I really sympathise - I had a very similar experience. And it feels like a kick in the teeth, I know.

However, this has now happened to me quite a few times to a greater or lesser degree, and I've learned the pattern. Every time I have to miss a week or more, the first run back is horrible. Really awful. BUT it's amazing how much easier the next one is. Stick at it, drag yourself out again in a couple of days, and I promise you'll find it a LOT easier than today.

In my experience, most of the 'kick in the teeth' feeling is the dread that you've gone right back in the programme and have all the work to do again. But you haven't, and you don't. You've had a bad run. That's all. We all have them. Once you realise this, it gets a lot easier to just accept the odd bad one and move on.

(For what it's worth, I know there are a few people who manage to complete the programme in the prescribed 27 runs, but reading the posts on here I'm sure they're very few and far between!!)

You will definitely get back to running 25 minutes again, and sooner than you think. Put this behind you and stick at it!! You've done so well to get this far!!

Let us know how your next run goes

If I've been ill I try to go out on my first run back with no expectations. No pressure to complete the run (you're body could still be recovering) and if you put extra stress on yourself it becomes harder to get where you want to be.

Don't be too hard on yourself, just give it another go! You've done before and will do it again when your body is ready - use the podcast but maybe just go out there to run and see how you get on. If it feels like it's too much it's because you've been unwell and you're body is asking you to take it easy You never know you might surprise yourself...

Thank you- I will go tomorrow, I hear all that you say and it's so good to have this support. Stefliser, I love the poster quote and it wasn't even something I thought about yesterday - I will update tomorrow with how it went ........ Thank you again x

Hi I too missed a few weeks and found it hard to get back into the groove. Think it didn't help that I wasn't quite back to top form health wise. It took me 3 runs to start to enjoy it again. I now know the difference in my body when i find a run hard between feeling unser the weather and feeling knackered from the run! I think everyone is different too so don't feel too disheartened if it takes a bit longer. Love the poster quote. Also i think a 5 minute run is better than no run, and quite often if you set off to do just a few minutes you end up doing more than you think. I went back two weeks in the programe when I missed runs, I did 2 a week rather than the 3. Now am back to it in full swing...

Good luck I am sure you'll be back on track in no time xx

Hi, yes, agree with all above. I graduated yesterday with about 33 runs? Week 6 was the worst physically, week 7 was just killing me with stamina because there was no stopping. But once you accept that, you really get to like the no intervals any more and it all just clicks into place. Once my brain knew that the next two weeks were trouble free (and I also lost a week with the lurgy). At this point too you get to understand when your body is just tired and so from week 7 I kept a two day window inbetween on week 8 instead of one and that made a huge difference too. Im now back to one rest day but I know I will have to take a break soon. Dont worry, you'll get your mojo back - Karen x

I had exactly the same experience (http://couchto5k.healthunlocked.com/blogs/702572/First-run-back-after-flu). All the above is good advice - now you're a runner you'll have to listen to your body, you'll get there in the end!