches because of their experience — but your own experience is what’s most valuable to you as you get older. Provided you’ve experimented over the years and been mindful of the outcomes you should, for example, have a good sense of:

• What pacing strategies work best for you
• How to manage your nutrition up to and…