I Tested My Cardio After 5 MONTHS Off 

I can't decide if you create these videos for dramatic effect or whether in fact you're suffering with mental health issues that have left you somewhat deluded regards your physical abilities. Why do you expect after five months off, (and why oh why did you take five months off?) to get even remotely close to your previous best times for various events? Those previous best times were achieved after many weeks/months or regular training. subjecting the body to such intensity without weeks or gradual increases in training workload is a sure fire way to injure yourself and demoralise yourself. Please, take a good hard look at what you are doing to yourself.

Mark - just wanted to let you know I did my first 10k in 18 years today. The Blackpool 10k fun run. I was really shit and slow and really, really glad I did it.

finally the big dog is back to becoming above average

"You alive? -Yeah... Did you win? -Almost" Well done! I find your videos incredibly relatable. Thank you for what you do.

Did my first ever timed race today outside of Parkrun! Caerphilly 10k. I achieved my goal in doing it in under an hour with a time of 59:33. Missed out on being above average in the race by about 20 places. But then I remembered what you always say, “just doing the thing makes you above average.” 😁😁😁😁

Ran my first 5k yesterday in 37 minutes (including a few minute walk to the woods) and I was actually impressed because i thought i could never run 5k like that. Your videos really inspire me because it shows that no matter where you start, you can train hard and achieve your goals. Thanks Mark!

He didn't forbid comments on his rowing technique in the way he usually does, quick, get him, boys!

I absolutely love your channel. I am a 55 year old survivor of 2 heart attacks. I ride my bicycle 3 times a week and do moderate exercise 2 times a week. I have certainly fallen off the wagon multiple times over the years but I have found that I get a smile on my face knowing that I'm not alone. Thank you again for your inspiration. Going for a ride best wishes.

Didn't realise you did such a fast row, very impressive. Your 6.36 would have had you fourth in the world at the 2023 indoor world championship in the 45-49 age group!

Your wife is much more supportive than mine Mark...I come back from kickboxing knackered and with a cracked rib to "twat!" rather than "did you win"? 🤣. Thing is we lose fitness a lot quicker at this age but it doesn't take much to top the cardio tank back up. You'll be there in no time.

I get so pumped when I crack a 30 minute 5k, way to go Mark you keep inspiring me to be better than I was yesterday.

Couldn’t agree more with this. My year started off with the arrival of a reflux induced, sleep depriving, baby boy and fitness goals have been pushed to the side. Having little to no consistency has made me really appreciate just getting out there is what’s it’s all about, numbers are a luxury!

I think, your conclusion is a VERY good one; exercise for the joy of exercise. Be that joy the nice weather, the attention of your loving dogs or the thrill from an online race.... Take care. 👍👍☀️

Mark you are brilliant and an inspiration to many of us. A normal guy, no BS, good bants, transparent about all sorts of stuff which others aren't willing to do (and this builds trust!). Thanks for putting out your content. 23 minute 5k lol, I'm 42 and happpy with a 27 minute 5k! :D

Wife: "What was that?" LOL! Gotta love 'em!

I'm a new subscriber since a couple of days ago. Your content is so inspirational and relatable to me. We're about the same age and I'm also a tall guy. I used to run a lot a decade ago. Did a 10k just sub 40 minutes and a half marathon just sub 1,5 hours so quite decent runner. Now I'm lucky if I can run 2 lampposts 😂. Had some health issues the last few years but now I feel better than ever. Started to do some long walks with occasional jogging for short bursts. Feels so good to just be active again and I'm very interested to see how quickly I can get back into shape. Hopefully there's some muscle memory left that speeds it up a bit. Looking forward to follow your journey back too 😊.

This video reminds me a lot of where you were when I started watching you. You are out there, doing multiple endurance related sports and having fun. I was always impressed with your level of energy and seemingly recovery, to be able to do a Zwift race one day, a Spartan Beast the next, and then an ultra with your dog a few weeks later. And yet, never the concern for following the 'optimal' training plan.

All the best Mark, great video as always. Just had op and can’t wait to get back out for my fix of walking on Downs, then golf and rowing to follow. Hope your health continues to improve this year.

Congrats on getting back to it Mark. I recently started my fitness journey a little over a month ago myself after taking about 12 years off. Watching you makes me want to get back on my bike and do another session after I've already put in my work for the day!

Favourite fitness influencer by far. you seem so incredibly genuine humble and inspiring, thank you for making such great positive content!

Brilliant attitude mate, thats what its all about

8:00 is still very respectable for rowing. Definitely helps to be tall, but for most average-sized men, 8:00 2k is a solid fitness goal!

Love the dismount off the bike post race….proper broken !

