I'm back and week 5 revisted...

[runningwild]

Now that was a bit tough! I got straight out this morning, ignoring demands of coffee or at least a small banana from my shocked body. I laced up my trainers before my mind knew what was happening! I've been off for 11 days with a calf strain (which healed a few days ago) and have been making excuses about going for a run: it's raining, oops I just ate, aren't I doing enough already with yoga!? and more...

I put on week 5 run 3 as I thought 20 mins will be enough, didn't want to go straight back to 10k training, the shock may have been too much!!!

It was great to hear Laura again although I could feel how my stamina had slipped a bit. My breathing was ok but my legs felt heavy and like planks of wood for the first 10 mins. I was fine after that and went home did some yoga for an hour and finally got coffee (de -caf) and peanut butter on toast, aaahhhhh

Did I do too much? Ran nearly 2 miles in 20 minutes. Not bad I suppose, but have learnt it really is easy to slip back into not running. Yoga seems to be taking over a bit now, which isn't a bad thing, but want to stick with the thing I love best!!!!

Oh people smiling at me, what's going on, don't think I'll be 'high fiving' any time soon though

[thinnerandfitter Graduate]

Hi Runningwild,

Well done on returning! I was out for about 3 months this time and went back to week 5 as well. Somehow that 20 mins is just as much an achievement now as it was the first time round! If you managed 20 mins ok then I'm sure you didn't overdo it. After my shorter breaks (flu etc) earlier in the year I started off with Stepping Stones and just doing as far as I could - I seem to remember 25 minutes the first time and gradually progressing from there.

I'm going to start week 6 tomorrow but if that all goes well I may go back to some other podcasts which are better for pacing (beats per minute) - I can just remember that week 7/8 were hard first time round and I found running much easier once I'd graduated and used C25K+ and podrunner instead.

Let us know what you decide to do next and good luck with your continued recovery.

Ann

PS - oh yes- it's very easy to fall out of the running habit and start making excuses...