It’s been a month since I got back into running, after several failed attempts.
First victory: I’m still not injured! That’s already something.
Of course, not everything went perfectly—far from it.
## What was planned
When I started again at the end of September, my goal was simple: get moving again, be able to run for 30 minutes, and learn to run in easy endurance, all without getting hurt.
Sounds easy, right?
Well, the last two times I tried, I did too much, too soon—and boom, knee trouble.
## What went wrong
A few small things threw the plan off a bit (some of which I’ve already talked about here):
- My Polar watch, which thinks I’m running all-out even when I’m barely jogging, drives me mad (or maybe it’s just me being too attached to what the watch says).
- Those sudden urges to pick up the pace, even though I know that, at my current level, and especially this early in the process, that’s exactly what I shouldn’t do.
- The training programs on the watch (yes, her again) aren’t ideal. For instance, I set up 5 minutes warm-up, 30 minutes easy run, 5 minutes cool-down—and somehow end up with a 35-minute session. Not dramatic, but messy when you’re trying to keep progression under control.
- I’ve stuck to the plan. No skipped sessions (just one delayed by two days, for a good reason), and no extras because I got the itch to run. Two sessions a week, no more, no less.
- I listened to my body. The delayed session came from a slight knee concern—I decided not to push through it and waited to see how it felt.
- I planned my winter training! Maybe a bit premature, but at least I know where I’m going. That’ll help keep me from rushing things. The goal—running an hour comfortably—will come gradually.
- I found my rhythm, both in pace and heart rate. Using my min and max HR, I built a more coherent set of training zones using the Karvonen method—no more running at threshold when I’m supposed to be easy! And for pace, I finally settled into the right endurance tempo. Maybe it’s my school-days habit (I loved the 1000m), but I used to start every run too fast. Now, I’m finally getting that steady rhythm in my legs.
- I built in a recovery week after four uneven ones—I could feel the fatigue creeping in. The idea wasn’t to stop completely, just to do two easy 20-minute sessions on mostly flat terrain (and definitely not accelerate uphill). Nothing more, but nothing less either.
- Regarding the watch: I’m ditching the all-in-one programmed sessions with warm-up, endurance, and cool-down tied to heart rate zones. If it vibrates every time I go uphill, it ruins the vibe. From now on, I’ll start the watch after the warm-up, set only the desired running time, and cool down with the watch off.
- Stick to the sessions as planned. With structured workouts, I’ve included both endurance and slightly faster runs. The goal is to keep it framed, not random.
