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?

Thanks for your reply and good to hear you’re getting back out there after an injury. Are you training for anything in particular?
im fuelling with many many jelly babies to the point I actually hate them now 😂.
I wish I could afford a physio or massage therapist but im making do with YouTube videos.

Thanks for replying. I’ll start saving for 1-2 sports massages! Can’t afford just now but doing YouTube videos! Good tip for the stop and stretching thing

@Starlightstargazer - worth checking if your GP has a physio - a lot of the surgeries round here do (to stop us bothering the GPs I think!). Even if they dont they might be able to refer you (if you can get an appointment this side of the marathon that is). Maybe play around with some alternatives to jelly babies - I went with dried apricots to get in one of my 5 a day. There was also an M&S foodhall at the halfway point on my very long run route so I could pop in for a small packet of their mini cheese twists........

I have a conveniently placed cafe on my long run route which sells the best fruity flapjack 😄

I can also tell you where every loo in a ten mile radius of my house is 😄

Toilets, discrete bushes, convenience stores.
I did once fall into a chip shop and give up at mile 12 😂

DH and I met in an outdoors sports club at uni.
I got into running to get fit again when the DCs were little.
Then when they were old enough for junor parkrun, started taking them before they were old enough to question if they could run. They'll reach 200 junior parkruns in the next few months ☺️

DS2 teamed up to run with one of our regular volunteers while I was volunteering with DS1 this weekend. Yesterday he said he really enjoyed running with DS and got his best time in 9 months from it. Although he did have to tell DS that he wasn't capable of chatting back on lap 2 😂

I am pretty proud of the DCs' running. Not that they do anything remarkable, but just being set up with a flexible sport for life that they can do on their own terms.

Hello all, not posted in a while. Did cross country event at the weekend. Usually I enjoy it but just didn't feel crazy about it. My shin is playing up, long term niggle that I can't seem to shift. Tried to do the second lap faster, and really thought I'd pushed it more but the stats say otherwise.
I am hoping to do a long run Friday, if my shin isn't too bad.
This winter weather is dragging now! The eves are lighter but it's still cold! I am grateful for a much drier winter this year than last though!
We are a family of runners in this house, DS2 is in a club and made some great friends through running. DS1 is less keen and not competitive. They are all faster than me!

Well done on the cross country @Jumbojem

This may not be felt by many but February is one of my favourite running months

The first few minutes are cold but I get warm quickly and find the temperature works best. I'm a shorts and tank top runner still!

Feb is better as we get the extra hour of daylight

I think April/May are my favourite months @EasternStandard the trails are dying out, but not overgrown, bluebells and wild garlic are out.

Before the nettles complete their invasion!

April / May the other favourites. A bit warm for me for running but longer light

I do like running most Sept-Mar I pretty much stop in the summer switch to cycling and sea swimming much more. Need to get out again but nursing lumpy glands sore throat and it’s wild wet windy outside so waiting to see if it’s calmer on Sat now. Plus I’m working late today so need preserve my energy really .

drizzle rain between 15-20 degrees

I've just not felt the motivation this week until this afternoon when it was lovely and sunny and I dragged myself out for 7.5 rather chilly miles - fueled by Valentine's Green & Blacks.

Well done @Londonmummy66 ! I faffed around endlessly today, an hour getting ready to go! I hoped to do 10 miles but ended up only doing 4, although hilly trail, miles. Will try again for a long run Sunday!
On the plus side it was not too muddy and I even came home and cleaned my trail shoes!

Hello. Well another week where there hasn't been a lot of structure or volume in my running. We are having a lot of work on the house, and it's the type of thing where they are only here for a few days so lots of questions etc. and then they leave and the next lot start. Makes it really hard to get out, plus had no hot water for 4 days last week. And of course my two teens have chosen this time to be absolute ass-hats about everything.

I did get out for a chatty 8k with friends on Wednesday and another 8k "doggy joggy" on the beach yesterday. Then, maybe as I had fresh legs, I aced Parkrun today and got a PB so I don't know why I cant seem to mentally capitalise on this and start my build up to marathon because the pace is fine- just need the distance. Got a trail half in 3 weeks that I'm in total denial about too

Good to hear about so many DC getting involved. Mine are not interested sadly- prefer their team sports and DH would rather chew glass - but then I only started distance running in my late twenties- I did sprint at school and couldn't imagine why anyone would sign up to run 10k when they'd still get the afternoon off school to do 100m 😀That said, DS is determined to get his family parkrun record back so I said I'll pace him next week and then he can try and burn me off in the last km to get under 23.

