Ageless Athlete — How to Stay Strong, Curious & Capable for Life

Kush Khandelwal
  • 5.0 (80)
  • FITNESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

For people who refuse to decline quietly. Conversations with top athletes, scientists, and thinkers who are still getting stronger, sharper, and more capable with age. What changes. What breaks. What actually works. Hosted by Kush Khandelwal — rock climber, athlete, and entrepreneur, a lifelong student of performance, and someone figuring this out in real time.

  1. Still Getting Faster in his 60s — The Marginal Gains System | Greg Benning, 64

    1D AGO

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

    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)🎥 Longevity insights + behind-the-scenes. Ageless Athlete on Substack - 1-2x / month. No spam. 🎥 Want the full experience? YouTube — full-length video. free. 📍More clips + behind-the-scenes Ageless Athlete on Instagram - follow along. 🚀 Love the show? Here’s how to support it  If something you’ve heard here has stayed with you, made you smile, or helped you keep going, I’d be honored if you’d consider supporting the show. 👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete Topics: longevity, fitness over 40, endurance training, aging athletes, recovery, injury prevention

    1h 20m
  2. She Won the World’s Toughest Races — Then She Rebuilt From the Inside | Amelia Boone

    APR 22

    She Won the World’s Toughest Races — Then She Rebuilt From the Inside | Amelia Boone

    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 gameIf 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. References: Amelia writes brilliantly on her Substack!  🎥 Longevity insights + behind-the-scenes. Ageless Athlete on Substack - 1-2x / month. No spam. 🎥 Want the full experience? YouTube — full-length video. free. 📍More clips + behind-the-scenes Ageless Athlete on Instagram - follow along. 🚀 Love the show? Here’s how to support it  If something you’ve heard here has stayed with you, made you smile, or helped you keep going, I’d be honored if you’d consider supporting the show. 👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete Topics: longevity, fitness over 40, endurance training, aging athletes, recovery, injury prevention

    1h 22m
  3. Stop Waiting for the "Perfect" Season—You Pay This Price | Cedar Wright, 51

    APR 15

    Stop Waiting for the "Perfect" Season—You Pay This Price | Cedar Wright, 51

    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/ 🎥 Longevity insights + behind-the-scenes. Ageless Athlete on Substack - 1-2x / month. No spam. 🎥 Want the full experience? YouTube — full-length video. free. 📍More clips + behind-the-scenes Ageless Athlete on Instagram - follow along. 🚀 Love the show? Here’s how to support it  If something you’ve heard here has stayed with you, made you smile, or helped you keep going, I’d be honored if you’d consider supporting the show. 👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete Topics: longevity, fitness over 40, endurance training, aging athletes, recovery, injury prevention

    1h 30m
  4. How to Achieve Hard Goals — Doing What Nobody Had Done Before | Amy Gubser, 56

    APR 8

    How to Achieve Hard Goals — Doing What Nobody Had Done Before | Amy Gubser, 56

    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. 🎥 Longevity insights + behind-the-scenes. Ageless Athlete on Substack - 1-2x / month. No spam. 🎥 Want the full experience? YouTube — full-length video. free. 📍More clips + behind-the-scenes Ageless Athlete on Instagram - follow along. 🚀 Love the show? Here’s how to support it  If something you’ve heard here has stayed with you, made you smile, or helped you keep going, I’d be honored if you’d consider supporting the show. 👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete Topics: longevity, fitness over 40, endurance training, aging athletes, recovery, injury prevention

    1h 31m
  5. Don’t Try to “Fix” Your Shoulder Pain — Do This Instead | Dr Tyler Nelson

    APR 1

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

    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 evaluat 🎥 Longevity insights + behind-the-scenes. Ageless Athlete on Substack - 1-2x / month. No spam. 🎥 Want the full experience? YouTube — full-length video. free. 📍More clips + behind-the-scenes Ageless Athlete on Instagram - follow along. 🚀 Love the show? Here’s how to support it  If something you’ve heard here has stayed with you, made you smile, or helped you keep going, I’d be honored if you’d consider supporting the show. 👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete Topics: longevity, fitness over 40, endurance training, aging athletes, recovery, injury prevention

    1h 5m
  6. Your Training Has to Adapt as You Age — Or You’ll Stall | Susan Hunt, 68

