Ageing is diminishing Norman’s powers, yet hope remains
Norman’s Wisdom
Over two decades ago, the topography of where I lived was of little concern when I got on my bike. Of course, it took me about a year to comfortably ride up the North Downs hills around my home, but from then on, hills were about the challenge and summits about their views. In the last five years, however, my attitude towards them has taken a turn, and the way I ride them – or don’t ride them, more to the point – is testimony to my physiological decline.
There is one hill in particular, on my most direct route home at the end of most rides, where I have been loath to admit to myself that it might be time to change my approach. Recently, getting off to walk up it was the point at which I decided I had to. Sometimes, your hand is forced. So I decided that I would attempt the hill for a series of 10 rides and then decide what to do thereafter. In total I have now done seven rides and I think there is sufficient information for me to come to a conclusion. Played seven, won one, drawn one and lost five. That’s relegation material. It’s not that I haven’t put the miles in. Since my most recent holiday and time off the bike I’ve clocked 400 of them. Getting off to push isn’t because of a lack of effort.
Everything is stable on my rides. My speed, distance, climbing metres and intensity… the definition of an ‘interval’ might mean something different to you, but to me it’s the break in a theatre show. I’m not walking because I’ve gone too hard at any point in the ride.
On this climb, on which I had to walk, I recorded my maximum heart rate during one of the ascents. 138 beats per minute. Using the formula MHR = 209.9 – (0.77 x age) gives me a maximum of 142, so clearly I was giving it some welly. Incidentally, I use this formula (Tanaka et al) because it better factors in age. I’m 87, so I need it to be accurate. No formula is absolutely accurate, of course. Most physiological indices curve down towards the end. There is not a straight-line decline. The decline accelerates.
In all of this, what sense can I make about what is happening to me? There are two main factors involved here: the brain and the body. I divide them in this fashion for ease of explanation but you and I are very aware that the brain and the body are in constant communication.
Let’s list the various declines. My peak explosive cycling power has declined by about 12 per cent over nine years. Clearly, my maximum heart rate has also declined. My lean body mass, w
