Getting faster... can it continue?

wgwarburton
wgwarburton Posts: 1,863
edited August 2010 in Commuting chat
Hi,
OK, so I've been slowly getting quicker (IYSWIM) over the last few years, but have recently started sharing my commute with someone a good bit quicker than I am.
Now, that's not a problem- he's got fifteen years and a stone or twos advantage on me, so he ought to be quicker, but I'm curious to know whether I'm likely to have "peaked" or can hope or expect to speed up a bit more.
I've never done any reading on training/performance etc so I don't have any background in this.
I'm 46 next week and probably about as fit as I've ever been. Carrying a little extra weight, but not to an unhealthy level.
If I ride hard, I run out of lungs- I can sprint & build up an oxygen debt.. I can recover OK whilst riding but if I try to sustain a high pace I will be breathing hard soon enough and after a while it's clear my legs arn't getting the oxygen they need.
Is this something I could still train up (Assuming I wanted to!)- is it likely to be lung capacity or heartrate that's the issue? Do they peak at some point (I seem to remember max heart-rate is age related, but maybe it's lung efficiency that really matters...?)?

Just curious- any sports scientists out there?

Cheers,
W.

Comments

  • Wallace1492
    Wallace1492 Posts: 3,707
    Curious to know the answer too as I am the best I have been in a long time. Recon I could be fitter now than at any time since my 20's - WGW has only a couple of years on me.

    I still think i have a way to go, and although having lost best part of 2 stone, could maybe get rid of another 1/2.

    My times are the best in 2 years on the bike, basically since i started recording. I need to do some running as I have some documented routes and times I recently found that I recorded in 1984-1986. Should be interesting to see what i can do now!!
    "Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"