Snakes and ladders

[DorsetDiva]

I was bopping along nicely and got to week 8 with a spring in my step and fuel in the tank. I even started Zumba classes to get my fitness levels up. Then came a nasty dose of covid, a cough, breathlessness and all the trimmings. But I’m feeling better and after 5 weeks of no exercise I’ll be venturing out and back to Couch to 5k. But I won’t be able to manage week 8’s plan. Any tips or advice? I feel like I’m playing snakes and ladders and just slid down a massive snake back to the beginning ☹️

[C2691 Graduate]

I started couch to 5k last august got to week 6. Was going well til I got covid in October. I was out of action for a month. Then the mornings and nights were dark so I just kept putting it off. I barely did any exercise or anything and last week went for my first run. I didn’t want to start from week 1 again so just put the app on from where I left off. Today I ran the first run on week 8. Being completely new to running I have surprised myself that I was able to do it. It was tough but I got through. You might be surprised when you start again 😀

[Instructor57 Graduate in reply to C2691]

Current advice is to start back slowly and gradually.Do not push yourself!

Everyone will experience covid differently and as such, no one recovery plan fits all

All you can really do is go out and see what you can comfortably do without pushing it , and pick up from there .

Remember it not just about aerobic fitness, but also your resistance to injury will have declined somewhat .

Go back far enough to build this up again .

This article may help

bupa.co.uk/newsroom/ourview...

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

As stated in the guide to the plan, you lose no significant condition in the first two weeks of non running. After that loss of condition is gradual.

All any of us can do after a lay off is to go out for a gentle run and see what we can comfortably manage, then use C25k or something similar to rebuild stamina and resistance to injury.

We are all capable of doing way more than our bodies are conditioned to do, but not without increasing our injury risk. Sticking to gently progressive training plans is the safest way to push our limits, whilst gently increasing our resistance to injury.

Injury often strikes out of the blue and can stop you for days, weeks or even months.

Especially after an illness such as COVID, build yourself up gradually yourcovidrecovery.nhs.uk/yo...

What's the hurry?

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

Good to hear you’ve got over the virus… that’s the most important thing. Snakes and ladders is ok played alone, even the biggest snake doesn’t mean you lose, and you’ll hit a ladder soon enough.

5 weeks will mean you’ve lost a little, and the virus may have stolen some too… all we can do here is go for a nice gentle slow run and see what we have left. Relax and go see how much of 28 minutes you can do comfortably… and be proud of still being able to do that. Once that’s done you will have a good idea of where to feed back in to the plan.

[nowster Graduate]

One thing you could do is ease yourself back into things by doing one session from each of weeks 1 to 4. If any seems as if it's hard, back off and resume the C25K programme thereabouts.

[SueAppleRun Graduate]

That was very bad luck but you won’t have lost all your fitness. Just don’t push yourself at the start and build up steadily, that virus is a nasty little blighter and takes a while to get over

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

Welcome back. We begin to lose what we have gained after about two weeks, so... all you can do is, take a very gentle trial jogette... no time or distance in mind and listen hard to your body...not just on the run but afterwards too.

IannodaTruffe and Instructor57 are absolutely correct. Covid is a vile thing and is leaving folk with issues, so do take care.

My advice, would be to head back and be really, really sensible.

I would be inclined, if I felt strong enough after my initial tester jogette, to head back to Week 3 and then move on slowly.

[DorsetDiva in reply to Oldfloss]

Jogette is now firmly in my vocabulary. It sounds so much better than ‘shuffle’. xxx

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to DorsetDiva]

Doesn't it just? It was first mentioned by our most awesome Irishprincess ... sums it all up beautifully, and many, many of us use it when we venture out after illness or injury. x