Why Marathon Training Hits Different After 40
Let’s be honest — training for a marathon in your 40s, 50s, or beyond hits different. The recovery window is wider, the hormones have opinions, and strength work stops being optional. But that doesn’t mean your best running is behind you. Far from it. You can still set PRs, run strong, and actually enjoy the process more than ever — as long as you’re willing to adapt instead of copy-pasting what worked in your 20s.
This isn’t about slowing down. It’s about training smarter and respecting how your body evolves.
Recovery Is a Workout Too
If you’re a masters runner, recovery isn’t a side dish — it’s the main course. Your body doesn’t bounce back as fast, which means sleep, nutrition, and rest days matter as much as tempo runs.
Aim for a solid 7–9 hours of sleep, build in more recovery after long runs or hard sessions, and don’t be afraid to replace an easy run with cross-training or even a full day off. The “no days off” mindset is a shortcut to burnout. Recovery tools like compression boots, massage guns, and mobility work aren’t indulgences — they’re maintenance. The more you respect recovery, the more your training will actually stick.
Strength Training Isn’t Optional
If you want to stay fast, stable, and injury-free after 40 or in "premature menopause", strength training is the secret sauce. Runners who lift consistently have better running economy, stronger bones, and fewer breakdowns mid-cycle.
Build your foundation with compound lifts — squats, deadlifts, lunges, presses — and don’t skip the single-leg work that keeps your stride balanced. Core work like planks, Pallof presses, and rotational movements hold your posture together when fatigue sets in at mile 22. Lifting isn’t about bulk. It’s about longevity.
Quality Over Quantity
More miles don’t automatically mean more fitness. Masters runners thrive on consistency, not chaos. Three to five runs per week is often enough — especially if they’re intentional.
Instead of chasing arbitrary mileage, pay attention to how your body responds. Add volume gradually. Keep the runs that make you stronger, and let go of the ones that just check a box. The smartest runners aren’t the ones who do the most — they’re the ones who know when enough is enough.
Pace by Effort, Not Ego
Paces shift with hormones, recovery, weather, and stress. If you’ve ever had a day where your easy pace felt like quicksand, you already know why effort-based running matters.
Use heart rate or perceived exertion to guide you, or tools like VDOT pacing to dial in your training zones. Long runs should feel steady, not strained. Speed sessions should challenge you but never flatten you. Ego-free pacing is what keeps you in the game long term.
Fuel Like It Matters (Because It Does)
The older you get, the more your body demands from nutrition. Protein needs climb. Recovery windows shorten. Hydration can make or break your run.
Start thinking in terms of what supports your performance, not just what fits into your day. Aim for at least 20–30 grams of protein per meal, fuel with carbs before hard efforts, and don’t underestimate the power of electrolytes. Underfueling is one of the biggest mistakes I see masters runners make. Your body can’t perform on fumes, and it’s not a badge of honor to train hungry.
Keep Your Mobility — and Your Edge
Mobility keeps your stride efficient; stability keeps you upright when fatigue kicks in. Runners who skip mobility usually regret it later — often when something starts talking back at mile 10.
Simple yoga, dynamic stretches, and drills like A-skips, high knees, and strides can sharpen your mechanics and keep the creaks at bay. Ankle, hip, and foot strength are your quiet armor. Don’t wait until you’re injured to start caring about them.
A Smarter Marathon Week
A good marathon week has rhythm. Think recovery, intensity, and rest in equal measure. An easy run or rest day to start, a quality session midweek, strength and mobility in the mix, a long run on the weekend, and recovery built back in before it all repeats. Simple. Sustainable. Effective.
The point isn’t to fill your calendar — it’s to build a cycle your body can actually adapt to.
Common Mistakes That Derail Masters Runners
Skipping strength work is the fastest way to feel every decade of your age. Ignoring recovery guarantees you’ll flirt with overtraining. Clinging to what worked twenty years ago ignores what your body’s asking for now. And underfueling? That one’s practically an epidemic among masters athletes.
Your physiology has changed — and that’s not bad news. It’s an opportunity to train better, not harder.
Training after 40 isn’t about doing less. It’s about doing what matters. Strength, recovery, nutrition, and pacing with purpose — those are the pillars that’ll keep you running long after your younger self would’ve burned out.
Your best running years aren’t behind you. They’re just waiting for a smarter approach.
Want to build a plan that respects your life, your goals, and your recovery curve? Check out my coaching and training plans here.