Re preferred time of year, summer summer summer - don't mind the heat too much- used to live in Asia so used to it. My circulation has got so bad as I've got older that the first 3k are just frozen hand hell at the moment. Plus I live on the coast and the wind is ugghhh.

Still no running for me quite yet, buuuut I did my first proper cardio class (BodyCombat) at the gym yesterday and it was AWESOME to be back in the zone. The physio has got me doing some hops and jumps as part of my exercises, so that return to running feels even closer now. I think I'm physically ready in terms of my injury, but I need to give it a little bit more time for my osteoporosis medication to starting working. Can't wait to get back out there... 😬

Oh, and late Spring/early Summer is my favourite time of the year to run. Don't mind the heat though, and quite enjoy an early morning or early evening run in the height of Summer. My hands never warm up after a winter run...

Happy Saturday all!

Since January I have been increasing my fitness to once again manage to run 5km. I have always hated running but have insisted I want to do more. This year has been different and I have changed how I perceive running. I am slowly finding enjoyment in running and realising that changing how I frame my success from 'I can't run' or 'I'm not a natural runner' to 'I can run but I'm not running to be competitive' has helped me to achieve more and faster.

Anyway, this week I managed to run 5.6km for the first time in a couple of years without feeling like I was inflicting a painful experience upon myself.

I now hope to improve my distance to finally achieve a run of 10km. I now know I am capable of doing it. The perfectionism I have held has destroyed a love of a sport which I could have benefited from. Recognising that I don't have to run to win races or end up in the Olympics has been freeing. 😂

I should've also added that keeping up with this thread has helped enormously with motivation to continue running to reach a goal albeit quite an easy one in comparison to many posters.

Thank you for a friendly and welcoming thread that is encouraging me to become healthier and fitter.

I love running at this time of year - so long as it isn't raining as I hate the heat. I do have a couple of fairly shady routes for the summer but I am always in awe of those who can train for september marathons as I can't bear summer running (unless its a breezy cliff path!).

Lovely to read of your running DC. I used to have a mini me to run with but sadly she's had to have spinal surgery so can never run again. Bittersweet when I see primary school girls out running with their mums at the weekend.

I'm just catching up, having not been on the page for a while.
Have you decided about tomorrow @bakewellbride , how have things been going?

I have had some surprisingly good races after zero sleep the night before, crying and telling myself I can't do it. But I don't want to belittle how things have been for you, and sometimes it is kinder to yourself not to put pressure on.ive also treated some hms as training runs if I have entered and then not felt up to racing. More enjoyable than a normal training run without having to come up with a route or take your own water.

I have got back to interval training and parkrun in the last few weeks, and have a 10k race tomorrow. I'd like it to be faster than one I did on NYE but trying not to put too high expectations on myself, and have booked a half marathon next month.

I have a salomon 5l running vest. I usually take about 300ml water, my phone, tissues, and gel/sweets. It was quite expensive, i got it as a birthday present.
I would do up to 10k without eating but for a long run, I feel like I run out of energy if I don't eat beforehand. Last week's long run went really well. I ran with different friends and the pace was a lot slower than I would do alone or with my usual training partner, but it felt so much better afterwards, I feel like I could happily done a few more miles whereas normally I'm desperate to finish!

Nipped out between the showers for a 8k which felt strong after a week of feeling under par so was pleased with that.

After Last weeks abandoned long run, today I got out there and did 14 miles on the marathon journey, powered by Trance Nation 💪 . My injury started hurting at 6km and is now very sore. All across the left hip flexor and into my quad 😢. As I was coming to the end, ‘Not over Yet’ started playing and I was angry singing along to it. Lucky it was a rural route with no one on it 🤪

well done to all for getting out there this last week

My race went well this morning, it was so chilly (about 2°) and no bag drop so had to leave extra layers and water bottle in the carpark about 1/3 mile away.
I beat my time from NYE and my b goal and a goal.

@Fizbosshoes well done!