Tips for mature runners

1 KEEP GOING

Starting off is never easy, even now. It takes me a mile to feel comfortable and always did. Wrap up in the winter, strip off in summer, but ignore the weather where possible. Rain can be welcome. Alternate between road and off-road as hard surfaces are tough on joints whereas trails tend to be softer and kinder on joints but more difficult to run fast on as they absorb energy. So, it’s good training to alternate.

2 JOIN A CLUB

You’ll be surprised how much support other runners will offer you, and how nice it feels to run with a group. All abilities are catered for by many clubs – and most runners are extremely friendly. Coffee and cake are important treats afterwards.

3 TRY PARKRUN

Everyone can have a go at 5k in the local park. You won’t be last – the last person is at home on the sofa! Results, emailed through, are addictive and age grading offers reward for any achievement. Try parkrun tourism, where you travel round the country to take part in different events – there’s one everywhere in the UK and many overseas. Competing in parkrun at Zandvlei in South Africa in February 2023, during our world-cruise honeymoon, took me through sensational mountain scenery with the Atlantic Ocean alongside.

4 EAT SENSIBLY

My rule has always been 80/20. If you choose nutritious food 80 per cent of the time, you can indulge a bit for the other 20 per cent. I don’t smoke, but I enjoy a glass of wine, ditto vanilla ice cream, chocolate biscuits and cake. I’ve stayed nearly the same weight of 57kg for more than 50 years.

5 REMEMBER TO HAVE FUN

Sweat now, smile later – the endorphin rush is like nothing else, although downhill ski racers tell me they get higher, quicker! And if you can’t enjoy a good chat while running, you’re probably running too fast.

6 SHOES MATTER

Buy the most expensive, well-designed running shoes you can afford from a specialist shop. Runners need shoes to provide support, cushioning and proper fitting: serious damage can be done by lightweight fashion trainers, however decorative. Expect to pay between £75-£150 and to change them every 500 miles. But, as shoes are the only essential specialist kit for running, it’s one of the cheapest sports in terms of equipment and participation.

7 USE SOCIAL MEDIA

Share stories. Post photos. Pass on running news. Social media plays a part that never existed when I started out in the 1960s and offers real value in terms of communication and contact. My running club uses a variety of Whatsapp groups to keep us connected.

8 TRY OTHER FORMS OF EXERCISE

I belong to a cycling club that bowls round the quieter lanes of West Sussex most weeks for 15-20 miles – with a coffee break stop. We’ve become friends, sharing stories and punctures. I did tackle a few triathlons, between 2005-2010, doing the last when I was 64. These were a demanding 750m swim, 20k bike ride and 5k run but, for one of them, I rode my daughter’s bicycle with the basket still attached to make the point all this wasn’t too serious for me.

As an easier alternative, walking briskly is wonderful.

9 JUST DO IT!

You can run almost anywhere, at any time. Personally, I can’t run up hills anymore, and fell running was never my bag. But a woman who won a recent Beachy Head Marathon told me she walked up the Seven Sisters before running as fast as possible down the other side! So choose a distance to suit you – one mile or 26, 5k or ultra-marathons.

Just put one foot in front of the other and go for it. Achievement is relative. It’s time to get running!