"Slightly" Older Runners

fleetzz

Glad to hear all you needed was an orthotic!

I'm 52 and got back into running about 9 months ago, after a near on 30 year layoff. I've been building up gradually, did a 5k last October and I'm running the Great North Run (1/2M) in September. Now looking for a few 5 and 10k races for a build up. The key for me was getting my feet checked. I stopped running in my 20s because of sore knees and didn't want it develop into something serious (received wisdom in those days was that distance running destroyed your knees - latest evidence I've read now says pretty much the opposite).

My daughter is a figure skater and had problems getting some of her edges when she first started, the usual trick of moving the blades slightly wasn't helping and she was referred to a podiatrist and eventually fitted with orthotics - turned out the problem was congenital and she got it from me! I now have my own orthotics too and its transformed my running, feels much easier and more efficent and so I'm enjoying it more. It took me about a year of walking ever increasing distances before I felt totally comfortable with them and got the urge to run, but I haven't looked back since. I've also dropped about 10kg over the same period, all related..... with the wonderful support of my MFP friends of course!

I'm still very slow compared to my 20s, but some pace is gradually coming back. My foot problems are quite specific (I also damaged my left foot in a RTA in my 20s and it never quite healed right so that has been adjusted for too), but perhaps as we get older it makes sense to get bio-mechanics checked from time to time and get the most of our running? Could be equally true at all ages of course!