Off on holiday on the last day of the plan!

[ICLDN]

Hi! Just looking for some advice here. I'm in the middle of week 8, and next week is week 9. Problem is I'm off on holiday next Friday for just over 2 weeks (I good problem to have I know!). Unless I skip rest days I'll only manage 2/3 runs in week 9. Where I'm going will be way to hot for me to run outside and there are no gyms in the hotels I'm in. Just wondering what everyone here would suggest for when I get back? Do I graduate if I manage just one 30 minute run or do I have to do the 3 within one week? Is it sensible to go straight back into a 30 minute run after 2.5 weeks off? Thanks!

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

Skipping a rest day isn’t a good idea. You’ll be ready to run 30 minutes twice before you go, which is important as you’ll be stronger by the time your holiday comes round than you need to be to run 30 minutes. You won’t lose any fitness at all in the first two weeks of not running, and you’re only going to be a couple or three days more than that... so any loss should be very small. If you came back and ran nice and slowly you should be fine to hit 30 minutes... if not you’ll be close and you’ll do it the next time for sure. Graduation is almost irrelevant as the next thing you should do after it is to do some consolidation runs at 30 minutes... so you’ll run 3 in a week with W9R3 and the next two. It’s really up to you when you declare yourself graduated in my opinion.

Hope this helps.

[DiscoRunner Graduate]

Totally agree with UnfitNoMore. I went in holiday right after graduation and it was mostly too warm and too hilly to run. I got a couple of good runs in when I could. Had my first ‘fail’ but learned valuable lessons about hydration! And got back out the day after I was back - but ran nice and slow - and I was fine.

And see what the locals do - in the Canaries they’re out just before sundown. And running along by the sea was lovely - nature’s air con! If you’re in an even temperature (tropics or such) is there a mall with air con you can run in? Local staff might know? Anyway do what you can - walking is still good. And get your mojo back when you’re home. Hope you have a lovely time!

[Buddy34 Graduate]

Just do what you can before you go and complete the week when you get back , do not run without rest days bad idea

[ICLDN Graduate]

Thanks all! Not planning on running without rest days, particularly right before a pretty active holiday when an injury would be a real pain in more ways than one!! Just wondering where to pick up when I get back and whether I should go back a few weeks in the program or pick up where I left off. Sounds like trying for a 30 minute run but slowly and not worrying if I can't complete it is the best plan.

[DiscoRunner Graduate in reply to ICLDN]

Exactly - try it, nice and slow and if you don’t manage it have a rest day and try again.

[steviej99 Graduate]

Well officially you'll just need one more 30 minute run after your holiday, but I wanted to do the three in one week so when injury and other factors interrupted week 9 I just kept restarting wk 9 untill I did the 3 runs. A bit obsessive perhaps but that's what I did!!