THE SLOW ROAD BACK, BUILT TO LAST.
Our gentlest return to running: walk-run from one-minute jogs to 30 minutes of continuous easy running over twelve weeks, with bike sessions rebuilding your fitness, gated by the same checks our physiotherapists use with their own patients.
IS THIS PLAN FOR YOU?
You are pain-free in everyday life and need a longer rebuild: three months or more out of running, an injury that keeps coming back, a low-risk bone stress injury your physio or doctor has cleared, or you were new to running when you got hurt. Back sooner? Choose our 6- or 9-week Return to Running After Injury plans.
WHAT'S INSIDE
✓ A start-check: six simple tests tell you if you are ready
✓ A pain rule on every run: up to 2/10 is fine if settled by the next morning; if not, repeat the session
✓ Three heart-rate runs a week, never on back-to-back days, synced to your watch
✓ Two bike sessions a week from the HP3 workout library, set by heart rate, so no power meter is needed
✓ 24 home strength sessions for calves, hips and single-leg control, with calf tests in weeks 1, 7 and 12
HOW IT IS BUILT
Weeks 1–9: walk-run, from 1 minute jogging and 4 walking up to 12-minute jogs, with repeat weeks at 4 and 8
Weeks 10–12: continuous easy running, 20 to 30 minutes, with short strides in weeks 11 and 12
Easy means easy: no tempo or threshold running. If cycling aggravates your injury, swap any ride for a cross-trainer, rowing or swimming.
WHERE IT LEADS
By week twelve you run three times a week for up to 30 minutes, pain-free, ready for the HP3 Ultra & Trail Base Block or HP3 Running Maintenance.
BEFORE YOU START
Bone stress injuries need 10–14 days of pain-free normal life and clinical clearance first. Hip, navicular or front-of-shin stress fractures, post-surgery returns and flaring tendons need a physio-led plan: see HP3 online physiotherapy.
WHY HP3
Written by Tim Pigott BSc MSc, Chartered Physiotherapist, lecturer and endurance coach. Includes free access to the TeamHP3 community.
Syncs to Garmin, COROS, Wahoo and Apple Watch. Covered by the TrainingPeaks refund policy.
Sports Physiotherapist (HCPC, CSP, MSc, Univeristy Lecturer and researcher) & Ultra / Endurance Coach.
Coaching for endurance athletes who want to reach the start line healthy and the finish line strong. As a sports physiotherapist and coach, my specialism is durability; building athletes up for a goal event, and rebuilding them after injury or time out, from first-timers to the world stage.