Have you discovered running later in life but still managed to become speedy?

Hi

Im approaching 40 and have only really got into running in the last 2 years.  Im gradually getting faster which im very pleased with.

What ive noticed is that it seems like all the fast older runners in the club i run with were sporty and runners when they were younger ie teenagers.  They then had some time out in their 20s and have come back to running in their 30s or 40s.  Their bodies must have some kind of muscle memory because they find it easier to get very fast again.

I didnt do sport as a child, im still scarred by memories of being picked last in PE!

Just wondering if there are any stories out there of people who found running later in life and started out doing a half marathon in 2 hours but have managed to get their time down to say sub 1h40m ?

depends on what you consider later in life, I started again at 30 after gaining a lot of weight after leaving the military and quitting smoking etc etc a few years before, so i guess i was active in my teenage years/early 20's but had not been for 7/8 years, 

Started running and 6 months in ran a 2:27 HM, now i'm averaging 1:45 after 4 years. I really cant see me getting much faster, a 1:40 is my ultimate goal once ive done a few other longer distance targets 1st,

I know theres a 1:40 in you Marc S ....... what you need to do is set a goal:

Dec 31st 2013 - you'll have registered a 1:39:59

(actually that would be my goal!)

I didn't start especially late in life (late 20s) but was not sporty at all in school, so think it's funny that I now count as insanely athletic amongst my friends and colleagues. I ran short distances for fitness from about age 26 and then did my first race (a half marathon) at 29, when I realised that actually I was quite good at it, so started to take it more seriously. So that sort of fits your criteria, in that any kind of sporting talent was completely unexpected. But I was always quite energetic. And I now kind of regret not being sportier as a child because I'd probably be properly good instead of only averagely good.

There are lots of very very talented runners who started in their thirties.  Two I know of are Jason Cherriman and Steve Way.  Just train wisely and don't bombard body with too much, too soon.  Patience is key.  

Literatin - lying bitch.  You told me you were 25... 

I find it funny that Marc used to be a green beret then became all fat and pudgy lol!

HeOw, no no I would have claimed to be 35 so you'd be more impressed with my times thinking I was a vet...

David - you and I are dreaming of the same HM PB.  Let's go fucking do it.

Let's totally do it. I will pace you both and yell obscenities at you to make you speed up.

I started running at 59 and three years later ran a HM in 1 hr 38 mins. It's never too late, especially if you're not yet 40 like the OP.

I saw on facebook a guy of 60 did a half marathon of 1hr 11 the other week.

A terrific time at any age, but surely you'd only have the what ifs about starting 40-45 years earlier. Could have been one of the best surely!

HeOw wrote (see)

David - you and I are dreaming of the same HM PB.  Let's go fucking do it.

YEAH!! (cue eye of the tiger music and me and Heow running up that big stair thingy in Philadelphia)

PSC wrote (see)

Why is that funny? It happens to a lot of us!

Ahh, but were you once a green beret like our very own Marc S?

I was offering sex DF but that sounds good too. 

I think 'running up that big stair thingy' was a euphemism to get past the moderators, HeOw.

Absolutely possible, I have a lovely female friend in her 60.s now, who only took up serious running in her 40,s , she is an inspiration to me and has PB,s under her belt, for 2 hrs 51 for MAR, 1 hr 38 for half......what an inspiration for a female runner like me