You're Never Too Old

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Over the weekend Fauja Singh completed the Toronto marathon to become the oldest marathon runner at the age of 100 and he only started running 10 years ago.

It goes to show that you're never too old to start something new and while the thought of running a marathon might seem daunting - it's also something that anyone can do with a little planning and a reasonable amount of training.  Think of the number of first timer runners at the London Marathon each year.

If you've never run before, don't let that put you off.  When you start running for the first time, you're not expected to run a full marathon straight off.  Start slowly with a mix of walking/jogging or just brisk walking for 20 minutes if you've not exercised for a while.  Gradually increase the amount of running time against walking until you can run/jog continuously for 30 minutes.

Following a training plan to build you up over several weeks or months, depending on your target.

I've not yet made it to marathon distance but I have run several half-marathons and have another one coming up next year. Before I started running in my 30s I'd never run before - except for the bus and got started the slow and steady route.

It's the same with anything you want to learn or do.  Start slowly and build up your skills and expertise.  Get lessons, get trained, talk to an expert.

Don't forget - overnight success takes years of hard work and training.