Ageless Athlete — Healthy Aging for a Strong, Capable Life

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Seven Things 70-Year-Old Athletes Understand That Most of Us Learn Too Late May 27, 2026

Show notes

Ageless Athlete Newsletter. Weekly longevity insights + behind-the-scenes. No spam ever. 🚨

Two weeks ago, I attended Vitalist Bay in Berkeley, surrounded by scientists, doctors, founders, and researchers exploring the future of longevity.

A few days later, I was in the Eastern Sierra, recovering from ankle surgery, mountain biking instead of climbing, soaking in hot springs, and thinking about a different side of healthspan: the lived side.

In this solo episode, I share 7 lessons from 70+ athletes on what it really takes to stay strong, curious, and capable over decades. I also included one athlete in his 60s — Greg Benning — because his marginal gains system was simply too useful to leave out.

We talk about:

why small gains compound better than giant reinventions
why rest is not weakness
why curiosity beats comfort
how community supports long-term health
why strength training becomes foundational as we age
what injury teaches us about resilience and identity
how purpose creates energy and vitality later in life

Featuring lessons and stories from Greg Benning, Doug & Joan, Jock Sutherland, Bob Babbitt, Steve Swenson, Jack Tackle, Loree Bolin, and more.

Related episodes:

Still Getting Faster in his 60s — The Marginal Gains System | Greg Benning, 64
Winning in Their 70s — What Most Athletes Learn Too Late | Doug & Joan, 75
At 77, He Still Chases Big Waves — Why Curiosity Beats Comfort as You Age | Jock Sutherland
Racing Strong at 73 - Daily Rituals For Recovery, Energy, and Clarity | Bob Babbitt, 73
Why Some People Stay Capable Into Their 70s — And Others Don’t | Jack Tackle, 72
“You’ll Never Run Again.” At 70, Loree Bolin Reversed Her Arthritis, And Finished Her 11th Ironman
Stay Strong Into Your 70s — Lessons From Five Decades on the World’s Highest Mountains | Steve Swenson, 73

Warm thanks to Vitalist Bay for allowing me to join and contribute to your community!

Marek Health: Deeper look at your health with comprehensive bloodwork and personalized guidance. 10% off with code AGELESS at https://agelessathlete.short.gy/marek

Support The Show Love the show? Here’s how to support it https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

Ageless Athlete is a podcast about healthy aging for people who want to stay strong, active and capable for life. Conversations explore strength, endurance, mobility, recovery, VO2 max, muscle and bone health, and what it takes to keep doing the things you love as you get older.

Follow Ageless Athlete — How to Stay Strong, Curious & Capable for Life for new episodes each week.

You Start Losing Muscle After 50 — Stop Making These Mistakes | Joe Friel, 82 May 20, 2026

Show notes

Ageless Athlete Newsletter. Weekly longevity insights + behind-the-scenes. No spam ever. 🚨

Joe Friel is 82, still training, and still paying attention. In the last five years, he felt the shift—power fading on climbs, muscle disappearing even with a lifetime of lifting—and he’s not sugarcoating what that feels like.

This episode is about the mistakes that quietly accelerate decline after 50: training like your recovery is unchanged, letting ego run the plan, and waiting too long to adjust. Joe’s approach is simple, honest, and earned—adapt early, stay consistent, and keep your identity bigger than your numbers.

We talk about

The first “rules changed” moment: getting dropped on climbs
Muscle loss—even with decades of strength work
What adaptation without ego actually looks like in real life
How to keep training for capability, not nostalgia

Joe, thank you for your time, generosity, and invaluable wisdom!

References

Fast After 50 (2nd Edition) https://joefrieltraining.com/book/fast-after-50/

Marek Health: Deeper look at your health with comprehensive bloodwork and personalized guidance. 10% off with code AGELESS at https://agelessathlete.short.gy/marek

Timeline: Support cellular renewal and mitochondrial function with Mitopure, featuring Urolithin A. Up to 20% off at timeline.com/AGELESSATHLETE

Support The Show Love the show? Here’s how to support it https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

INFORMEDISH: Real life. Artificial cohost.
Movies, parenting and life's absurdities. Jason and his AI cohost Heather take sides.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Follow Ageless Athlete — How to Stay Strong, Curious & Capable for Life for new episodes each week.

