How old were you when you started(Running/triathlons etc)?

Bloody Nipples

I'm a young fella at the tender age of 20. I started running in July '08 after coming back from a few weeks stateside feeling like a fat b*stard. Thing is from looking around sites, blogs and personal experience, I seem to be in a serious minority agewise. I've now run the Cork City Marathon and will be doing the DCM in Oct. and have a bike on order so I can add a few triathlons to my repetoire .

So there ya go boardsies, were you a child prodigy like me *cough* or the proverbial late bloomer?

theflash800

im 18 atm... but started runnin at 6 or 7 i think. the more serious trainin only kicked in a 15ish though. and progressively got better since then

RacoonQueen

Started at 19, 3 months before turning 20. Ran first marathon 5 months after starting running. There's a lot of people in their early 20's who run, just not many that run marathons and halfs etc I think? Looking at the results from Achill I think there was only 3 people under 25?

tweety76

I was 28 when I took up running.

Woddle

I was more a footballer but was always brought to races by my uncle. Tried to be a bit more serious about running when I was 22 but got injured and took to playing golf and pitch n putt and now at 30 I'm giving it a good go and enjoying it.

robinph

Dunno how old I was, but I guess as soon as there were running shoes available in my size so that I could try and do what the older brothers were doing. Did my first marathon at 11 but gave up as I got older then especially once I'd gone off to uni and discoverd the wonders of drinking large quantities of beer. Had a brief return to running again sometime around my mid 20's and then did the London marathon before then giving it all up again on moving to Dublin.

Then a couple of years ago I again started running again and have actually been more serious about my training than ever before, although my definition of "serious" running is still very, very, very casual. Hope to actually keep up with the running more now, but not doing too well at that at the moment again.

hunnymonster

I ran as a kid, gave up for 15 years and started back when I was 31. Plenty of people in their 20's running marathons and doing triathlons. Less in their teens.

shels4ever

Ran as a kid/junior gave up for about 12 years and now getting back into it .

gerard65

robinph wrote: »

Did my first marathon at 11 .

Your Joking?? A full marathon at 11?

Condo131

I was 31 and starting to put on weight. Took me about 12 months to get into 'good' shape. I then had a 'Golden Era' of about 5 years where I literally had PB's at every (other) race and even managed to pick up National Championship medals <brag over>.

26 years, on I'm still enjoying my running, but it's hard work trying to maintain (my) standards. I miss the 'hunger' I had during that Golden Era, but, unfortunately, you can't maintain that level of desire forever.

As a Clubmate said: "The health benefits of running by far out-weigh those of not running." Keep the faith!

rovers_runner

Played a bit of sport until around 17/18.
Did absolutely nothing from 18 to 24.
Took up running at 24 then and have been hooked since.

robinph

gerard65 wrote: »

A full marathon at 11?

Yep, didn't run it all and they classed it as a charity walk or something to get around the AAA rules. Was between Boston and Skegness in the UK, maybe 1,000 + "walkers" made up of a significant number of school kids and then only about 100 actually racing it.

I came 27th place in it once I was 18 though with a time of about 4:40 I think it was.

Sosa

I was 32 when i started,retired from basketball and was looking for something to keep me fit,played golf for a while but realised that i was still able to run around a bit,so decided to shelve the golf until i can't.
Really surprised how much i have taken to it.

RoyMcC

49. It got ridiculous when I could no longer keep up with the youngest, unfittest kids when we took them on their winter road runs. One (fit) coach would lead the run with me puffing at the back.

Running has given me a new lease on life, though I'm still rubbish.

louthandproud

Retired from team sport (rugby) at 30. After a 2 year bender I decided to take a different course in life so I started running and playing a bit of squash. Squash has fallen by the wayside now but running has steadily become more a part of life since then, I will be 40 next year. Enjoying more as each year goes by and my times are still going in the right direction.

Condo131

RoyMcC wrote: »

.......I'm still rubbish.

Don't be so critical of yourself.

You're getting out which is more than most people. You're not coming last, though there's no shame in that - been there, done that - even finished 19 minutes behind second last in a regular 5 mile road race!

You're probably competing against your regular peers and enjoying it. Fast, maybe you're not - rubbish, never!:)

rainbow kirby

Took up running at 24 because I needed to lose quite a lot of weight. Kinda got hooked, though I'm still slow as hell!

RJC

Started at 7 or 8 and kept going until 15. Jacked it in for 19 long years (cycling as a mode of transport and swimming as a keep fit tool stopped me getting a massive wallop from the fat stick). Started back at 34 and I am like a crack baby...addicted! I would say I am a top 25-30% finisher (but at the outer edge of that).

earlyevening

Ran a kid. Started again at 29. 33 now.

asimonov

Ran upto u14, started again last year 37 (with two false starts in 06 & 08 for connemara halfs but dropped it straight after).

