Getting back into training after a forced break

SWL

Getting back into training after a forced break

A bit of background

Running about 5 years, last two winter I had my most consistent training, however my times were not going down so I decided to increase my training as volume seemed to work best for me, so in February I stopped doing speed work and concentrated on increasing my weekly mileage, go up to approx. 64per week and then started doing fartlek, speed work, I found I was much stronger and not as fatigued during the speed work sessions, my times didn’t improve despite my new training program, I subsequently discovered I was iron deficient and when I began to recover from this my strength improved especially on long runs where I was doing 7.45 with ease for 10 miles, I had one eye on the Dublin marathon in October.

My Problem:

In June BOOM life got in the way and I didn’t run regularly from July onwards, I got out when I could but only for a couple of miles did some cycling which helped me loose the belly and mainated some fitness. So I haven’t run regularly in five months and no speed work since February/March last year.

Now I am trying to get a program together, so far I do 45minutes steady five times a week, I go by time as my pace is way off and too depressing to monitor, LSR is about 7/8 miles but will be increasing and hopeto be back to 13 by Christmas.

Hoping to run a lot over Christmas, thinking of including some fartlek/tempo runs once or twice a week but don’t know if it’s TOO SOON after along break.

Eventually want to get back to my 8 plus miles a day with aspeed session and Fartlek included.
What I want:

All opinions on the training plan and how long you think I will be back to myself. I haven’t raced regularly either but that was down tobeen iron deficient at one stage I regularly didn’t able to run a five mileage.

Thank in advance.

bambergbike

Got a bit of a lecture from the doc on iron this morning myself and am about to go and get myself a box of iron sulfate capsules (especially as I'm planning to increase my mileage - thank you for the reminder of where that can lead!)

I took a break from running from April to September. It was a bit silly of me; starting back was frustrating at first, and I was really stiff after my first long weekend run. I took a similar approach to you - mostly steady running, getting "time on my feet" into the bank, not worrying too much about where I was relative to where I had been. After six weeks or so I started to challenge myself a bit more - the odd hill, the odd event. My 10k yesterday was faster than the one I did in March, so I haven't improved as much as I could have without the long (cycling-only) hiatus, but it wasn't too awful to come back from it either. I think I will probably continue to run more in the winter and cycle more in the summer, but I will try and keep my running ticking over next summer rather than letting it slide altogether. I've just put studded tyres on my bike and got myself a decent headlight, so maybe I can keep my cycling ticking over this winter, too.

SWL

bambergbike wrote: »

Got a bit of a lecture from the doc on iron this morning myself and am about to go and get myself a box of iron sulfate capsules (especially as I'm planning to increase my mileage - thank you for the reminder of where that can lead!)

I took a break from running from April to September. It was a bit silly of me; starting back was frustrating at first, and I was really stiff after my first long weekend run. I took a similar approach to you - mostly steady running, getting "time on my feet" into the bank, not worrying too much about where I was relative to where I had been. After six weeks or so I started to challenge myself a bit more - the odd hill, the odd event. My 10k yesterday was faster than the one I did in March, so I haven't improved as much as I could have without the long (cycling-only) hiatus, but it wasn't too awful to come back from it either. I think I will probably continue to run more in the winter and cycle more in the summer, but I will try and keep my running ticking over next summer rather than letting it slide altogether. I've just put studded tyres on my bike and got myself a decent headlight, so maybe I can keep my cycling ticking over this winter, too.

Thanks for the reply - I would recommend liquid iron much better imho than capsules, you should keep your levels up around 60

menoscemo

SWL wrote: »

Thanks for the reply - I would recommend liquid iron much better imho than capsules, you should keep your levels up around 60

Guinness?

SWL

menoscemo wrote: »

Guinness?

More Iron in a cup of ovalatine, runners should keep their levels up around 60 the base is 30 for a non active male, not sure with women, low iron is something that can be over looked and while you don't get faster, your strength and natural ability is greatly reduced, in my case running a 5k nearly killed me, my solution - train harder - the correct solution was to ask questions about my health.