Still Going the Distance

Of all the things I have noticed about aging, endurance is the game changer. I don’t have the endurance that I did when I was younger: age 20, or even 40. This is most annoying. What happened to staying out ’til 4 in the morning, going to work, then going dancing all night? And functioning like it was no big deal? When did that change and I didn’t notice it until now?

Endurance suffers, no doubt about it. But it should not considerably slow us down. The fact that recovery takes longer is no reason to stop doing the things we love. Perhaps we can’t stay out until 4 in the morning. But if we do, we should prepare ourselves for the day after: extra protein, water, amino acids, and belief. If we had a good time, and it isn’t too often, we’ll survive a few late nights here and there.
A couple of years ago, I took up trapeze. I couldn’t believe how exhausted I was after class. Bone tired. Zero energy. Totally depleted. But a star on the trapeze. Absolutely! Finally, I hit upon after-workout solutions to replace electrolytes, some protein and carbohydrates afterwards, and gallons of water, to flush out the lactic acid. Still, the next day I remained tired. That’s when it hit me; my endurance decreased. I needed more rest in-between classes. I could go hard in class; I just couldn’t go everyday, or even every other day.
Rest became my new friend. Although I didn’t want to slow down, if I didn’t, I ran the risk of injuring myself, defeating the whole purpose of throwing myself over, under, and around the trapeze. Now my new mantra is: go hard, then go rest. I work just as hard. I don’t work as often.
That’s Aging Intelligently.