Fell in Your 40s: The Realities of a Mid-Life Fell Runner
When I first fell in love with running, it was simple. Put the kit on, head out and disappear into the hills for as long as I wanted. No schedule, no juggling, just me, the hills, and that sense of freedom only a runner knows.
But now, in my mid-40s, things look a bit different.
Gone are the days of spontaneous runs or week day hill sessions whenever I pleased. Life’s full on, family, work, school runs, coaching, house work. You name it, and honestly, that’s actually good. Life evolves and so does running.
Snowdonia 7’s 2018
I Get It, Life Changes, and So Must Training
If you’re a fellow trail or fell runner balancing work, family, and trying to stay in decent shape, I hear you. Maybe you still want to push for PBs, maybe you’re doing it for your wellbeing, or maybe you just want to prove you still can.. Here’s the truth, training in your 40s can still be effective, it just needs to be smarter.
I used to train hard and often, twice a day on a regular basis. Now I train smart and with purpose. I’ve learnt that being realistic doesn’t mean lowering standards, it means adjusting your approach and listening to your body.
Strength and Conditioning
What I’ve learned, and keep coming back too!
Shorter sessions can still pack a punch! Hill reps, interval sessions, and treadmill sessions are always included. I often cycle in sessions inspired by Lydiard’s hill conditioning phase punchy, purposeful, and effective, I even utilise tough sessions made famous by Kilian Jornet.
Mobility and strength matter more than ever. I’ve swapped some run time for yoga (I use the pliability app), and strength and conditioning sessions with bands, bodyweight, and Olympic weights. It’s not glamorous but vital. Think of it as building a resilient chassis and enabling longevity.
Long runs? Quality over quantity! Instead of endless weekend runs, I’ve leaned into the 80/20 method and periodised training. That means most of my sessions are comfortably easy, with a couple of harder efforts mixed in. Long runs now happen less frequently but when they do, they’re targeted, terrain specific, and leave me energised, not broken. Sometimes I even substitute it for a spin session or treadmill run to reduce impact on the joints.
Training flexibility is a method too; I no longer follow rigid plans. I blend the best of periodisation, recovery awareness, and real life adaptation. I look at the week ahead, match intensity to capacity, and adjust as needed. It’s not textbook coaching, but it’s sustainable and real. I work shifts, I have a family, I coach, some weeks my training can be great, others I need to sacrifice sessions for rest or other commitments.
Hill reps at the Lickey Hills
It’s not about perfection, it’s about progress!
Some weeks, life wins. Plans change, runs get missed, guilt creeps in, but I’ve learnt to be kinder to myself. Training in your 40s isn’t about perfection, it’s about keeping the fire burning. Consistency over chaos.
Let’s be honest, there’s something powerful in showing your children, your partner, your mates, that even when life’s full, you still show up, your goals, your wellbeing, your you time still matter.
This Isn’t the End of the Trail, it’s a different approach
If you’re reading this nodding along, you’re not alone. We’re all navigating this in our own way. While it may look different from our 20s or 30s, it’s still meaningful, and still worth chasing.
Running in your 40s is about resilience, adaptability, and purpose. It’s about embracing the mud, the miles, and the moments when you feel alive on a mountain/fell/hill at sunrise, knowing you earned it, no matter how messy the weeks been.
So, here’s to all of us who keep lacing up. We’re not done, not even close. There’s no such thing as too old, too late, or too far gone! The hills and weights don’t care about your age, only that you turn up and put the effort in.
“Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come” - Dwayne ‘The Rock” Johnson
Snowdon Race 2018