    MAR 25

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

    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. 📰 Subscribe to the Ageless Athlete newsletter !  1-2x a month, no spam. We share behind-the-scenes reflections, longevity tips, and athlete wisdom you won’t find anywhere else. You can sign up at https://www.agelessathlete.co/newsletter/ 📩 🚀 Love the show? Here’s how to support it If something you’ve heard here has stayed with you, made you smile, or helped you keep going, I’d be honored if you’d consider supporting the show. 👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

    1h 8m
  7. 3 Things You Must Do Differently After 40 to Stay Strong and Agile | Jason Hardrath

    MAR 18

    3 Things You Must Do Differently After 40 to Stay Strong and Agile | Jason Hardrath

    What does it take to stay capable through the years? Jason Hardrath is one of the most creative endurance athletes in the mountains today. An ultrarunner, climber, and mountain linkup specialist, Jason is known for massive single-push adventures that combine running, climbing, swimming, biking, and even paragliding. He has completed the Bulger List — the 100 highest peaks in Washington — in record time, along with numerous Fastest Known Times (FKTs) and ambitious multi-sport mountain projects. But this conversation isn’t about the feats themselves. It’s about how Jason is preparing for the long game. At just 36 — younger than most guests on Ageless Athlete — Jason is already thinking carefully about how to train, recover, and fuel differently so he can keep exploring the mountains for decades to come. In this episode, we explore three key shifts Jason is making now to stay strong and agile as he ages, along with the mindset that allows him to keep evolving as an athlete. We also talk about: • Why Jason began combining running, climbing, and flying in the mountains  • The story behind some of his most ambitious mountain linkups  • What COVID and injury taught him about identity as an athlete  • How he approaches strength training and recovery differently now  • Nutrition, inflammation, and the habits that help him stay durable  • Why every athlete should think about the long game This conversation is ultimately about something deeper than performance. It’s about building a relationship with your body — and your passions — that can last a lifetime. Connect with Jason Website:  https://www.jasonhardrath.com Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jasonhardrath 🎥 Longevity insights + behind-the-scenes. Ageless Athlete on Substack - 1-2x / month. No spam. 🎥 Want the full experience? YouTube — full-length video. free. 📍More clips + behind-the-scenes Ageless Athlete on Instagram - follow along. 🚀 Love the show? Here’s how to support it  If something you’ve heard here has stayed with you, made you smile, or helped you keep going, I’d be honored if you’d consider supporting the show. 👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete Topics: longevity, fitness over 40, endurance training, aging athletes, recovery, injury prevention

    1h 27m
  8. Why Some People Stay Capable Into Their 70s — And Others Don’t | Jack Tackle, 72

    MAR 11

    Why Some People Stay Capable Into Their 70s — And Others Don’t | Jack Tackle, 72

    What happens when the thing that defines you is suddenly taken away? For legendary American alpinist Jack Tackle, climbing wasn’t just a sport — it was identity. For more than five decades, Jack has explored remote mountains across Alaska, the Himalaya, and the Karakoram. He spent decades guiding in the Tetons and helping shape an era of bold American alpinism built on patience, partnership, and resilience. But in the year 2001, everything changed. Jack was struck by Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare autoimmune disease that attacks the nervous system. Within days he lost the ability to walk and spent 53 days in the hospital, much of that time in intensive care. Doctors later told him that if treatment had come even a day later, he likely would not have survived. For many climbers, that moment would have marked the end. Nine months later, Jack guided a client across the Grand Traverse in the Tetons — one of the most demanding ridge climbs in the United States. Now in his seventies, Jack is still climbing and still reflecting on the deeper question that many athletes eventually face: What happens when your body changes… but the thing that defines you is still calling? In this conversation, Jack shares lessons from a lifetime in the mountains — about resilience, identity, consistency, and the quiet discipline required to keep showing up decade after decade. This episode isn’t just about climbing. It’s about the deeper human question of what we fight to keep in our lives — and why it matters. 📰 Subscribe to the Ageless Athlete newsletter !  1-2x a month, no spam. We share behind-the-scenes reflections, longevity tips, and athlete wisdom you won’t find anywhere else. You can sign up at https://www.agelessathlete.co/newsletter/ 📩 🚀 Love the show? Here’s how to support it If something you’ve heard here has stayed with you, made you smile, or helped you keep going, I’d be honored if you’d consider supporting the show. 👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

    1h 13m
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5
out of 5
80 Ratings

About

For people who refuse to decline quietly. Conversations with top athletes, scientists, and thinkers who are still getting stronger, sharper, and more capable with age. What changes. What breaks. What actually works. Hosted by Kush Khandelwal — rock climber, athlete, and entrepreneur, a lifelong student of performance, and someone figuring this out in real time.

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