Running After 40

I have been running on and off for about five years, but today feels like Day 1 of a new start.

This time, I want to run more consistently, understand my Garmin data, and learn how my body responds to each run after 40.

Yesterday evening, I went for a run with my Garmin watch.

Here is the key Garmin data from my 7.57 km evening run.

Category	Metric	My Data
Run Summary	Actual Distance	7.57 km
Run Summary	Impact Load Distance	10.06 km
Run Summary	Total Time	42:03
Run Summary	Moving Time	41:56
Run Summary	Average Pace	5:33 /km
Run Summary	Best Pace	4:01 /km
Effort & Load	Average Heart Rate	151 bpm
Effort & Load	Max Heart Rate	163 bpm
Effort & Load	Training Effect	Tempo
Effort & Load	Aerobic Effect	3.5
Effort & Load	Anaerobic Effect	0.2
Effort & Load	Training Load	118
Running Dynamics	Average Cadence	173 spm
Running Dynamics	Max Cadence	188 spm
Running Dynamics	Stride Length	1.03 m
Running Dynamics	Vertical Ratio	8.4%
Running Dynamics	Vertical Oscillation	8.6 cm
Running Dynamics	Ground Contact Time	257 ms
Environment	Average Temperature	26°C
Environment	Estimated Sweat Loss	700 ml

Key takeaway:

My actual distance was 7.57 km, but my impact load distance was 10.06 km. This made me think that the run placed more stress on my body than the distance alone suggested.

The number that caught my attention the most was the difference between my actual distance and my impact load distance.

At first, I thought these two numbers should be similar. But after looking at the data, I started to think about them differently.

The actual distance tells me how far I moved.

The impact load distance seems to tell me more about how much stress my body experienced during the run.

This was interesting because the run did not feel like a simple easy jog.

My average pace was 5:33 per kilometer, and my average heart rate was 151 bpm. Garmin also marked the training effect as tempo, with an aerobic effect of 3.5 and an anaerobic effect of 0.2.

That means this run was mostly an aerobic workout, but it still gave my body a solid training load.

As a runner in my 40s, I do not want to look only at distance or pace.

A 7 km run can feel very different depending on my heart rate, cadence, running form, fatigue, temperature, and recovery.

In this run, my average cadence was 173 spm, my ground contact time was 257 ms, and my vertical ratio was 8.4%.

I am still learning what these numbers really mean for my body.

But one thing is clear to me:

Running after 40 is not just about running faster or farther.

It is also about understanding how my body reacts to each run.

My simple takeaway from this run is this:

Actual distance shows how far I ran.
Impact load distance helps me think about how hard the run may have been on my body.

Next time, I want to pay attention to three things:

running more smoothly,
landing more softly,
and checking how my body feels after the run.

I am not a professional runner or a running coach.

This is my personal running note as a beginner runner in my 40s, learning how to build consistency and understand Garmin data one run at a time.