I always enjoyed the purity of running, but knee problems caused me to give it up in 2006 and take up mtbing for my fitness. However every now and then 3-6 month gaps, I’d feel ok and do the odd slow run just to prove I could do it. About five years ago I started taking glucosamine sulphate and my knees now feel strong enough to run occasionally. I’m going to be 60 this year but have been running twice a week at 8.30 ish pace for a 4 mile loop and really enjoying just being able to do it. I am now at an an age where I take it easy, don’t try and kill myself for a pb and let it all slip if the knee starts playing up.

Started at 45 having never really run much even at school, doing c25k, with an objective of 5 in under 25. Some ankle issues related to an old injury aggravated by a new one put me back and it was eventually about 11 weeks in total split by about 6 months to finish c25k. Around Jan Feb last year I did the 5 in 25 and went on to 23:15 for 5 which, given my background, I was well happy with, though I suspect I can do better. I’m not a natural runner. I need music and I need to vary the route, and it’s a struggle to get out sometimes, but maybe I’ll try a club or something when things get a bit more normal.

Is this a mid life crisis!? 😄

I only started running at 42, 10 years ago, only 39m 10k so far, just get on with it.

You aren’t old.

You aren’t slow.

I miss running so much.

Hip surgery 5 years ago next month after a lifetime of being a runner as much as a cyclist. I woke from surgery to a surgeon (also something of a name on the time trail circuit) telling me that damage was worse than expected and I now have no labrum on the right side any more as not repairable. That very occasional runs for phycological reasons would be ok but no more. I do go every now and then but the ache for days afterwards puts me off. Some days I wonder if I’d be better totally destroying it with abuse and getting a full replacement but I can now ride and do my day job issue free after surgery and I’d rather not risk messing that up.

My only caution – we are not all born equal. After my first scan before my surgery the collective first statement by those that know stuff when looking at my scan was ‘…and you did 34min 10kms and multiple ironmans a year on that? You were not born to run fella. What were you thinking!?!’. OK, I took things to extremes and I was very unlucky to have underlying issues but essentially I trashed myself. Listen to your body and don’t be too mental especially ramping up from nothing to lots in a short time.

I still dream of a long 20 mile run over the moors on a Sunday morning. Nothing like it. If I was in your position (you are still relatively young) and could I would like a shot. But I wouldn’t go mental this time.

Don’t chase times running as you get older, it will only frustrate you and get you injured.

Mate of mine mid 40’s still tries to push out the times he was doing in his early 30’s (national fell standard). He can just about do it, but then he will take literally months of niggles and injuries to recover. He hasn’t got to that place in his mind yet to accept that at mid 40’s he can still get up and down a hill/mountain in times most people would never achieve!

I am currently injured and missing running. I have all but given up mtb’ing because of the freedom trail/fell running gives you, but unfortunately my days of running, I think are soon to be over very quickly!

He hasn’t got to that place in his mind yet

I had that problem as I got older, moving back through the field and not being at the sharp end of regional races I found very difficult to adjust to and you are constantly dealing with the inevitable failure. Veteran athletic clubs and age banding is the best thing ever. I was dropping out the pointy end then picking up medals as a V40, V45 etc (top 10 nationally for 10k on the road 1st year as a V40) etc so you start to chase the other runners in your group which is motivating.

at the venerable age of 44, my aspirations for running & riding are pretty simple:

go average, go often.

I would spend two or three months stretching (yoga with Adrienne is good) and strengthening (kettlebells are great, squats, lunges,etc) and then take up running.

This is my advice after training and running a marathon at 45 years old. I didn’t do the above sadly so spent lots of time in pain with sore feet, possibly plantar fasiwotsit and very sore calves. During my 21 mile training run I developed proper hip pain so had the last 3 weeks off and just cycled.

Oh, and if you are daft enough to go to marathon distance, don’t ignore all that good advice on the day and get carried away with yourself. I nearly blew my under 4hr plan running with the 3 1/2hr bods!!

I think my issue is that due to biking my endurance is good so I can run a long way but my legs can’t. That and basic male stupidity.

