There’s a saying: Distance triathletes are like fine wine; they get better with age.
That’s not paying lip service. Some of the most iconic pros in our sport, from Paula Newby-Fraser to Natasha Badmann to Tim DeBoom to Mark Allen, found their greatest successes as distance triathletes in their 30s and 40s—and they kept winning beyond that. Heck, it took Chris McCormack—a noted ITU World Champ in 1997 with incredible short course speed—a decade of failed attempts before he finally got his first Kona crown in 2007. He nabbed three hard-earned Challenge Roth crowns in 2005, ‘06, and ‘07 on the way to that eventual success, but achieving this level required time and age.
The general thinking in distance triathlon is that speed is relative when the race gets longer, and veteran toughness trumps youthful speed.
So, how do you stay in the sport long enough to become a tough “veteran?” To find out, we asked Quintana Roo pro Matt Hanson how to stay fast—and get faster—as a veteran. At age 40, he’s routinely beating athletes nearly half his age, and he’s planning to continue at this level (or higher) deep into the next decade. As head coach of Matt Hanson Racing, he uses his 10+ years of pro triathlon experience to advise age groupers on how to lengthen their racing careers and improve their performance in the process. He explained what has helped him and the athletes he coaches through the years. These are his five top tips for older triathletes.
Tip 1: It’s Never Too Late to Start
Matt Hanson: “Triathlon is a sport that can be enjoyed by all ages and abilities. Many people migrate to the sport with a single-sport background because of the variety that they get to enjoy in training. Every day is different. One great thing about long course triathlon is that many can continue to see gains even past 50! Building an aerobic engine takes time, and if you are newer to the sport, there are plenty of gains to be made… with a well-designed program of course ;).”
Tip 2: Be Diligent with Gym Strength and Mobility Work
MH: “Increase your mobility work and keep to the gym (even if this means you need to train s/b/r a little less!). As we age, our muscles are more prone to injuries due to loss of elasticity. Continued work on mobility and appropriate strength training can help keep you in the game!”
Tip 3: Stay (Mentally) Flexible with Your Heart Rate Numbers
MH: “Don’t stress if your smart watch says your VO2 max is less than it used to be. Your max VO2 is a function of peak heart rate and your ability to take oxygen out of the arteries and get it to your working muscles. As you age, your max HR will slowly go down, thus your VO2 max will slowly go down. But that doesn’t mean you have to get slower! All the aerobic work you do should help you perform at a higher percentage of your VO2.”
Tip 4: Be Willing to Adjust Your Training
MH: “Some people can handle higher intensities in training during their later decades in life better than others. But if you notice that you are frequently having niggles or injuries that you weren’t experiencing in the past, be willing to adjust your training. There are a number of ways to get fit for race day. But it doesn’t matter how fit you are if you have an injury causing you to miss a race. So always be listening to the body and be willing to adapt the style of training if necessary.”
Tip 5: Stay Moving and Stay on Top of Doctor’s Visits
MH: “I firmly believe that exercise is the best form of preventative medicine out there. However, there are a number of other things you can do on the prevention side of things. Getting a yearly physical, regular blood tests, and even semi-regular body work done can help you catch things before they become a major issue. There are a ton of cars out there that run smoothly after 200k miles, but rarely is it one that’s been driven hard and put away wet! You need to pop the hood of an older car to give things a once-over a little more often. Take care of yourself in the same way!”
With these five easy tips, you can keep racing—or start racing. We’re always encouraged to see athletes in their 80s and 90s still competing and going strong. Because triathlon balances your efforts across three disciplines, it’s a sport that truly does your body good. Hopefully, you can continue being (or becoming) the best version of yourself for decades to come.
