The hardest thing about coming back from a long lay off is more that you have adapted to your new easier lifestyle, and you forget all the things that you had to sacrifice in the first place to be good. But physically there is no reason why you can't come back even better than before.
I'm on my 3rd year back after a 5 year layoff. Its been tougher than I expected. I ran 4.11 mile 14.42 5k 32.06 10k 72.00 13.1 2.39.09 26.2 in the years from 1990 to 1997 then took 1998-2002 off.
2003 ran 2970 miles (37.15 10k)
2004 ran 3395 miles (22.03 4 mile, 35.20 10k, 2:48 marathon)
2005 on pace for 3800 miles (16.22 5k, 35.35 10k so far)
I am back to running about the same level as when I finished my junior year of HS. I expected to regain my fitness quicker but it hasn't worked out that well.
Helcul,
how much weight did you gain in those 4 years and how much exercise did you do, if any?
-Soup
you sure can come back. i took about 9 years off. smoked cigarettes and a lot of pot. i was burned out from running (mid distance) so i burned a few other things instead. anyway, 3.5 years into what was originally not supposed to be a come back i was running national level times in 10k-marathon. good luck to you.
Two most important questions:
1) How much weight did you gain?
2) What sort of non-running exercise have you done (hiking, flag football, softball, etc.)?
I have pretty good natural footspeed too, and I also ran pretty low mileage in high school.
Because I play sports in my free time and haven't put on any weight, whenever I feel like running again it usually only takes about 6 months of dedicated training for me to get back to where I once was.
Setting new pr's is then the tough part and I usually lose interest because I don't have anyone to train with.
But as long as you aren't a fatass, I say a year will get you in damn fine shape.
You can absolutely get yourself in shape again. While you have lost a ton of aerobic conditioning, you will be suprised how quick to return to form you will be. Just be consistent and begin to log the miles. Good Luck my friend.
Soup,
I did no exercise at all, went from 155 to 180, and lost all of my fitness. I'm back down to 165 but I doubt I'll go much lower.
Helcul
you can do it. i just started running again from a 2 year layoff. i started smoking cigarettes and still do, however in just 4 weeks i am back down into roughly 5 min mile or so shape.
the month that i have been running i have run just about everyday, however my longest run has been 3 miles.
in hs i was 1:53, 4:14 for 1600m
It's irritating to me when people are absolutely certain that no one is talented enough to run sub 4:20 in the mile on less than 20 miles per week. Some people are just very talented and are fully capable of such times off of relatively low mileage.
Out of Shape we have simular experiences. I was a consistent 1:52 800m man in college who essentially hasn't run a step in 6 years. Some how I have not gain any weight. I think the biggest challenge is motivation.After I stop competing I stop running because I figured I could do other exciting things to stay in shape. I think you can do it but staying motivated will be a challenge. I know in 6 years I have growned up so its hard to find the time to train and than also justify that as a valuable use of my time. I thought about trying to get back in shape becuse I knew I was capable of going under 1:50, but its just not as important to me to put in the work. Good topic, I think we have alot of people on this board who think they can get back to their glory days.Good luck.
I'm sorry, if it's true, that just makes me sick.
How is it that people with unfathomable talent can just piss it away? God, some of us could work our asses off year in and year out and never even sniff a 4:16 mile...
I also love how (perversely) it has become such a source of gloating on letsrun to have run spectacular times on very little mileage. I mean, does that make any sense at all???
Did Michael Granville start this thread?