NSN, I started about 4 years ago at the age of 57 after not doing anything athletic for 35 years. Not knowing any better. i ran a 10 mile race 3 months later, i did walk a bit, but finished in 90 minutes and as they the rest is history.

TOO OLD???  Nonsense!   I needed knee surgery at 53, and then got started running! At 54 I did my first marathon!  I never seriously ran before!  A year later at 55 I am trying for a Boston Qualifier!  I have only been running about two years!   TOO OLD??? Nonsense!  Just take a easy at first and work yourself up.  When it gets easy, make it harder by going farther or faster!  When you getting going start setting some goals!  Go for it!

Don't be intimidated by the size of the half marathon!  If you want to give it a try go for it.  Should you find it a bit more than you figured with the running, you will probably be able to finish up with walking!  Most run events are freindly to walkers nowadays.  Sure you will take longer, but you should be able to finish in a reason amount of time.  The same is true with full marathons in many cases, so any of you wanabees thinking about it, just go for it.  If you end up needing to walk a bit to finish, there is no shame with that!  Many people do this, and have a great time with this!  GO for it!

The day you think you are too old to do something, go and do it!

You are being barely out of your teens! How can anybody say that anyone else is too old to run or do whatever she/he pleases? 

Just  ENJOY!

A new development... I was doing just great , a long walk/run of 7.5 miles (walk/run ration of 2/1)  and then a walk/run of 6.5 miles with a ration lower than 1/1.  I was so proud!   I finally am running more than walking!!! But then just after cool down I was stung or bitten by something so small I could not see it but I felt a deep *****. I went home and used  baking soda and hp and thought the bubbling got the venom out.. no stinger present.. Seemed to be fine so I went ahead with  my strength training that night ( I pushed a bit more than usual - I was still psyched from my progress in the morning) and woke up in the middle of the night with a calf the size of an elephant's leg and it was beet red.. soaked in cool salt water... took antihistamines, took homeopathic pellets but it seemed to have to run its course....a silver dollar size blister remains 10 days later ... couldn't walk let alone run for 2 days.... have not bee able to run at all but did a 0.5 mile walk on a tm yesterday, with no ill effects.  I am hoping to get back on track now. I guess I had an allergic reactions to whatever it was but now wonder what I should do to prevent this in the future. I hear this talk of garlic... I read that it's a great insect repellent.. IF so I'm willing to stink as I run.. What do you know about this? I plan to wipe myself dry after my workout and spray something on myself before cool down. Please share any stinging stories with me. Am I alone in this?

Boogie