Fear Is Stealing Your Life | Caroline Paul, 62 May 13, 2026

Show notes

Ageless Athlete Newsletter. Weekly longevity insights + behind-the-scenes. No spam ever. 🚨

Caroline Paul has spent decades doing things most people stop doing after 50 — flying experimental planes, surfing, skateboarding into Yosemite at 57. Her new book, Why Fly, is built around a question that follows her everywhere: what changes in us when the world suddenly feels bigger than our problems?

Astronauts call it the overview effect — that strange shift that happens when you're suddenly confronted with scale, beauty, and fragility all at once. Caroline has spent years chasing a version of that feeling closer to home, through awe, attention, and adventure.

In this conversation: how to practice presence without turning your life into a self-improvement project, why awe acts like a mental reset, and how adventure — done thoughtfully — helps you move through hard seasons with more clarity and courage.

Caroline’s work is a gift. Enjoy!

Why Fly: https://www.carolinepaul.com/why-fly

Marek Health: Deeper look at your health with comprehensive bloodwork and personalized guidance. 10% off with code AGELESS at https://agelessathlete.short.gy/marek

Timeline: Support cellular renewal and mitochondrial function with Mitopure, featuring Urolithin A. Up to 20% off at timeline.com/AGELESSATHLETE

Support The Show Love the show? Here’s how to support it https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

INFORMEDISH: Real life. Artificial cohost.
Movies, parenting and life's absurdities. Jason and his AI cohost Heather take sides.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Follow Ageless Athlete — How to Stay Strong, Curious & Capable for Life for new episodes each week.

The Discipline of Not Dying — This Survival Code Kept Him Alive for 18 Years | Ed Viesturs, 66 May 06, 2026

Show notes

Ageless Athlete Newsletter. Weekly longevity insights + behind-the-scenes. No spam ever. 🚨

Ed Viesturs was a childhood hero of mine. When I was younger—dreaming about mountains—his story helped shape what I thought “greatness” actually was: more than bravado, but also patience, judgment, and the discipline to come home.

In this episode, Ed takes us inside an 18-year mission: climbing all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks without supplemental oxygen—with Annapurna as the final, most dangerous obstacle.

We talk about the real risk near the end of any long goal: when attention, pressure, and expectations tempt you to break the rules that kept you safe in the first place—and the one rule Ed used to survive.

What we cover

The “long game” mindset that lasts decades
Why Annapurna was “off the charts” dangerous
How pressure (fame/sponsors/ego) makes people “step over the edge”
Why the summit isn’t the finish—getting down is

References

No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World’s 14 Highest Peaks — Ed Viesturs (with David Roberts)

Marek Health: Deeper look at your health with comprehensive bloodwork and personalized guidance. 10% off with code AGELESS at https://agelessathlete.short.gy/marek

Timeline: Support cellular renewal and mitochondrial function with Mitopure, featuring Urolithin A. Up to 20% off at timeline.com/AGELESSATHLETE

Support The Show Love the show? Here’s how to support it https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

INFORMEDISH: Real life. Artificial cohost.
Movies, parenting and life's absurdities. Jason and his AI cohost Heather take sides.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Follow Ageless Athlete — How to Stay Strong, Curious & Capable for Life for new episodes each week.

Still Getting Faster in his 60s — The Marginal Gains System | Greg Benning, 64 Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

Ageless Athlete Newsletter. Weekly longevity insights + behind-the-scenes. No spam ever. 🚨

Greg Benning is a masters single sculler outside Boston — and at 64, he’s still finding ways to get faster. I came into this conversation not knowing much about rowing, but that’s exactly what made it powerful: once Greg translates the sport, what emerges is a universal framework for longevity performance.

