Midlife crisis, lack of biking due to a number of reasons doing a bit of running again.

Do I
a) plod round the same route until I get fit again
b) Keep extending it every time (assuming I can keep running that far!)

c) Sign up for a 5k in about 8 weeks’ time to give you a bit of an incentive to keep at it.

c) Sign up for a 5k in about 8 weeks’ time to give you a bit of an incentive to keep at it.

Oh hells teeth, in 8 weeks I’d be expecting the call from the Olympic committee saying Mo Farrah isn’t available, do you want to run the marathon for Team GB.

Start slow and short. Golden rule is to not increase mileage by more than 10% per week. Couple of short runs in the week and maybe one longer one at weekend and build gradually – knock back the mileage one week in every 4 to help recover and stay injury free. The forums over at runnersworld.co.uk have loads of useful info. Good luck – the main hurdle once you get into it seems to be not over doing it and trying to avoid injury – a risky business is this running lark! 😉

google couch to 5K there are loads of web pages and apps out there, stick with the program and you shouldnt get injured !

I started back last month after a year off

First week I ran for 20 mins x 3
Second week x 4

After 5 weeks I’m doing 3 x 30 mins and 2 x 15 mins without any obvious issues

Park runs are Z great motivation to get out for a decent run once a week, and do a couple of shorter runs mid week.

I’d say start out real short. Literally just a km or so, build on that every few days depending on muscle soreness. Don’t go for your next run till your muscles stop hurting.

It’s always good to have events to motivate you by. You might want to increase distance over time, then once you’re happy with a distance you can commit training time for then maybe work in speed – doing that distance faster.

Thinking about starting again.

I would stick the I phone on shuffle and run every evening running for one more track each time I went out.
I did not always manage to make it till the end of the added tune, if not I would not move on until I had.
It was random in as much as some tunes were longer than others and if a really long one came on as your final I would be cursing but would be thinking all I have to do do is make it till the end of this song.

Once running more than 5 miles went to every other day and when I got to 7 I stayed at that distance as I thought an hour was more than enough.

Even then I hated the first mile and a half with a passion then started to hit my stride and from three miles on I enjoyed every minute of it.
But for the first mile and a half I just wanted to pack up and go home.

Just get out and run and stop over thinking it.

For the first two weeks, don’t increase your distance too much, everybody does it, but it’s a sure fire way to pick up an injury and land you back at square one.

Edit: to add on to what Chip said above, the first couple of miles are always the worst!

For the first two weeks, don’t increase your distance too much, everybody does it, but it’s a sure fire way to pick up an injury and land you back at square one.

+1

I should have been more specific in my original reply: I suggested a 5K as a couch-to-5k programme will be about 8 weeks long, and they all start out slow as everyone else on the thread is recommending.

Also there might be a Park Run near you, which makes it even easier.