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?

Signed up for a "fun run", built up to 10k, accidentally ran it all and found myself talked into my first HM which took place a year after my first C25k run

Parkrun is worth getting into. It's a nice gateway into a running community and as casual as you want it to be.

A lot of people want to improve their speed and it's worth varying your run structure through the week. If you have time, build up one longer, slower run for stamina and then play with one run doing some kind of paced work. New runners are often quite mono-paced and there's a skill in learning how to vary pace to do faster intervals, slow gentle runs and run different paces for different distances.

There's a lot of clubs around. I struggle to fit them with mum-taxi duty in the evening, but there are online club options too.

Welcome @SoapCollector I re-did C25K last year after a break of a year from running with health issues. Took me quite a few months to get comfortable doing 5k again as i built back up slowly but still went out 3x a week as I knew I could walk 5k in an hour then it was just a case of doing more running and slowly my time came down to 32mins is my happy average now. I’m quite happy doing that in my 50s. Then after 6 months I started running bit further once a week and got it back to doing the odd 10k. Next goal is build to an autumn/winter HM. Hope you enjoy getting outside running it’s a great head clearer.

Thanks @UnaOfStormhold I’ll have a look at the Nike fun club as I’d prefer an audio cue like the c25k app rather than pushing buttons on my watch. I did find a youtube video explaining garmin coach app but it seems fiddly with the garmin buttons as my touch screen isn’t always accurate when hot n sweaty running

I meant run club then again maybe there is a Nike fun club!

Glad to hear most are on the mend! I've just figured out what jeffing is 😂. Myself and the kids had great fun watching the various coach intro videos recently. Jeff particularly caught our eye ... he's "written dozens of books" ~eyebrow waggle~

Many thanks to you all for the warm welcome 🙂 and some great advice already.

@bloodredfeaturewall I would love to get up to the same speed and distance as my DC!

@Fibrous my first go at running was way before smart phones and apps too! Thinking about it I quite like the headspace and peace that comes from running alone. Plus I can't talk much and run at the same time at the moment!

@bloodredfeaturewall sorry not sure where the cute dog giff came from! 🤭

@BogRollBOGOF I'm going to do park run again when I get fitter. I understand that there's also a park walk option now too. At the moment I think I may get carried away and treat it like a race (I'm quietly competitive when doing things like this) end up trying to go too fast! I seem to only have two speeds at the moment, slow jog and walk!

I agree it's tricky to fit it in around being a mum taxi.🙂

@JanuaryOSunshine sounds like you've made some great progression with your running I'd be super happy with a 32min 5k. Good luck with your HM goal. I'm planning on taking c25k slowly to avoid injury (hopefully!) I'm loving being outside in the fresh air, yes it is a great head clearer.

Well done to everyone running. I’m getting used to the warmer weather. Nearly! Still a bit slower than winter running unfortunately. But better than not doing it still.

My strategy yesterday (with injured DS) was to start at the back, walk much of the first km then we ran/ walked 60s/ 30s intervals.

Walking has long been a thing at parkrun (when DS was 5, we ran/ walked it in about 50 mins) but in the last 18m they've really been promoting it as a mainstream way to participate which is great for walkers and slower runners.

Could I join? I have been running on and off for 7 years. Am mid fifties. Keep getting up to 10k and then letting it slip again. Am a fair weather runner. Struggle to run in the rain as I have to wear glasses and can’t see where I am going.
Am currently back up to 8k and I have a 10k race in 3 weeks. At the beginning of this week I was going to pull out but my running buddy is desperate for us to do it so am going to give it a go. I am doing ok on the flat but this run is not flat 🙄
My aim for this year is to actually keep my fitness up and run a 10k regularly. I also want to start going a bit beyond 10k as that is the furthest I have ever run.
I am keeping my goals simple in the hope that I can achieve them and stay motivated.

The run walk (Jeffing!?) may be a good way for me to start back at parkrun. How long did it take you to complete the course? I'm not sure that I'm covering anywhere near 5k at the moment doing 30mins of run/walk c25k. Hope you both enjoyed it.

Hello @Iwontlethtesungodownonme welcome! 🙂

Sorry to hear that so many have been under the weather. I took a couple of weeks off after my HM as my knee was niggling and I was booked on a bootcamp and didn't want to miss out. That was last week so I had some lovely runs on various Northumbrian beaches last week. Now back in the London smoke and my knee is really painful so think I will be resting for some time to come. Annoying as I'm booked for the Oxford Town v Gown HM next month.

Thank you 😊

eurgh @Londonmummy66

hope your knee 'unsqueaks' soon.

can you do swimming or cycling for cardio in the meantime?
my foot coped well with circle training at the gym and general weight training.

nothing as satisfying as running though.

It was about 39 mins.
Last finishers came in at 55mins which is pretty typical and plenty of runners and walkers behind us including my friend in the 75-79 age group who jogs it all and was 42 mins yesterday.

Some courses are more "walkery" than others.

Last week I went to a trail course that is popular with nordic walkers. Yesterday's is a fast course but also easy for walkers and has a good core.
There's another in the area that's a bit more scenic, but doesn't seem to be quite so walkery. I don't know if it's because it's that little bit harder, but not quite full on rambler. Plus it has a bit of a pinch point around the zone where you tend to be lapped. I was once doing it with young DS, said "behind" to him as the front runner was belting down the hill, he looked over his shoulder and decided to match the front runner's pace 😂

Looking at the results gives a good idea about the distribution of paces. Over 45 mins is likely to be walking. 40-50 is often run/ walk to walking.

Thanks @BogRollBOGOF your friend in the 75-79 age group sounds amazing (and fitter than me!). Think it will be a few weeks before I try a parkrun but the run walk sounds like a good idea for starting back at it for me. I did a few parkruns in different locations in the past, all were friendly and welcoming but some seemed to attract faster runners than others, so I'll be checking the finish times before I go!

She's brilliant. She feels frustrated because she's slowing up, but I'm still in awe that she's out there giving it a go most weeks.
She started in her 60s too.

It turns out that she was at my first ever parkrun 10 years ago- I noticed because I randomly decided to look at the results and see how the distribution of finish times had changed, and spotted a few names of people still going.

It's a good life goal to aim towards

I’ve got an an amazing friend didn’t start running until early 60s and now in her 70s regularly wins her age category and in top 10 overall at races. She had no idea she was good at running but a complete natural and way faster than me. She actually used a friends hubbie 20yrs her junior to get a parkrun PB it was brillant. Her hubbie late 70s still does sky diving I’m in awe of both of them living life to the full. Definitely keep moving how ever you can it’s stood my parents in good stead too. It’s why i was determined last year to claw my running back even though it took me 6months to get comfortable running a5k nonstop again. I do need a longer warm up though now.

Loving these stories of older women runners. There was a lady on YouTube I watched a few running vlogs of, I think she was a competitive (Olympic) mid distance runner back in the 80s. She's 60s now but still way faster than I ever was. Very inspiring but my middle aged brain can't think of her name at all.
I did the 8 min intervals on my run yesterday, plan said to do 3 x 8 mins at a faster pace. I only did 2 times and bit disappointed with the pace as despite feeling like I was pushing it was way way slower than where I was a year or so ago. Made worse by the fact my new found running pal seems to be going the other way and getting faster. This is why I prefer a trail run, it's more fun and pace doesn't really matter!

Two Running Brooms on youtube are masters runners. They're even faster than DS2 😂

I think it's safe to say that I'll never keep up with them despite being 20 years younger!

On a random running youtube tangent, I love Crown My Run and their sibling rivalry. Great commentary of their races and parkruns.