For the last 15 years, Greg’s question has been simple: can marginal gains in efficiency offset age-related decline? In this episode, he shares the practical systems that keep him sharp — from how he thinks about “power leaks” in the kinetic chain, to how he refined fueling around hard sessions, to the daily logistics that make consistency possible in a real adult life.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear

The mindset shift: treating aging as a problem-solving game, not a verdict
A simple “1% method” for identifying the small changes that compound over years
Why rowing is a power-endurance sport (and how it compares to running/cycling/swimming)
The hidden performance trap Greg discovered: under-fueling hard days — and how changing it improved how he felt and performed
How technical execution gets harder under high exertion — and why cues matter most when it “hurts”
The environment side of longevity: designing mornings so training is frictionless (and traffic-free)
Why equipment and connection points matter — where speed gets “lost” before it ever reaches the water

Resources Mentioned / Related

Joe Friel’s Training Bible (referenced in discussion)
Shimano Rowing Dynamics / footwear and “power leak” discussion (related article/background)

Marek Health: Deeper look at your health with comprehensive bloodwork and personalized guidance. 10% off with code AGELESS at https://agelessathlete.short.gy/marek

Timeline: Support cellular renewal and mitochondrial function with Mitopure, featuring Urolithin A. Up to 20% off at timeline.com/AGELESSATHLETE

Support The Show Love the show? Here’s how to support it https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

INFORMEDISH: Real life. Artificial cohost.
Movies, parenting and life's absurdities. Jason and his AI cohost Heather take sides.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Follow Ageless Athlete — How to Stay Strong, Curious & Capable for Life for new episodes each week.

She Won the World’s Toughest Races — Then She Rebuilt | Amelia Boone Apr 22, 2026

Show notes

Ageless Athlete Newsletter. Weekly longevity insights + behind-the-scenes. No spam ever. 🚨

Amelia Boone rose to prominence in the early 2010s as one of obstacle racing’s most dominant competitors — known for thriving in long-format, high-suffering events and earning the “queen of pain” reputation. But this conversation is less about grit-as-identity… and more about what it takes to stay capable for decades.

We talk about the hidden cost of over-optimizing, why Amelia stepped away from tracking sleep and HRV, and how longevity often demands a shift: from proving toughness to practicing it — through better self-honesty, better recovery, and a calmer relationship with effort.

What We Cover

The public “queen of pain” persona vs. the reality underneath it
Why she stopped tracking sleep/HRV — and what she gained instead
The difference between pushing through and listening early
How obsession can masquerade as discipline
A practical way to assess readiness without outsourcing it to a score
Staying ambitious while protecting the long game

If you’re trying to stay strong, curious, and capable for the long haul — without letting training turn into a second job, a stressor, or a scoreboard — this conversation is a grounded reminder of what actually scales with age: self-honesty, restraint when it counts, and a relationship with effort that leaves you more alive, not more depleted. Enjoy!

Marek Health: Deeper look at your health with comprehensive bloodwork and personalized guidance. 10% off with code AGELESS at https://agelessathlete.short.gy/marek

Timeline: Support cellular renewal and mitochondrial function with Mitopure, featuring Urolithin A. Up to 20% off at timeline.com/AGELESSATHLETE

Support The Show Love the show? Here’s how to support it https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

INFORMEDISH: Real life. Artificial cohost.
Movies, parenting and life's absurdities. Jason and his AI cohost Heather take sides.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Follow Ageless Athlete — How to Stay Strong, Curious & Capable for Life for new episodes each week.

Stop Waiting for the "Perfect" Season As You Age | Cedar Wright, 51 Apr 15, 2026

Show notes

Ageless Athlete Newsletter. Weekly longevity insights + behind-the-scenes. No spam ever. 🚨

What happens when the moment that changes your life doesn’t come from the “dangerous” thing… but from an ordinary day at home?

Cedar Wright has spent decades in the vertical world—professional climber, storyteller, and filmmaker whose adventures helped bring climbing culture to a wider audience. But in this conversation, the sharpest lesson isn’t about climbing at all. It’s about how quickly capability can disappear—and how “next year” is never guaranteed.

