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Coaching Tips: How I'm Approaching Returning to Running

  • Writer: Taylor Sayles
    Taylor Sayles
  • Jul 21
  • 2 min read

TW: Pregnancy loss.

Hands tying a running shoe on a track, with text How I’m Approaching Returning to Running and a Marathon Podcast logo.

Over the last couple of months, my life has been in a whirlwind. I found out in early May that I was pregnant, and then in early June I found out I had an early miscarriage. Running took a backseat to the changes in my life.


I've been consistently running for years, and since then, I have never taken an extensive period or time off of running. It was the first time in a long time that running came to a screeching halt for me. And when you're forced to start over, it can be hard to come back.


I had the motivation to start, but not the follow-through to continue. So, as a running coach myself, I decided to coach myself through a return to running. Here are the steps I've been taking:


  1. Writing down a few things that were important to me in this return to running journey: moving how I want, not forcing what I don't want to do.

  2. Committing to slow and easy movement. Right now, I'm not really checking my pace, but instead focusing on run-walk and listening to my body.

  3. Picking a very achievable goal, with lots of time to get there (for me, getting back to ten mile runs).

  4. Planning ahead. I don't want to let the week happen to me; this made it really hard for me to get started.


Here's how I'm practically implementing this plan:

  • Running four days a week (you could adjust this to three)

  • Making sure my total mileage isn't increasing more than 10% week-over-week

  • Doing strength at some point during the week


Pro Tip: Get an idea of what your baseline fitness is at this moment. This isn't something you should beat yourself up about, or compare to where you were; it's just telling you where you are starting. I went out and ran continuously until my breathing was labored to figure out where I was starting from.


But most importantly, be kind to yourself.


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Listen to the full mini episode: How I'm Approaching Returning to Running


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Follow along with the show:

👣 Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays

🎙️ Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod

📺 YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast


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