Lost my way a little-help!

[Glanestpink]

I’d reached Wk 6 run 3 before going on a weeks holiday at the end of April. I took my trainers away with the intention of carrying on but had planned to redo wk 6 to make it easier for myself. I managed one run (wk 6 run 2) but it was just too hot, the gym had no air con and I took hours to cool down afterwards, none of it felt good, so I decided to leave it until I got home. For many reasons I couldn’t find time to run and couldn’t get back into my routine. I managed wk 6 run 2 and I’ve repeated this same run 5 time’s sporadicly altogether. I’m not sure what to do, repeat wk 6 fully because I’ve missed so much or just go to wk 7 and get on with it? I think it’s 5 or 6 runs I’ve missed altogether now. I keep going back to wk 6 run 2 as it’s the turning point for me, it’s not easy but it’s not a constant 25mins either. I’m worried I’ve lost the momentum and the fitness and if I don’t do something I’ll lose the enthusiasm as well. Any advice please?

[Annieapple Administrator Graduate]

🍏 Take the pressure off yourself! We all have times when it’s difficult to fit in a run or we are on holiday with a different agenda. The runs wait for us! Try now to get back into that routine that got you successfully to week 6. Go back to the last run you happily completed! 6:1 maybe?? Start there & proceed as normal. Remember to prepare well for these warmer days.. adequate hydration.. sunscreen, summer running gear. Sunglasses and peak hat. Run as early as possible or late afternoon when it’s cooler.

Easy relaxed pace and you will get back into it! Let us know! ☺️

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate]

There’s no one right answer to this. First of all, as far as I can tell, you’ve still been running. You haven’t “missed” anything. You might not have been following the conventional programme progression but every time you’ve been out, you’re getting fitter and stronger. That’s a good thing! It might surprise you to know that you don’t lose any fitness at all over a couple of weeks of not running at all, and after that it’s only slowly. All the hard work you’ve done hasn’t fallen out of your legs. It’s just a case of feeling like you’re back on track.

What would I do? Have a go at week 6 run 3. I know if I put something off, I just build it up to be a bigger deal and if I try it with mental permission to stop early if I want to, that chances are I’ll finish it and be pleased with myself. Even when I have cut short, I’ve still had a run. If you think it would be better to go back to an earlier week and start there, that’s a great option too. I’d just encourage you to try that scary run when it’s next in the sequence or you’re risking making more of a mental hurdle than it needs to be. It’s just another run and you’ve got a history of completely those so there’s no reason why this one should be beyond you,

Really good luck with it!

EDIT: I’ve just realised where you are in the programme. Clearly needed more coffee before replying. You can go on to week 7 if that fresh new start will help you. Week 7 run 1 is exactly the same as week 6 run 3!

[drl212 Graduate in reply to MissUnderstanding]

I agree with AA. Don't pressure yourself into making a decision about which run you will do. Just make the decision to get back out there for a run. Let your body tell you what kind of a run it will be. Maybe it will be a short one, maybe it will be running/walking, maybe it will be that 25 minute run.

Every run is different and I've been fooled many times when I predetermined what kind or run it would be.

[Cmoi Graduate]

 Glanestpink , I agree with  MissUnderstanding - if you only got back from holiday a couple of weeks ago and you've done w6r2 five times, then you've not been missing runs, you've just not followed the programme precisely.

In that case you'll have been gaining fitness, not losing it, so I can't see why you'd need to go back in the programme. In your situation I personally would continue with week 7.

If the idea of 25 minutes' continuous running feels challenging, it might be helpful to bear in mind that continuous running is not necessarily more demanding than running interspersed with walking.

When I'm faced with a challenging run, I like to break it down mentally into do-able chunks, each no longer than the previous one. So for 25 minutes you might use 10 + 7 + 4 + 3 + 1. Counting down in this way works much better for me personally than focusing on the total duration.

Enjoy your running!