Loved the insight and honesty of this video! The struggle and experience relative to your peak is more relatable and motivating for the average Joe than anything I’ve seen! Thanks ❤

Welcome back on the saddle! You've inspired me to start Zwifting as well. I'm starting my 5th week of zwifting next week - and so far it's great fun. Pretty much in endurance building phase still, but done couple of races already.

Mark, I love watching your stuff. It's so honest and technical in nature. No nonsense shit!!! Well done.

Really great to see you back enjoying some cardio Mark! I started watching your channel because of the ocr and ride reports. Glad you are healthy and out again, must feel great :)

I love your content man I come home and watch you and I always get a smile watching your videos helps me improve on my own running career thank you mark you make my life better with every upload😄

Absolutely love ur videos Mark. ! So inspiring for me on my fitness / weight loss journey. Please keep doing what ur doing 👍👍💪💪

Love the message in this one Mark! Just commenting to let you know how much I appreciate your videos. They never failed to make me burst out laughing at unexpected times and put a lighter note on things. Always felt good after watching them, keep doing what you do mate!

This video legitimately brought a smile to my face thanks to the message at the end. It's fun to watch the numbers go up and see our improvement, but ultimately it's important to remember that being active is just fun.

How wonderfully relatable... Also, we need more Jen!!!

I bet it is going to be great working towards the goals you set, and satisfaction overload when you reach them. Good luck. Have a blast.

Very relatable topic this. I think one of the hardest parts about coming back to reasonable levels of fitness after falling off (or being pushed off) the wagon is just how distant your previous PBs now appear. I personally find it best just starting again and forgetting about them and building up the same as I did last time instead of risk injury / setbacks chasing previous form before my body is actually ready.

It's great timing to see this as after an injury on my first half marathon about 7 weeks ago, I've just started up running again and i'm having a brutal time with it. Really hope the fitness comes back in soon for my second HM in September

Your videos got me into zwift and trail running! Cheers for that fella 👍🏽

Looking forward to the journey back Mark. Great content, always fun to watch and , as someone in their late 40's trying to keep reasonably fit, inspirational.

Cant wait to see more zwift. Its what got me to your channel in the first place!

I love seeing Mark's motivation + I missed Zwift racing and seeing another person's suffering always makes me feel better ❤❤

I am 21 and you are inspiring me to be more active . been following you for a while , keep growing and keep inspiring ❤❤

Mark, hoping you’re going to show us fellow mid-timers how long it takes to get back to close/very close top form cardio (and strength) shape.

I just discovered you and I think you are absolutely brilliant. I love your dogs!! I'm soon to be 64 and have been working out for over 40 years. I used to do a lot of running but now I mostly do Stair Master/Step Mill and Assault bike.

Hoofing…continuing to bring a laugh and much needed motivation. Thank you for the time and effort you put in to making such highly relatable content. Chapeau! ☕️

As usual, thanks a lot for the motivation.

It’s great to see you’re back on it💪 I had slump caused purely by over training. It’s the route of all injuries, doesn’t matter how much I try to think otherwise 😂

Zwift races are so much fun! But man they're frustrating too! Always feel good in the beginning, then end up using too much energy to stay with the front group. Then in the end having to fight my way to the finish lin on my own. Oh, and of course always joining the races five minutes before they start, so no warmup whatsoever :D

The Mark we know and love (and loves donuts) is back folks! 😂😂. Kidding of course, but it’s good to realize fitness is not a linear journey.

Another great video Mark! I have learned recently that at my current fitness riding more than 90 miles just isn't happening. The sit bones, back and neck say "no thanks". The legs are fine but the pain, at 56 yrs old, is just to much at my current fitness level.

As someone trying to get into riding again. I love outdoor riding. The peloton is the biggest pain in the arse ever. Your wattage numbers are great. My “sprint”x8 effort workout today peaked at 360watts and averaged 160 for 45 min. Enjoy your content

Zwift races are why I first tuned in back when you were on about 16k subs. I used your technique of sprinting through FTS segments then cruising the rest to recover. :D Glad to see they're back on the menu! As for the rower, I did a sub-7 once in 2004. Closer to 9 minutes now 😂😂

Another great video , not taking everything too seriously is always the best way 👍 Keep up the great work

Great video, Mark! I've gone from CrossFit to solely marathon training these last 6 months and the muscle wastage is incredible. Worth it, though, I'm converted 👍

So glad you’re back on Zwift, looking forward to seeing you again!

Love seeing you absolutely knackered. Highlight of my RU-vid week lol

Your conclusion here, Mark, aligns a lot with the video that you did about Atomic Habits; enjoy yourself, trust the process (habit) and the stats will take care of themselves.

