Starting again

[AtomXL]

I started couch to 5k towards the end of last year and things had been going well. I'd completed week 4 and was actually looking forward to starting week 5. But for one reason or another I missed my planned run. I kept pushing it back until eventually it was forgotten.

Now a few months have passed and I want to try again. Does anyone have any advice? Should I start over from week 1 or can I pick up part way through? Has anyone had a similar lapse and how did you motivate yourself to get back into it?

Thanks

[RainbowC Graduate]

Personally I'd probably try picking up at week 3, and see how that goes. If it's easy the first time you try it, I'd try week 4 for the second run; if it's too hard, try week 2. The main thing is just to get out there and run!

I've not had any long lapses, but I've definitely slipped from a religious 'running three times a week, come what may' to a 'oops, didn't quite manage to fit a run in today, maybe tomorrow...' kind of mindset which means I'm often missing one of my weekly runs. I need to sharpen up a bit, for sure!

[Stefliser Graduate]

I know how you feel - had a VERY long lapse of 6 months or so after completing the programme last summer.

I started again on New Year's Day and after loads of umming and ahhing about where to start just decided to go right back to the start and go for week 1.

It was great! When Laura told me to stop running after the first 60 seconds, I did, but I just laughed! It felt like so little time. I then ran the rest of them together in pairs (in other words, running throughout 60 secs running time, 90 secs walking, and the next 60 secs running). It really worked for me - by winding right back to the start I really surprised myself at how much my muscles and lungs had 'remembered', and gave myself a big confidence boost by exceeding what I thought I'd be able to do after such a long break. The next time I went out I went straight in at week 4, and started again from there.

In other words, my advice is to aim low rather than too high, as you can always do more than Laura asks you to. But if you overestimate what you can manage you'll only get yourself down. Then see how it goes on your first time back out and take it from there.

Good luck, and I hope you enjoy being back on the wagon again as much as I am at the moment!!

[AtomXL Graduate]

Thanks both for your advice and encouragement. I'm tempted to try from week 3 but worried I may not be able to complete it and I don't want to get discouraged. I think I'll start from week 1 again and, if it's too easy, move up to week 2 on my second run.

[greenlegs Graduate]

Best of luck with starting again. I think Stefliser's plan sounds very good! Much better to do more than you'd planned than to have to go back again. Hope you have a really good first run back. Don't forget to go slow and steady - speed can come later!

[AtomXL Graduate]

Thanks Greenlegs. I headed out today and did indeed have a good first run! Starting from week 1 again was definitely the right decision though.