What happens if I miss running ?

[lusmo]

I have to run regularly, but it seems that this time I won't be able to because of the travel. So I would like to sing:

- What happens if I miss running once? How will I return?

- And what happens if I miss twice, or even 3 times?

What if people miss out due to illness, for example?

How do they get back then?

Thanks for the anwers!

[Annieapple Administrator Graduate]

🍏😂Absolutely gorgeous pic!!!

You won’t lose any fitness if you don’t run for up to two weeks. So missing a run or two you just go back to it!! After two weeks and after illness you need to go out and run for 10 or 15 mins and see how it goes then build up from there!

[lusmo Graduate in reply to Annieapple]

Thank you! 👍

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

I have been out for six weeks and because I felt so battered by issues,, I have started at Week 1 Run 1 of C25K again... But as Annieapple says we do not normally lose fitness until after two weeks. It does depend on the injury or illness of course but works as a general rule!

When you are ready to run.. head out for a little jogette and see what the body tells you!

[Cmoi Graduate]

I agree that when it's down to circumstances and not any physical issues, a break of a week or two won't do any harm, in fact you might come back refreshed!

I also agree that trying a 10-15 minute run after a break due to illness is usually the best bet. However, if you're coming back from an illness that has severely affected your breathing (e.g. Covid) or if a health professional has advised you to do less, you may well need to build back more gradually.

The same is true if you're coming back after injury. Don't push yourself to get back to where you were right away.

Two days after I'd done a 17k run I fell badly, and messed up my knee amongst other things. It took me a week even to be able to walk a kilometre and a half, slowly. There is no way I could've restarted with a 10 minute jog - my breathing was fine, but my leg most definitely wasn't. While I was back to 10k within about four weeks, it took me months to feel I'd recovered properly.