GoHardOrGoHome

Started jogging slowly with some lads at work occasionally at lunchtime about 4 years ago (age 25). Started kayaking around the same time. Decided I wanted to do a triathlon but didn't sign up in time and there were none available that year. Went to Australia for a while became a cycle courier for three months did a couple of races including the Sydney Half Marathon in 2006. Came back to Ireland and did Dublin Marathon in 2007. Did a few IMRA races last year and two triathlons (Beast of the East, The Lost Sheep). Did a lot more IMRA races this year but haven't raced the marathon distance since 2007. 29 now.

griffin100

Started training 15 months ago at the age of 35 after a decade and a half of carb loading. I knew I had to do something when I couldn't walk, talk on the phone and carry my laptop at the same time without getting seriously out of breath....as a mate said, throw a bit of chewing gum into that mix and you've a whole heap of trouble. I heard an advert on the radio for the Focus Ireland triathlon and resgistered.......

I've lost three stone, I'm fitter than I've ever been and I have my first half ironman next week and am seriously considering a full Ironman in 2010. I can now walk, talk, carry my lap top and chew gum all at the same time:D

dna_leri

Bloody Nipples wrote: »

So there ya go boardsies, were you a child prodigy like me *cough* or the proverbial late bloomer?

Both. Ran track as juvenile but like so many others never made the transition to junior & senior ranks. Took it up again 23 years later and realise now how much potential I wasted back then. Too late to make up for it now but does not stop me trying and enjoying it now.

I think there are lots of us in that category and today there are lots of juveniles who give up in their late teens. What have we learnt from that experience that can help keep young people in the sport?

I don't know the answer. For me the excuse was leaving cert pressure, coach moving out of town and wimmin but probably also the fear of failure. Its relatively easy to be successful at local under-age level but its a step up at junior/senior so rather than fail, some don't try.

Seres

started running with a club when i was 9 years , ran in schools , xcountry races , indoor/outdoor track meets , up to around 16 , stopped , started back in June 08, at 28, did my first tri in september 2008
enjoy it much more now , gives me a great buzz.

pgibbo

Started jogging in 2005. I then did my first race, The Streets of Galway, in 2006. Since then I learned to swim in December 2007 and did my first triathlon, Ballina Salmon Run, in July 2008. Had my first cycle race this year as part of a TT series in Galway. All in all, I am really enjoying the multi-sport world.

Oops, just realised I omitted my age. I was 30 back in 2005 when I started jogging.

JKF

A bit of both although I wouldn't really refer to myself as a child prodigy :P

Took up running aged 12 and did so quite enthusiasticly for a couple of years. Had to give up when I was 18 due to a collapsed lung caused by severe respiratory problems(since birth- not running related). Also had a kidney removed a few months later so that definitely got rid of any chances of keeping it up.
Started again a few months ago(I'm 23 now) just to get back in shape with impending wedding. Still slow as hell and can't run too far because of hydration issues But I'm enjoying it nonetheless

MCOS

Interesting thread about our posters Especially the ones who come across as em.. 'old and wise' having barely finished school!

Moi

I was a sporty Kid, could run fast and dunk a basketball. Rugby up to about 21, chucked a Javelin and did the odd sprint in that time too
At 21 while out with rugby injury I found Rowing
Rowing on and off until my son was born in Feb 2005, spent a fair time travelling during this span too.
Entered Dublin Marathon in 2007 to get back into shape and so started running that summer. Started to feel 'sporty' again about 12 months ago so I started swimming lengths of a 20m pool and thus took up Triathlon this year.. best decision I've made in a long time!

Oh and I'm 31

rainbow kirby

rovers_runner wrote: »

Did absolutely nothing from 18 to 24.

It's really amazing how these years seem to be basically lost for so many people! Blame college and beer?

TFBubendorfer

I thought there would be a lot more late starters. Maybe I'm more of an exception than I thought.

I crawled off the couch after being completely idle for 34 years. That was 5 years ago.

RoyMcC

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

I thought there would be a lot more late starters. Maybe I'm more of an exception than I thought.

I crawled off the couch after being completely idle for 34 years. That was 5 years ago.

Did you do any sport at all before that?

showry

My mid-life crisis started at 34 (38 now). I stopped playing GAA and soccer when I was about 20 because of knee trouble and spent the next 14 years building up a super beer gut and developing type 2 diabetes.
My brother and my uncles were good runners so it was probably only a matter of time before the genes found their way through (the runner genes, not the good runner genes).