So I've just caught a mild cold - but it's moved straight to my chest, so now I have a 'productive' chesty and wheezy cough. The advice seems to be "take a break" if the cough is below the neck, so I expect to be out of action for a week or so while this clears.
This is very frustrating, having got to week 6.1 without issue. What I'd like to know is how to get back into the plan after a (hopefully) short break. Do I just pick up where I left off? Drop back a week? Or more? (Nooooooo).
I just wondered if there is a rule of thumb or generally accepted principle?
Thanks
Written by
GrandpaSteve
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If it's for only a week I would pick up where you left off, maybe repeat the last run first to see how you feel - if you end up not running for longer then I would consider stepping back a week and letting yourself get back into the flow. Listen to your body. Best of luck
Tough luck for picking up the cold GpS, there seems to be a lot of bugs about this winter. (My wife seems to have had a cold constantly since November!) You're certainly doing the right ting by resting until you feel better. I've read before that the perceived wisdom is that you don't start to lose fitness until you've done nothing for two weeks. What I would suggest is that you start back with the W6 R1 that you've recently completed, then you'll know if you can carry on from there or if you're better to drop back a bit. There's no shame in doing that, you're better to drop back a week now and then blitz the rest of the programme than pushing on, struggling (or worse still, hurting yourself) and either losing heart or just knocking yourself back even further. I wish you a speedy recovery and a speedy return to your C25K adventure.
I too just came in here to ask the same question although my hopefully mini break I'd due to knee pain. I did week 5 fine and was really chuffed with myself after stretching I was heading upstairs and I felt a small niggle in my knee thought nothing of it had the weekend off cos of the storm started week 6 on Monday I did all the funds but I really felt that niggle getting worse, so I've told myself no more til is better I'm over weight so a small niggle could get worse fast if I don't rest it. I'm really missing my daily outings for c25k and strength and flex. And now I have a stinker of a cold 3in a row since before Xmas I'm feeling a bit low, I'm sure a run would clear some snot but I can't 😞 if in ok on Monday I'm going to just start week 6 again if it's tough I'll go back a week and re do 5, I want to do this. Hope u get better soon x
It depends on how long you have been not running for, if its less than two weeks just continue where you left off, more than 4 months then you will have to restart at week 1.
If a runner has been off for between 3 weeks and 15 weeks then you could restart at week 3.
Sorry you're under the weather. As others have said, if it's under two weeks, you should be able to pick it up where you left off. You could always just go for a potter round without any tech and see how you feel.
The longest gap I had was 9 days. I was feeling pretty despondent about it until I went out and ran a personal best! It's amazing what a rest can do sometimes.
Great advice folks, thanks. Sounds like I should be good to pick up where I left off.
I will start off intending to run W6.2 (10/10), but can convert back to W6.1 (5/8/5) if I'm struggling at the start.
It's real pain, having had flu in November, a cold over Christmas, and now this - really hate breaking the momentum. Of course, it's my dirty grandson's fault, mixing in the day nursery, and then passing it on. But I can forgive him anything
As stated in the guide to the plan ( along with a lot of other useful stuff) you will find the advice that you lose next to no condition in the first two weeks of non running, so can pick up where you left off.
Beyond that you have to do what any runner does, go out and see what you can comfortably manage, then build back up from there.
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