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?

Putting my plan to cheat at Parkrun into operation. I normally finish about 450-500th at my home run. Tomorrow I'm running in Kirkwall in Orkney. They have 60 or 70 runners so my position HAS to improve!
Hello to any (Orcadians? Orks?) out there!

I once came within the top 10 with a time of around 37 minutes 😂

Where? I'm a 37 minuter too!

Sounds like a good plan @Mysterian ! 😁 Good luck! The one I'm looking at attracts over 300 most weeks, maybe I need to look at quieter locations or just pretend I'm out for a walk 😂

Welcome @thirdistheonewiththehairychest (interesting NN!) :)

Thanks everyone for for the support. I did a 25min run this evening on the prom, got anxious about Sunday, thought it was horrible and slow and yet my time was actually quite fast (which is why I thought I was struggling, clearly 🙄).

I have to remember that I couldn’t even run this far back at the start of April when I started my training plan and the thought of running for 10km/longer than 30ish minutes was almost inconceivable so I really mustn’t stress over trying to do it under 60mins and just bloomin enjoy it!

I hope everyone’s runs go well this weekend and I’ll update you on Sunday…

Bevendean Down in Brighton. I'm not sure how many runners they get these days, but my top 10 was back in the days when it had only just started. It is renowned for being a very difficult course though...very hilly, rough ground (no footpaths at all), often requiring us to run through a herd of cows...

DH once went touristing internationally and came 10th.

Out of 17.

There's 500+ at our nearest run. He ain't beating 10th in a hurry!

Return to Parkrun done this morning! I got a time of 38.43. I'm really happy with that considering I was always around 42 mins a few years ago 😁 just need to try run all of it next time!

I did my longest run since pre lockdown today.
And I had a run buddy (arranged at 7.15am!) For just over half of it, which made it more bearable.
Well done parkrunners, I included a parkrun in my long run but when I do that, I don't put any pressure on myself for time, so it's more of a sociable thing

WellDone @SoapCollector it’s great when you achieve a goal.

@thirdistheonewiththehairychest sounds like a busy life. I try to think of 3x45min a week as “my” time and prioritise it into my schedule tbh. For me that works best first thing in the morning so I often run 7am or with the dog. DH runs mostly when he gets in from work at 6-7pm we support each other to prioritise it as it makes us feel good.

I had a lovely 5k beach run this morning as enough low tide to do it comfortably. Warm day though so had sea swim after with some friends

Thanks @JanuaryOSunshine 😁

Well done @Fizbosshoes on the long run

And @SoapCollector on the park run.

It’s so warm here. My runs are feeling it. I love the weather but it slows me down! Anyone else find this?

I guess I’ll just go with it and take the ups and downs.

I usually like running when it's sunny, but today is horrid! So humid!

Just done Week 8 Run 2 of C25k and feel so good for it!

Well done all the parkrunners! It’s already been very windy today here but I listened to a great podcast episode from Nike’s Coach Bennett earlier and have decided that yes even if I could potentially run sub-60, that is in perfect conditions. So as it isn’t going to be perfect conditions tomorrow, I’m going to ignore the pace completely, run to effort and see how I do.

Will stop going on about it soon I promise ie tomorrow afternoon after the race, I’m just quite nervous!

Thanks @Sparticle it was great to be back at a parkrun, such a positive atmosphere.
Sending you lots of luck for tomorrow. Please let us know how you get on. 🏃

Good luck @Sparticle hope you enjoy it.

im laughing at the PR stats and placings. My best “result” was getting top3 on a Strava segment once because the top place was held by an Olympic gold medal runner … I had just got very lucky it was a new “segment” but I screenshotted it. That runner is lovely & lives locally as we’ve seen them several times over the years & have been at our parkrun a few times.

Morning all, good luck @Sparticle

I'm off out for a long run which is panned around cafe opening times and potential loo stops. Not sure how far I'll get, as I twisted my foot at parkrun yesterday and it's a bit sore today.

Hope you had a good parkrun @Mysterian - one of my friends has set herself a parkrun challenge to run all the UK island parkruns but hasn't got that far north yet.

Only 53 people took part so my plan worked. I got a PB!
They get a lot of tourists. Looked like a quarter did the first timers talk.
Good flat course, bit open to weather.

Good luck everyone racing today.
C25K week 8/1 for me, 25mins ✅

A lovely morning and I’m staying with elderly and infirm parents, which always helps to reframe ugh this is awfully hard to ooh how lucky to be able to run outside in the sunshine ☀️

Good luck @Sparticle!!

You guys are really spurring me on with all this talk of 'long runs'...I'm sure I'll get there one day!

Best of luck @Sparticle!

Good luck @Sparticle may the wind be at your back.

Well done to all those who did park run yesterday.

I’ve done two 5k trails runs with the dog over the last couple of days. The trail I use most is the old park run route around the park land of a local stately home. They stopped doing park run there since covid and it’s now our nearest is on a farm about 8 miles away, so I haven’t bothered going, but may try it some time.

I’m debating a long run today but need to do some strength work as well. I may have to get myself some weights for home.

WellDone @NormaMajors1992coat week8 you must have nearly finished I think for C25K it’s such a great program I’ve used it 3x to reboot running.

Had a 2hr dog walk this morning such a lovely day but breezy. My hip flexor and toe being niggly again so may need to switch out Mondays run for cross training again. I’ve had the week off work and it’s been great seeing my garmin stats this week. My daily steps average is up to 16k plus some cycling & sea dips & gardening. Not looking forward to back to work again.

Well… the weather was absolutely dire this morning. Lashing rain, very high winds, forecast saying thundery rain at 10-11am (race at 11am).

I actually got upset before we left with the disappointment after all these weeks of training, pulled myself together, then had another mini meltdown in the car before I got out to find the registration - I was seriously considering not doing it. Basically it took DH telling me that I just needed to start it, give it ten minutes and see how I felt because I didn’t have to finish it if I didn’t want to.

My main issue with the weather was the rain actually, I’d come to terms with the wind. Because I wear glasses I would normally wear a cap so that I can see when I run but with the wind that wasn’t an option and I think that’s what was stressing me out the most. I decided to run with my glasses (I wear a lycra tube buff thing on my head to keep my hair off) and no cap.

Anyway, the first 2km was into the wind, then 5km back along with the wind behind me (I felt it help me along more than once) and then the final 3km back into fierce headwinds. It felt like I was running into a cushion.

Soooooo my result was…. 57:36!! Can’t believe it - I ran far faster the first 2km than I really planned to but luckily the tailwind helped the next section (when normally I’d probably have suffered from overdoing it) and then when I had to slow right down for the last 3km I’d done more than enough.

I barely looked at my watch and just went with effort. Thank you all for your support!

Now what do I do though - I don’t have a race to train for but I want to keep up this momentum. I like having a plan to follow really. Any thoughts?

Oh and after the first 2km I didn’t notice the rain and it had stopped by the time I turned back into the wind for the last 3km so my glasses had dried off by then. The sand blowing into my face I hadn’t anticipated though 😅