From Recovery to Readiness: 6 Weeks of Running Volume Progression After Injury

This one’s a bit longer, because I feel like a few key elements have finally surfaced – elements that are going to become a part of the System. And instead of listing them off in theory, I’d rather walk you through them using a real-life example: mine.

Where should we start when getting back into running?

Simple question. Hard answer.

What kind of running volume should we begin with when trying to reintroduce our bodies to impact and load? Especially when that volume is meant to serve as the foundation for a proper, progressive training plan?

Answer: we don’t really know.
Why? Because it’s completely individual. Templates won’t help much here.

The first 6 to 8 weeks must be an experiment. A period of close observation:

• What volume can your body tolerate?
• At what pace and heart rate?
• Can you recover in time?

Spoiler: it’s almost always less than you expect.
And definitely less than it used to be – whether that was before an injury, ten years ago, or even just last year.

Regression in fitness and adaptation is usually steeper than the gains we made.
Yes, it’s unfair. But it’s the truth.

My last 6 weeks, in numbers

I started strong – hitting weekly TSS (Training Stress Score) around 460.
Then real life hit: parenting leave, poor sleep, disrupted routines. Suddenly I was doing 220 TSS weeks.

Still, six weeks gave me enough data to calculate an average:
308 TSS/week.
I added ~10% to adjust for two very atypical weeks (which likely won’t repeat soon), bringing me to a new benchmark: 360 TSS/week.

That gives me a clear frame:

• Recovery weeks: min. 200 TSS
• Build weeks: max. 400 TSS

I’ll stick with a recovery week every 4 weeks for now.
If intensity increases next month – I’m planning to introduce some VO2max work – I might switch to 3-week cycles. But for now, we’re still in a fairly low-intensity zone.

A perfectly timed recovery week

This past week was one of the quietest in terms of training – and right on time. My HRV showed a significant dip. I feel tired, yes. But satisfied.

The highlight? A solid 14 km trail run at the end of Week 6.
It gave me confidence – I now feel comfortable with half-marathon distance again.

Two weeks from now, I’ve got a C-race coming up – a night run (only my second time racing at night), but an important one. Why? Because most 100 km events start at night. If I ever want to do one, I need this kind of experience.

A week later, I’ll be testing the A-race course – less than 6 weeks out.

Next macrocycle: simple, but strategic

Nothing fancy on the horizon. Just steady work on general strength and aerobic base.
Still, those two events (night race and A-course recon) will bring variety and load, so I’ll need to stay sharp and avoid overreaching.

Recovery is part of the training

I’m finishing the weekend fatigued, and my HRV confirms it.
So today: just a walk.
Tomorrow: a maintenance strength session – no weight progression, no hard sets.
My main focus is on:

• Sleep
• Hydration
• Nutrition

These are pillars. Neglect them, and even your best-planned training block will crumble.
Not loudly. Quietly. Piece by piece. Until nothing’s left of that breakthrough you thought you were making.

Why bother with all this detail?

Because this is not just theory.

This is the first time since my serious injury that I’ve built up running volume over 6 weeks with no pain. None.

Throughout this process, I’ve been following my own self-developed training system – built to:

1. Maintain my ability to adapt to higher loads,
2. Preserve overall health and movement quality,
3. And most importantly: reduce the strength and mobility deficits that led to the injury in the first place.

And now, after 6 weeks:
✅ Progress
✅ Stability
✅ Hope

Pro tip:
When coming back from injury, don’t count weeks. Count signals. And don’t panic if your load looks “too small.” Real progress means staying consistent without breaking down – not impressing anyone with your Strava stats.