Margaret asked The Guru for the following Physiotherapy Advice: Hi there, I am 64 years old and have been running for about 4 years on a regular basis. I ran a marathon in 2010 in 5hrs 2 mins and felt that it was possible to better that. Now however I seem to be getting slower all the time. Is this acceptable at my age ? should I assume that ? I have a ballot place for London 2013 and would like to at least equal my Florence time. Advice please.

Well done Margaret - don't stop! It's relatively tricky to answer this with laser guided precision. There are quite a few factors to take into account. Unfortunately, the older you get the slower you'll run - and you've got a point on a graph in 2010, to compare against. BUT, don't let this put you off - you've just got to train smart and possibly change the type of training you do, compared to 2010. Don't expect to smash your time, but there are a few things to tweak... interval, paced, speed and distance runs WITH a strength (gym) and stability (pilates) program. Follow good nutritional advice for the last (at least) 12-10 weeks and have the right kit on your feet and body. I'm sure you'll get below the 5 hours... Good Luck