“VO2 max is more important than I previously appreciated. It is more strongly associated with reduced mortality risk than any other metric we know of”. Dr Peter Attia - Day 31

The Big 5-0 was Sunday.

It was novel not waking up worse for wear after the customary birthday party or indeed on Monday morning after a very long and very boozy birthday/Sunday lunch.

I woke early and feeling tip-top, I took the dog for a walk and headed out to the Garigal National Park to run the 12km Bare Creek Loop.

We took a wrong turn and ended up running shy of 14km, perfect training for the City2Surf.

With the run done, I will confess, I was a little lost for what to do.

Had I not been doing this sober project, A and I would have late lunched, as is customary, at Fratelli Paradiso’s in Potts Point.

One of the aims of this project is to achieve health and fitness benefits, and to run the City2Surf one minute faster than last year.

When I ran it last year, I had a VO2 max of 52 (superior according to Garmin). It has gradually decreased after last year’s half marathon to 49 (at the high end of good). It decreased because training load decreased and life in general.

Since stopping the booze and slowly increasing my running volume, my VO2 max has inched up to 50 (still at high end of good).

To get it back to 52 which I need to do if I am to gain that extra minute, I have to do anaerobic sessions. such as intervals. Believe me when I say that interval sessions are hard work bordering on hideous!

What I didn’t know, is that VO2 max, much like the City2Surf, has age categories.

It so happens that for a 50-year-old male, a VO2 max of 50 is considered superior.

In other words, all I had to do was to go to bed and wake up on the 28 April to be “fitter” relative to the day before.  

Shifting up an age category isn’t going to get me that one minute gain though, but you have to take small wins where you find them!

50 is the new 40, or should I say the new 52!

North Bondi - 1/05/2024