“Almost” 🤣🤣🤣 that’s how I felt today in a 10k race in Glasgow. Well done mate.

Great video. I flogged myself on Zwift and got to B, but I burned out and lost the enjoyment-so much so that I stopped riding. After 6 months off, I got back on my bike. I now train less but still race C competitively and enjoy it more by racing tactfully in the bunch. Rather than having to be on the front in every race (which got me to B), My goals shift to getting a workout and an odd podium finish. I am now happier and healthier in mind and body and enjoy my Zwifting much more.

Had an injury keeping me out of both cardio and strength training for about 5months too. Now I have a schedule where I run and lift 2 times a week, and even if my stamina is shite compared to before the injury, every run I feel progress (longer, faster) :) You'll be stronger than ever in no time!

5 months is a long time. Thanks for this, keep it up!

Cracking video mate - you just can’t make a bad video🤣 , I was hooked all the way though. 👍🏻 - Are you training for anything big this year 🤔

I had 6 weeks off running last October - Plantar Fascitits, followed by 4 weeks slowly reintroducing running while phasing out the bike - Zwift is a lot of fun! Realising how much fitness has gone despite working hard on the bike was a bit demoralising but it all came back and then some. Working to get back to where you were is fun in itself and definitely easier second time around!

I was feeling down this morning, so a Mark Lewis video was exactly what I needed. Glad I didn't watch it yesterday. Thanks.

Its inspiring to see that even someone who has achieved as much as you has drops/time off etc and can handle them well. I've always wondered, if you could go back and start that journey again at the same point in time but now with all the knowledge, what would you do different? I'm 31 and bipolar disorder (no excuse) has lead to me not caring about my fitness anywhere near as much as I should, now circumstances means I need to try and get substantially fitter faster and i'm a bit overwhelmed at where to begin.

Best moment: "Did you win?"... "Almost" 😀

Still inspiring Mark. Thanks 👊🏾

Mark, Nothing has made me happier today. As an ex Ironman and fit dude I have passed 50 and am fighting with weight and maintaining fitness. I thought you were a bit of a superman but you r are real!!

I stopped running over 10 years ago because of IT band problems. I couldn't get my head around building up slowly, it was all or nothing so I chose nothing. I used to do 5k in sub 17 minute and now, at 47 I have no illusions of ever hitting that sort of pace but thanks to your example, I'm going to hopefully keep at it. Lets go.

As someone who is drastically reducing my activity level over the summer just to give my body a break, I appreciate this video so much. I'm much more confident that I won't be completely depressed about my fitness level when I go back.

Super interesting Mark as followed a similar journey. Fastest Parkrun 20:32 (2016) 2K Row 6:26 (2016) Zwift (Still racing but improved category now) .. 53 years old now. Like your Parkrun experience just enjoy it. I fell out of love with running but am building back up and almost back under 22mins. Go have fun and keep up the great content 👍And for all just embrace your own journeys .. We have one chance so live to the max 💚

glad to seee you back on zwift , always thought that your old zwift racing were your best, your rocky 4 days

Keep up the good work, being over 50 and still wanting to be active is hard as the body and mind has forgotten what hard exercise is all about, feel good after it though especially with a slice of recovery cake !🤣

Your shirt is absolute 🔥!!!!! I'll be racing in the button up version of that this week! Good on ya, Mark. Keep at it, it'll all come back (but only if you want it to, and if you don't? No harm no foul).

Ok, wait. At about the 20 second point of this video, Mark looks at his left wrist as if he's checking the date to see how long he's not been training. It looks to me like he doesn't have on a watch. 🤣

Great Mark.

Had a great ride with a friend today. Was lovely. I've lost fitness due to not being able to exercise. But the ride was fab. It hurt maybe a bit more than it might have. But it was fab..

It would be interesting to see how quickly you get back or close to your previous fitness after your break. I find hearing about your journey makes me want to do well. I have been pushing myself from not being able to run 100 meters, to now running 18km in 2 hours. You give me motivation to destroy my past self.

Mate, I’m in the same boat. Been inactive for 5-6 months. Everything I do now sucks. But it has to be done. I know I’ll come out better. So will you. LFG

Zwift is good, no doubt about that 😎 Did you win.? "Almost" 😂😂😂

I can really relate. As a 53 year old indoor rower and former runner, I’m having to deal with inevitable decline vis a vis times and yet try and stay motivated.

Love the motivation coming off of this video. Pretty sure you're still above average for men in their 50s, but I love the positivity at the end about enjoying it all.

3 seconds in and I'm laughing. Thank you lol

Funnily enough I’ve just played cricket today for the first time in a year. Not done so previously cos of running / injury / fear of injury. And I remembered just how much I love it. We lost and it didn’t matter at all. I had a blast with friends old and new. And that mattered much more.

