Getting back into running is fraught with emotional hurdles that we have to overcome. Statistically those first 3-4 weeks are the hardest and where we have the most to endure both physically and mentally. Just look at the numbers of people that 'fall off the bandwagon' after New Years. It kills me every year seeing the numbers of runners slowly declining as we get into February, March and April. Surely we can break through this!
One of the big things that derails our road back into training and regular running is not physical, but mental. Our own expectations are at the root of so many problems that we encounter in those first few weeks. Think about it for a second... As we throw ourselves back into training, we expect to be exactly where we left off a few weeks or months ago. The same numbers, the same paces and we expect our body to recover the same way that it did when we were fit. Now, before I go any further, lets just call a spade, a spade. This expectation is irrational! Why do we think that it will be possible to be just as good as we were, after (in my case) weeks of excessive chocolate and ice cream consumption?
These lofty expectations can easily derail us within a few days as they have so many side-effects. Frustration kicks in as we huff and puff our way around the parks, bike paths and trails, feeling decidedly average and certainly not like we did before. We crave that feeling of being fit and healthy like we once were, measuring ourselves against those old numbers and expecting it to happen quickly. We are in a rush to get there but unfortunately there is no such luck on the horizon. The Dairy Milk habits and extra wines or cocktails that you’ve relaxed with over the past few weeks are stubborn and whilst they might leave your body they don’t leave your mindset so quickly. So what do we do at this point? Try harder, go further, go faster, run more and this is where our expectations go from purely mental, to having a physical consequence.
Not all injuries are caused by our expectations getting the better of us, but just ask any podiatrist or physio about the percentage of people who get injured because they wanted to go too far, too fast, too soon and they will probably roll their eyes and sigh at you. Often what we see is that these are not severe injuries (think broken legs..) but they are soft tissue, muscular or tendon based injuries which come from overuse or us not allowing our bodies to gradually adapt to an increasing load. We push the fascia, muscles and tendons further than they are happy with and .... ping!
In pushing ourselves further, faster and more to get back to that same fitness level, we are forcing the issue and our bodies aren't huge fans of being forced. Time after time, people go through this cycle of what we call 'false starts.' Someone even admitted to me recently that she had 30 years of false starts under her belt!
So what can we do about this?
Start BEHIND where you are at.
One of the best pieces of advice I received was 'start where you are at.' So simple, yet how often do we forget to do it? This is why with almost all of the runners I take on, I actually start behind where they are physically at, allowing them to get a few easy sessions under their belt, build a bit of momentum and confidence, before getting into the fun stuff. It also allows a couple of weeks for the body to get used to regular exercise and the runner to get used to the idea of being in a training routine again. Safety first!
Think Longer term
We can get caught up in the hamster wheel of races and events so easily. Before you know it, you have finished one event and signed up to another before thinking about it. "But I didn't want to miss the early bird price!" Right? If we are constantly rolling from one block of training to another thats fine, but if the expectation (there's that word again...) is that we will go faster or longer each time, then we have a problem. I'm not suggesting that every race or training run has to be meticulously planned out, but some sense of what you would love to accomplish over a longer term like five to ten years is actually really useful. It takes the pressure off the immediate day or week and highlights that injuries don't get you any closer to those goals, so you can take things a little slower. What's the rush, right?! Most people underestimate what they can do in this longer period of time but hugely over estimate what they can do in 12 weeks.
Lose the ego.
This is a difficult one. Particularly for the middle aged male such as myself! Our ego's drive so many of our decisions to keep up, or keep going even when things are hurting. We don't want to be seen as weak or inferior to others or our old selves, but ditching the ego, allows you take a couple of steps back and get the basics right, rather than driving ahead full force and ending up in a moon boot.
To wrap up... Our expectations and our ego love to sabotage our own efforts to get fit and healthy, so even just recognising that they are playing a role will help you work through this tricky period of getting back into running after a break. Chill out a little and ask, 'what's the rush?' Hopefully that will help you avoid the pitfalls that come with some of our own expectations.
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At GoRun Australia we are really excited to be working with a collection of people who want to get back to their running, whether that is post baby, post injury or just after an extended break from exercise. Our coaches Kylie and Chris have helped 100’s of runners successfully navigate their way back into their running over the past 4 years and would be delighted to help you too. We are currently taking on people looking to get back into their running on an 8 week program, leading into the Mothers Day Classic in Melbourne on 10 May 2020. If this sounds like the right opportunity for you to get back into your running, see how we can help you here!