How long does it take after a 4 month hiatus...

It's just a personal theory, but, I always believed that 2x the time off = the time it takes to get to where you were. ie 8 months in your case.

Tell that to Shalane Flanagan!

I have heard that rule before though. Clearly there can be a lot variation based on the individual situation.

That rule is based on personal experience over many years.

Forgive my ignorance, but, what did Shalene do?

I think that your 2x rule holds if you also have to lose some weight in the process, which is usually the case. If you are miraculously the same weight or close to your racing weight, things might go a little quicker. Personally, I felt that being 10-12 pounds over my racing weight was actually good for my training, as I built back up to decent mileage and slowly added more quality as the weight came off naturally.

Skuj wrote:

That rule is based on personal experience over many years.

Forgive my ignorance, but, what did Shalene do?

Sorry, I won't forgive you for that.

:)

I've been busy! A really fast 3k or 5k, right? Did she have a layoff due to injury?

The 2X sounds about right, but it also depends on a few factors like how good shape you were in before the layoff and training for which event.

The better shape you were in, the more you lose and therefore the longer it will take to get it back.

If you are training for a mile, it would take shorter time than training for a marathon, IMO.

I had a 4 moth injury and it took 5 months to get close to my 10K time (but I wouldn't say I was highly trained pre-injury) and a year to match my marathon time, but I had strarted training harder post-injury than pre-injury.

Does anyone else have any similar experiences?

It also depends on your age. The older you are, the longer it will take.