Finding the right balance in training as you age

Hi Reader,

As you get older, birthdays can lose their charm - unless it’s a milestone that marks a new age group. Instead, they often bring a lingering question: why does everything seem to be slowing down?

I remember talking to Bruce Tulloh at one of our Algarve training camps about how his VO2 max had fallen off a cliff once he reached his 70s.

Now, Bruce had the longest high-level career I know; he won the European 5,000m on the track in 1962, becoming known as the barefoot runner for running without shoes on a shingle track. He went on to be the 5^th person in history to run under 4 minutes for a mile, and then ran more than 3,000 miles across America from Los Angeles to New York in record time.

All these exploits didn’t slow him down, and Bruce went on to dominate each 5-year age group in the Masters divisions he passed through.

Bruce was a biology teacher, a top coach (he coached Richard Nerurkar to 2.08 for the marathon as well as 5^th in the Atlanta Olympics) and wrote several well-researched books. One was titled, ‘Running Over 40’. As Bruce got older, that title became, ‘Running over 50, over 60, ’ and so on.

The fact is that Bruce understood that his VO2Max, which is the amount of oxygen you breathe in that your body actually uses to create energy, would diminish with age.

We all guessed, and now know, that a reduction in VO2Max is inevitable with ageing. It is principally put down to a decrease in stroke volume - the amount of blood your ageing heart muscle could supply to the working muscles via the network of blood vessels and capillaries.

Research reported by Brady Holmer in Run Long Run Healthy, and also reported in Runner’s World online, indicated that there was also a reduction in VO2Max at a muscular level. This was described as due to a reduction in muscle mass and a reduction in mitochondria. Thus, less of the oxygen supplied by the heart is able to be transferred to the muscles to create energy.

So, as you move up the age groups, it is suggested that you should aim to retain muscle mass as far as possible, which can be done through interval work and strength training. Check out our top recommended strength exercises in this YouTube video, here.

I am aware now that I just turned 71, that strength is essential for lots of health reasons. It is an extension of what I always felt, that being strong was a key ingredient to my running. So, this is a direction I have continued to go with my running.

I now mostly do intervals with my club group and go to the gym. I seldom get out for a long run. That’s mostly motivation.

I can run a decent 5km still, not world-class for my age, but I am happy. I know, however, that if I worked more on the delivery side of the oxygen supply, I could be much better.

Runners, such as Tommy Hughes, who has run 2.30 for a marathon in his 60s, and there are many examples of runners in older age groups running 3-3.30 hours, are running relatively big mileages. I assume, therefore, that for superior long-distance performance, volume of training is important. I would also guess that a mix of volume and interval work (and gym) will give the best results. The big question is - for optimum results in each age group – what is the ideal balance between volume and intensity.

This is something to consider as we build towards Christmas, especially as we're now in the early weeks of our marathon blocks. This Sunday marks exactly 18 weeks until London!

If you haven't got a plan yet that balances these elements for your own goals, you can download an 18-week plan from our website.

If you would like me to support you one-to-one this winter and spring, I would love to chat with you to go over your targets. We can work together to find that perfect balance for you. Schedule a free video consultation with me here so we can connect and discuss your current training challenges.

Read on for my bonus workout 👇

2026 Global marathon countdown

If you missed the dates on our Instagram this week, here are the dates for the global marathons in 2026...

• Seville: 15th Feb - 9 weeks to go
• (Major) Tokyo: 1st Mar - 11 weeks to go
• Cyprus: 8th Mar - 12 weeks to go
• Barcelona: 15th Mar - 13 weeks to go
• Rome: 22nd Mar - 14 weeks to go
• Limassol: 22nd Mar - 14 weeks to go
• Brighton Marathon: 12th Apr - 17 weeks to go
• Zurich: 12th Apr - 17 weeks to go
• Paris: 12th Apr - 17 weeks to go
• Milan: 12th Apr - 17 weeks to go
• Rotterdam: 12th Apr - 17 weeks to go
• Ibiza: 18th Apr - 18 weeks to go
• Manchester: 19th Apr - 18 weeks to go
• Vienna: 19th Apr - 18 weeks to go
• (Major) Boston: 20th Apr - 18 weeks to go
• (Major) London: 26th Apr - 19 weeks to go
• Hamburg: 26th Apr - 19 weeks to go
• Prague: 3rd May - 20 weeks to go
• Stockholm: 30th May - 24 weeks to go
• (Major) Sydney: 30th Aug - 37 weeks to go
• Warsaw: 27th Sep - 41 weeks to go
• (Major) Berlin: 27th Sep - 41 weeks to go
• (Major) Chicago: 11th Oct - 43 weeks to go
• Munich: 11th Oct - 43 weeks to go
• Amsterdam: 18th Oct - 44 weeks to go
• Frankfurt: 25th Oct - 45 weeks to go
• Lisbon: 25th Oct - 45 weeks to go
• Venice: 25th Oct - 45 weeks to go
• (Major) New York: 1st Nov - 46 weeks to go
• Athens: 9th Nov - 47 weeks to go
• Florence: 30th Nov - 50 weeks to go
• Valencia: 6th Dec - 51 weeks to go

A short interval session to try this week to get those muscles firing before Christmas!

After a relaxed, but thorough 15-minute warm-up jog plus dynamic stretching, run 8 x 90 seconds at your 5K effort, with 60 seconds of easy jogging between each rep. Cool down with 10 minutes of easy running.

Intermediate option: Try 10 x 90 seconds at 5K effort with 60 seconds recovery jog.

Advanced option: Aim for 12 x 90 seconds at your 5K effort, or progress to 8 x 2 minutes at 5K pace with 75 seconds jog recovery between reps.

Short interval sessions like these are a brilliant way to maintain speed, boost leg strength, and keep your training fresh as the weeks go by. If you don't have access to a running track, don't worry. Find a relatively flat route or loop where you can run safely and consistently. This allows you to focus on your effort and breathing, rather than constantly checking your watch. You’ll get the same fantastic training benefit.

Let's get ready for 2026!

Mike Gratton (Head Coach, Coach the Run) & the team.

p.s. Read my latest Ask the Coach blog:

​How do I break 4 hours at the London Marathon 2026?​