Returning to Training From Injury or Sickness

You can meticulously plan a training schedule to the second, but odds are at some point, your body is going to let you down. It happens to everyone, from seasoned athletes to absolute beginners. We all get sick and we all get injured, it’s just something we have to get used to.

It’s okay to miss some training days. You aren’t going to be able to make them all. If it isn’t an injury or a sickness it will be work, or family or maybe you’re just having a day when you want to sit inside and watch some TV – Hey, it is winter after all!

If something has caused you to miss a period of your training regime, there are certain things that a lot of people fall victim to which you will be best to avoid:

Making Up For Lost Time

Probably the number one rule when adjusting your training for missed days is: do not try and make up for lost workouts or miles. Don’t alter your schedule to bring workouts closer together and don’t add miles to your warm-up and cool-down in an attempt to catch up.

Increasing the workload after a time out is guaranteed to injure you through overtraining. Each workout has a calculated amount of time that is necessary to recover. If you bring your workouts closer together you reduce this recovery time and you will be starting your next workout with your muscles still repairing from the last run. 

Worry About Losing Fitness

There is an irrational fear amongst runners that missing a few days of training will undo all the work they’ve put in previously.

Although you’re not going to gain any fitness when you are out injured or sick, you won’t actually lose that much either. For those who worry about their fitness deteriorating, understand that even if you stop running for ten to fourteen days, the amount of fitness you lose is fairly insignificant – as little as 3-4%.

Avoiding these common mistakes are the first step into getting back into your training and helping you get back on track for any running events.