Am I on run 1 or run 2 this week? 🤷‍♂️

[Bike_and_Run]

Week 2 : The plan - run to work Monday & Wednesday then get out on Friday morning after taking kids school.

Well, I woke up too late to run to work on Monday, so planned to run after I put the kids to bed that evening. That all went array when the youngest decided she wasn't tired and do didn't get her settled till 10pm 😢

I did manage to shake myself out of bed Tuesday morning and completed run 1 on my way to work. I then ran home from work that afternoon but can't decide if I should claim that as run 2 or not.

Do I say I've done two runs and stick to the plan to do run 3 on Friday, or because both runs were on the same day, tell myself it only counts as one and so get my sorry little legs back on the road tonight when the kids are snoring?

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

I’d say you did one, and my reasoning is that rest days between runs don’t just repair the damage to the muscles, they build the muscle up a little too. So while you did 2 runs you only had one muscle build.

I’d also recommended not running two sessions in a day as the programme is set to reduce injury risk... it fractures the 10% mileage addition rule a little already, but running two sessions a day will smash it and massively increase the risk of overuse injuries, some of which can take months to recover from. Great idea running in to work, probably best to then brisk walk home, nailing some active 10s for health without the risk of injury rising.

Great job getting started though.

[ButtercupKid Graduate]

Generally it’s not a great idea to do two runs back to back because you’re much more likely to do yourself an injury that way. That’s why rest days are built into the programme and why the more experienced runners get very concerned when newbies want to skip them. That said, you’ve done the two runs and clearly didn’t have any trouble with them, so if I were you I’d move on. Look after yourself x

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Well done.

While doing two C25K workouts in one day in the early stages may be okay, I would strongly advise against getting into the habit, regardless of your general fitness. As a new runner it is recommended to have at least a single rest day between runs for at very least your first six months of regular running..

Unlike other non impact exercise, when you run, you create microtears in your muscles which repair and strengthen on your rest days, not while running.

No rest, no repair, no strengthening and so increased injury risk.

You might get away with it, but many who have departed from the plan have gone on to regret it when they have to stop because of injury, for days, weeks or even months.

Call the run what you like, but slow and gentle progress is the only safe route forward.

Take care.