How to Get Back Into Running After a Long Break

How to Get Back Into Running After a Long Break

By Paige Smith

If it's been a while since you've laced up for a run, you're not alone. A packed schedule, unexpected injury, or long trip can easily throw you off your running routine, leaving you sidelined for weeks or months at a time. Whether intentional or not, these running hiatuses are normal, and can happen to even the most dedicated runners among us.

And while returning to running after a break can be intimidating, it's not impossible. All it takes to revive your running habit is a good plan and a positive attitude.

Ready to get started? Follow these seven tips to get back into running.

1. Figure out what happened

Before you reboot your running routine, you need to pinpoint why you stopped running in the first place. Were you too busy to keep up with your training? Bored with your workouts? Or did you get injured as a result of improper training?

“Common training errors include things like ramping up mileage too quickly, doing too many runs at an inappropriately high intensity, sudden increases in terrain challenges like hills, and lack of attention to supplemental training like stretching and strength work," says Janet Hamilton, exercise physiologist, certified strength and conditioning coach, and founder of RunningStrong.com, a coaching and rehabilitation service.

Determining what contributed to your break can help you figure out how to stay committed going forward.

2. Find the fun in running

“When you're just getting back on the wagon, it's important to reconnect with why you started running in the first place," says Martise Moore, running coach and founder of GreenRunner, a coaching service that helps people run faster. Take some time to think about what you love about running—whether it's the thrill of racing or the freedom of jogging on a dirt trail in the woods—then come up with a few ways to re-establish that joy. Maybe that means exploring a new running path or doing an easy workout. So you might start off with some relaxed 30-minutes run-walks, Moore says, “to appreciate your surroundings and the freedom of running."

Finding ways to enjoy running gets you back in the right headspace for training. Then, “as you start to get your rhythm back," she says, “you'll naturally want to step it up."

3. Set a realistic goal

Once you've reignited your passion for running, set a simple, attainable goal to work toward.

If you're recovering from an injury, Hamilton says your first goal should be to return to symptom-free running for short to moderate distances. How far you run will depend on your individual fitness base and the severity of your injury, she says. As a general rule she recommends aiming for 50 percent of the distance you did on short or medium runs before your break (and even less if you took off several weeks or months). That means easy running with no aches and pains beyond the usual muscle soreness. Of course, your transition back into running “depends in large part on how fit you were when you got injured," she says, "and how long your injury sidelined you." As a general rule, however, she recommends building up to 10 miles a week of brisk, pain-free walking before you start running.

If you stopped running for reasons other than an injury, however, focus on achieving consistency. A great way to regain confidence and rebuild stamina, Moore says, is to set the goal of completing a race. “It doesn't matter what race it is," she says, “as long as you can prepare for it in two to three months with the sole goal of finishing it."

Realistic objectives like these can help keep you motivated when you feel overwhelmed or frustrated with your progress.

4. Join a running community

Consider joining a local running group so you can meet up for weekly workouts. “Run clubs add fun, camaraderie, and consistency to your running growth journey," Moore says.

If you struggle to run solo or carve out time for regular workouts, then making plans to run with someone can help keep you accountable when you're rebuilding your fitness. Plus, running with people who are in better shape than you is a great way to continuously challenge yourself, so you continue to see improvement.

5. Follow a training schedule

Adhering to a training regimen—as opposed to winging it every day—will help keep you on track and ensure you're progressing at the right pace. A good training plan "helps you see the transitions to come," Hamilton says, "and helps you to understand the long-range process" of getting back into running shape. Not only that, but sticking to a schedule helps sustain your momentum, Moore says.

Build your training schedule around a specific goal you're working toward, like hitting 20 miles a week or running a 10k race at eight minutes a mile. "Rebuilding takes time," Hamilton says, and the longer your break was the more conservative you should be when getting back into it.

To avoid injury, Hamilton says, it's best to introduce speedwork and hill training gradually. “Generally," she says, “I like to see an athlete wait until they're back in the 20-30 miles per week range before they venture back into specific interval work."

Since hill training helps with hip and core strength, she says, you can introduce it once a week as soon as you're able to manage symptom-free, continuous running (meaning no walking) during all your workouts.

Make sure to incorporate at least one or two rest days into your training schedule, and to keep some workouts flexible in case you need to adjust if you're overly sore or tired.

6. Prioritize strength exercises

A good running routine includes more than just running.

“Addressing muscle strength and flexibility imbalances can alleviate most running injuries," Moore says. That's why regular strength training and stretching are crucial. Not only that, but strength training can also help you improve your form and develop greater muscular endurance, making you a stronger, more efficient runner.

“If your hip muscles are weak," Moore says, giving an example, "then everything below them takes on more pressure to compensate and support your movement." This type of strength limitation can set you up for chronic injury, she says.

Along with static stretching after workouts, start incorporating bodyweight exercises like squats, planks, and lunges to challenge your glutes, quads, and core. Using a resistance band is also great for improving hip mobility and strengthening hard-to-target muscles like hamstrings. Try doing adductor leg lifts, lateral walks, and hamstring curls.

7. Be patient

Getting back into great running shape doesn't happen overnight. You may be tempted to make up for lost time, but doing too much too soon can backfire, Hamilton says. Focus instead on practicing consistency, building mileage slowly, and setting goals that get you excited.