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?

Good to hear everyone still getting out there on various runs.

Good work on the HM @Londonmummy66, hope your legs recover soon. I have treated myself to a course of sports massages which are doing me a lot of good for recovery - recommended!

I am a great believer in lots and lots of bodyglide on the feet. My marathon shoes are great except for one rub spot - the skin is toughening up on training runs (no blister, just a red marrk this week!) but I may apply a precautionary compeed to be on the safe side!

Well done @Londonmummy66, interesting that when you ran to feel you went faster than you had thought you would anyway!

@BogRollBOGOF I had the 860s for years and then didn't get on with the v13 at all - found them too hard and I prefer the v14, but you can still get v13s online so you might be able to find your size if those are your last pair and suited you?

I have very wide forefeet (flippers) with a narrow ankle and got fitted with Brooks Adrenalines last autumn. They haven't rubbed me at all even though I didn't think they were are wide as the 860s - although annoyingly I ordered the waterproof version in the same size and they are too small ...

I've been out and done three gentle walk/runs as okayed by the doctor and am hoping the physio tomorrow clears me to maintain some kind of schedule, as I'd love to still complete my HM end of April, even if I take a run/walk strategy - the overall cut-off time is three hours and I had already done a 18k long run before taking two weeks off, so it might still be doable. I'll have my fingers crossed.

I think my new ones are v14s.
The previous 3 pairs were fairly similar in style. The labels are a bit too faded to read now.

@BogRollBOGOF I feel your (hope not literal) pain in choosing new shoes. I've ummed and ahhd on new trail shoes for my event for so long now my size is out of stock in all but the expensive retailers in the ones I had settled on. Now I've also left it to let find some and so a test run.
Maybe a moot issue anyway, pity post alert, I have gone down with a flu variant, felt truly hideous since Saturday. It was lovely today so a braved a walk, 1 mile and I had to come home and sleep for an hour. OH thinks it is foolish to try and run 15 miles in 10 days time and that I should focus on healthy recovery rather than setting myself back. Last longer run was 2 weeks ago now. I don't want to bail as I was running with two friends, but they don't know each other and so leaves them no one to run with.

@Jumbojem it sounds like you need the rest. If you've got the long runs in the tank already, you've already got the fitness you need.

My legs keep feeling knackered. I think it's a fuelling issue as I'm trying to lose a few kgs of weight, and I can't get the balance I need to lose some fat and fuel up for energy. At this point, I'd rather take the hit on performance as the extra bit's been weighing me down anyway. I've been reducing carbs but having a bit more on more demanding days, but sometimes it's hard to resist the easy energy option.

@Jumbojem you might recover quicker than you think, but it is seriously not worth pushing it. Post-viral fatigue/syndrome is no joke! My DNephew has suffered for two years after trying to push through - he was a fast ultramarathoner and now can't even run for the bus.

a whole 4k
very slow
almost pain free
feels so so good

Missing my running at the moment had a fab ski trip two weeks ago it was lovely to feel so fit from running. But then we must have got a very covid like flu bug on way home as I’m on day 9-10 now and still in bed feeling utterly poo. It’s such lovely blue sky weather perfect for early morn spring runs. Hopefully I’ll be up and about soon to make the most of it.

How are you feeling @Jumbojem as I can’t imagine running with how I’ve felt this week it’s the same I was with covid last year.

@bloodredfeaturewall Hope you can continue to build back again with no issues

@bloodredfeaturewall amazing! Let's hope it continues that way.
@januaryOsunshine sadly in the same boat as you, its been 2 weeks since i felt "normal ". Can manage a couple of miles walking but running is unthinkable. Not least as I'm still deaf in one ear and it's making me feel off balance. I have bailed on Sunday's event which I'm disappointed about. I've looked for something else in a couple of months but nothing grabbing me as yet.

Hope you feel better soon @Jumbojem and @JanuaryOSunshine and able to get out and enjoy the warmer weather. I took eclipse glasses along for my trail run on Saturday which wa fun.

I'd like to get down to running club in the lighter evenings but it seems to have a bad effect on my sleep and tanks my HRV so I will keep trying to get a daytime run in when I can.

I did the last long run of my training plan yesterday, by the sea on a gorgeous sunny day and it is good to be nearly into taper phase. Knees are a bit cranky from the distance but hopefully will perk up with a lighter load.

sorry your still feeling poo @Jumbojem i too have had ear ache and really blocked sinus. The fatigue has been really hard as I’m normally such a energised person I’ve had to walk the dog by taking her somewhere we can do a slow 20min walk so she can sniff and run around to burn off energy whilst leaning on trees as I’ve felt so crap. The week before I was doing an hours brisk dog walk & a half hour run so hopefully I will bounce back in a week or so

Just catching up on the thread while finishing my coffee before going out and so sorry to hear about the poorly people @Jumbojem and @JanuaryOSunshine . Hope you both bounce back soon.