Maybe the most important fitness channel on RU-vid. Whith the best advice out there. Don't identify as your physique. Ther are greater things💪.

There is this idea that once you are in great shape with good strength and conditioning, you are basically peaking…you’ve built up a solid concrete foundation, but then stacked a bit of scaffolding on top. When you stop, the scaffolding quickly erodes, but the concrete sticks around for much longer. Eventually it will erode too, but much slower. And when you begin training again, you quickly build that scaffolding back on top of your concrete foundation. So, it would be interesting to see how quickly you regain some of that lost ground and to see where you are at in a month or two. You might discover that you can very quickly get close to your old best. And that only a little bit of the concrete is gone. I would very much like to see that video. How fast can you regain that strength and conditioning? I bet most of it will come back much quicker than when you were first building that foundation. You’re in a perfect place to show us that when you fall off the plan and have a set back, don’t fret. You have kept a lot of your hard work and just a bit of effort will get you right back where you were!

Legend. At your best you encouraged people to get out there and have a crack. At your... current condition... you still encourage people to get out there and have a crack. You'll get back there mate, keep making the great vids

An idea for you Mark to test your fitness that is a little different. Fancy coming down to try Aussie Rules and play a game with The Reading Kangaroos?

I was off running just over a month, due to sickness, moving flats, work, shitty weather and other family excuses. Had Helsinki City Running Day yesterday where I felt like shit, but was happy that I got there, my FIRST event ever... Garmin didn't waste a ticket on me :D Had to walk max 20m in the last km and still broke my old 5k record by 32sec... Would have been faster if I didn't start from the back of the fast group... Didn't trust myself enough, so I had to avoid running over ppl for the first km, wasting alot of time and energy :D Today bought a ticket to the next 5k event in Helsinki Half Marathon next month. I don't know where I´m going with this rant, but I´m happy that I´m finally back and happy that I have recovered so well from my slipped diskS (knock on wood)... And YOU are one of the few ppl that have kept me on track to become better and fitter! If ever our paths cross by some weird coincidence, I´ll offer you a pint or two. Or if you ever go to an event in Finland, drop a DM. Keep doing what you do!

Hey Mark, I'm pretty much in the same position as you (minus about 25 years)and I've been inactive for over 6 months from climbing/calisthenics. Noticed a similar massive drop in performance, what used to be really easy such as pull-ups where I'd fly above the bar now I could only do 3 bodyweight pull-ups and that was a struggle. Feels a bit shit but watching your videos inspire me to get back into it as I am now. Currently on 7 BW pull-ups after 3 weeks, and gonna be consistent from here on 💪. Good luck to you as well on the fitness journey.

Best RU-vid channel!

I haven't run in ages because of an achilles injury. Did my first run yesterday, five minutes at 8:12/km pace. Only one way to go from here!

Your wife checking in on you had "Sanka ya Dead" vibes, Class

I'm especially feeling that pain on the rowing machine. Nice job, man.

It is probably your adaption that has gone with the wind during these months off. You are likely to improve fast within the first 2 months when hitting a regular training loop. May I ask how you got in over training? It could be a nice video topic, as it is something that can take a long time to recover from depending how deep you got in to it. But nice to see you back in training again, I enjoy your videos and hope you get back in to a good stride.

This video is gonna get me to jog again for the first time in two weeks. The Fitbit will stay at home though. I don’t need the chocolate bar alongside the cake for now. Just need to enjoy using my body again

Funny. In my country most cakes don't have icing on. We (polisch) usually put cream or butter mass on the outside and decorate it wit chocolate, candied fruit and stuff. Great video. If I wasn't right after a jog, I would go right now.

The 6.24 is a fantastic time for a guy your age and for someone who isn't a rower.

Great to see you back posting videos! Would have loved to see some go pro footage of your parkrun!! Maybe next time :)

Thanks Mark

Liking this philosophical Mark..

I'm in a similar place to you right now. 38F, previous very decent base fitness from daily run or bike commuting plus a load of running and cycling in various forms and distances. 5k 20mins without having trained for it. I got run over by a car when cycle commuting last December, literally run over - it parked on top of me. Amazingly i wasn't killed, no broken bones, but lots of soft tissue injuries. Now i'm trying to start from what feels like scratch again, but also with a glass back, hip cartilage tear, bursitis etc etc, and of course a good few kg heavier. I am enjoying being out and about again, but im pretty down about where ive dropped to. I need to adjust my thinking. No point in being miserable, i am where i am i guess. But it is difficult at times. Watch out for those cars guys. They're certainly not watching out for you.