Welcome back!
Ok so I cheated a little bit and only ran one of the two weeks whilst on holidays in Italy. We left the area where my wives’ family stayed and headed south towards Rome for three days. The driving, sightseeing, food and wine took its toll, and I did not get out for another run until I arrived home. So, after one week of not running, that lactic acid build up can be serious depending on your fitness levels. Here is my list of tips and tricks to stay injury free when returning to your running routine after your holidays.
- Assess the damage (or fitness levels)
So, I was running for one of the two weeks, three times in fact, and in quiet hot conditions. I was able to see from my Garmin watch that my VO2 max levels were maintained at 49. So, in theory, my levels had not dropped. However, not running for one week can effect your body. Especially when eating and sleeping routines are not at the appropriate levels, shall we say. It is important to listen to your body, understand how it feels and try to anticipate a realistic outcome for your first week back. You might have some added weight to consider depending on how much you ate and drank during the period. Take this into consideration before lacing your boots and thinking you can start exactly where you left off.
2. Set a realistic goal
This will depend on how long you were away of course, but do not underestimate how much the body can get used to just relaxing on sun chairs for a week. You want to ease your muscles back into aerobic stress when returning from holidays. You could start by doing a few fast walks, but I’m going to presume you at least went for some walks on your holiday and focus this advice on a run…
My first run was a slow 6k at an average pace of 6:10 per kilometre. Nice and steady. My joints felt a bit stiff at the start, so I made sure to go even slower for the first 1 or 2k. Where do I want to be by the end of the week? I will avoid any interval training or hill work. My next two runs will consist of another slow-paced run but over a longer distance of 8 or 9k. I will end the week with a slow pace run of 14k next Saturday. In between I will work on some strength training and yoga.
3. Concentrate on running form
Running form is always something that should be taken seriously of course, but even more so after a holiday break. Good running form can help prevent unwanted injuries after a break. So how do I do that exactly you might ask? Well, it’s hard to explain in one paragraph so I might do another post on this. For now, check some videos online and practice. Keep upright, watch how your feet land, keep them pointing forward, and remember to lift those knees whilst not landing too heavy on your joints, The raised foot should land on the ground with the bent kneecap hovering just over the foot. Confused? watch a video and practice before you head out. Trust me, it will be worth it.
4. Re-establish that routine
It’s so easy if you are a beginner to lose that rhythm after a holiday, cut back or even stop all together. Please don’t do that! Try to join a running club before you leave, other people will help to encourage you back to your best again. If you are by yourself, think of all the arduous work you did before you went on holidays. Remember your goal and don’t quit now. I wrote some motivation techniques on earlier posts. If you are an experienced runner, just remember the basics and get back on track again. Sign up to do a run before you leave (that’s what I did), just a park run, or a charity event that you need to commit to. This will make sure you get back into your training soon. Common advice suggests that you will not completely lose fitness levels until after 4 weeks of zero training. That, however, does not mean you can pick up where you left off. Start slowly, remember the basics of creating a plan. Pick three days you will run and just get to it. Start the first week slower than usual (slower running pace) and build momentum.
Thanks for reading!