In this episode

The freak accident that broke Cedar’s neck—and the clarity it forced
Why “playing it safe” can still cost you the life you want
The difference between reckless risk and chosen risk (and how to live with consequence)
Watching a friend lose the ability to climb—and what it taught Cedar about urgency
Staying hungry at 51: identity, edge, and how to keep moving forward without pretending you’re invincible
Cedar’s “fetal attempt at immortality”: leaving something behind that outlasts him

Cedar’s films + storytelling

Cedar talks about using small cameras, self-shooting, and editing to tell stories that go beyond climbing—and how the “Sufferfest” films resonated with people because they were about having a big-hearted adventure close to home.

Follow Cedar on Instagram

Support Cedar’s Dirtbag Fund!

Cedar founded The Dirtbag Fund to give small grants to young climbers who are scrapping by, contributing to adventure culture, and pushing their craft forward. Cedar describes it as a big part of the legacy he wants to leave behind—and a way to keep the door open for the next generation.

How to give back: (and yes—Cedar notes it’s tax deductible, and even $1 helps). Go to https://www.thedirtbagfund.com/

Marek Health: Deeper look at your health with comprehensive bloodwork and personalized guidance. 10% off with code AGELESS at https://agelessathlete.short.gy/marek

Timeline: Support cellular renewal and mitochondrial function with Mitopure, featuring Urolithin A. Up to 20% off at timeline.com/AGELESSATHLETE

Support The Show Love the show? Here’s how to support it https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

INFORMEDISH: Real life. Artificial cohost.
Movies, parenting and life's absurdities. Jason and his AI cohost Heather take sides.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Follow Ageless Athlete — How to Stay Strong, Curious & Capable for Life for new episodes each week.

How to Stay Calm Under Extreme Stress | Amy Gubser, 56 Apr 08, 2026

Show notes

Ageless Athlete Newsletter. Weekly longevity insights + behind-the-scenes. No spam ever. 🚨

Amy Appelhans Gubsers (56) is a nurse at UCSF, a mom and grandma, and the first person to swim from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Farallon Islands—nearly 30 miles and roughly 17 hours in cold Pacific water, in what many consider shark territory.

This is more than an epic swim. It’s a practical conversation about how big goals actually get done: patience over years, calm under pressure, and the ability to keep moving when conditions stop cooperating.

In this episode:

The long-game reality behind “overnight” achievements
The mental skill that mattered most during 17 hours
Cold-water decision-making + staying calm
Sharks: real risk, smart planning
Why goals like this are never truly solo

Takeaway: Massive goals aren’t won by hype. They’re earned through durable process.

From the vault: recorded + released ~1.5 years ago — still one of our clearest blueprints for pursuing a massive goal with real stakes.

Marek Health: Deeper look at your health with comprehensive bloodwork and personalized guidance. 10% off with code AGELESS at https://agelessathlete.short.gy/marek

Timeline: Support cellular renewal and mitochondrial function with Mitopure, featuring Urolithin A. Up to 20% off at timeline.com/AGELESSATHLETE

Support The Show Love the show? Here’s how to support it https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

INFORMEDISH: Real life. Artificial cohost.
Movies, parenting and life's absurdities. Jason and his AI cohost Heather take sides.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Follow Ageless Athlete — How to Stay Strong, Curious & Capable for Life for new episodes each week.

Don’t Try to “Fix” Your Shoulder Pain — Do This Instead | Dr Tyler Nelson Apr 01, 2026

Show notes

Overhead motion is everywhere — in sport and in life. This episode is a practical deep dive on shoulder pain with Dr. Tyler Nelson, who works primarily with climbers but applies the same principles across overhead athletes and active adults: build tolerance with smart progressions, manage volume, and avoid getting trapped chasing “perfect fixes.”

