Starting again?

[DeluxeDot]

Hey everyone

I had to stop running due to being parenting during the summer holidays, then having surgery in August. My last “big” run was 10th August , so obviously in that time I’ve lost a lot of fitness.

Do I need to restart the program, or go back to a specific week?

What are your thoughts?

Thanks so much!

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

It is far better to go back to the beginning and rebuild your body's resistance to both impact and injury than jump back in too advanced, especially after injury or surgery, which might be susceptible to jarring.

In general terms, as stated in the guide to the plan, you lose no significant condition in the first two weeks of non running. After that loss of condition is gradual.

All any of us can do after a lay off is to go out for a gentle run and see what we can comfortably manage, then use C25k or something similar to rebuild stamina and resistance to injury.

[Mrsrun Graduate]

Glad you are able to be back in the game... Happy running.

[GoogleMe Graduate]

I don't know that there's an 'obviously' about having lost a lot of fitness in about a month and a half of not running and a lot depends on the nature of your surgery and your recovery from it. There is a big difference between just not doing your programme runs and various grades of physical inactivity!

In the normal way of things, given you have arrived at Week 7 so it would be all continuous running from this point, I would suggest a strategy like IannodaTruffe ie to go for a gentle run and see how you get on. Maybe with something like 15 minutes in mind and continuing for a maximum of 25 (ie a week 7 run) if it's feeling good and you really want to.

However, it really sounds as though you hadn't got C25K embedded in your life despite the considerable achievement of getting to Week 7 and I think you said you are doing this on a treadmill which is, in my view, more challenging in terms of learning to pace yourself and without the benefits which running outdoors brings - but you may of course have no other practicable option. I don't know what sort of overall work up you got prior to surgery but you have clearly been struggling with your energy levels and I would perhaps have some concerns about whether you could be sanguine if a more 'self-guided' trial run felt tough. So, for all that I find Week 1 a big personal bogey, it may be that a total reset is more likely to be successful.