Really need to motivate myself to get back out the door. After having not done much running lately and having been off on holiday for a week(I did take my shoes but was too knackered to run). So any tips for getting back in the saddle after a layoff?
Just take it easy I guess?
Oh and paragliding went well, so will be doing more of that too, which involved a lot of climbing up muddy hills in andalucia.
Paragliding? Wow!!
Yes, take it easy. In this situation I plan really short runs so they'll be over before I know it 😊
Yeah it was pretty cool, and something my soul needed. Going back to do more in February, so can't wait.
I had been struggling with slight calf issues and things not feeling right with the running so had only been managing two short runs a week. So will try to limit myself to that and only do three if things feel good. I think I was struggling with the reality that I was a bit injured and getting frustrated with accepting it.
Lovely!
I know that feeling. I went to a physio in the end, and it worked out for me. I know it doesn't always, but maybe it would be worth you considering?
Yes, it may be an option. I had got as far as booking a sessions with a physio and then they went bust lol, as yet I haven't had the time to pursue another one.
Blimey! Unlucky.
Yep, take it easy and ...plan and be disciplined🙂 Sometimes those gremlins can stop us getting out the door - think of how you will feel when you get back! Good luck🙂
Pleased you enjoyed your paragliding.👍
For you Mike,your fitness retention, I think is less of an issue.🤔
You can achieve anything you set yourself.👍
I found after a month of hedge cutting a loss of 1-2 mins/km.🙈Still trying to recover that 5 weeks on.🙈
Of course Mike, we are all so different,
for me, health and your Get Fit in 6mins, HIT stuff, some strength stuff and an occasional long one at my run all day pace 🤔, (and believe me that makes it long for any distance, )🙈😂, will be my focus.
Even having a plan and choices seems to bring different requirements.🤔🙈😂
Pleased to see you back and Atb with your choices.
💥🏃♂️💥👏👏☄️
Thanks for the support Rob, much appreciated. I had been struggling with niggles and getting frustrated at them, so I think I just need to focus on the simple act of getting out the door 3 times a week for the next few weeks.
That's a beautiful photo. I love sunrises and sunsets, they're so moving.
As for getting back to it, I'd try a run with no time or speed pressure just a little jogette somewhere lovely maybe with your chosen soundtrack to test everything out and see how you feel. You can then use that as your springboard
In the past I've gone out for a walk/run with no pressure but have always ended up running most of the way once I'm out 🙂
Good plan princess. I like the sound of a wee jogette 
Yes it was a cracking picture taken just at the right moment Felt very TopGun hehe
Ooh yes, very Top Gun 😮
I'm in that position right this minute! Just had a week off from running, strained my back too, and as the wind is howling and and rain is lashing down in the murky greyness outside, I'm wondering just how to drag my butt out the door! Don't really fancy a crack at Abi's Speed Challenge today! Running gear is all laid-out and my shoes are by the door....nope....not feeling the urge just yet....I think I'll just go for a jog with no plan and just see how far I get.
Best get back out soon before you're forced underground again hehe
Love that photograph.
You do seem to be an achiever (sorry if I overstep the mark there). Sometimes you need to stop achieving and just do. You’ve come a long way with your running, perhaps now just for a bit, some runs just to run - or if you need a focus - to keep your hand in, short ones, fast ones, to the end of the street and back, are what are needed now. Besides don’t you have to run to jump off the cliff when paragliding?😀
No offence taken. Yes my frustrations probably stem from not being able to 'achieve' what I expect from myself. Need get some easy chilled runs under my belt. I almost wish that my leg had exploded and I had a clear injury though as that would be easier to deal with than annoying niggles.
Be careful what you wish for - mine did, without the wishing 😂, I only wished for a cool-and dry day. My York marathon report, and another with a pic of me at 30k, is over on the marathon forum if you’re interested. I’ve been itching to get out for the last few days but there’s no chance for the foreseeable. Actually both you and Lordi could go and do a couple of ks for me 😃
Oh dear! You poor thing. One of our paragliding group broke his 5th metatarsal, but he didn't do it flying. He fell off a curb when going to buy pizza 
. Hope you are having fun on the crutches
Just go for a leisurely jog somewhere you enjoy 😃
Kerb fall? Sounds like job for the East Anglian Mountain Rescue Team! There was a great Anglian TV beer advert in the 1990's for Adnam's beer I think it was, that involved rescuing East Anglians from the top of molehills!
I think it was Eagle IPA and was about the Pidley Mountain Rescue team. Pidley is a real place and it does actually have a mountain rescue team, but they just do charity stuff and don't actually do rescues hehe. pidleymountainrescue.org.uk/
That was it! Excellent!
Every cloud and all that. I wanted crutches when I was a kid (not permanently obvs) so I’m living my dream😂. Yep, getting inventive with them, not quite mastered busting some moves yet though.
My running pal has had an awful accident Broke his leg in collision with a car He runs, skis and does triathlon. Life’s so cruel isn’t it 🤨
I hope you’re feeling ok,,considering 🙂 x
Thanks Sonia. I’m doing great - these drugs are fantastic. Physio coming to see me this afto - that might wipe the smile off😀.
Bad news about your pal, send him my best. Is he hospitalised? If so hope he’s home soon. At least mine was all my own work 😮 and at 🐌 pace by the time it happened.
