Return to running

This week has been a return to exercise for me after a couple of weeks of holiday, today was no different. For something a little different, the sport I returned to today was running. 

It has been a couple of weeks since I ran last, between getting sick and going on holiday I just haven't got out there. 

When it comes to running again after having a short break, there is always a question of what distance or duration you should start with. For me, my starting point is 30 minutes of steady running, but really it depends on your background, running history etc. For people who haven't run much I would move that to 20 minutes, or perhaps even 10 if they are truly just starting out. Obviously if somebody is coming back from injury then I would usually recommend they don't run continuously at all, but follow a return to running run/walk program from a good physio. For me though, 30 minutes is my number.

I am always cautious of pace on these early runs too. I am very aware that a lot of running injuries are caused by people either trying to run too far or too fast (or both) when they are first getting back into running. Sometimes I think experienced runners are particularly guilty of this as they quickly seek to run like they did before their break, pushing too hard, too early. For these reasons I try and keep my runs steady until I get back into the swing of things. I will probably look to do a few 30 minute, steady runs in a week and if they go well start building things from there. Slowly building duration for a few weeks (I find the 10% increase/week rule of thumb pretty good). After a couple of weeks of trouble free steady running I might then look to introduce some intensity. Once that has all gone smoothly I usually consider things all good to go. 

With all that in mind, my 30 minute steady run tonight went okay. Not brilliantly, but okay. To be honest the run was a bit more uncomfortable than I would have liked, so I am glad I didn't push for more than 30 minutes. I know the running will get easier over the coming weeks so I am not too bothered, but for now it was a bit of a slog. Oh well, just means it is time to do a bit of work.