Returning to Running at 47: Slow, Steady Steps

Adaptive Running - Past Pace to Steady Steps

I haven’t run in over three and a half years. A month ago, I set myself a goal for November - to walk / run as often as I could to complete a 5km by the end of the month. No intense training, just consistency and determination. Five years ago, I could run 12km in under 5 minutes per kilometre. Yesterday, I managed my first 5km in 6 minutes 40 seconds. Not exactly a triumphant, record-breaking comeback, but that’s not the point, it’s an achievement nonetheless.

Not going to lie, it’s brutal - a mix of determination, relief, focus and of course, despondency. I’m carrying several extra kilos in comparison to 4/5 years ago. My body is very different, needing careful observation and understanding as to how to nurture it back into running mode without doing myself a mischief. Now, there’s nothing fancy, nothing heroic, just getting out the door and putting one foot in front of the other is the basic fitness plan – the past four weeks showing up as often as I could, mindfully interval training, tracking progress.

Why?

As a 47‑year‑old mum of a two‑year‑old, staying fit isn’t optional, it’s essential. When I’m 60, my teenager will need me fit, strong, capable, and present. I don’t have the money for a personal trainer, and I certainly don’t have time for daily gym classes. Running, I know I can realistically fit in and will help me build a healthier version of myself. I have to do what I can to be physically in good shape for as long as possible.

I’m also doing it for myself. Regular cardio work plays a huge role in women’s health, especially over 45. Running supports bone density, boosts heart health, improves sleep, reduces anxiety, and stabilises mood during the unpredictable swings of peri‑menopause. Even my current slow, imperfect trudge-running is helping me balance my energy, regulate stress, and gives me a sense of positive control or rather, empowerment, during a stage of life marked by transition – a delectable toddler, peri-menopausal combo! I’m already feeling better despite the twinges aches and pains accrued from pavement pounding.

In short, running is helping to clear and refocus my mind, is strengthening my heart, and is reconnecting me with well, me. Not the old me, a new, adapted, reforged me.

Running Outside

One of the joys of running again, not on the gym treadmill, but outdoors, is enjoying freedom. It’s also the exhilaration derived from being in the beauty of nature, the sea. A seaside prom-run in my Spanish hometown, watching the wintery sunrise over the calmest of seas, is priceless. I don’t take it for granted. A mid-morning run provides the warmth of the sun on my face as I pass by our busy little beach cafés, folk settling in for breakfast as I shuffle-lumber-limp by. I concentrate on my breathing and the turn I can make that marks the second half, the home stretch! Steady, regular, intentional. Running is as much about breath-work as it is about the physical effort. I remind myself about posture, to relax my shoulders and keep my jaw loose. Flow, not tension – easier said than done! Woven through it all is my well-curated playlist, the BPM locking me into a rhythm that keeps me moving, breath, body, and pace working together. When everything feels heavy, music helps movement.

A New Training Partner

Like I said, my body and I are negotiating new terms. I scan my body constantly while running, checking for twinges, adjusting pace, walking when necessary. I can’t run the full 5km yet, I accept that. Respect and in

jury avoidance matter more than pace! My right knee complains, my glute and hip signal disapproval, especially if I skip the cool-down stretching, and my lumbar back often likes to add it’s two pence worth. New padded pants have been ordered for post‑run, sitting‑down, moderate sciatica situations. Not glamorous, but practical. If there’s a minor ache or pain problem, there’s usually a workaround.

The Long View

My progress is slow, but it is progress. The relief of moving again outweighs the frustration of starting afresh. I start each run with a short mental pep-talk to remind myself why I’m doing this, to be strong for the years ahead, to feel empowered, for health and to feel like myself again. Except, I’m not chasing old paces or distances. I’m simply showing up, one run, one breath, one step at a time. Yes, I used to smash pace and distance, but right now, I’m winning at just getting my trainers on, out the front door and moving forward.