Advice after having 6 months off?

[emzylou]

So me and a friend completed c25k last year and continued to jog for anything from 20 to 30 mins for a month or so after graduation. We never reached 5k in distance though. Anyway due to lack of light evenings and family commitments we packed in our running at the end of October (we live in a rural area and have no lighting and feel a little unsafe).

So now the clocks are changing this weekend we're ready to get back to it. We are fully prepared to start from the beginning again but was just wondering if anyone else out there has been in our position and could offer any advice?

[greenlegs Graduate]

Just go out and try it - lots of people come back after varying lengths of time away, and they almost always seem to be surprised by how much they can still do (depending on the reasons why they'd stopped - injuries might mean starting from the beginning).

Maybe the safest way is to go out and try week 1, then if that's easy try week 2 the next time out, and so on until you find one that needs a bit more work?

Enjoy getting back to it!

[emzylou Graduate in reply to greenlegs]

Thank's I can't wait!

[Oldgirl Graduate]

I would go with Greenlegs suggestion, if neither of you have been injured and have kept up some sort of exercise throughout the winter months you may not have lost too much fitness.

As you get into the longer runs though you may be better to do 2 or 3 just to save yourself from injuries. Good luck and welcome back.

[didntrunthat Graduate]

I have just completed week 5 after 6 months off and I'm finding it quite easy. I started the programme 2 years ago though and have lost 3.5 stone now since I started the first time. You will definitely have more confidence in the programme and your own ability I'm sure after doing it already so that will be a big boost.

I'm not skipping any runs as my time off was due to an injury and I want to build the strength back up gradually. If you are feeling strong after your time off you could easily adapt the programme and move back to where you were quicker as the others suggest. Good luck!