Lower 5K time.

Question
I am a freshman in high school and I used to run all the time, I had to stop running because I tore a ligament in my ankle. I want to start running again but I got 30 minutes on my last 5K. How can I lower this to where I was?

Answer
You're just going to have to work at it. It isn't as if you gained weight or anything, you just lost a little endurance because of the long rest period. If you can run, if your ankle is healed, then start running again. You might get muscle cramps after the previous days run or jog, and that just requires a rest day. Don't do less than 1 day running and 2 days off. And once you start getting your stride back and some basic muscle efficiency back, run every other day. To start off with, make a schedule that includes a couple days of speed work and a few days of distance work, like going out and doing a 30-40 minute jog, or a 3 mile. Once you feel like you're back into it, start your 5k training.

If you are past the muscle cramping stage, and feel you are ready to start a serious 5k schedule, tell me and we can work on that. What were your times like before your injury, how long were you out because of it, what is a reasonable time you think you could work for as a first goal?
Jared