Racing Into My Sixties

I recently turned 65 years young, and I’ve never let my age define me or prevent me from taking on new adventures – especially athletic pursuits. I’m very competitive with myself!  For instance, when I first joined Zwift in April 2021, I immediately set a goal of completing all routes (and yes, including the 6 hour PRL Full). I joined The Coalition in May 2022 and my ZRL team is Delirium; I’ve been very fortunate to race with such a fun, strong, and supportive group of women, led by our amazing captain Beccah Niesen. I’m a Cat B punchy rider and my favorite races are crits, namely Glasgow Crit Circuit, Bell Lap, and Downtown Dolphin. I also really like taking part in virtual TTTs with my teammates.

Let me share my story, decade by decade, so one can get a better understanding of my psyche as it relates to my athleticism. I hope my story helps and inspires women, even if just for a few more minutes of training every week.

The Early Years – Fun and Busy (0-39)

I was a high-energy child and involved in a lot of sports like running, cycling, swimming, and skiing. My nickname was Roadrunner as no one, not even the boys, could catch me in a game of tag! I was on the track team in high school, but my passion was downhill skiing. I started university and continued running and cycling for fitness through my twenties; this was a very busy decade during which I completed my post-graduate studies, started my career as a Social Worker in a maximum security detention centre, got married to my husband of 40 years, and gave birth to our 2 sons.

In my thirties, I was busy raising our high-energy sons who were involved in various sports like hockey, soccer, judo, and skiing. I worked full-time providing individual and group counselling services to youth and women in conflict with the law. Running during my lunchtime was not only for fitness, but a healthy way to manage my stress. A colleague suggested I start training for 5km and 10km races, and I got hooked on racing.

The Fun, Busy, and Interesting Years (40-65)

In my forties, I was busy with my career and raising teenagers, but always made time for running and training for races. I had excellent coaches and trained with a great group of friends. I decided to train for a marathon after setting the goal of racing 42km when I turned 42 years young. I qualified for the Boston Marathon, and, of course, I had to do it. I continued training and ended up doing 12 marathons, including 4 Boston marathons, over an 18-year period.

At 49 years young, I had my first hot flash at the Boilermaker 15km race in Utica, N.Y. It was as if someone poured a bucket of water over my head. I was drenched, and a couple of minutes later, my skin was dry, but my clothes were soaked. I experienced these hot flashes that came on intermittently and suddenly, never lasting more than a couple of minutes, for about 3 years. I had to bring extra clothes to work, just in case. I didn’t let these hot flashes prevent me from running. However, my running was not like it was; I had slowed down and didn’t perform as well in races.

I went through a period when I thought my racing days were over and this negative self-talk contributed to my not-so-great performance in races. It took me about 2 years to realize that I had to adjust my goals in racing and throw my ego out the window. I chose to consciously remind myself to be grateful for being able to run and accept the fact that I was not going to continue getting PBs with age… duh. It took me that long to embrace aging and celebrate my accomplishments. Interestingly, these thoughts and feelings pertained only to my running.

In my fifties, my husband and I became empty nesters and traveled a fair bit. I retired and started training for triathlons because I had the time to incorporate swimming, running, and cycling into my training schedule. I did a few triathlon training camps in Florida and started to do regular group rides and open water swims in addition to my running. I loved this cross training and I truly believe it has helped me to stay healthy and keep injuries at bay. My hot flashes subsided and I began setting new goals. I completed several running and triathlon races. To my surprise, I rediscovered my speed and usually ended up on the podium in my AG (age group). Woohoo!

The last 5 years can be summarized as me having the time of my life with my husband, my sons, and my 2 precious granddaughters as well as continuing to train for running and triathlon races. In 2019, I qualified for the World Triathlon Championships which were supposed to be held in Edmonton, Alberta in 2020 but the pandemic necessitated a postponement to Bermuda the following year. I was getting excited to compete in Bermuda but the event was postponed yet again because of the pandemic; this time, the World Triathlon Sprint Championships were to be held in Montreal, Quebec. After 3 years of training for this event, I was getting closer to crossing this goal off my bucket list, but unfortunately, I was involved in a bike crash and broke my elbow, 6 weeks before the race. Upon being cleared by the orthopedic surgeon, I competed on June 25, 2022. Needless to say, my swim was mediocre but I completed it and I was glad it was finally done. I didn’t let these setbacks (pandemic and broken arm) prevent me from accomplishing my goal.

I’ve been called a Zwiftie, a term I wholeheartedly embrace because for me, Zwift racing is a convenient, effective and efficient way to keep my cycling fitness as high as it can be. This is especially true when the weather for outdoor riding is unfavorable (e.g. snow, ice, rain, wind) or when I have an injury, like a broken arm. I don’t really have a convenient and traffic-free route outdoors for cycling workouts. I like Zwift because workouts and hard rides are much safer to complete as I don’t have to worry about automobiles or traffic lights and signs. Moreover, the weather in my basement is always good, so I never have to ride in the rain unless I really want to. There are no potholes, flat tires, or the potential for a crash caused by careless drivers or cyclists. Last but not least, I have met so many wonderful virtual friends on Zwift and I even had the pleasure of meeting one of my Delirium teammates IRL. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love riding outdoors and I have a wonderful group of friends with whom I ride on a weekly basis, weather permitting.

Words of Wisdom

The longer you live, the more attention you need to pay to little nagging injuries. My days of running and cycling through pain are over. My days of rolling out of bed and heading out for a run or ride are over. Instead, I have incorporated a regime of dynamic stretching, foam rolling, strength training and mobility exercises through Pilates, Power Barbell, and Core, Balance and Stretch classes at my local gym.

Presently, I do 3 to 4 runs/weekly including speed work and 4 to 5 rides/weekly including a Zwift race and/or workout. My rest days from running and cycling have been Mondays for many years, because my long endurance runs and/or rides are on Sundays. I believe the wisdom that has come with aging for me has allowed me to stay injury-free by making sure I have a proper warm-up and cool-down when I run and ride. I also treat myself to monthly massages. I have had my share of injuries over the years, like sprained ankles, plantar fasciitis, and hamstring tears but thanks to my wonderful coaches and physiotherapist, I followed their advice and allowed my injuries to heal fully before returning to running and/or cycling.

I eat well and my diet consists mainly of healthy carbs, fish and chicken (no red meat), and I love devouring a bag of chips every once in a while. I sleep well, at least 8 hours/night with no naps.

Finally, I don’t let my age dictate what I can or can’t do because when I put my mind on a goal, I do everything in my control and power to achieve that goal. Sometimes there are setbacks, in which case I reassess and, though it may take longer, I don’t give up. Once I commit, I persevere and eventually, if it’s possible, I get there. I am proof that women can race in their sixties. For women new to Zwift racing, get clearance from your medical doctor, get a personal trainer or coach, start building a mileage base, join a women’s team, then sign up for a race. Ride on!!!