I'm 31, and I'm making it my goal to be in better shape than I was in back when I was 18. When I was 18, I ran my fastest mile, a 5:59. (That might be pretty slow compared to what many of you run, but it was an accomplishment for me.) A year later, I ran a 1:51 half-marathon. (Again, that's pretty slow compared to a lot of people, but I was proud of that.) Since that time, I've gotten slower and fatter. I never got to the point that I couldn't pass the Navy's physical standards for body fat, push-ups, sit-ups, or 1.5 mile run, but I certainly had gotten a lot worse physically over the course of a few years. I started improving a few years ago, both in terms of body composition and performance, and I'm probably now in almost as good of shape as I was near the end of college. Now, I'm hoping not only to get back to the shape I was back around high school graduation but actually improve beyond that. I'm sure it's possible, if for no other reason than it wasn't until my junior year of high school that I decided to work on physical fitness and join track; I never came close to my potential then. It will still take a lot of work to be better than I was when I was 18, but I think I can do it. I think I can get to the point that I can run faster than a 5:59 mile or a 1:51 half-marathon. (To be sure, I don't think I'll ever be as slim as I was at 18, but I really wouldn't want to be that scrawny either. The only muscle I had when I was 18 was calf muscle. Pretty much the rest of me was skeleton, skin, and a little gray matter up in the head. No fat anywhere, but almost no muscle anywhere either.)
Anyway, I'm not asking whether one can be in better shape at 31 or 32 than 18. I think the answer is an obvious yes, especially when one wasn't that spectacular at 18. But if there are some of you out there who in your late 20's, 30's, or even 40's managed to get yourself into the best shape of your life, I'd love to hear your experiences.
Anyway, I'm not asking whether one can be in better shape at 31 or 32 than 18. I think the answer is an obvious yes, especially when one wasn't that spectacular at 18. But if there are some of you out there who in your late 20's, 30's, or even 40's managed to get yourself into the best shape of your life, I'd love to hear your experiences.
