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?

dammit my overstretched toe now really hurts and is slightly swollen...<hrmph>

@bloodredfeaturewall is it broken? Sounds like rest and ice is in order I’m afraid.

@Doublethecuddles sounds like a lovely morning pilates and beach run.

the weather forecast said sunshine & blue sky so planned a trail sunrise run with dog as my teen was going in later to college & I drop them off. We did the run, dog & me but it was grey drizzle the whole time! Warm grey drizzle of course the weather is nice now! My legs were heavy though as I’d been on a bike ride Sunday which was longer than planned great for cross training but phew tired after.

I hope it's not broken

how? I didn't do more this week than usual...

Welcome :)

I had posted at one point on the other thread last year that was for those of us doing spring half-marathons that I actually had to unsubscribe from all the runner accounts that I was following as they were just making me feel rubbish and inadequate! And I've run for years and know that I'm not fast, I'm back of the pack, but running makes me happy and I'm doing it well enough to keep enjoying and that's quite enough.

Thanks all ☺️ @Trickedbyadoughnut that’s exactly it. I’m back of the pack but I try hard and I enjoy myself, proud of myself. I’ve fallen for the silly trap of comparing myself against people who have different circumstances than me. There’s not many TikTokers or redditors who are frazzled working single mums 😂

I imagine the frazzled working mum's, especially single ones, are far too busy to spend time posting about running on SM! It does make me sigh when I see all the young female city runners all identikit with short shorts, hydration vest and big headphones. You don't need all that to get running but it seems tik tok has made this the running uniform. In a way I'm glad to be older and to have lost the expectation I'm going to be anything but a back of the pack runner. I'm am only racing myself, and a lot of the time I can't even be bothered with that 😂
3 x 6 mins "faster pace" tonight. 6 mins seems a long time when your trying to push yourself and frankly couldn't wait for each section to be over. The only upside was it was light at 5pm so I could run on an unlit lane for the first part. I'm so over running the same street lit few roads round here, bring on spring!

I’ve also the “trying hard” in the back 25% of the pack ~red faced runner. But it makes me feel great and I’m not sat on the sofa. I’ve spent my entire adult life overweight but fit. I’m now thanks to 6mths of MJ finally a healthy weight and loving that it’s so much easier to run now. I still did several triathlons and HMs a size 18 so always slower but loved them. I’m a great believer in just getting fresh air makes you feel good.

absolutely @JanuaryOSunshine

it's more about pleasure and health than beauty. though I'm convinced the red face surely is a fountain of youth

my #%%^* foot turned blue over night. I guess I will have to visit the walk in for that...

Crikey get it seen asap 🙏

I'm not generally into comparing myself against other runners and knocking myself for it, but I've been in an unusually long mental rut and I suspect DH's recently found zeal for running is heavily involved in the equation. He might be older than me, but he's 6ft of man. He's gone lean. He's gone hungry. He's casually knocking out my pbs as an easy run before breakfast. Bastard

I'm lacking novelty, realistic challenge and motivating weather. I've got a HM soon which has kept me going through the winter, but I've just not had the spark to put in any more training than the basics to get around in my usual time. To be fair it's a trail course so any aspirations on performance are heavily affected by weather preceeding and on the day. This has been my longest fug in years.

Have you seen the viral video of the tall man and short woman both walking/running at the same speeds on a treadmill @BogRollBOGOF your speed and his speed are really not comparable so don't even bother. And even if you're not getting your own PB etc- it's all a journey with peaks and troughs. Please don't feel bad about it.

I know. I think a lot of it's been that running has been My Thing for years and now he's got a thing with it too. It's clearly good for him and I don't begrudge that. But I'm not getting my usual buzz.

I think it's been a fairly rubbish winter for it too. Lots of cool grey weather and a couple of awkward icy spells, plus storms. Lots of parkrun cancellations- that's where I often push out my faster runs.

It's been drier than the last couple of years, but I think I found it easier to push myself out in warmer 10⁰C rain easier than 4⁰C gloom.

