Training for Your First Big Challenge After 40: Where Do You Actually Start?

There's something I really like about taking on a new challenge later in life.

Maybe you've always wanted to run a marathon. Perhaps a HYROX, ultra, obstacle race or multi-day adventure has caught your attention.

Or maybe you simply want to do something that feels like a proper challenge.

The first question I would ask isn't, “What's the training plan?”

It's “What am I actually going to have to do?”

Because the challenge itself should determine how you prepare.

• A marathon isn't just 26.2 miles of running. You need to manage your pace, fuel yourself, look after your feet and deal with whatever the weather throws at you.

• An ultra might involve hills, technical terrain, carrying kit or being on your feet for many hours.

• HYROX has a completely different set of demands.

So start there.

Be honest about where you're starting

This is probably the bit people are least keen to do.

• How fit are you currently?

• How strong are you?

• How much training are you already doing?

• Have you had injuries?

• How well do you recover?

• And, perhaps most importantly, how much time do you realistically have? - Not how much time you'd like to have. How much you actually have.

Because a training plan that requires six sessions a week isn't going to work if you can realistically manage four.

Build the basics first

For most challenges, you'll need some aerobic fitness and a good level of strength.

You don't need every session to be hard. In fact, most of your training probably shouldn't be.

You need to gradually build your capacity and then introduce more of the things that are specific to your event.

• If you're going to run hills, practise hills.

• If you're carrying a pack, carry a pack.

• If you're using poles, practise with poles.

• If you're going to be on your feet for six hours, your body needs some experience of being on its feet for a long time.

It sounds obvious, but I've seen plenty of people get very fit without actually preparing for the thing they're going to do.

Don't leave the practical stuff until race day

Your training should also be where you test your kit and nutrition.

• Try the shoes.

• Try the socks.

• Practise fuelling.

• Work out how much you need to drink.

• Test your race-day breakfast.

If something doesn't agree with you, you want to find that out in training rather than halfway through your event.

Don't forget recovery

When you're over 40, training has to fit around work, family, sleep and everything else going on in your life.

Sometimes the sensible decision is to change a session.

That's not lack of commitment. It's good training.

You don't have to prove anything

Your first big challenge doesn't need to be your biggest ever achievement.

It just needs to be something that matters to you, and that you'll enjoy

With the right preparation, a big goal becomes much less intimidating. You can break it down into the things your body actually needs to be able to do — and then train for those things which will give you far greater benefit come race day than a generic plan you've downloaded.