CAN'T RUN YET? KEEP YOUR FITNESS WHILE YOU HEAL.
Four weeks of structured, heart-rate-based cross-training and strength for when you have been told not to run, so your return starts from fitness, not from scratch.
IS THIS PLAN FOR YOU?
You have a running injury, such as a bone stress injury in its rest phase, a tendon flare-up or a muscle strain, you have been advised not to run yet, but you can cycle or cross-train without pain. Get a diagnosis first: this plan works alongside your rehab, not instead of it.
WHAT'S INSIDE
✓ Four cross-training sessions a week: short builds, tempo, cadence work and a longer steady ride, all set by heart rate, so no power meter is needed
✓ Any mode you can do pain-free: bike, cross-trainer, rowing, swimming or deep-water running
✓ Two strength sessions a week for core, hips and upper body that work around your injury
✓ One simple rule: pain-free at the injured area, during and after
✓ A readiness check in week 4 that tells you which HP3 Return to Running plan to start next
WHY CROSS-TRAIN?
Research on swapping running for cycling at the same frequency, duration and effort found no detectable loss of running fitness over 4 to 10 weeks. The studies are small, so we treat cross-training as the best way to hold on to what you have built, not a guarantee.
HOW IT IS BUILT
Weeks 1–3: about 4.5 to 5 hours a week, building to three 10-minute tempo efforts
Week 4: lighter, ending with a 30-minute walk and the readiness check
Then: the 6-, 9- or 12-week Return to Running After Injury plan, depending on where you are
BEFORE YOU START
Stress fractures of the hip, navicular or front of the shin need medical management. If any session hurts at the injured area, switch to a gentler option or rest, and speak to your physio. HP3 offers online physiotherapy.
WHY HP3
Written by Tim Pigott BSc MSc, Chartered Physiotherapist, lecturer and endurance coach. Includes free access to the TeamHP3 community.
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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.