We've been at this outdoor stuff for a long time, and while maybe we're okay with prioritizing enjoyment over PR's most of the time, we still want to optimize that fun! To me this means getting out there day after day injury-free, planning big trips in tough conditions, and yes, sometimes besting that Strava age group record. Prioritizing simple but smart weekly practices can maintain our strength and improve longevity in our mountain sports. It just takes some small adjustments to ingrained "rules" for training, and the belief that improvement is still within our control.
Go hard, just a little
As we age, it’s easy to default to an easy, low-impact, comfortable pace for all rides and runs. Athletes know that improvement doesn’t come without pushing beyond their usual load, and similarly, maintaining fitness as we age depends on entering that discomfort zone, too. Older athletes, even if focused on long, slow adventures, need some dedicated intensity each week for maintaining power, durability, and aerobic output. Start with a few strides at the end of easy runs, and move on to more structured, short efforts once a week, preferably on an incline. This can be as simple as 6 x 45 seconds uphill, or 8 x 1 minute on, 1 minute off across any terrain. Really focus on a hard but doable effort, and be sure to sandwich the efforts with at least 15 min of easy running before and after.
Downshift your nervous system
Improvement also doesn’t come without true, purposeful rest, which is also necessary for overall health. We hear it often enough, “rest is where the magic happens,” but unfortunately, we don’t usually put real effort into creating the space for restoration and repair. At least once a week, try restorative or yin yoga, breathwork, or a short meditation to guide your nervous system out of fight-or-flight mode. Even self-myofascial release with a foam roller is proven to reduce holistic mind-body stress. If you can work in a short session after harder, longer efforts, you can absolutely offset accumulated stress, mitigate cortisol spikes, and trigger your parasympathetic nervous system to take control of the rest of your day.
Add extra miles, just a few
The pillar of endurance sport progress is simply volume. Luckily, if we’ve been in our sport for a couple of decades, we’ve likely built a solid base of volume. Few masters athletes are going to handle 100+ mile run weeks or double-day sessions, even if we wanted to, but we can usually add a bit more stimulus here and there. Tack an extra mile onto two of your shorter mid-week runs, add an extended hiking section into your long run, or pedal the extra miles to where you’d normally drive to start a ride. Add in a lunchtime walk or cross-train with a short 45-minute spin if you’re training for a running goal. These minimal additions are relatively safe and will absolutely yield long-term growth and aerobic maintenance at low cost. It all adds up and keeps the momentum going.
Keep a journal
Once a week, assess what went well that week, what you feel could go better, how you slept, work or family stress, and any niggles that might have appeared. You may start noticing patterns and early signs of injury or deficiencies. Did a certain food work well - or not - before your long run? What was that workout right before your calf started feeling tight? Was there a certain route that just made you feel inspired and motivated to get out the next day?
Use an old-fashioned pen and paper, or jot down a private note in your Strava long-run entry each week. We don’t have to make things complicated as we get older, but keeping better notice of our nutrition, chronic aches, successes, and perceived effort day in and day out will help strategize the next week, next summer... next adventure.
Eat Breakfast
If you’re like me, you entered endurance sport at a time when we basically ate as little as possible before and during training. Whether this was based on beliefs in better “fat-burning,” worries over gut discomfort, or misguided race-weight goals, the habit is hard to break. Just as years of endurance sport have built a fabulous base of volume, they’ve also probably dialed in our metabolic fat-burning abilities. You are likely a fat-burning machine at this point. So at this stage, don’t be afraid, go ahead and consume something, anything, before a workout or long run.
Fasted training, while once prescribed as the magic path to “fat burning” for endurance sport, is no longer accepted as doctrine by most physiologists or coaches for any age. Although heading out on an easy run or ride (think less than 60 minutes) without fuel may not be acutely harmful, performing more intense or longer sessions unfueled adds unnecessary stress and hampers recovery for the next day’s work. You might even notice that the afternoon cravings for junk wane as your system recognizes it is not, in fact, starving. If this sounds intolerable, try a drink with added carbohydrate, a small banana, or my personal go-to: a handful of peanut-butter-filled pretzels. Even on easier days, take in something to let your body know it’s not in trouble when you start burning through energy stores. Of course, for longer sessions, be sure to take some favorite snacks along, too!
To summarize:
- Include some intensity. Don't just cruise at an easy pace — add short, hard efforts weekly (like uphill intervals) to maintain power and aerobic fitness.
- Prioritize real rest. Actively downshift your nervous system through yoga, breathwork, meditation, or foam rolling, especially after hard sessions, to reduce stress and aid recovery.
- Add modest volume. Small additions — an extra mile on a midweek run, a lunchtime walk, biking to a trailhead — safely build long-term endurance without overdoing it.
- Keep a training journal. A weekly log of sleep, stress, nutrition, and any aches helps identify patterns, prevent injury, and inform smarter training decisions.
- Eat before you train. Fasted training is outdated advice. Fueling before workouts — even just a banana or a small snack — reduces stress, aids recovery, and curbs afternoon junk food cravings.