Thank you all; it has genuinely changed my mindset. Not least the motivation from hearing what others are achieving. Some summary points:

1) running slowly is infinitely better than not being able to run at all
2) don’t chase the times of your younger self
3) compare yourself to others of the same age
4) be cautious about targeting speed – let it come naturally from increasing injury-free mileage
5) run off-road (good for the legs, good for the mind)
6) run with friends or in an club
7) foam roller [and stretch] before and after running
8) 43 is not old!

I’m 46 and struggle to get running again.

My tips would be:
1, Do you enjoy it? Do you feel good after? If yes, then nothing else matters.
2, Be grateful when you can run. I mean, really be grateful.

Glute strength is so important but often overlooked. Since i have focused efforts on strengthening my glutes, i no longer have back pain and my knees dont cause me any issues and I dont fatigue as easy as i used to. I have found these videos extremely helpful and i would encourage anyone to try them. Rubber bands are your friends here:

Im 36 and i run about 30/40k a week.

Great thread!

I’m coming back to running at 41 after a couple of years away and my main focus is to make it a habit.

Working from home is great as it gives me the time to get out in the mornings before work and I’m now up to 5 short runs per week, mostly off-road. They’re only about 5k each and taken very easily but I’m feeling so much better for it. I hope to get back to fell racing whenever they open but I’m now running for enjoyment rather than chasing times, though I did manage an 18:50 5k as a test just after Christmas.

Calf locked up again after this morning. Starts out ok, then stiffens up down the outside of my right calf muscle. Walked home. **** running.

I’m now running for enjoyment rather than chasing times, though I did manage an 18:50 5k as a test just after Christmas.

#humblebrag…;-)

@DezB Im no expert at all and im not qualified in any way but i can share my experience. I would try to understand why your calf it tight. Stretching your calves wont help i dont think. Do you sit at a desk a lot? Do your hips roll forwards (check that Anterior pelvic tilt video above)? If your hips roll forwards it may be because of a lack of core and glute strength, your hamstrings may be under more tension, which may feed into your calves. Remember the cause of the pain is not always where you feel the pain.

I was doing a old man’s run/jog once or twice a week before christmas just to try to keep the joints/ligaments hardened and vaguely able to do it. Then one of my kids who’s just started running came back for a few weeks. (Oh to be young: he’s doing sub 20 min 5kms on strava round the Meadows, 20kms or so Pentland rounds from central edin from pretty much nowhere.) This fired me up a bit with a few runs which I kept going until four weeks ago, properly running down the moor on a stony track, lengthened my stride and actually started laughing as it was fun, even as I rolled an ankle and somersaulted off the track. (Pride very literally coming before…)

I’m walking more or less normally now and was back doing ginger mtb within days but things take a while to heal at the wrong end of my 50s, so it will be a while before I forget the very obvious lesson and try it again.

Thanks for the tips @edward2000 – it doesn’t make sense, was fine for weeks, then I twisted slightly avoiding a puddle (route is mostly offroad) and felt a twinge. Rested it, recovered, after 3 runs got the distance back up, then this morning, just went again. No pain, then after about 1km, starts to stiffen up. Maybe I need to just run on the flat.. Or, more likely, just stick to riding 🙂

Read ‘Born to run’ a couple of years back describing a secretive remote tribe of Mexican ultra-runners.
So is the problem trainers with padded/comfort soles causing us to not use our feet properly when running. If we were all barefoot runners would we be fine?

39 here and love running. Always had an ambition to run a sub-40 10k before my 40th birthday but given its in July this year I think for various reasons that’s not going to happen!

As others have said I think after a certain age if you’re keen on running you’re also committing to having to be keen on performing some strength and conditioning work too.

Currently having physio for a heel spur so slightly worried I might not be able to do do any big mileage in future, though it seems OK knocking out 10ks once a week at the moment.

So is the problem trainers with padded/comfort soles causing us to not use our feet properly when running. If we were all barefoot runners would we be fine?

Get that can of worms open!
In short, no. There’s no question barefoot running has it’s merits, but there’s also no question that modern running shoes can really help with injury prevention as well.

I have been doing a bit of research into this literature on this. The consensus now seems to be that there is little or no evidence that any specific type of shoe reduces overall injury risk. E.g. barefoot/minimalist shoes tend to replace knee injuries with Achilles and calf injuries. It seems even the new fad of maximalist shoes like Hoka Ones, if anything, tend to increase impact forces (through inherent changes in gait).