I’m assuming I’ll be back to some kind of shuffle eventually - it’s the eventually that is weighing heavily at the moment - want to be out there now. Foot stamping not an option at the moment 😂
Let us know how you got on 😃
It went well thanks. Apparently my recovery was far more advanced than they expected. They tested the mobility of both legs - I had to do Various leg movements as best I could and then with them putting some resistance against each leg’s movement. Then I got to do it all again with a resistance band. Told me they truly hadn’t expected me to be able to do so much yet. There was other stuff too that they were pleased with and they are coming back next week. Asked me what my end game was and when I said to run they didn’t fall on the floor laughing 😀
Can only think that all this running/strengthening lark puts us in a very good position for recovery from such things! Well that and the brilliant strong drugs I’m on. Will start to worry about how/when I get off them later (got 6 weeks worth) I want to stay pain-free as long as poss.
I hope your friend has a good recovery.
He’s a medic so hopefully he’s got it covered 🙂
Oops I think we hijacked Aadvadk’s thread. Sorry 🙏
Everyone's different. I've not experienced this with running yet, but I have with swimming. I had my kit by the door but I couldn't get out there. I used to tell myself to 'just get in the pool' at a lanes session. Then, once I was in, I'd swim fine. But even that wasn't working. After speaking with a psychologist it turns out that 'kit by the door' was several steps too far ahead for my current state of mind. I needed to start smaller.
First I needed to accept my performance wouldn't be what it was before, and let go of all expectations - even though I am only an average swimmer. I had been pushing too hard and become injured and I feared doing that again when I got back up to speed. I needed to tell myself it was OK to not push for improvements and just enjoy.
Then, to start to get my appetite back, for a week I read about swimming online, watch a couple of videos, pick out a new swimsuit I liked - didn't have to buy it. I told myself I wasn't allowed to go swimming, yet, as I was window shopping.
I also visualised all those times that gliding through the water felt wonderful... with the air bubbles exploding in front of my fingers and the sunlight dappling the bottom of the pool. So I made a date in the diary for only one swim session the first week, even though afterwards I wanted to go again sooner! I used the imagery of bubbles and light as I was leaving the house to go swimming but I also needed to plan to make sure I wasn't distracted and disheartened by performance. For that first month I deliberately avoided lanes sessions and tech and tried not to do lengths - swimming around others just playing in the pool. I booked 2 swims in my diary the following week to prioritise it and just swam, nice and slowly. Very soon I was back up to 3 swims a week, but still without tech and after month I tried a lanes session because it was feeling like a habit again.
When I felt strong again I wanted to start working on a few things and the tech then became motivating, rather than a barrier.
So, my understanding now is that when a physically easy task is somehow not happening - it's still too much of a hurdle, mentally. My advice would be to break it down to even smaller stages, and deliberately do 'too little' in order to leave you wanting more
Thanks for the detailed reply equi-geek. I think I can get out of the door without having to resort to those kind of measures, I just need to find a way of building things up slowly, or accepting I have an issue and getting the right help for it.
Ah, beautiful Andalucia! So glad you enjoyed the paragliding there, must have been an amazing experience. But sorry to hear about the motivation issue, though. I had a wee blip a couple of weeks back – was exhausted, had weird odd pains here and there, and when I did manage a run, I pretty much hated every km. Most unlike me, and had me all of a worry. In the end, I rested for a couple of days, stopped trying to build up my distance, and just did some dog runs. You know, go out and run with no pace or distance in mind, just run in nice places for as long/short as I wanted. I also listened to some of the Headspace guided runs on Nike Run Club, as I was also going through some stress at work, so needed to chill the flip out. If you have a niggling injury, I know how that can adversely affect motivation (happened to me when I had a period of calf tightness). Getting checked out, as you say, may help? Running without goals, at a lovely slow steady pace, has really sorted me out. I sort of needed to remind myself that I started to run for health and fitness, and eventually, for the pleasure of it – and it was only me pressurising myself, which was mad! Keep us posted. Go for a wee joggette. I am rooting for you. xx
I've been wondering how you've been getting on and have noticed your absence from the boards lately. Sorry to hear of your struggles. I've found some nice little no pressure runs with no time or distance in mind could help to find the passion again. We tend to put so much pressure on ourselves to run further and faster, it can take the joy out of it. Perhaps running just for the joy of running will help.
I have been getting some runs in, but nothing over 7.5k. I just have not been enjoying it much due to the niggles. I did try taking a couple of weeks off but didn't find that helped much. For whatever reason I just keep getting issues like calves tightening up mid run or dead legs or other general malaise. Hard to put a finger on it as it all moves around a bit and isn't that specific. I have tried to be diligent with the stretches and rolling and also taking epsom baths etc, and sometimes that feels like it helps, oh I don't know... it's all a bit fragile hehe... I just need to stick with it and try to run a couple of times a week until I feel in the mood to do more.
Sorry to hear that. Sounds very frustrating and can definitely rob you of the joy. Perhaps a trip to physio is in order if the niggles continue. I was seeing physio last year for an unrelated problem with my tailbone and when I ramped up my running mileage and she worked my IT band I thought I was going to hit the ceiling. One of those cases where you don’t know if you should laugh or cry.
🤔🤔 I'm just back from hol, managed 2 treadmill runs whilst away. Once home, last week was so busy and tiring I just couldn't get out, but the weekend was just so glorious I ran both days even though I wouldn't normally do consecutive days.
Find something like an old fave route or a day that just forces you out the door, your fave shoes or even running gear that you want to put on. Anything that allows you to anticipate with excitement and joy and before you know it you'll be out there! 👍😁 keep the goal easy and fun, no speed trials or marathons, just run for FUN! 🌞😉
Fabulous, sounds great fun. I’d say just aim to go out as your only goal. Aim to go for short, slow runs with no pressure, somewhere you love. The harder stuff can come later when you’ve established a routine....
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