How I Train Masters Athletes Differently: Why Getting Older Doesn't Mean Training Less — It Means Training Smarter

I've always found the idea that getting older means you should simply “take it easier” rather frustrating.

Of course our bodies change as we get older. Recovery can take longer. We don't maintain muscle and power as easily. We've probably accumulated a few more niggles along the way.

But none of that means we have to stop challenging ourselves.

I'm in my fifties now and I'm still running marathons and ultras, doing functional fitness events and strength training.

Whats changed over recent years is how I train. I know my body better. I understand the difference between something that needs attention and something that I can train through. And perhaps most importantly, I understand that I can't make everything a priority at once.

These changes in how I train and the way I coach other masters athletes means that we can continue to race, perform and minimise the niggles.

One of the biggest changes I've made is recognising that recovery is part of the programme.

When you're younger, you can sometimes get away with stacking hard sessions on top of one another, sleeping badly, working long hours and carrying on regardless.

Eventually, that stops working.

For the 40+ athlete, training doesn't happen in isolation. Work, family, sleep, stress, travel and everything else going on in life all affect how well you recover.

That doesn't mean training has to become easier.

It means it has to become more deliberate.

I also think strength training becomes less optional as we get older. That doesn't mean every runner needs to become a powerlifter or spend hours in the gym. It means maintaining and developing the physical qualities that allow you to keep doing what you enjoy.

Two good strength sessions a week can be incredibly useful. You don't need to live in the gym.

This is probably one of the biggest lessons I've learned: we often want everything.

We want to get stronger, run faster, lose a bit of weight, improve our endurance, train for an event and still have enough energy left for the rest of our lives.

The problem isn't ambition.

The problem is trying to improve every quality simultaneously.

If I'm preparing for a marathon, running has to be a priority. Strength still matters, but it supports the running rather than competing with it. At another point in the year, the balance might be different.

That's how I think about masters training.

Not doing less because you're older.

Doing the right things, in the right amounts, at the right time — and being prepared to adapt when life or your body tells you that you need to.

Because getting older shouldn't mean shrinking your ambitions.

It should mean getting better at achieving them.