Personally, I think the importance of shoes (and orthotics) has been overstated in the past at the expense of factors that genuinely do decrease injury risk e.g.:

– Rest
– Not making big changes in mileage/pace/frequency of runs
– Strengthening and stability

Whereas these factors seem to make little positive difference in terms of injury risk:
– Shoes type (minimalist, maximalist, cushion etc.)
– Shoes that control over/under pronantion
– Stretching between and before running (although weak evidence for stretching after running
– the current evidence seems to be that ICE of RICE (icing, compression, and elevation) has little effect)

So is the problem trainers with padded/comfort soles causing us to not use our feet properly when running.

Usually it’s doing too much too quickly (as cyclists we usually have good cardio-exercise ability) and then failing to stretch afterwards.

C25K works so well for me because it builds leg impact strength slowly and encourages stretching before and after. Trial and error has pinpointed week 3 as the re-start point that does least physical damage.

43 is not old, no’but a youth at 43. 58 gets me some proper “old man” noises if I don’t take care.

I read Born to Run and it seemed to me there was an obvious difference in that I recall the local tribe were running barefoot in the jungle and on trails etc whereas lets face it most western/european runners are pounding tarmac all week. Its been years since I read it but I’ve a feeling that this might have been kind of glossed over or if it was addressed, I somehow missed it.

Adaptation is the key here. Your body needs to adapt to the new stresses being placed upon it.
I run every day (current streak 642 days) and about 50 – 60 miles a week and I get little niggles all the time, but I know now when its a show stopper or if its just a consequence of the different runs I do. Keeping on top of things like tight calves with foam roller and compression has meant I’ve not had to stop for a long time. Other things I can put down to worn shoes – my left hip usually starts to get painful when I’m using shoes past their best, so if I get the feeling I will know it’s time to retire the shoes and get some fresh ones. It comes down to managing your body and effort and getting good recovery.
I still feel like I have room for improvement at 46 and haven’t reached my peak just yet and I do reasonably well in vet categories for my age, but check out @Turboferret to show you what can be achieved for ‘older’ runners as he can achieve some sensational times.

Interesting @martin_t

I agree ref shoes. I actually run in Hokas but mainly because they have a stiff forefoot and I have arthritis in my big toe joints so that provides protection for that specific thing. Other shoes are available with this stiff forefoot now so I have more choice for my ailment. Agree also about orthotics I think they cant really help runners (or to a very limited degree) the forces are powerful and difficult to control. Trying to usually creates more problems, as you say adaption is the key over a long period of time. I used to run with some very fast guys and one in particular pronated excessively. He only had problems when he went through a period of trying to correct it. His body compensated and he is still running now (at 60)

I also think that running on soft ground provides no benefits over running on hard surfaces, your body compensates and adapts. It does seem intuitive that softer ground is better in the same way that stretching is commonly accepted to be beneficial, the evidence is weak at best that it has any positive benefits other than the feeling good.

If you have a knee pain from running, then you could conceivably see any number of specialists who would say it was in their field and would be more than happy to take your money:

-Physiotherapist
-Podiatrist
-Osteopath
-Chiropractor
-Acupuncture-ist
-Gait analysis
-etc.

My guess is a physio who is/was a runner and specializes in that area would be your best bet. Nevertheless, all of those things could work in so much as they may promote listening to your body and doing the things that will genuinely help (rest, load management, strengthening etc.).

As an aside. I had a friend who paid over £5000 by a very special specialist to be told her hip pain was caused by her jaw misalignment. The person flew over from one of the channel islands to present the findings. Indeed, I remember her showing me the x-rays that categorically ‘proved’ it. Indirectly I guess it may have worked as she had to carry around a lot less weight in her wallet

I was a fairly keen runner with aspirations of getting a good-for-age place in London Marathon but gave up for around five years and have never got fully back into it. My last half marathon was a good minute per mile slower than my best times and I felt much worse after it than I did when running faster. To regain speed will take consistent training and a few years, but my goals have changed to being able to comfortably complete 13 miles so I’m not too worried about this.

