How to return to running after a long time

After I took 2 years off, I started with 5 days of easy runs. Quickly went up to 6-7 after 2 weeks. One day was a speed day (like a true 100m slrinter workout) to get the wheels back.

Didnt do a tempo for 3 months. From 1-3 months i basically closed fast if I felt like it, and that was my "workout".

It worked pretty well.

Now could be a good time to invest $150 and get the letsrun summer training coaching. That will take care of your next 12 weeks of training.

I am currently coming back from ~7 years off. Ran in high school and then quit midway thru college. Ran intermittently in the meantime but never consistently and never more than about 15 miles a week.

I have now been back for about 8 weeks and just slowly building my mileage back up. Just got to get out there and get a base. Sucks at first because your mind will want to run faster but the legs don't got it. So far I've just done easy runs with a progression if I feel it that day, if I don't I keep it easy. Lots of hill work but that's really just a function of the area I live in.

So far my weekly mileage has been 29/26/32/29/33/42/34. If I feel super sore I take a day off. At this point I really feel like I am coming back and getting in great shape. If you have done it before it comes back quickly. Good luck - my goal is actually to get back to beating my high school PRs.

Gotta build up slowly and gradually or else you will very likely get injured. Stress fractures can result from sudden increase in mileage and if you have calf muscle tightness or imbalances you could easily injure that part of your leg or Achilles. I would do lots of stretching and injury prevention exercises to strengthen muscles especially calves. Your quads might be more initially but that is okay as your legs may not be used to the impact of training right now.

In all seriousness: When you "go for a run" (whatever that means at your current state of fitness), insert walking breaks. These are intended to *prevent* fatigue, rather than to pay off an oxygen debt--in other words, take them before you'd "need" to.

Yeah, yeah, I know: Gallowalking! The horror! If you go out for X miles and you want to be able to say (if only to yourself) that you "ran all the way!"--then fine, do a slogging jog-trot that bears no real resemblance to your 1500m running motion. It's your running and you can do what you want.

But if you want to do some mileage that will actually have some carryover to your running action in later training or in a race:

Run for a few (or several) minutes at a normal running speed--not a hard/fast run, not a jog, just a run.

Walk for about a minute. Don't "earn" the walk by getting out of breath beforehand; again, take the walk before you'd *have* to.

Run for a few more minutes, followed by a walk. Et cetera. Repeat as needed. Finish feeling no more than Lydiard's "pleasantly tired"--not wrung out or exhausted.

Separate issue: If you're serious about this, be ready to change your sleep habits. Moving from sedentary to athletic will likely mean that you need to add a half-hour or hour to your night's sleep. In addition, make sure you're away from all screens (TV, computer, phone, Kindle) for at least a half-hour before bedtime.

1500ftw wrote:

I'm looking for advice on how to return to running after 4/5 years away from competitive running

I'm going to attempt moving up from the 800 to the 1500 but I am completely detrained.

I've done no running at all for 4 years. I would like to avoid injury in returning. I work a sedentary job and have absolutely no conditioning

Any advice on how to tackle this? My goal would be sub 4 and then eventually sub 3:50

There is a lot going on here.

1) How old are you?

2) What was your training like before you stopped?

3) What led you to stop running?

4) What sort of competitive level are you eyeing? Those times are not your typical times.

Luv2Run wrote:

1500ftw wrote:

I'm looking for advice on how to return to running after 4/5 years away from competitive running

I'm going to attempt moving up from the 800 to the 1500 but I am completely detrained.

I've done no running at all for 4 years. I would like to avoid injury in returning. I work a sedentary job and have absolutely no conditioning

Any advice on how to tackle this? My goal would be sub 4 and then eventually sub 3:50

There is a lot going on here.

1) How old are you?

2) What was your training like before you stopped?

3) What led you to stop running?

4) What sort of competitive level are you eyeing? Those times are not your typical times.

Thanks everyone for your responses so far. I like the idea about putting walking into my runs that sounds a good idea

I'm 25

Was an 800m runner who did low mileage (20mpw)

I stopped due to injury and then life (work)

I would like to run competitively at club level. I ran 3:56 for the 1500m in 2015 but it was not my main distance. Also want to run some 5ks which I never used to do

bump

If you are 25 you shouldn't have too many issues.

Did you gain any weight in your time off?

What was the injury? This is very important.

Just start running. Slowly. Slower than you feel necessary. After a few weeks you will feel better. Get a heart rate watch or chest strap. Keep it low during all your runs for a while, at least below 150 bpms.

After a few weeks of running slow, you need to start touching your speed again. Start with 5 or so strides after a run. Slower than you used to do them. Full recovery. Eventually start doing short hill sprints with full recovery. Dont attempt anything like 200s on the track until you know you aren't going to put yourself and your Achilles at risk of an injury.

After a month you should start feeling like a runner again. Just do everything in your power not to get hurt.

Thanks for the advice. How many times a week do you think I should run?

Is it realistic to aim for a sub 4 within 12 months of training or not really?

I tried going for a few long slow runs but started to get pain in my left hip.

Is there a better way to get back to running? Maybe I could run shorter but faster and then build it up that way?