Runners World | 5 Steps to “Get It Back”

Well… it’s been a while since I’ve done one of these Runners World posts. I’m in the middle stages of training for a half marathon coming up in 6 weeks, so I figured it would be fun to document my journey with the run coming up! But I struggled the past year with running much and kind of “fell off the running wagon”.

Let’s be real. Doesn’t it just stink how long it takes you to build up your endurance to run 3 or 6 or even 9 miles and then a very short period to just lose it all? You catch a cold for a week or two and can’t run and you go back once you’re well and you feel sluggish for missing those days of no running.

A little background of my running history in the past few years. You’ll see my yo-yoing of my running habits of the past few years.
-May 2012: I decided I wanted to lose weight before trying to have a baby, so I started running again. I got RunKeeper app for my brand new iPhone (first time smart phone owner!) and loved being able to track my miles. I ran my first 10k since high school at the Peachtree Road Race that summer and ran consistently 15-20 miles a week, but no more than 6-7 miles at the most.
-2013: I got pregnant with Levi early in the year and had him in September. I kept my miles up during my first 20 weeks. After that, I cut back some as I was getting larger and my feet were beginning to swell. By the end of my pregnancy, I was running just one mile and walking often. I took time off after I had him until I was approved to go run again. I did a little running that fall, but not much.
-2014: I started the year out with a 5k in January. I remember I ran it in 32 minutes. I joined Moms Run This Town on Facebook and found a group of Mom’s to run with on a regular basis. This was the year I ran the best of my life. I began slowly adding miles and getting faster and faster. I took Levi out in the jogging stroller often (he still loves it!) and I found I was running faster than I had in my life. I got up to 9 mile runs just for fun before I decided to finally sign up for a half marathon. I ran my first one in November of that year and ran a 15k just a few weeks later.
-2015: Winter happened and I got lazy. I say lazy, but I didn’t stop running. I just did less miles when I went out. I kept up this throughout most of the year. I wasn’t eating the best and wasn’t running as much; so while I didn’t gain a ton of weight fast, I did gain a pound here or there a month or two at a time, so that by the end of the year, I had gained over 10 lb in one year. Last year, I ran consistently every week, but I never did more than 3 to 4 miles at a time. I literally can count the number of times I ran 6 miles last year: twice- when I did my 10k in February and when I did the Peachtree in July. I was only averaging 7-8 miles a week at the most, so while I was running, I wasn’t doing much; so in a way, I “fell off the running wagon”.
-2016: While we are only a month into the year, I have done a 180 in my workout schedule and running. I am already averaging 15-20 miles a week and have already run two longer runs of 7-8 miles. I have signed up for a 10k for next weekend and the Berry Half for March 5th.

So what happens when you “fall off the running wagon” and lose your desire to run? Or what if you got injured and could’t run for a period of time? How do you get back into it? Here are few tips and tricks to get BACK into running if you’ve done it before.

1) Start Back Slowly: Just because you were able to run 6 miles three months ago, it doesn’t mean you can necessarily do it now if you have taken some time off from running. It’s okay to take it slowly! Don’t get frustrated at the time it takes to get back into everything. I remember getting so mad that I was able to run 10+ miles two years ago and still unable to get to there as of last fall. Your speed will come back as you go slowly but surely. This first month you might be run/walking a 12 minute mile and then cut that down to 11 minutes the following month and keep going from there!
2) Cross Training: This is something I was TERRIBLE at until recently. I used to just run and that was it. I recently started lifting weights and doing other cardio workouts beyond just running. I have already seen such a growth in my speed, my strength just in the two months I have been doing this so far. I highly encourage you to find a local gym or recreation center to take a class, hire a trainer, find a friend to do these workouts with, or maybe even a DVD that can provide this cross training.
3) Walk/Run: It’s okay when getting back into running to do a walk/run. Set a timer and do intervals. There are many apps out there to put on your phone to time intervals. Run for 5 minutes and walk for 1-2. Then the next week, run for 6-7 minutes and walk for 1-2. Each week, add the running time and cut down the walking time. You’ll get to a point where you’re walking less and less to none at all!
4) Add miles a week or two at a time: Try give yourself a realistic goal of adding miles. I started back this month with the ability to run 4-5 miles at a time. You want to give yourself a realistic goal of adding miles. Don’t go out able to run one mile and the next week tell yourself that you need to do 4 or 5 at a time. You’ll get burnt out if you try to add too much too soon. Even just add a half mile here or there if you need to! Don’t get discouraged!
5) Sign up for a Race: Sign up for a race two to three months out of starting back. This will give you time to do your walk/run and adding those miles a week or two at a time. I kept saying last fall that I was going to do another half marathon, but I never signed up for one, so I had no real motivation to actually go run more miles. I signed up for two races this month that are “forcing” me to run! Sign up for a 5k if you’re getting back and haven’t run in a while or a 10k like me if you’ve been running, but doing short miles.
6) Eat Healthy: Okay, I lied… 6 tips! This one is big! It’s pointless to go run 6 miles, burn 700 calories, and come home and drink a Chick-Fil-A cookies-and-cream milkshake (these are 850 calories FYI!). You need good calories to take in while you run and burn off calories. I have been doing Whole30 this month and it’s been awesome. I love the lifestyle change it has created in my head. When I’m done, I will have a piece of pizza next week and I’ll eat a few of those love items that I had to avoid this month, but I am excited about the habits I created this month in eating better. I have already lost a good bit of weight. I can tell just in my pants! I’ll post at the end of Whole30 how much I lost between eating healthier and running more!

Best of luck in starting back if you, like me, “fell off the running wagon”. If you are just starting, these tips are great for you to start in the first place!