I've been bimbling along with training, also managed a couple of swims this week and got out on my bike yesterday. Today is a drop back this week so my long run is shorter than last week.

@UnaOfStormhold enjoy the taper!

@BogRollBOGOF I share your fuelling dilemma. I've gradually dropped a couple of KG this year by having sensible portions and giving up wine (not that I drank much before, but some blood tests last year revealed high cholesterol, and of the list of advice from the GP that was the only thing I could do - I don't smoke, I already exercise, eat healthily, and have an OK waist to hip ratio so reducing alcohol, from an already low base, was the only option left). Daily yoga has helped with strength and sleep.

Enough procrastinating! Off I go.

How's everyone doing? Hope you've all been managing to get out running in this lovely weather!
I didn't make my event last weekend, I was still not better and just a few miles walking was exhausting. However, been for my first run in 3 weeks today. Not pretty, both my legs and lungs were complaining. Onwards and upwards though, I have put an " improve fitness" plan on my garmin. It includes strength workouts as well as running and isn't like the plans I've done before where there is a coach (Amy, Greg or Jeff). Tomorrow's run is 1hr so think that will be a trail run/walk for me and taken very easy.

Glad you have managed to get back out again. @Jumbojem I’m thinking of going out tomorrow also not run for 3wks this covid like virus then 4d headache-migraine has really knocked my energy out. I’ve kept up walking the dog so I may combine a trail run /walk with ddog tomorrow

I've started my latest HM training plan; I'm trying Nike Run Club this time. No annoying beeping from the watch because the "easy pace" just feels awkward and jarring to be that slow, but still a live set of instructions.

I "enjoyed" my hill reps and being talked through. Definitely easier than trying to remember a paper plan (or manually inputting into Garmin)

It's been a recovery week following a race and I've had the osteopath, so not many days of being on form for running. I was fresher than usual for my circuits class so gave that some welly this week which felt good. That does make me appreciate the strength I've gained in recent years.

How long is the HM plan @BogRollBOGOF? I need to find something to aim for, in the midst of DC doing GCSE/A levels so feel like life is on hold a bit until June now. But something late summer would be good!

Pleased I did a slower 7.5k this morning after walking dog so it was good to get 10k+ in the legs and hopefully seen the back of this virus at last!

Has anyone got an idiots guide or YouTube vid that could help me understand how the garmin coach thing works? I’ve got a vivoactive watch and tried it a year or so ago but just got frustrated and gave up as it kept beeping at me but not when I thought it would. I’d like to try again and see if I can build up from 10k + with a plan

Did 14k this morning with 300m elevation. Have had an off week with exercise this week and this is day 2 of a hideous migraine - bed didn’t fix it yesterday so decided to try running and miraculously it has improved it although felt like my head would burst on the sharper inclines. Drank lots of water for a change as I remembered to take some with me.

sorry to hear of all the illnesses. I was sick from August to January with one cold or cough after another so I’m glad I’ve dodged the spring ones. Hope everyone is fighting fit again soon.

I really liked Nike Run Club, having a voice in your ear telling you what to do does make it easier and I loved some of the interviews with famous runners.

I have also done garmin coach so I don't know if I can help? I did find it a bit annoying mostly as if uou accidentally hit the lap button there wasn't a way to undo it.

Hi, can I join this thread please? 🙂 I'm on the second week of couch to 5k so I'm way behind most (probably all!) of you on this thread but I'm finding the chat here inspiring. I had a decent level of fitness many years ago so trying to get back there and the NHS C25K seemed like a good place to start!

For those of you who started running by completing C25K what did you do after that? Did you follow another training program, join a club or just do your own running a few times a week? Thank you.

welcome @SoapCollector

I guess many of us have started out doing c25k.
I did with my dc during the lockdowns as school gave us a paper with 'activities to do ...' still run regularly. sometimes with dc, most times on my own.

It's a 12 week plan to go to the end of June. I then tend to have a phase of shorter runs in mid-summer before picking up autumn HM training.

@SoapCollector I never did the c25k - I’m too old! I started running before smart phones were a thing. I’ve always just run on my own in an ad hoc fashion. There is a running club local to me that I am psyching myself up to joining but it’s fell running so quite hardcore. Trying to lose some flab first so I can run up the hills and not just be walking miles behind everyone. Much as I love running alone, I think I’d be way more consistent if I ran with a club. And I’m quite sociable so always up for meeting new people. My sister has just joined a running club and she’s loving it, as she recently moved and so is discovering loads of nice runs through the club and making new friends.