If you are experiencing aches and pains from running, its worth reading books like Born to Run. Whilst the major theme of the book lead to the trend for minimalist shoes as the Tarahumura and our ancestors run on the hard packed trails that are similar to tarmac, the advice on shorter stride and quicker cadence shouldn’t be overlooked. Modern life does lead many people to become weak in key areas for running form, so reviewing your form and focussed strength training can help.

Actually love it and aiming for a local 50k Ultra in June, which I’m sure will involve walking!

Is it the Llangollen 50k? I’ve signed up for that myself. It’ll be my first Ultra.

Ah, now it makes more sense, after watching this about calf injuries
.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT2qEqfg3as&ab_channel=SportsInjuryPhysio.
Actually says how when you hit 50 everything takes much longer to recover too! (7m 30-ish)

Been running a while got down to 22min 5k.
But this lockdown have been running loads more but trying to keep hr below or at 140bpm.
It’s funny really as when i was going nuts on runs i was doing about 2 runs a week. Now am chilling out a bit more i am running nearly every day.
Will go back to speed soon but am just enjoying not being sat at my desk all day every day now

Reading through with interest and notice a mention from @alanf 🙂

I started running properly relatively late, 36. Now 42 I seem to have found something I have some natural ability at, which is nice. Certainly get more niggles now though, and recovery time is a little longer, but can generally manage a 120 mile week if I’m focused and building for something.

Despite all of this, I’m still getting quicker and hitting PB’s across a range of distances.

I was the first M40 non-elite in 2:23 at the London marathon 2019, although annoyingly and unusually there were 3 M40 elites ahead of me who swept up all the prize money.

This year I’m doing my first ultras, 50 and 100 milers, pushing the endurance limits a bit further.

My top tip would be to take it slowly, don’t build too quickly. You can build fitness a lot quicker than the the little adaptations that tendons etc require to avoid injury. Keep things varied to avoid getting bored – distances, speeds, terrain, surfaces – it’s all good.

Enjoy!

@turboferret

I started running properly relatively late, 36. Now 42 … I was the first M40 non-elite in 2:23 at the London marathon 2019, although annoyingly and unusually there were 3 M40 elites ahead of me who swept up all the prize money.

Wow! That is jaw dropping stuff and to me redefines the possible.

Keep things varied to avoid getting bored – distances, speeds, terrain, surfaces – it’s all good.

Do you have any suggestions on when/how to introduce speed work, hills etc.?

Tried to jog this morning mid way through a walk. Knee said no after 10 strides. 2 months ago I was told 2-3 weeks before running again. Been committed to the stretches.

I guess I don’t have tendonitis.

@martin_t very difficult to say as everyone is different and with varying experience. However, I would suggest that it’s probably OK after a few months of building gradually to start introducing some more taxing efforts. Don’t go too crazy as you need to consider the overall stress that the sessions put on your body – a short hard hill session will be equivalent of a much longer easy run, so if you’re introducing taxing efforts, then you may want to drop your weekly total miles slightly to compensate. Once you’re easily absorbing all of the training with no ill-effects then you can build again.

I must stress I’m certainly not a coach, and no 2 people are the same in terms of recovery and ability to handle training loads. For some they may be close to injury if they go over 50 miles a week so they reach their potential with low mileage, others may be able to take 3 times this so to reach their potential they can do much more training. One person’s ideal training diary could potentially leave someone else totally broken, or another wanting more.

I will say that I have found polarised training has had a positive impact on my results – either very easy, or totally balls-out hard. The in-between pace just gets you tired but with significantly less improvement in performance. But this is probably something that is a little way down the line for most.

@turboferret
Thanks that advice is gold dust. The polarization of training is something that is dawning on me late in life. In the past, I always just ran balls out whatever the occasion. Not surprising I always ended up on a plateau or injured.

Well folks, for all the “I need to be faster to join my local club” crowd, can I recommend checking out your local park run results?

People have club name against them, so you can see the fastest and slowest runners in the club (can also check local race results).

Certainly at my local club, when we divided up into 6 person pace groups as part of plague-rules-compliance, it turned out that the 11+mins/mile group was shambling happily on at just under 13 mins a mile!

Most of us used to be at least a little faster but age & injury…

PS and I see parkrun is planning to come back in June.