There is something wonderfully humbling about returning to running after an extended break.

Your brain remembers being a runner.

Your legs, unfortunately, do not.

In your head, you’re still the person who could head out for a casual 10km without giving it too much thought. You remember your old routes, your old pace and that wonderful feeling of finishing a long run knowing you’ve already achieved something before most people have even started their day.

Then you lace up your shoes again, head out on one of those “easy” routes and quickly discover that your body has apparently forgotten the agreement.

Wait… Since When Was 6km Far?

One of the biggest shocks for me returning to running has been the muscle pain.

Distances that once barely registered as a proper training run suddenly leave muscles aching that I had forgotten existed.

There is nothing quite like finishing a relatively short run, feeling pleased with yourself, and then waking up the next morning wondering why your calves, quads and glutes are behaving as though you have just completed an ultra-marathon.

The same goes for routes.

I have routes that I have run countless times before. I know every hill, every turn and every section where I can relax a little.

Or at least I thought I could relax.

Coming back after a break, those familiar hills seem to have mysteriously become steeper. The kilometres seem longer. And that section you used to cruise through suddenly requires a motivational speech just to keep moving.

It is incredibly humbling.

But it is also a reminder that fitness is something we build — and rebuild.

Getting Used to the Routine Again

Running isn’t just the actual running.

It’s the alarm going off while it is still dark outside.

It’s finding your running kit the night before.

It’s checking the weather.

It’s remembering to charge your watch.

It’s organising your day around training.

And then, somehow, convincing yourself that voluntarily leaving a warm bed to go and run several kilometres before sunrise is completely normal behaviour.

When you’ve been away from running for a while, getting back into that routine can feel surprisingly difficult.

But slowly, it starts becoming normal again.

The early alarms become easier. Your running shoes start living permanently next to the door again. Your Garmin becomes attached to your wrist. And before long, you find yourself saying things like:

“Oh, I just did a casual 6km this morning.”

Preferably to someone who was still asleep while you were doing it.

Because surely that is at least 30% of the reason we run?

I Had Also Forgotten How Much Runners Eat

This one genuinely caught me by surprise.

Long-distance runners eat.

A LOT.

Once the distances start creeping up again, so does the appetite.

Suddenly breakfast is followed suspiciously quickly by second breakfast. Lunch needs to be substantial. Snacks become less of a treat and more of a logistical necessity.

And after a long run?

Stay out of the way.

Your body wants carbs. It wants protein. It wants recovery food. And occasionally it wants everything in the fridge at the same time.

I had completely forgotten just how much food is involved when you are consistently running longer distances.

Thankfully, this is one part of returning to running that I have been very happy to embrace.

Running requires fuel. Recovery requires fuel.

And I am certainly not going to argue with science when science is telling me to eat.

The Best Part? Runners Remember You

One thing I have loved about returning to running is how welcoming the running community can be.

You can disappear for months, turn up again feeling slower and slightly nervous about whether you’ll keep up, and somehow it feels like you never left.

Running groups generally welcome you back with open arms.

Nobody really cares that your pace has changed or that you might need to shorten the route. They’re just happy to see you back out there.

And there is something incredibly motivating about being surrounded by people who understand exactly why you are choosing to spend your morning running up hills when perfectly good coffee shops exist.

Then the Progress Starts

This is where things get fun.

At first, every run feels hard.

Then one day it feels slightly less hard.

A few weeks later, you look at your watch and realise you’ve just run a pace you haven’t seen in ages.

Then comes the first new personal best.

And suddenly you remember exactly why you loved running in the first place.

There is something incredibly satisfying about watching your body adapt again. The distances start feeling manageable. The hills become less intimidating. Recovery gets easier.

And those clothes that may have become just a little snug during your running hiatus?

They start fitting nicely again.

An underrated running achievement, in my opinion.

Starting Again Is Still Moving Forward

Returning to running has reminded me that you cannot expect your body to immediately perform at the level it did before a long break.

The old version of you might have run further.

She might have run faster.

She might not have struggled quite so much on that hill.

But that doesn’t mean you aren’t a runner anymore.

Every run is building something back.

And there are plenty of positives along the way: reconnecting with running friends, watching your fitness improve, chasing personal bests again, feeling stronger in your clothes and — perhaps most importantly — rediscovering the impressive amount of food you can justify in the name of recovery.

So yes, returning to running hurts.

The easy routes aren’t easy anymore.

Your legs complain.

Your alarm clock becomes your enemy.

And you will probably spend an alarming amount of time thinking about your next meal.

But eventually, something clicks.

You stop feeling like someone who is trying to get back into running.

You just feel like a runner again.

And that feeling is absolutely worth the sore legs.