Running over Forty
Many people get the running bug in their forties – often because they become worried about their health or because it’s the age when we suddenly realise that if we don’t do something now, we never will.
Starting to run later in life can actually be a great advantage – we know ourselves pretty well and won’t push ourselves too hard; we haven’t got the drawback of twenty years of injuries that younger runners often have; and we tend to mark each milestone in our training with a sense of wellbeing and self-esteem.
On the other hand, if we haven’t been exercising regularly, we need to remember to start slowly. Talk to your doctor about your plans and ensure that he or she thinks you’re fit to begin running. You might be advised to start with a month’s walking, or to join a beginner’s running group – if so, take these ideas seriously.
When you begin, start with run-walks, where you run until you feel a little out of breath and then walk until you feel completely comfortable again. This builds up your stamina and your cardio-vascular strength and stops you getting cramp and stitch.
Ensure you have good running shoes – a specialist shop might seem daunting for the first minute or two but explain you are a beginner and what you plan to do and you’ll find the staff (nearly always runners themselves) will fall over themselves to kit you out with safe shoes and probably they’ll have loads of advice for you too. Bad shoes mean pain – the investment you make in starting right will last you a running lifetime.
Related Products:
