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Do you hear that? It’s the sound of your next runner’s high calling your name after an extended break. Following the cosiness of Christmas (plus less sunlight and the colder weather), the return to training can feel like a chore – but it needn’t be. From goal setting to run clubs, let’s look at what we can do to welcome the reappearance of our running mojo as we ease back in after a break.

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1. Set small goals to begin with

It takes around ten days before our VO₂ max begins to decrease – then continues to gradually decline from there. VO₂ max is a fancy term to describe the maximum rate of oxygen your body uses up whilst training as hard as you can. As a general rule of thumb, the higher your VO₂ max, the better your physical fitness. If you last trained less than a week ago, it’s likely that your VO₂ max will have stayed the same and you should be fine to hit the track as you once did. Otherwise, it’s important to ease back in slowly and re-build your fitness level to avoid injury or burnout. If you stopped running for more than ten days, keep those first few sessions at an easy, conversational pace. The aim here is to healthily build your speed, endurance and muscles so you can comfortably complete your usual base runs before starting any speed workouts or intense training routines. For anyone new to running or those returning after an extended break due to illness or injury, it’s a good idea to train for around six weeks before taking your running to the next level. 

2. Incorporate resistance training 

As we focus on slowly getting back into running, the only resistance we want to see is in exercise form. Resistance training plays a key role in strengthening our muscles and joints, particularly when we’re just starting out – or starting up again. In the long-run, this helps to boost speed and endurance, refine your running form, and reduce the risk of injury. From squats to step-ups, whether it’s at home or in the gym, making time for strength training as you kickstart your running routine again, will set you up for a strong and hopefully injury-free future. 

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3. Join a run club or charity event

There’s nothing like running with others to put a swagger in your trainer-clad step, so why not join a run club? Having a group of fellow runners who hold you accountable will help to keep you motivated, every step of the way. If you’re interested in running with a community, check out the Let’s Do This X Runna run club. This is a training community with a twist – we meet once a month to run, eat and socialise. Runners of all ages and abilities are welcome and we’d love to see you there. Once you’re back to your base running level, challenging yourself with a charity event is another great motivator. You’ll join a community of fellow runners, have a clear training goal, and help a worthy cause at the same time.

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4. Track your progress

In the early days of re-starting a running routine, building back up to where you once were can cause a momentary slump in your enthusiasm. To overcome this, try tracking your training progress in an app. Seeing a steady improvement over time will encourage you to keep going. Plus, you’ll be able to look back week after week and appreciate how far you’ve come. 

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5. Rest

Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or just returning to running, make sure you rest– whether that’s watching Netflix during a treadmill jog for an active rest day, or sinking into a post-run bubble bath. Rest is an important yet often overlooked element in any training programme. As you build muscle and stamina during training, you’re also causing micro-tears in your muscles. The body sends blood and nutrients to those tears, which strengthens our muscles – but only if they’re given the chance to recover. This is how we build muscle mass. By forgoing rest in favour of pushing yourself further, you’ll actually be doing yourself a disservice. Plus, each time you train, you’re using up your body’s glycogen stores. At least one rest day per week will give your body time to rebuild those glycogen stores to fuel your future runs. 

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Above all else, as you ease yourself back into running, remember why you do this. Whether it’s the community aspect, staying in shape or participating in events, running should be fun. If you find you’re getting hung up on progress or generally lacking motivation, it’s time to stop taking it too seriously, shake up your training routine and make running enjoyable again.