What actually needs to change in your training as you get older?

Eric Horst has spent nearly five decades climbing, coaching, and studying human performance—and in his 60s, he is still climbing at an elite level. But he’s also candid about what changes with age: power starts to fade, recovery matters more, nutrition becomes increasingly important, and training mistakes can carry a bigger cost.

In this conversation, Eric explains how he has adapted his own training to keep performing as he gets older.

We cover:

• Why power tends to decline with age—and how to keep training it
• Why athletes over 40 may need to pay more attention to protein
• How recovery and injury risk change as you get older
• Why introducing new training methods too aggressively can backfire
• How to balance strength, power, endurance, and climbing-specific work
• What Eric changed around age 50 to support performance and longevity
• Why staying in the sport matters more than hanging onto your absolute peak

Eric’s larger message is one I love: performance eventually changes, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop being an athlete.

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Topics: longevity, fitness over 40, endurance training, aging athletes, recovery, injury prevention

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.

Thomas Huber has spent a lifetime in places where the outcome is never guaranteed.

As one half of the legendary Huber brothers, he’s climbed some of the hardest lines in the world—from Cerro Torre to Latok I—often in remote ranges where retreat is just as important as summiting. But what’s kept him coming back isn’t just the climbing. It’s what the mountains reveal.

In this conversation, Thomas reflects on risk—not as something to avoid, but something to understand. We talk about growing up in the shadow of his father’s accident, how that early fear shaped his relationship with the mountains, and why “success” has never meant standing on top.

Now nearing 60, he’s still pushing himself, still curious, and still willing to go into the unknown. But his perspective has evolved—toward partnership, responsibility, and a deeper sense of what it means to come back.

We also get into:

•  Why getting down matters more than getting to the top 
•  How he thinks about risk after decades in the mountains 
•  The role of fear—and how it can sharpen rather than stop you 
•  Injuries, setbacks, and what keeps him going 
•  What climbing around the world has taught him about people and culture 
•  How his idea of freedom has changed over time 

This conversation is how we choose to live when nothing is guaranteed.

💜 Want to stay strong, mobile, and capable for decades?
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Topics: longevity, fitness over 40, endurance training, aging athletes, recovery, injury prevention

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.

I’ve been reading Matt Samet’s writing since I started climbing in 2004, so this one felt a bit personal.

Matt has spent nearly four decades immersed in climbing—not just as an athlete, but as one of the sport’s most thoughtful voices. He’s written for Climbing Magazine, shaped how many of us understand the culture, and lived through the highs and lows that come with staying in something this demanding for a lifetime.

But this conversation goes well beyond climbing.

We talk about what it actually takes to last—not just physically, but mentally. About the pull of addiction, and how close it came to taking everything away. And about the slow, deliberate work of rebuilding a life with more honesty, stability, and purpose.

Along the way, Matt shares:

•  What keeps someone engaged in a sport for 40 years 
•  How climbing journalism has evolved—and what stories still matter 
•  The role of community, identity, and storytelling in shaping a life 
•  His experience with addiction and the long road back 
•  How he thinks about balance, health, and staying grounded today 

There’s a quiet honesty to this one. Less about chasing peaks, more about what it takes to stay in the game—and to come back when you’ve nearly stepped out of it.

Follow Matt Samet on Instagram

• Matt Samet's Work in Climbing Journalism:
  • Climbing Magazine 
• Matt Samet's Book:
  • Death Grip: A Climber's Escape from Benzo Madness

💜 Want to stay strong, mobile, and capable for decades?
Join the Ageless Athlete newsletter — one useful email a week on how to build and protect strength, endurance, mobility, recovery, and the physical capacity to keep doing what you love as you get older.

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

🚀 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

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.

Fred Pompermayer didn’t grow up by the ocean.
 He grew up in a landlocked town in Brazil.

At 12, he sold his bicycle to buy a surfboard.
 Later, he borrowed university cameras and started documenting the waves he couldn’t stop thinking about. Eventually, he left architecture school behind and moved toward a life that made very little sense on paper.

Today, Fred is one of the most respected big wave photographers in the world. His images—often taken in chaotic, dangerous conditions—have appeared on more than 50 magazine covers, and he’s won the Big Wave Awards seven times.

But this conversation is more than accolades.

It’s about what it takes to stay close to something you’re obsessed with.
 To keep showing up in unpredictable environments.
 To build a career not by following a plan, but by following a pull.

