How to start running again after a long break
The hardest part isn't your lungs. It's comparing yourself to the runner you used to be.
6 min read
If you used to run and then stopped, starting again comes with a particular kind of frustration. Your legs remember the old pace. Your lungs don't.
This post is about the head side of coming back, because that's usually what makes people quit in the first few weeks.
Let go of the old numbers
Your previous best times aren't a target right now. They're a different person's results, from a different season of life. Comparing yourself to them on your first run back is a reliable way to feel bad.
Try leaving the watch at home for the first couple of weeks, or covering the pace display.
Walk on purpose
Mixing walking into your runs isn't cheating. A simple pattern is to run for a minute or two, walk for a minute or two, and repeat for twenty to thirty minutes. As it starts to feel comfortable, make the running bits a little longer.
Pick a "minimum" run
Decide what the smallest version of a run looks like for you. Maybe it's ten minutes around the block. On the days you don't feel like it, do the minimum and call it a win.
Showing up for ten minutes beats skipping thirty.
Expect some rough days
Some runs will feel heavy for no obvious reason. That's normal. It doesn't mean you're going backwards. Note it, rest if you need to, and go again another day.
Listen to your body
Some muscle soreness is common when you start again. Pain that's sharp, gets worse as you run, or changes how you move is a reason to stop and, if it doesn't settle, see a professional.
You don't need to get back to where you were. You only need to keep going from where you are.
