Week4 run 2 this morning and I can tell a massive difference between now and the first time I did the programme 2 years ago. With a 6 month break from running - 4 months of which involved mostly resting my injured foot I really thought I would be struggling just like I was at the beginning to a certain extent. Confidence wise I knew I'd be happy to go out the door and run again, there are a number of big differences I noticed and there are a lot of people who ask about loosing fitness after a break so this is my experience. Now I had been running (not always 3 times a week) but on a regular enough basis for a year and half nearly before my 6 month break so I guess you could say I was working from a good base but did have what I considered an extended break.
1. I can walk a lot faster on my walking breaks
2. My legs only hurt for the first 2 runs
3. No shortness of breath
4. No shin splits - major issue last time I had to RICE after every run for the first few months
5. I am not measuring these early runs but I def. feel like I am going faster
6. My boyfriend said when I get home it's as if I have been on a walk compared to when I first started c25k: before when I got home I was like Taz - tounge out, couldn't speak properly, panting!
I don't want to say I'm finding it easy because that would not be true - I'm building the routine back into my schedule. I have confidence I can run, but after hurting my foot badly my confidence in that is what holds me back so that is what I love about this programme. I trust that it will ease me back into things and help me avoid injury.
Downside is there is normally something health wise trying to get in my way! I've been getting a pain below my ribs for a few weeks now on and off. I didn't think it was too frequent, but after having it for 48 hrs and it getting worse I spoke to the nurse at my health practice yesterday (no GP appointments available) I realised how long it's been happening for. I blamed it on a number of things - the sofa giving me a sore back, I thought I was getting a stitch at strange times & then I thought I had over stretched my back! I didn't think they were all related... until the pain wouldn't go away. She thinks it's to do with my gallbladder (to young to be my liver) but I have to wait to next Thursday for a Dr's appointment! I had thought I had been getting a stitch a lot when I run & even when I walk which is very unusual for me, but thought it was to maybe to do with my lower calorie diet and having less in my stomach. I would be interested to hear if anyone else has ran with gallbladder issues.