Running goals, motivation and chat 2025

[Jumbojem]

All welcome! A place to share or goals and achievements and to motivate each other along the way.
A virtual mumsnet run club perhaps?

I have been on a half mara chat group the last few years but currently not training for one. So, my 2025 goals are:
Now until spring - get fitter for a 15 mile hilly trail run event in April.
Summer - try for a 5k PB, try to get faster?
Autumn - maybe do a half mara? Cross Country again ( I am slow and old but love this).

Who else wants to join me?

Well have managed to run 100 miles in January and feeling very pleased with myself as I usually managed about 50. I know I won’t manage nearly as many runs in February as the diary is busy.
@Londonmummy66 and @LaPalmaLlama dreaming about food often keeps me going. Came home today and had a delicious biscotti I had baked to give to a friends. I now know that they are good enough to give as a gift, but might need to taste test another
@LaPalmaLlama i know the feeling of a sneaky walk and someone always passes and you feel obliged to run. I often finish on a horrible steep hill and have just started to walk when cyclists pass me.

Update: I did run back for the car but left too little time between lunch and run and therefore got massive stitch and had to walk the last 2k! Does anyone else need a good 4 hours between eating and any running? I swear it's getting worse as I get older too.

We’ll done @Doublethecuddles thats a great achievement.

At least you tried @LaPalmaLlama and yes I’m the same I prefer to run fasted. The walk still counts.

I need min 2 hours of no food and half an hour (an hour really) without drink or I get stitches, runners trot or both.
it's one of the reasons I can't run first thing.

Had a sunrise trail run with doggy this morning it was -1c but gorgeous morning.

Wow @Doublethecuddles that is impressive mileage for Jan! I sign up to the strava run 1000 miles a year but have yet to manage it. Let's see if this is my year!

How long I need to leave between eating and running depends what the food is for me. Toast, banana, packet of crisps (my guilty food pleasure) 1 hour is OK, 2 perfect. Anything dairy = need at least 4 hrs.
Thinking about food, what's everyone's fave post run refuel? I'm a sucker for plain crisps and a coffee, often before I even have water. If its a race or something I've put effort into a vanilla protein milkshake and errm the crisps again!

I had a late work mtg today so did the garmin suggested threshold run at lunchtime in glorious sunshine. First daylight run since Saturday and was glad to be able to run somewhere different (very limited well lit roads round here). Still not happy with my pace, so much slower than I have ever been. I think I need to stop analysing my segment times against previous years and just focus on making the current me a better runner. Comparison is the thief of joy after all...

While I think about it, magnesium gel before bed is amazing for tired legs after running. I get restless legs after heavy exercise and the magnesium really helps for me. My legs are tired and fidgety now and I can't wait to go and put it on to relax.

post run - ginger beer & magnesium tablet
and the after properly cooled down and showered a ploughman

I get restless legs after a long run too!! I take magnesium supplements. Will try the cream too

I think the gel is better at targeting the legs. I have some supplements too but forget to take them and they are years out of date now. DS has an epsom salt bath after a big event, but I'm not a bath fan.
Lovely sunny day here and not working so I just went out to run as far as I could. Ended up doing 10 miles on the quiet lanes and cycle paths listening to an audiobook. Longest run in a while and now refuelling with a big lunch!

The perfect kind of runs @JanuaryOSunshine and @Jumbojem

Rainy, misty and chilly here and work has been very stressful, so was not feeling today's run, but was an easy one on the schedule so I put some music on and gritted my teeth and got it done.

The good news is that, after having spent the first six months of last year getting drenched virtually every run, I invested in Goretex trainers and a waterproof cap with my Christmas money ... and it now stops raining as soon as I go out 😅We've had exactly one hour that it hasn't rained today and that was precisely the hour I was out. I definitely prefer being over-equipped and not soaked than the other way around!

Ooh what cap did you get? My DH could do with a waterproof one for dog walks. I tend to wear a buff in winter running or a visor in summer.

Well done on the 10km let’s @Jumbojem.

@Trickedbyadoughnut great admiration for running in the rain for so long. I don’t mind a wet body but hate wet feet, and do the pathetic thing of avoiding puddles. It’s almost a relief when my feet do get wet.

My post run favourite snack is either coffee and crisps or chocolate. I kid myself that I need the salt from the crisps as I sweat a lot.

It's from Decathlon, seems good so far!

I don't mind the wet feet until I stop and then they're suddenly unbearable 😆

Crisps are my favourite post run and I also pretend I need the salt 😅

wet feet are fine (after the first puddle)

properly sodden shoes lose their bounce ime which is quite unpleasant.

a sunny but cold 10k in the dunes.
it was great until I overstetched my toes up a steep hill. hopefully that will resolve before my next planned run.
and I need to find a way to do my strength training without leaning on my toes...

Rubbish week, off training with a cold, just about recov(ered in time for a beautiful hilly race on the Isle of Wight. Found the middle section tough but pushed through and overall enjoyed the experience.

I finally went for my first run of the year yesterday (a gentle 5K) after injuring my foot a few weeks ago. Working from home tomorrow so will try to get out again then.

How did it go?

Well done. It's incredible how much a simple cold can set us back

Great, thanks! Felt good to be outside in the sunshine!

I have been absent from this thread for a while (but reading everyone's achievements - well done to all1)

Back on it this weekend, with parkrun yesterday and some extra miles, and a lovely sunny 8 miles today. Super slow, but great to be out there. We have a HM in a month.

Im so happy ive come across this thread! Im a beginner runner but ran two marathons last year. For some reason ive had knocks to my running confidence since November, it feels as though online you’re forever being told you’re doing it wrong.
so nice to see a thread full of people simply encouraging and congratulating each other!

@Probablyshouldntsay I never think that there is a wrong way to run, it always an achievement regardless of distance and speed.

@OhOneOhTwoOhThree well done,always easier to run in the sun.

Morning pilates, followed by a lovely beach run