We talk about the early years, the risks behind the camera, and how he thinks about fear, timing, and being in the right place when everything comes together

Fred's References:

www.Fredpompermayer.com
https://www.instagram.com/fred_pompermayer/
https://morrisonhotelgallery.com/collections/sports/products/mavericks

Ambassador for:
ANETIK PERFORMANCE
FLATLINE VAN CO
VENJENZ
Part of the SANDISK EXTREME TEAM

💜 Want to stay strong, mobile, and capable for decades?
Join the Ageless Athlete newsletter — one useful email a week on how to build and protect strength, endurance, mobility, recovery, and the physical capacity to keep doing what you love as you get older.

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

🚀 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

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.

Sometimes it only takes one person believing in you—at exactly the right moment.

This powerful statement from Kris Hampton's probation officer had a profound impact on him, demonstrating the power of belief and accountability. 

From his home amidst the Rockies in Lander, WY, musician, artist, and climber Kris, shares his remarkable journey from a tough upbringing to finding solace and purpose in climbing, all while defying odds and setting impressive climbing goals. 

Connect with Kris:

Power Company Climbing: https://www.powercompanyclimbing.com/
Kris's Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/power-company-podcast/id1447779791
Kris's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Truth-Simple-Become-Climber/dp/1734103604/
Breaking Beta Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/breaking-beta-climbing-training-podcast/id1449349393
Written in Stone Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/written-in-stone-a-climbing-history-podcast/id1527606398

💜 Want to stay strong, mobile, and capable for decades?
Join the Ageless Athlete newsletter — one useful email a week on how to build and protect strength, endurance, mobility, recovery, and the physical capacity to keep doing what you love as you get older.

Join here → https://www.agelessathlete.co/newsletter/

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

🚀 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

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.

How do you keep your body strong, mobile, and capable as you get older?

Juliet Starrett, co-author of Built to Move and co-founder of The Ready State, has spent years working with elite athletes and translating what actually matters for the rest of us. Her message is refreshingly simple: the fundamentals—not expensive gadgets or complicated biohacks—are what give us a body that lasts.

We talk about the basic practices that matter most for healthy aging and long-term physical capability, including:

• Why strength and balance become increasingly important with age
• How walking and everyday movement support long-term health
• Mobility practices you can actually maintain
• Protein, sleep, and recovery fundamentals
• Why consistency matters more than optimization
• How to keep doing the activities you love for decades

Juliet's philosophy is simple: build the base first, then earn the right to optimize.

💜 Want to stay strong, mobile, and capable for decades?
Join the Ageless Athlete newsletter — one useful email a week on how to build and protect strength, endurance, mobility, recovery, and the physical capacity to keep doing what you love as you get older.

Join here → https://www.agelessathlete.co/newsletter/

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

🚀 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

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.

"It's not about being the star that day or catching the biggest wave. It's just, that's the one you remember and you carry all your life." 

What does it take to live a life in pursuit of waves for over 6 decades? Today's guest, Gary Linden, has been doing just that - riding everything from 2-foot rollers to 50-foot behemoths around the globe since the age of 12.

Gary was one of the first true surfing nomads, traveling to remote regions and living amongst local cultures from Brazil to Japan in search of uncrowded breaks. You'll hear hilarious tales of getting hopelessly lost hiking through dense jungles, camping for months in tiny fishing villages near secluded waves, and the unbridled thrill of exploration in those wide-open days before surf forecasts.

But Gary's true legacy is as the pioneering face of modern big wave riding. Imagine swells the size of three-story buildings barreling across an oblivion of ocean - that's the canvas where Gary etched his name. Hear how an unwavering mindset of commitment allowed this slight 135-pound waterman to paddle into some of the heaviest slabs on the planet at bomboras like Todos Santos and the bone-crunching barrels of Puerto Escondido. His fearless vision led him to create the original Big Wave World Tour to crown the planet's best big wave chargers.

Now at 74 years young and still surfing frequently, Gary opens up with raw honesty about the habits, philosophies and convictions that have kept him ageless in pursuit of his one true passion - surfing. With humor and wisdom forged from decades in the lineup, he imparts insights about prioritizing what matters, overcoming setbacks, and leaving a legacy by doing what you love.

References:

Gary's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/garylinden/
Gary Linden Surfboards https://lindensurfboards.com/

💜 Want to stay strong, mobile, and capable for decades?
Join the Ageless Athlete newsletter — one useful email a week on how to build and protect strength, endurance, mobility, recovery, and the physical capacity to keep doing what you love as you get older.

Join here → https://www.agelessathlete.co/newsletter/

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

🚀 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

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.

Nick Martinez didn’t just come to Yosemite to climb. He came to build a life.

From growing up in Brazil to finding his way into the Valley, he became part of a rare world—sharing space with climbers like Jim Bridwell, Dean Potter, and the Huber brothers.

