If you miss a session, don’t fret … it happens to all of us once in a while!  All you need is a good plan. The following are suggestions for returning to your InTraining program in a safe and comfortable manner.  Find the scenario that most closely resembles your situation, and follow the suggested guidelines for returning to your InTraining program.  

1.         I’M NOT INJURED, BUT I MISSED ALMOST 1 WEEK OF INTRAINING

             (Reasons: illness, unavoidable family or work crisis/demands)

Return to Activity Guidelines  

• If your program indicates that this should be an easy recovery week; you’re in luck!  Jump back in and resume training as though you haven’t missed a beat. 

• If your program indicates that this is not an easy recovery week, it’s a little trickier and you need to be cautious.  For session 1, complete only the first half of the workout outlined for the current week.  For sessions 2 and 3, complete the workouts 2 and 3 from the previous week’s training schedule.  By doing two of the missed workouts from last week, you will be up to speed and ready to rejoin the current week’s training program.

2.         I’VE MISSED MORE THAN 1 WEEK, BUT NOT BECAUSE OF INJURY

One of the greatest benefits to walking and running is that you can do it anywhere, anytime, and all you need are a good pair of shoes and a program to follow.  In order to be successful in completing the Vancouver Sun Run 10K in a safe and comfortable manner, you need to do your homework.  This means following the suggested three sessions per week.  The first few weeks of the program may seem too easy, but rest assured the workload does increase, and will become too difficult if you haven’t properly completed the sessions in the weeks before.  Try to make that appointment with yourself to do your workouts and stick to it! 

Return to Activity Guidelines

Week 1:  Please rejoin the program in the current week but only do HALF the workout for each session.

Week 2:  Continue with the program in the current week but only do THREE QUARTERS of the workout

               for each session. 

Week 3:  Now you are ready to complete the FULL workout in the current week for each session.

* And from now on do your homework!

3.         I’VE MISSED UP TO 1 WEEK BECAUSE OF INJURY

Cross-Training:  If you have a nagging ache or pain that has been bothering you for a few days, and as a result you need to take a week off from the impact of running or walking, no worries!  Cross training will maintain your fitness.  In my experience, pool running is an effective way to duplicate your running and walking form. 

Pool running may seem a little strange or awkward at first but persevere – all you need to do is to jump into the deep end of a pool, and basically keep your head above water by utilizing an exaggerated brisk walking technique with both arms and legs.  Check out the Pool Running article in the SportMedBC Library for detailed information. The next best activity would be cross-country skiing, and thirdly using a stationary exercise bike.

In all cases the very best scenario is to simply take the InTraining workout of the day, and transfer it directly to your cross-training activity.  For example:  If you were to do change-of-pace intervals of 2 minutes brisk walking or jogging followed by 2 minutes of a slow and easy recovery, then you would jump into the deep end of a pool (or on the cross country trail or stationary bike) and do exactly those intervals, including the warm-up and cool-down.  Remember, all the same principles apply:  “Brisk” means just slightly faster than a talking pace, and the rest is done at a nice easy talking pace.

Injury Awareness Scale.  Imagine a scale between 1-10;  “1” represents very little awareness of pain, and “10” represents an extremely high awareness of pain.  Your level of injury awareness needs to be down to a “2-3” before it’s safe for you to return to activity, and it should not increase to a higher rating as a result of returning to activity.  Ideally, your level of pain awareness should reduce to a “1-2” rating.  If your awareness increases, return to cross-training until it settles down.  Be sure to monitor yourself honestly and carefully.  And talk to your Clinic Coordinator for guidance in making your decision to take time off.

Return to Activity Guidelines

Because it was an injury, you need to be careful not do too much, too soon.  It’s important that you don’t try to start back where you left off. 

Please follow suggestion in #1 above.

4.          I’VE MISSED UP TO 2 WEEKS DUE TO AN INJURY:

Cross training:  See #3 above.  You need to make the effort to cross train for your 3 weekly sessions by transferring your InTraining workout to pool running or a stationary bike, as described above.  By doing this, you will maintain your fitness.

Injury Awareness Scale:  See #3 above.  Be honest with yourself.  If at any time your injury/pain awareness starts to increase again, this is a serious indication that your body needs more recovery time.

Return to Activity Guidelines

Because your injury likely is the result of impact, over-use, or pushing yourself too hard it’s important to carefully plan your return to activity.  I would suggest that you avoid hard surfaces in favor of softer terrain such as grass or dirt trails.

Walk10K

Rejoin your group in the current week however, stick to the following adjustments:

Weeks 1 & 2:  Complete only HALF of what the workout suggests for each session.

Week 3:          Complete only THREE QUARTERS of what the workout suggests for each session.

