Speed of regression?

[CRXican]

I was follwoing a 4 month training program for general fittness with an emphasis on cardio/running. The idea was to go from not running at all to being able to run 4 miles at 10 min/mile or less.

Well I got up to two miles before my workouts trickled to zero. I was running pretty much up until the end of November with zero activity this month.

I just ran up a single flight of stairs and felt the typical burning in the legs almost immediately and now I have a bit of a headache. Clearly not being warmed up doesn't help but it seems like such a rapid regression.

What are your experiences with time off and it's negative effects?

 

[Turin39789]

I ran regularly over the summer and played in an adult soccer league, I did a 5k in august in 27:39, not great but I was ok with it.

Slowed then stopped as school picked up and I was getting married, started running again about a week ago, could barely finish a mile.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Well, that whole thing probably has to do with not being warmed up. Even when I am working out regularly, I still get symptoms like your's if I don't let my body ease into everything. Your cardio is almost the first thing to go. It goes quickly so you gotta be sure to at least challenged it semi-regularly.

My experience with this kind of situation is pretty similar. I used to run 5-8 miles for cross country every day when I got bronchitis. I came back a couple months later and nearly died on a 3 mile run.

 

[CRXican]

Thanks for the replies. I figured it was faily typical but didn't think it would hurt to ask.

What happend was I realized that running on a treadmill wasn't cutting it so I mapped a good 2 mile path through my neighborhood. It worked out great until it started getting dark before I got home from work. It's too dark to run around safely so I just stopped.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: CRXican
Thanks for the replies. I figured it was faily typical but didn't think it would hurt to ask.

What happend was I realized that running on a treadmill wasn't cutting it so I mapped a good 2 mile path through my neighborhood. It worked out great until it started getting dark before I got home from work. It's too dark to run around safely so I just stopped.

Running on the treadmill with 1% grade to act like wind resistance is 100% better than not running at all though. Any running is better than none.

 

[Megatomic]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: CRXican
Thanks for the replies. I figured it was faily typical but didn't think it would hurt to ask.

What happend was I realized that running on a treadmill wasn't cutting it so I mapped a good 2 mile path through my neighborhood. It worked out great until it started getting dark before I got home from work. It's too dark to run around safely so I just stopped.

Running on the treadmill with 1% grade to act like wind resistance is 100% better than not running at all though. Any running is better than none.

This. I'm in NY for my first winter and most days I run on a treadmill at 1% incline. I still get an excellent workout with the added bonus of no frostbite!

 

[sash1]

Originally posted by: CRXican
What are your experiences with time off and it's negative effects?

little, back in HS, before i decided to get serious about track, i could take the entire summer off, and be back for XC and run 7 miles the first day of practice no problem...

i doubt i can do that now, though

 

[MrMaster]

Im about to turn 32 in a few weeks.

I can GUARANTEE you my metabolism slows down much faster when you can't work out at all even for just a week.

 

[Cstefan]

I am 33 and it took me about a month to lose most of my cardio progress that took 6 months to build.

 

[StageLeft]

With this amount of time off, regression will be severe. You will likely find it easier to get up to where you were than the first time, though, but two months off yeah you'll definitely feel that.

I am 33 and it took me about a month to lose most of my cardio progress that took 6 months to build.

You can bring it back and it won't take 6 months.