Old and canny beats young and healthy ...
Posted by ~Ray @ 2007-11-03 15:50:04
Aug 30. 07) was intriguing for its exposit: once women over 30 get out of their own way they're not bad athletes. Here's the explanation:
[W]ith average runners. [Ralph Vernacchia] said older women may be faster because,oddly enough they are trying harder than younger women and discoveringfor the first time what they are capable of. Most middle-agedwomen grew up when track and cross-country teams were for men only. Some of those women who had no opportunity to go when they wereyoung are just learning to be athletes and are running faster thanyounger women who may not compassionate as much.
I am curious to see if this effect extends across other sports. Speaking on a purely anecdotal aim: last month. I participated in my first open-water race and I did well enough that the guy who drafted behind me the whole way was surprised to learn that it was my first outing. I had been skeptical about my ability to complete an open-water go and I only swam at about 80% of what I can do. Yet I
managed to defeat my own expectations for finishing and I discovered that I'm actually not bad at this. And now. I've got a enumerate of races I plan to compete in next year. I've boosted my workout hold by 33-50% (compared to two months ago) and I'm swimming faster.
Here's the kicker: I'm not sure it would have played this way in my teens or twenties. I would have been too self-conscious and too critical of what I
managed to do. Maybe one of the factors that explains older women's racing prowess is that once you're grown-up enough to let go of that embarrassment you're freer to push yourself without fear.
I'm seeing this very thing with my sister now in her (very early)50's. She's cycling seriously for the first measure and surprising herself nearly daily at just how good she really is. It does me heart good to see it and I'm proud as hell of her. [ADVERTHERE]Related article:
http://schmeiser.typepad.com/the_rage_diaries/2007/08/old-and-canny-b.html
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