I am almost but not quite a veteran. I became very aware of my age about 4 years ago when I tore my left calf. The injury is commonly known as tennis leg and "usually occurs in middle-age athletes." I finally realized that my wife was right, I was no longer a spring chicken.

As you age the body does not recover as quickly or as well as it once did. Extra care has to be given to injuries but also to recovery in general. I think half or more of my chronic injuries would go away if I stopped fencing but where is the fun in that.

Last summer I rolled my left ankle. It was a silly, preventable injury. I was wearing an old pair of shoes minus the usual insoles I use. I should have thrown them out but I'm naturally cheap. The shoes were a little big when worn sans insoles and used to the point where they were lacking in support. As I retreated the shoe stuck to the piste but my ankle kept going and I experienced an inversion strain. I happened to have an unrelated appointment with a podiatrist the following week. He said it was nothing to worry about, RICE as usual. I think if I had been in my twenties he would have been correct.

Unfortunately it developed into Achilles tendinitis. A few weeks later I was waking up to a stiff and sore tendon. I iced, I massaged, I stretched, all to no avail. A heel lift helped alleviate the symptoms during the day.

Achilles tendinitis often responds poorly to treatment but I was determined to do something about. A little reading and some google fu led me to believe that eccentric exercise was the most successful modality. Heel drops performed daily for three months and then progressing to three times per week for maintenance.

I followed the program religiously but noticed no improvement. Then boom, just as the three month point approached I experienced significant reduction in pain in stiffness. I wouldn't say it is "better" but the condition is under control.

The whole experience has really made me start to refocus my training on injury prevention and injury recovery. I still do strength and conditioning work but the primary goal has shifted from perform better to keep performing.

I'm not sure If I have gained any wisdom with my age but I do know that constant pain is not a good thing. It detracts from your fencing and your life. Doing something about it should be a priority.