Where to re-start after a 2 week break?

[BushbyBobolink]

I finished week 5 (run 3 is 20 minutes non-stop), but since then I have really struggled to get back out again. Its been over two weeks since I last ran, where would be a good place to restart again?

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate]

Congratulations on completing run 3 of week 5, that is a milestone run with C25K, however, as you have been off running for two weeks and struggling I would advise you to go back to week 4 run 1 and see how it goes, take it slowly, good luck. 👍

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations for getting so far. When you say you’ve been struggling, could you say a bit more about how? Is it life being busy? Have you been ill? Is it a mental thing?

After two weeks off, you won’t have lost fitness so you could just do the next run in the programme. If that’s a bit scary, you could pick any earlier run in the programme and do that, then perhaps pick up at week 5 again, or as AlMorr suggests, go back to week 4. There’s no hard and fast rule. Personally, I’d give the next run a go with mental permission to stop and walk more often if I needed to. It’s totally up to you-you know yourself best.

Good luck!

[BushbyBobolink in reply to MissUnderstanding]

I was struggling between migraines and work, not the running itself. I just don't want to try too much too soon after having a break.

[Cmoi Graduate in reply to BushbyBobolink]

You're wise not to want to overdo things BushbyBobolink . That said, as MissUnderstanding has indicated, you don't lose much fitness simply from having a fortnight without a run. It's different, of course, if a break is due to injury or illness.

Assuming the former applies, you could start week 6, or re-do week 5 if you prefer. Or indeed drop back to week 4 if you'd feel more at ease, though on the information given I can't see why you'd need to.

[Cmoi Graduate]

I understood "struggling" as the OP having difficulty finding the time to get out for a run, not necessarily as experiencing problems during the run.