Ways to Compete as an Adult

I've done both indoor and on-water rowing competitively starting at age 46. Depends somewhat on where you live, but there are lots more rowing competitions around (for all ages high school to 90s) than most non-rowers realize, including some virtual racing for rowing machines in addition to real life events.

Canoeing and kayaking are also done competitively, in various forms for carious distances, and there are masters track and field events. There's tennis, ping-pong, pool, golf, and if you want to consider things outside the fitness world, there's chess, poker and bridge, among others (brain exercise is important, too ).

I highly recommend adult cross country racing. The events are fun, inexpensive, and you compete in age divisions. Distance is usually around 5k. You can race as an individual, but they are also team events.

I do triathlons. I started because I wanted to push myself physically but didn't feel like I had what it takes talent-wise to be "good" in any one sport. So instead, why not be mediocre in three sports and crazy enough to put them all together at once? The tri community is pretty friendly with a wide variety of talent and a variety of distances. If you're not competing to win your age group, you can still compete against yourself to finish a longer distance or improve shorter ones. Plenty of opportunity to cross train and keep things interesting - I swim/bike/run and am also looking to work regular lifting back into my routine.

Depends on what you enjoy/feel like you can do.

Things like the Spartan races are huge with a lot of people I know. Lots of other types of competitions out there, trick is just finding them or realizing what's even available. Baseball, football, frisbee, bicycle, mountain biking...

Personally my competition is racing motorcycles. That's my big fitness "motivator" right now, but definitely not for everyone

If you like lifting, Powerlifting is a great sport. I have been competing for over 10 years in the sport and have traveled all over the United States and Europe to compete. Its a serious sport with lots of great competitors. Always room for one more.

__TMac__ wrote: »

Indoor rowing? Really fun and intense.

This. You sound a lot like I was. I started trail running (and was pretty bad at it, to be honest, but really enjoyed it). With trail running, my goal was to be at the top of the bottom 1/3! I reached that lowly goal before I had to stop with chronic runner's knee.

I started doing more rowing on the Concept2 while doing rehab. I am not built at all like a rower (I'm 5'9" and have shorter arms and legs but I'm stocky, absolutely not ideal for rowing). From my running, when I started, I could row at 2K, which is the distance most to for racing, at around 8:00. Within a few months, I was at 7:45 or so and learned there was indoor racing or "Indoor Regattas".

Indoor rowing is really close to Cross Fit. As I've become more involved with it, I've met tons of Cross Fitters. My first "race", I finished 2nd next to a guy that was 62 and was in the top 2 or 3 in the US (he rowed a 6:47, which is absurd for a 62 year old). My next race, a local one, I won with a 7:19 time (not great but a huge improvement).

I'm 53 and just did my best this year with a 7:11.7 and I'm training to row at the World Indoor Rowing competition in 2 years at 55 and hope to place in the top 10. Either that or at Crash-Bs (like the US Nationals) in the top 5. I absolutely love it. You don't have to lift too heavy to do it but lifting helps. I race against former college crew or really strong Cross Fitters all the time. There's a reason that Cross Fitters (and most MMA fighters) mostly train on the rower. It's intense and works your whole body. Conor McGregor, Hugh Jackman are among really huge indoor rowing fans.

I'm such a fan of it that I've been asked to join some virtual "clubs" where many of our members are the WR holders and they give me tips/pointers with my training. I'll never be close to as good as some of them (there are females in my club that smoke me, including the current WR holder on the female 2K).

You can compete anytime if you have RowPro on a computer or hook it up to a TV. It's a virtual training/racing program you hook up to your C2 monitor and you can race anyone in the world in real time. You see your little boat guy racing up to 7 other racers! Great for fun competition from your home. Great on the joints/back too. I have a bad back as well (and bad knee). If I can do it, anyone can.

I vote for competitive hot dog eating.