I feel I have been at my peak since I was 27 years old. Taking away the pain and problems with my left hip during the recent marathon season over the last few months of my peak, when I have been in full training and 100% fit I have been at optimal performance in many of my attributes and this suggests that I have still been in my peak years. It is easy for me to forget that it was only three or four months ago that I earned a 20 mile PB and I am currently ranked in the top 500 twenty mile runners in the country, so it's not all that bad, I just feel that after London Marathon this year and how my legs feel when playing football, my optimal natural peak is over.
Since this last six months though, I have really noticed and felt a physical decline, I know that this time has been coming over the last few years and it's a sad feeling in many ways, although in some ways it is a relief to myself - I don't have to put as much pressure on myself. Being at your physical peak is something in your life that you don't want to end, it not only helps you achieve what you want in sports and fitness, but also helps you in your daily physical life - I guess that some things don't last forever and this being one of them. For me, the biggest difference I have noticed is not that I can't generate the explosive speed or power anymore, but the fact that I don't feel like my body is fresh like it was and my legs definitely feel worn out and tired.
+ Bragging Rights in Peak Years-
- 2x Tough Mudder (to become a Mudder Legion)
- 2x Sub 3 Hour marathon runner
- 5x Good For Age marathon runner
- Reached 1,000 goals in football
- Played football at Elland Road
- Reached 150 hat-tricks
- Reached 50 Man Of The Match awards
- Lucozade Sport Top 10Percent athlete
- Scouted by semi professional football team
- Scouted as and offered to be a sponsored athlete and sports model twice
- Run Britain Ranking of 3.1
- Leeds Golden Mile Heat 7 champion
- Leeds Golden Mile Top Heat - Bronze position
- 5x London Marathon finisher
- 2x Edinburgh Marathon finisher
- Number of Personal Best (PB) official race times in athletic's and running = 16 PB's
- 1st in Kirkstall Harriers Club (club members) Bleep Test (21/10/2015)
I know I've not wasted my peak years because I've put a lot of time and effort into reaching my goals and ambitions in running, other sports and my fitness - it's been a big part of my life.
Despite this, I definitely haven't reached my potential during my peak years, although I have reached a lot of it to a certain level. Why do I feel I haven't reached my potential? There's a number of ways I could split this up:
In my early peak years when I was 27-28 I think the main hindrance for reaching my potential was inexperience, particularly in my running and certainly in the marathon discipline. I probably was the most dedicated to training during this period and eating well in my diet, I just lacked that experience.
When I was 29, if you look at my results in all my major sports and accomplishments this is when I was at my absolute sporting prime, never before or after have I topped my major achievements that year, particularly my first sub 3-hour and PB marathon. This year was so mixed for me, it's such a shame, but it was injuries that ruined my progress when I was at my absolute peak. I should have kicked on from there but I never did, probably is my biggest regret that I didn't build on this because when I was 100% fit - I really was super fit - I was shocking myself.
Since my early 30's, although I've been in my physical prime still, I think maybe I've pushed myself to my limits that many times that I've kind of become stagnant. I've maybe even dropped a level slightly, not just physically but mentally I have lost some of that inner desire to push myself to the levels I was before. I've tried giving myself some longer rests and more regular rests but I don't train as often as I did, especially with my strength and conditioning sessions, I'm finding training harder but I still enjoy the feeling.
I just think as my peak years have winded down, I've lost a bit of motivation and dedication but I have achieved everything I wanted to, some several times over so I can be happy. I will always keep myself fit and I know that for my age I will always be fitter than most people, even the younger sports people.
However, just because I have peaked physically as an athlete it doesn't mean I can't improve or progress as a sportsman or in a certain sport. I'm just stating that I believe that naturally my body can't top my previous peak fitness. Future lifestyle changes, dedication changes, newly gained experiences in different training methods or changes in diet could potentially mean I do run PB's in the future or I may improve parts of my game in football. Not everything in sports and fitness is about speed, power or athleticism, sometimes experience and mental strength is key to success. One attribute I do believe can improve with age is endurance and consistency in muscles, so who knows? I may keep running good times in long distance running, I may even improve in some distances - I wouldn't rule it out.
Before I conclude this subject I do think I should be brutally honest with myself. There is no doubt that my addiction to the party lifestyle has been the biggest hindrance to my fitness progressing and me reaching my full potential during my peak years, particularly the early to middle period. I had some serious lifestyle problems and as much as this effected my sports in a negative way, my sports and training gave me the focus and drive to overcome these problems.
I could really look at it both ways but when I think about it deeply I have to be thankful for what sports and fitness has given me in life - I have had so many great experiences and I know I will have many more to come! Taking part in sports really has been a blessing in my life.
I think an interesting question is 'have I peaked at the right time? I genuinely believe I have. If you look at the model generic expectation of an athlete's (recreational athletes, amateurs, elites and professionals) peak years in the majority of sports it is between the age of 25 and 30. It can vary in some sports due to the nature of the sport and the vital attributes needed to perform at your best in that discipline.
For example, Tennis players usually peak in their mid 20's, a footballer generally peak in their late 20's, a gymnast in their early 20's where as a marathon runner generally peak in their early to late 30's, it can vary from sport to sport, but as a human being, naturally, from the age of 30, we lose % of muscle mass every 5 years, which is why most sports people peak physically in their late 20's.
Back to my question, I think I definitely peaked at the right time, especially as an amateur sportsman. I have been playing competitive contact sports since the age of 8, that's 23 years. I've been playing competitive football every year, almost every week since I was 21, I have been running road half marathon's since I was 22, I have ran 7 marathons in 5 years, I've played 880 games of competitive level football (mainly 5 a side leagues) and I've been hitting the gym religiously at times since I was 22 - I have had a lot of miles on my clock and had a lot of wear and tear on my body, if anything has caused the decline in my body it is definitely the fact I don't feel 'fresh' anymore, I've worn my body out. From now on I'm going to not push myself too hard but hard enough to keep myself in great condition and fit, I don't think my body needs anymore punishment and it's time I looked after the parts of my body that are worn out. I'm naturally a very energetic person and I don't want to lose that part of me.
So, considering that other than for two years between the age of 18 and 20, where I had a break from competitive sports, I've always been pushing my body every year and I think I definitely peaked at the ages you would expect me to and I've peaked into my 30's, I can't complain. To some sports people that hit their peak in their mid to late 30's, that is usually because they got involved in sports or fitness at a later age and their body is much fresher in their 30's than someone like me who has been involved in intense sports for 23 years since the age of 8. I find peak levels in sport so fascinating which is why I enjoy talking about it. I'm happy I have been able to give some insight about this subject on my own body.
DECISION: I'm having a year or two off the marathon:
I've decided that I'm having one to two years off the marathon but I do plan to eventually reach 10 marathons (7 so far). I've pushed my body a lot the last five years and I've ran five London Marathon's in five years but my body needs a rest. I've got other priorities in life now as well and my running is going to be taking a back seat, I've achieved nearly everything I wanted to, several times over.
Next year I will be looking forward to running the Leeds Half Marathon for the 11th time and Liversedge Half Marathon for the 6th time, I'm not completely giving up running, just giving myself a rest. I do plan to run the marathon again, but you just never know in life, this year's London Marathon may have been my last - you never know what's around the corner and when you are in the marathon you have to be 100% in it both mentally and physically, otherwise if you're not, it can be both dangerous and not fun at all.
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