How to return to running after a break: 5 key principles
If you run for long enough, most runners will have to deal with this question at some point or another: how can you best navigate your return to running after you’ve had time away for injury, illness, pregnancy, or just general life disruptions?
Even though this is such a common experience among runners, many find that it’s an area where there is a gap in guidance. Maybe you’re “done” with rehab, but not yet back to full training or working with a coach; maybe you’ve been cleared by your doctor to run but have no idea how to what that process should look like. If that sounds like you, here are a few general principles that may help you on your journey back to running.
Principle #1: FDI - Frequency first, then duration, then intensity
When you return to running after a long break, your brain may remember what it feels like to do a long run or a hard workout - but your body is not yet adapted to these stresses. The initial goal of the return-to-running process should be to give the body small, frequent doses of activity that are challenging enough to stimulate adaptations, but not so challenging that you can’t recover in 24-48 hours. Big spikes in training load - i.e., running at faster paces or for a longer duration - are going to be tougher to recover from and more likely to exceed your body’s current load tolerance.
Keeping runs short but frequent can be especially challenging for triathletes or runners who are engaged in other physical activities, because you have to balance your running with other disciplines. It can be tempting to stack all your running volume on one day of the week, but finding a way to spread your miles across 2-4 runs in a week can make a big difference in the success of your return to running.
Once you’ve re-established running frequency, the next step is to build duration, including the possibility of one longer run each week. The distance of your “long run” is relative to your overall weekly running volume, as well as your past training experience - but most returning runners will benefit from making sure no single run in the week is greater than 30-40% of their overall weekly running volume.
Adding in intensity, i.e. speedwork, should be the final step in this process, as the forces on your tissues increase exponentially as pace increases.
Principle #2: Progress based on effort and don’t worry about your pace
Your paces may be different from what you’re previously used to when returning to running after a break, and that’s okay. Getting caught up in chasing certain paces during your return-to-run process is often a ticket to feeling dissatisfied or over-doing it.
The “rating of perceived exertion” scale, or RPE scale, is an excellent tool for tracking your effort level during running and other activity. The most common version of this scale uses a 0-10 scale to self-rate your exertion: 0/10 is no exertion at all; 2/10 is a brisk walk; 3/10 is the slowest possible jog you can do; 6-7/10 is a moderately hard workout or racing a longer distance; 10/10 is an all-out sprint (hint: if you’re feeling a 10/10 during your return-to-run, it’s time to dial it back.) RPE also allows you to take contextual factors on a given day into account and adjust accordingly: for instance, if you didn’t get much sleep the previous night, a 4/10 effort may mean a slower pace than it would on a day when you’re well-rested. When used regularly, RPE correlates well with other measures such as heart rate. If you’re new to using RPE, the “talk test” (i.e. how much you’re able to talk out loud while exercising) can help you to gauge where you’re at on the scale.
Principle #3: Embrace walk-run intervals
Walk-run intervals can be a valid strategy at any point in your running career, but particularly so when returning from a break. Breaking your running into intervals gives you the chance to check in with yourself, and spreads out the stress so that your body can tolerate more than it could if done in one solid block.
Over time, the length of the run interval can increase as the length of the walk interval decreases. Patience is key here! The cardiovascular system (i.e. the heart, lungs, and blood vessels) adapts more quickly than muscles, tendons, and bones do, so there may be a point at which you feel aerobically capable of running more despite your other tissues not being ready. I encourage the runners I work with to think of this initial progression as gradually re-introducing load to those tissues in the body.
There are a variety of progressive walk/run programs out there; it’s important to make sure your program aligns with your individual needs and experience.
Which brings us to the next principle…
Principle #4: Have a framework in place
Have a plan, and not just a static one: you’re going to want a flexible framework that helps you know how to progress or adjust each week depending on how your body is responding. This can help you avoid over-doing it if you feel good - and avoid spiraling if you feel bad.
When returning from an injury, this framework is often going to be based on pain response, and can vary based on the specific injury. For example, if a runner is dealing with a tendinopathy/tendinitis or muscle injury, they may be able to progress their plan forward even with mild levels of pain (for example, keeping pain to 3/10 or less on a 0-10 scale), as long as any increased symptoms are settling within 24-48 hours and are not worsening over time. On the other hand, if a runner is returning after a bone injury like a stress fracture, they need to be much more conservative and typically will progress forward in the plan only if the original injury site is completely symptom-free.
If returning to running after illness, this progression may be based on other symptoms, such as post-exercise fatigue or heart rate response.
Knowing your individual needs is important for one final principle…
Principle #5: Consider any factors that are unique your specific situation
The preceding principles hold true across many different runners, but it’s also important to consider any additional factors that may be unique to your individual situation, whether that’s a specific injury, illness, pregnancy, or other challenges.
As mentioned above, the rate and criteria for progressing with running may differ depending on the type of injury you’ve dealt with. Additionally, different injuries can be more or less sensitive to different types of running stress. For instance, if you’ve dealt with an Achilles tendon, high hamstring tendon, or calf injury, you may be more sensitive to running uphill; on the flip side, knee pain can often be sensitive to downhill running. Trail running may be more demanding if returning from an injury that affects your side-to-side stability, such as an ankle or knee ligament sprain.
If dealing with illness that requires you to be sensitive to heart rate, a chest strap is key for getting accurate heart rate data and is much more reliable than wrist-based heart rate data obtained from a watch.
Post-exercise fatigue or malaise is a common feature of some illnesses, including Covid-19, and may be an important factor to monitor in such cases. These types of symptoms may be more affected by higher-intensity exercise.
If returning to running post-partum, you may be monitoring for pelvic floor or abdominal symptoms associated with pregnancy or birth. It’s important to have clearance from your Ob-GYN, along with guidance from a physical therapist who specializes in pelvic health.
In all of these cases, having a solid team on your side can make a huge difference. Regardless of who is on your team - a physician, a running coach, a running-focused physical therapist, a pelvic health physical therapist, a chiropractor, a registered dietitian, an endocrinologist, or others - having good support means professionals who can collaborate with you (and with each other!) and help point you towards your toward your goals.