I know exactly what you mean about the annoying feeling that husbands can be just effortlessly better than us. I get it too. Damn them!!

Ditto my DH weighs same as me is very lean muscle a “quick” run for him is normally min 6m more oftern 10miles and at a pace I couldn’t even sprint at for a minute! But he’s always been very encouraging of my running even if he could speed walk my pace 😂the dog trots next me like she’s just walking

There are calculators which give you age/sex adjusted times which can be motivating! I am towards the faster end of women in my club (though there are some who leave me for dust!) I do have a sneaky aspiration to beat my husband's marathon time from about 20 years ago but I acknowledge it's a stretch goal on both age and sex grounds (plus he's mire than a foot taller!) so it may never happen!

@bloodredfeaturewall hope you get your foot sorted soon, blue doesn't sound like a great colour for a foot!

I finally managed to get back out for a run yesterday. 6.5km and no niggles today so hopefully I can get off the injury bench now. Itching to run again today but think it makes sense to rest today.

Managed to run Monday trail with dog and Thursday morning a cold 7k pre-work but now nursing a snotty cold so having a rare Sat morn lie in. Normally get 3x runs a week in min but may just cycle Sunday instead as it’s normally easier than running when snotty. Pretty cold here today though & see a whisper of snow on the forecast. How’s everyone doing?

How’s the toe @bloodredfeaturewall ? Hope the injury niggles settle down now @Londonmummy66

it's not broken.
but still swollen and bruised and painful.
have an appointment with my thai massage lady for a lymphatic massage next week.
I guess the race in 4 weeks is off the card.

hope the injury bench doesn't get any more residents...

Thank you

Hi all, new here! I’m training for The London Marathon in April. I’m very slow and definitely back of pack. Finding it tough.
Had to stop my long run short yesterday as just felt ill and tired. I’ve got a couple of injuries, don’t know what they are! Back of pelvis and down the front of quads at the top. Anyone know what it might be?
Sorry for pity post, feeling quite despondent!!!

Worth investing in a good sports massage therapist if you can @Starlightstargazer may find things tightening up after long runs start to cause niggles which lead to injures. I often do some quick stretches after running 2-3k then carry on as I get niggles in thighs or knees but it’s actually my piriformus muscle tightening up. A quick squat stretch or ankle across my knee and bend helps.

Hello @Starlightstargazer I would get a physio to check you over. Marathon training is about to ramp up so getting niggles checked properly is really important at this point. With the getting tired are you taking enough nutrition on baord just before and during the run? I found I needed a small snack (a few dried apricots) every 40 minutes and a gel at 2 hours and every hour after that. also salt tablets hourly. It was hard to get my head around as I usually run halves fasted.

I managed another 6.5K today having rested yesterday and no niggles so will start to ramp it back up as my half marathon is in 6 weeks time.

Welcome to the thread @Starlightstargazer - good advice from @Londonmummy66 to get yourself looked at before marathon training really ramps up.

Good to see you out and about again @Londonmummy66

Hope your foot is healing @bloodredfeaturewall and your cold receding @JanuaryOSunshine

@BogRollBOGOF I too have a runner husband. We both pretty much stopped any sport when we got married/had children, but when our children were young teens DH went back to running and I followed a bit later with C25K. He's always been leaner and faster than me, and is slowing down a bit with age, and complaining about it, but his current slow is my fastest from 10 years ago.

We must be doing something right in our modelling though, DS1 has been competing today in his sport and DS2 has just gone out for a run of his own accord for the second time this week.

19 miles for me this week spread over 3 days. 10 miles today, my longest I think since I did an ultra last July. I misjudged my fuelling and ran out of steam at about 9 miles and was very glad to get home and inhale most of the contents of the fridge.

Thanks! Sounds like you’re doing brilliantly with 19 miles over 3 days! I need to build my in week base I think. I haven’t been doing enough mileage and then just ramping up the long runs every weekend. 42 yr old body not happy!