What to expect

This is more technical than a typical Ageless Athlete episode — but it stays grounded. You’ll get:

a clearer way to think about overhead shoulder pain (without spiraling into anatomy anxiety)
how to scale training while symptoms settle (instead of fully shutting down)
how to rebuild overhead strength and range over time with progression

Practical takeaways

Overhead pain isn’t automatically “dangerous.” Often the move is: modify the dose, don’t panic.
Capacity beats perfection. Many mechanics narratives become a distraction from what matters most: what your shoulder can tolerate week to week.
Progress by angle before chasing full overhead volume. A simple ladder: horizontal pulling → angled pulling → true overhead (and for climbers: steeper angles → less steep → vertical over months).
Every drill is still load. It’s easy to accidentally stack too much “rehab” on top of training.
You don’t need a forever routine. Once things feel normal, the goal is a shoulder that holds up in real life — not a lifelong checklist of correctives.

Watch the video version (recommended for this episode)

Many of the movements and drills Tyler references are easiest to understand visually. You can watch the full video episode here:
https://www.youtube.com/@agelessathletepodcast

About Dr. Tyler Nelson

Tyler is a clinician and educator focused on upper-extremity injuries. He works mostly with climbers, but his framework translates cleanly to anyone training or working overhead.

Connect with Tyler

Camp4 Human Performance (C4HP): https://www.camp4humanperformance.com/
About Tyler: https://www.camp4humanperformance.com/about
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/c4hp/

References (optional further reading)

Scapular dyskinesis and shoulder injury risk (systematic review/meta-analysis): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33211975/
Rotator cuff–related shoulder pain framework (Lewis 2016): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27083390/
Scapular dyskinesis clinical assessment reliability/limitations: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7646607/

Friendly note

This episode is educational and not medical advice. If you’ve had a major traumatic injury, dislocation, progressive neurologic symptoms (numbness/weakness), or severe loss of function, consider evaluation by a qualified clinician.

Marek Health: Deeper look at your health with comprehensive bloodwork and personalized guidance. 10% off with code AGELESS at https://agelessathlete.short.gy/marek

Timeline: Support cellular renewal and mitochondrial function with Mitopure, featuring Urolithin A. Up to 20% off at timeline.com/AGELESSATHLETE

Support The Show Love the show? Here’s how to support it https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

INFORMEDISH: Real life. Artificial cohost.
Movies, parenting and life's absurdities. Jason and his AI cohost Heather take sides.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Follow Ageless Athlete — How to Stay Strong, Curious & Capable for Life for new episodes each week.

Your Training Has to Adapt as You Age — Or You’ll Stall | Susan Hunt, 68 Mar 25, 2026

Show notes

What if staying athletic for life isn’t about doing one thing really well — but learning how to start over, again and again?

Susan Hunt has spent the last four decades doing exactly that.

She describes herself as “very average” — yet she’s completed Ironman triathlons, raced the Eco-Challenge in Borneo, run the Marathon des Sables across the Sahara, and summited Mount Everest at 53.

Now at 68, she’s still competing — recently winning her age group at a Half Ironman and qualifying for the World Championships.

What makes Susan different isn’t just what she’s done.

It’s how many times she’s started over.

In this conversation, we explore what it really takes to stay capable for decades — not just physically, but mentally.

We talk about reinvention as a skill, how to approach training across different disciplines, and why knowing when to turn back might matter more than pushing forward.

This is a conversation about building a body that lasts — and a mindset that keeps expanding.

👤 About Susan Hunt

Susan Hunt is an endurance athlete and adventurer whose career spans multiple disciplines and decades.

Her accomplishments include completing an Ironman triathlon, racing the Eco-Challenge in Borneo, running the Marathon des Sables, and summiting Mount Everest at age 53.

She continues to compete today, most recently winning her age group at a Half Ironman at 68.

Marek Health: Deeper look at your health with comprehensive bloodwork and personalized guidance. 10% off with code AGELESS at https://agelessathlete.short.gy/marek

Timeline: Support cellular renewal and mitochondrial function with Mitopure, featuring Urolithin A. Up to 20% off at timeline.com/AGELESSATHLETE

Support The Show Love the show? Here’s how to support it https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

INFORMEDISH: Real life. Artificial cohost.
Movies, parenting and life's absurdities. Jason and his AI cohost Heather take sides.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Follow Ageless Athlete — How to Stay Strong, Curious & Capable for Life for new episodes each week.

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