Dave I have been off for five weeks, seven weeks and five weeks again at various stages and when it comes at the end of the season you do not really "lose" fitness, it just takes some weeks of easy running to get back to where you were so the fitness is basically hibernating, not gone and never to be seen again.

One could argue that time off is not a terrible thing, and I would argue it which is why I built it into my training this year.

I think that more than the fear that I would lose fitness during the two months I was stopped, was the fear that I would lose the love of training. But I was worrying for nothing. That first run, even if slower than usual, felt fantastic. I agree with Rick that a forced hiatus may be a blessing in disguise. We always seem to come back even more motivated than ever before.

Losing the fitness is a big concern. Even if I get back to running by the end of the year, that will be the time I should be into a training plan for a spring marathon already. So I should ideally have the base by then, not just starting to build it back up. Just take it as it comes, I guess.

 

And the swimming - the way I do it is really just embarrassing, I will likely drop that as soon as I can run again.

I injured my calf the end of May and felt like I lost so much in my time off and was in no place to jump into marathon training in July as I had planned.  I decided not to run my fall marathon because the pressure to get back to training wasn't helping and my injury was taking longer than I had hoped to heal.  But then once it was healed, I was able to use 12 week plan instead (without the 60mpw base going into it that I would have wanted) and it worked out alright.  Injuries heal on their own time frames without regard to what we want.  All you can do is take what comes as you said.

7 miles done, five miles of telling myself to slow down, but then realizing that I was going at a slow easy effort.  Opened it up a hair for some MP action the last two miles, 6:44/6:41, felt great.  Is it Saturday yet? 

 

I injured my calf the end of May and felt like I lost so much in my time off and was in no place to jump into marathon training in July as I had planned.  I decided not to run my fall marathon because the pressure to get back to training wasn't helping and my injury was taking longer than I had hoped to heal.  But then once it was healed, I was able to use 12 week plan instead (without the 60mpw base going into it that I would have wanted) and it worked out alright.  Injuries heal on their own time frames without regard to what we want.  All you can do is take what comes as you said.

Understatement of the century!!

I will plan to use your experience as a source of optimism. Except some people are just freaks. (Take that as a compliment.)

I am sure you told us, but what 12 week plan did you use? I would probably just find a way to squeeze down Hansons, just based on familiarity. Although I am REALLY getting ahead of myself now....

 

Understatement of the century!!

I will plan to use your experience as a source of optimism. Except some people are just freaks. (Take that as a compliment.)

I am sure you told us, but what 12 week plan did you use? I would probably just find a way to squeeze down Hansons, just based on familiarity. Although I am REALLY getting ahead of myself now....

It was a custom plan from McMillan. I hadn't done any speed work since April and after my injury I didn't feel like I could just into a 12 week Pfitz or Hanson plan.  I filled out a giant questionnaire with my injury / training history and this plan kind of eased back into speedwork in a way that was very manageable for me. And I felt like I HAD lost a ton of fitness. I started running again in July.  And in mid August I ran a 5k at a 7:20 pace. (no excuses, I was just out of shape and really sucking wind).  But then by Sept I ran my half at a 7:12 pace (fitness was back!).

I'd be happy to send you the plan if you would like (it's an excel file).

 

Your 3:15 predicts a 20:01 5k

 

My best race (half marathon PR) predicts a 20:23 5k. But my PR is a full minute slower than that.

Not sure if I am right, but weren't your last few 5Ks done within the context of marathon or HM training?  If so, if you dedicate yourself to a 5K training, you can PR to what the calculators predict, IMO.

 

Your 3:15 predicts a 20:01 5k

 

For the sake of the internet I better do just a lil better than that. lol