I’m not menopausal yet but mid 40s and had taken a few years off running. Even though I was relatively fit from cycling and walking the first 2-3 months felt awful. Like you say - even 3-4 k felt hard and legs were a lot more tired than I thought they should be. I’m now almost a year in and probably fitter and faster than I was before the break. Take it slow and hang in there - it will come back!
I’m not menopausal yet but mid 40s and had taken a few years off running. Even though I was relatively fit from cycling and walking the first 2-3 months felt awful. Like you say - even 3-4 k felt hard and legs were a lot more tired than I thought they should be. I’m now almost a year in and probably fitter and faster than I was before the break. Take it slow and hang in there - it will come back!