Over two decades, Nick quietly took on some of the hardest and most committing big walls in Yosemite National Park.

But this story isn’t really about climbing.

It’s about what happens when everything nearly gets taken away.

After losing people close to him—and surviving a near-fatal BASE jumping accident—Nick had to decide whether to walk away… or return to the same place that nearly broke him.

He chose to go back.

In this conversation, we talk about:

•  Finding your way into a world where you don’t yet belong 
•  The pull of risk—and how it changes over time 
•  Grief, close calls, and continuing anyway 
•  The quiet code of the Yosemite dirtbag life 
•  Why some people keep returning to the same walls 

Nick is also just a great storyteller—so there are plenty of wild moments, close calls, and glimpses into a side of Yosemite most people never see.

This one is less about performance—and more about identity, loss, and what keeps you coming back.

Nick’s Instagram 

Nick extends huge thanks to:

Rigging International
BlueWater Ropes
PASOKIN
Greater Tahoe GripWorks

📸 credits to:

https://www.fredpompermayer.com
https://www.felipesh.com
https://www.edsonvandeira.com
Jenning Steger and Kyler Sparks of Patagonia. 

💜 Want to stay strong, mobile, and capable for decades?
Join the Ageless Athlete newsletter — one useful email a week on how to build and protect strength, endurance, mobility, recovery, and the physical capacity to keep doing what you love as you get older.

Join here → https://www.agelessathlete.co/newsletter/

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

🚀 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

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 talk about my successes — I’ll show you my thousand failures.”

What does it actually take to stay at the top—not for a season, but for decades?

In this conversation, I sit down with Jeremiah Bishop, one of the most accomplished endurance mountain bikers in the U.S. A 16-time member of the USA Cycling National Team, Pan American Games gold medalist, and multiple-time national champion, Jeremiah has spent a lifetime choosing the harder path—on and off the bike.

But this isn’t just about wins.

It’s about the long road.

We talk about what it feels like to keep showing up year after year… how to handle failure when it becomes the norm… and what it really means to build a life around something difficult.

Jeremiah brings you into the races—the suffering, the landscapes, the quiet moments where things can go either way—and the mindset that’s allowed him to keep going long after most people burn out.

In this episode:

•  What separates athletes who last from those who fade 
•  Why failure is the real training ground 
•  The mental game behind long, multi-day races 
•  Choosing challenge over comfort—again and again 
•  How to build a life around something that matters 

This one is about endurance in the deepest sense—not just sport, but life.

💜 Want to stay strong, mobile, and capable for decades?
Join the Ageless Athlete newsletter — one useful email a week on how to build and protect strength, endurance, mobility, recovery, and the physical capacity to keep doing what you love as you get older.

Join here → https://www.agelessathlete.co/newsletter/

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

🚀 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

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.

"It's kind of like... when the oracle is talking to Neo, and she's like, 'Know thyself.' I think if you just really stay true to yourself, and go, and just follow your dreams, I don't think you can lose." 💫🏄🏽‍♀️

When I happened to chance upon a video of Katie McConnell masterfully dropping into monster waves in Nazaré, Portugal , and then heard her thoughtfully describe epic hold-downs, I knew I had to try to bring her on the show. Katie's trophy case is overflowing with wins at prestigious events , and this interview is quite timely as she just won the tow award at the Red Bull Magnitude in Hawaii!  However, more than just a big wave rider, Katie is a brilliant marine biologist and a true champion of the oceans. 🌊🐠

This conversation goes beyond the podium. Katie opens up about her journey of self-discovery through surfing, the challenges of being a female pioneer in a male dominated sport, and her creative hustle to balance her passions with the realities of life. It’s an honor to be able to share her intelligence, humility, and gift for storytelling. 🙏🏾💜

Connect with Katie:

• Instagram: @keiti_mar
• Website: https://www.surfwithkatie.com/

Don't miss out! Subscribe to the Ageless Athlete Podcast for more of this juice! 

References

• Red Bull Magnitude Women's Big Wave Contest: https://www.redbull.com/us-en/events/magnitude
• Thriller at Killers Big Wave Contest: https://www.worldsurfleague.com/events/2024/mct/4979/todos-santos-challenge
• XXL Big Wave Awards: https://www.worldsurfleague.com/big-wave-awards
• Save the Waves Coalition: https://www.savethewaves.org/

Katie's Sponsors:

• Gary Linden Surfboards: https://lindensurfboards.com/
• Finisterre: https://finisterre.com/
• Stay Covered Leashes: https://staycoveredindustries.com/
• Seapod Humboldt (CPOP): https://www.seapodhumboldt.com/

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