Get back into running the smart way with these expert tips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Welcome to October. Summer\u2019s over, vacation\u2019s done, and the kids are back at school. During hectic summer days, life might have intervened and kept you off the roads and trails for a while, but now it\u2019s time to get back to a regular running routine. But depending on how long you\u2019ve taken off, you may not be able to jump right back. Before you push your body to pre-vacation levels, here\u2019s what to do to safely (and enjoyably!) rebuild your fitness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
HOW TO START RUNNING AGAIN<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Be Honest With Yourself<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen you\u2019re coming back from time off, the most important thing is to be honest with yourself,\u201d says Ann Ringlein, store manager of the Lincoln Running Company and coach for over 500 runners a year in classes ranging from beginners to marathon-level athletes. \u201cYour training should reflect where you are, not where you want to be or where you were when you took a break,\u201d says Ringlein.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The simplest assessment: perceived effort. How hard does it feel? The key is to run at the same effort, not the same pace, you ran previously. Let speed rebuild with your fitness. But judging effort can be tricky, particularly when you\u2019ve been out of touch with your body and everything feels off. Tracking your heart rate can help keep your workouts in line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHeart rate monitors are a great thing to have when you make a come back,\u201d says Ringlein. \u201cThey can put real numbers to how you\u2019re feeling, and help ensure that you\u2019re not pushing too hard.\u201d Try keeping your effort in the cardio zone on your Fitbit device for the majority of your runs, for example, to help prevent overstressing your body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ringlein also warns about jumping back in with the same training partners who have kept running. If you do decide to rejoin, be honest. \u201cYou have to say, \u2018I\u2019m just starting up again, I want to run with you guys but I won\u2019t be as fast,\u2019\u201d Ringlein says. \u201cSomebody in the group will be your buddy and support you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Establish A Routine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The most important element in rebuilding is to restore a regular running routine. Consistency beats speed and distance. \u201cYou don\u2019t need to run as far as you think you should, or as fast as you think you should\u2014but you should probably run more often,\u201d says Ringlein. \u201cBeing more consistent, while shortening it up and slowing it down, is the best way to get back into running.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trying to go too hard and failing often leads to falling away again. \u201cIf you go out and try to run 3 miles as hard as you can, you\u2019re going to be disappointed and not want to go back out,\u201d says Ringlein. A gradual, consistent approach to training also gives your body time to re-adapt to the stress of your workouts and avoid injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat initial ramp up in speed of going from zero to 60 is what sidelines a lot of people,\u201d says Luke Humphrey, owner of Hansons coaching services and author of the newly released Hansons First Marathon: Step Up to 26.2 the Hansons Way. Research shows that fast changes in your average training load (volume and intensity of work) increase your risk of injury. The longer you took off from running, the lower that average load becomes, and the more you need to back off and gradually restore it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Keep Motivation Levels High<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When every run feels harder than it used to, it\u2019s easy to lose motivation. \u201cYou can get discouraged, thinking, \u2018I feel like this, why should I even try,\u2019\u201d says Ringlein. Remind yourself that with consistent training it won\u2019t be long before you\u2019re back where you left off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUsually, after 2 to 3 weeks of consistent training, you\u2019ll feel pretty darn good,\u201d says Ringlein, who has observed hundreds of runners start back up. \u201cAt the end of that 3 weeks, you can increase the miles. Then you\u2019re ready; your body is adjusted. It takes about three weeks to get comfortable and your fitness back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n HOW TAKING TIME OFF AFFECTS YOUR FITNESS<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n How much fitness can you expect to have lost from time off? That depends on how long and how active you\u2019ve been. Here are some general guidelines:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If You\u2019ve Taken 1\u20132 Weeks Off:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A couple of weeks off won\u2019t do much to affect your fitness. \u201cYou\u2019ve lost some speed, but you haven\u2019t lost much,\u201d says Ringlein. Coaches agree that taking a short time off can even benefit many runners. \u201cIt might be a good break mentally and physically,\u201d says Humphrey. \u201cLots of people we coach want to go, go, go all the time\u2014they\u2019re always in this really high state of training and never take a break or take time off.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recognize that even after a short break it may take a few days to feel as smooth as you did before you left. \u201cYou\u2019re not going to jump right back in and have it feel the same,\u201d says Ringlein. Humphrey also cautions that if you\u2019re following a progressive training plan you\u2019ll need to begin where you left off and adjust the dates\u2014don\u2019t try to \u201ccatch up\u201d to the more advanced workouts on the calendar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If You\u2019ve Taken 2\u20134 Weeks Off:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWith anything over 2 weeks, you should be concerned with how you come back and the amount of time you dedicate to ramping up again,\u201d says Humphrey. You\u2019ll need to take it easy for a while and reduce your speed and volume, but you can rebuild quickly. He has found runners who take more than 2 weeks completely off typically need to back up on their training plans by a similar amount of time and rebuild to their previous level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ringlein agrees on the time scale. \u201cYou may have to lower the distance you\u2019re running, but if you\u2019re consistent, you should be able to get right back to where you were in 2 to 3 weeks,\u201d she says. She also points out that the changes after this amount of time can be as much mental as they are physical, especially for less-experienced runners. It\u2019s likely that your stride isn\u2019t as smooth and your habits have waned after time away. Be patient with your body, Ringlein says, but realize you\u2019re probably more fit than you feel. \u201cYou don\u2019t want to go crazy and think you haven\u2019t lost a thing, but you can roll with the process,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If You\u2019ve Taken More Than 1 Month Off:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When you take more than a month off, you not only lose cardiovascular fitness but your body starts to change\u2014whether or not you see a difference on the scale. \u201cEven if we don\u2019t gain weight, our bone density and muscle mass are affected in a negative way,\u201d says Budd Coates, long-time Director of Health and Fitness for Rodale and author of Running on Air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you\u2019ve been off all summer, you\u2019ve got to be really careful,\u201d Ringlein adds. Rather than starting up again mindlessly, she recommends laying out a plan to carefully rebuild and restore consistency. \u201cWriting your training schedule down reveals the progression in load, and logging your workouts helps keep you accountable as you relearn the habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019ve been sedentary for months, you should see yourself as a beginner again, albeit an advanced beginner. \u201cMaybe start with 20 minutes, 4 times per week,\u201d suggests Ringlein. \u201cStart out walk\/running. Run for a couple minutes, then walk until you feel like you\u2019re recovered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even starting over, Ringlein finds that most runners begin to feel stronger in about three weeks. Even if you\u2019re slower than you were before the layoff, don\u2019t fret. In a few weeks, you\u2019ll be able to look back and celebrate your progress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Blog post taken from Fitbit’s official webpage. Available from: <\/p>\n\n\n\n