Running after a short break

[Little0ne]

hi everyone 👋🏻

I’m just after some advice. I’m on week 5 of C25K and for different reasons I’ve not managed to run for two weeks. So I’m going for a run tonight (can’t wait!!) but I’m unsure if it’s best to keep going with the next run (run 2) or re do run1? Im not entirely sure what to do, I don’t want to go for run 2 and then fail at it but don’t want to do run 1 again and hold myself back.

Any advice is appreciated!

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate]

You should be fine to just move on. In the programme guide it says that you don’t lose fitness over a couple of weeks and after that only slowly. Just make sure you are keeping it really steady. Repeating a run wouldn’t be holding yourself back though. You’d still get all the benefits of having done the run, whether it’s run 1 or run 2.

Really good luck! Have a great run.

[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.

[Little0ne Graduate]

I went out and completed the W5 R2 🙂

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate in reply to Little0ne]

Excellent news! Really good luck for run 3…it’s a great one!

[ArthurJG Graduate]

Glad you got it done. But just to be clear you cannot ‘fail’ a run. If you ever don’t finish one you call it practice, take a rest day* and try again. It’s not a problem. (*If you think fatigue is the reason you didn’t finish take two rest days).