Week 4:          Complete the FULL workout for each session, but only if your Injury Awareness Scale has 

                        remained low.

LearnToRun10K

It is important to stick to the following adjustments:

Please note that if your Injury Awareness Scale begins creeping up again you did not take enough time off to recover.

Week 1:  In order to reintroduce your body to the forces of impact; you must first join the Walk10K group  

               in the current week, and complete the Walk10K workout for each session in that week.

Week 2:  Rejoin your LearnToRun group in the current week but complete only HALF of what the workout

               suggests for each session.

Week 3:  Complete only THREE QUARTERS of what the workout suggests for each of the sessions in the

               current week.

Week 4:  Now you are ready to complete the full workout for each session in the current week of the

               LearnToRun program, but only if your Injury Awareness Scale has remained low.

Run10KStronger:

It is important to stick to the following adjustments:

Please note that if your Injury Awareness Scale begins to increase, you did not take enough recovery time.

Week 1:  In order to reintroduce your body to the forces of impact; you must first join the Walk10K group

               in the current week and complete their workout for each session in that week.

Week 2:  Rejoin your RunFaster10K group but only complete HALF of what the workout suggests for each

               session in that current week.  Keep the pace nice and easy with a walk recovery rather than an

               easy jog recovery.

Week 3:  Do only THREE QUARTERS of what the workout suggests for each session in that current week

               and continue to keep the pace nice and easy with a walk recovery rather than an easy jog 

               recovery.

Week 4:  Complete the full workout for each session, but only if your Injury Awareness Scale has

               remained low.

5.  I’VE MISSED UP TO 3 WEEKS OF THE PROGRAM DUE TO INJURY:

Cross-training:  See #3 above.  It’s highly likely that you are feeling incredibly frustrated.  Have faith; if you make a sincere effort to cross train on your 3 sessions per week by transferring your InTraining workout to pool running or a stationary bike, as described above in #3, you can maintain a your fitness.  If there is not enough time to recover, you may have to reassess your goals for completing the Vancouver Sun Run.

Injury Awareness Scale:  See #3 above.  It’s important to be honest with yourself.

If at any time your awareness starts to increase, it means your body needs more recovery time.  Discuss your recovery plan with your clinic coordinator, and ask for suggestions as to what possibly caused the problem in order to avoid it from reoccurring in the future.

Return to Activity Guidelines

Walk10K 

Rejoin your group in the current week, however stick to the following adjustments:   

Week 1:  Complete only ONE THIRD of what the workout suggests for each session in the current week.

Week 2:  Complete only HALF of what the workout suggests for each session in the current week.

Week 3:  Complete, again, only HALF of what the workout suggests for each session in the current week.

Week 4:  Complete only THREE QUARTERS of what the workout suggests for each session in the

               current week.

Week 5:  Complete the FULL workout for each session in the current week, but only if your Injury

               Awareness Scale has remained low.

LearnToRun10K:

It is important to stick to the following adjustments:

Please note that if your Injury Awareness Scale begins to increase, you did not take enough recovery time.

Weeks 1 & 2:  In order to reintroduce your body to the forces of impact once again you must first join the

                       Walk10K group in that current week and complete the Walk10K workout for each session in

                        that week.

Week 3:          Rejoin your LearnToRun10K group in the current week but, again, complete only HALF of

                       what the workout suggests for each session.

Week 4:         Complete only THREE QUARTERS of what the workout suggests for each session in the

                       current week.

Week 5:         Complete the FULL workout for each session in the current week, but only if your Injury

                       Awareness Scale has remained low.

Run10KStronger:

It is important to stick to the following adjustments:

Please note that if your Injury Awareness Scale begins to increase you did not take enough recovery time.

Weeks 1 & 2:  In order to reintroduce your body to the forces of impact once again you must first join the

                       Walk10K group in the current week and complete the Walk10K workout for each session in

                        that week.

Week 3:          Rejoin your RunFaster10K group but, again, complete only HALF of what the workout

                        suggests for each session in the current week, and keep the pace nice and easy with a

                        walk recovery rather than an easy jog recovery.

Week 4:          Complete only THREE QUARTERS of what the workout suggests for each session in the

                        current week of the RunFaster10K program and continue to keep the pace nice and easy

                        with a walk recovery rather than an easy jog recovery.

Week 5:          Complete the FULL workout for each session in the current week, but only if your Injury

                        Awareness Scale has remained low.

6:  I’VE MISSED MORE THAN 3 WEEKS OF THE PROGRAM:

At this point your situation must be assessed individually.  Speak to your Clinic Coordinator, and he or she can contact SportMedBC so that the best course of action can be discussed for your return to InTraining.

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