Fifty and feelin fine

June

So I’ve met one of my lifetime goals this week as I turn 50 years old today. My resting heart rate is now below my age at 48bpm. This tells me my fitness level has really come back since my serious return to cycling last year after two years of riding little. I went an got a physical a month ago and told my new doctor of my goal. I could see him laugh to himself, as I’m sure he thought my heart rate would not be that low. But even in his office I was at 54bpm and he realized I was serious.

My weight is also slowing dropping into my New Years goal of the mid-160’s at 168. Now my thoughts turn to returning to racing next year in the over 50 group. This will take more miles and still less weight. Using a Body Fat calculator on line I’m around 14%.

I was close to having a rate match my age in my mid-thirties and the best shape of my life I was under 150lbs and resting heart rate of 40, not bad at 6 feet tall.

Resting heart rate is a terrific measure of your over all fitness and gage of your training. If you’re training correctly your RHR will slowly go lower over time. If you see it creep up for a few days it’s a sign you’re over training and need to cut back to allow you’re body to catch up.

A lower resting heart rate also extends your maximum rage during exercise. My zone is 175bpm max with a training zone of 113 to 150 to stay in the 65 to 85 percent area that is best for building.

My wife tells me I’m trying to cheat death by always checking my heart rate and weight, I tell her I’m just trying to get the most out of life. Fifty feels good, last Sunday I rode 104 miles with three new friends. I hadn’t ridden a century in 15 years and it felt great.

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 12:04 PM by Randall Wolf. Print This Post | Email This Post

3 Responses to “Fifty and feelin fine”

Lloyd June 18th, 2009 at 2:13 PM
I guess I’ll start looking forward to 50
Rita June 19th, 2009 at 12:58 AM
Wow, nice work. Here’s to goals, and to achieving them. Happy Birthday.
Ben June 22nd, 2009 at 9:39 PM
It’s not how old you are, it’s how old you feel.

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