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?

I don’t use the gym but just had a period of using a treadmill, admittedly in an amazing place, now back and on the road round the park.

I could feel it. A treadmill is bouncy for sure and possibly better for knees. Need to get back into the feeling of the hard surface

After yesterday's hill sprints I knocked out a pretty pacy (for me) 28 min 5k. Very happy with both. Tomorrow I need to do a weights session so the run is likely to be a slowish 2k just to warm up first.

I did a track session on Tuesday that was a bit slippery, and prioritised strength/weights today. Tomorrow I'm wfh so hoping to squeeze in an easy run, in daylight which is a treat during the week in winter!
Is it bad that I've signed up for a race but hoping it is cancelled? Parts of the route are underwater at present ....😬

I'm jealous of you able to run outside, I haven't managed to get out since Saturday. It is pure ice everywhere around here and I will not risk running outdoors (I am a radiographer and will not risk a fracture seeing what I do at work 😀). I also hate treadmill and don't do gym so I am waiting until it thaws and just doing stretching at home.

Luckily my race isn't for a while yet so I have time.

It was icy but drove short distance to the beach for a very cold sunrise run. I’d wanted to do 7k but didn’t have enough time as delayed going until light and have a busy work day, pleased I still got 5k done despite -2c, I was wearing 4 layers plus gloves & 2 buffs ran on frozen sand!

I'm very jealous of @JanuaryOSunshine and @Doublethecuddles beach runs! Amazing. Well done to everyone, a lot of activity for a tricky time of year.

I was a bit dubious this morning about how slippery the pavements would be but I was keen to get out, which is a huge improvement in attitude over a month ago, so I'll take that. Very bracing. My spaniel looked like he wanted to come but bailed at the last minute, which was probably just as well, he's pretty strong when he catches a scent @BunBabbitBun

Hi All. Finally made it back from France (got caught up in the flight delays due to snow at Liverpool and Bristol and spent 24 hours at Geneva airport/ Geneva airport hotel). This week I've managed a 6k and a 5k solo and a chatty 6k with my friend and her dog today. Weather not too bad here as I live about as far south as is possible without being French, so it's a balmy 0 degrees. Bit of ice but not much, so I basically have no excuse.

Focusing on pace and trying to increase it on these shorter runs. I was super ill before Christmas and the one upside was I lost a bit of weight which seems to be helping. I generally find I can run any distance you ask at >6min/km but getting under 5min/km is hard hard hard. Going to start going to Parkrun again as somehow easier to run fast in a pack, especially when you realise you're in danger of getting beaten by some racing snake 70 year old :-)

Will also try to get a longer run in tomorrow but between work (wfh currently) and house renovations (millions of people coming to quote for stuff and giving 6 hr windows as to when they're coming) it's proving a bit tricky.

Anyone fancy sharing good kit recommendations I recently got some Decathlon own brand winter running tights and they are really good, have a drawstring and pocket on waist band plus lovely and warm. I’ve just bought a second pair as I been wearing them working at home too as snuggly. www.decathlon.co.uk/p/women-s-warm-running-leggings-kiprun-run-100-warm-black/_/R-p-340988

Seal skinz running socks- expensive but for long runs/ races when dry feet are going to make a big difference to morale, worth it.

This is such a helpful thread! Special thanks to @Londonmummy66 whose post inspired me to go and do my hill repeats this morning - it's pretty flat where I live so it's back and forth over a railway bridge along a main road. Far less attractive than a frozen beach!

Well done - at least mine were at a local park (with promise of coffee with friends afterwards. A railway bridge wouldn't cut it for me.

So jealous of @JanuaryOSunshine there's nothing quite like an early morning beach run. I sometimes go to a bootcamp in Northumberland and hitting the beach at the right time to see dawn over Bamburgh castle is magical.

They sound great - which ones do you recommend as they have several types on their website. I took my new trail shoes out for a baptism of mud on Saturday but my feet got pretty wet at one point.

https://www.sportsshoes.com/product/dex5/dexshell-waterproof-pro-visibility-ankle-waterproof-socks?_cur=GBP&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAhP67BhAVEiwA2E_9g6DMKNceuqsHThBQM3KduXo7FT6lhq4xRqhWmFvkJi0Q6qCnO-OEDxoCS24QAvD_BwE
Sorry for a long looking link but I have had both sealskinz and these Dex waterproof socks. I much prefer the Dex. Wore them during an extremely muddy XC event and had feet free of water and mud stains (the XC shoes are basically mesh!).
I have liked almost everything I've had from Decathlon, cheap but well tested, great basics for tops, shorts and leggings.
Rest day yesterday, will need to run in the dark and cold tonight. Although not icy or snowy here (I'm another Somerset runner). I was dreading my run Tuesday Eve but it wasn't as cold as I thought it might be. Just got very cold afterwards waiting in the car for DS to finish his activity. Does anyone else find if they can't shower/change immediately you just get cold in the core which is so hard to warm up from?

Decathlon's great for winter running gear. I think most of my themal kit is theirs.

The worst conditions I've raced in was a trail HM in April last year. It had been torrential rain all night and through the morning. It was a lapped course so the mud was already well churned by the ultras and marathoners. A lot of it was slithering ankle deep in gloopy mud, and featured a knee-deep lake. At least April isn't winter temperatures though!

I’m still in shorts and at four degrees a tank top

Two degrees the extra too may stay on

I prefer cold weather running, although I just got into the hot gym over last two weeks need to revert

I got deep-cold yesterday. Finished the run, collected the DCs from school, and the car just didn't warm through like it normally does. I had some soupl in a flask to eat while I waited for them. The warmest room in the house was 17⁰C. I ended up doing some yoga to get moving again before having my shower.

Yesterday reminded me of why in marathon training, I'd run out and back in different directions using the car as a base and change my t-shirt so I wasn't perpetually wet from sweat.

@Jumbojem thank you for that. The HM I' training for usually has a very very muddy final 3 miles. Last time I did it people were falling over like skittles so 'm quite keen to do it in trail shoes so I can get off the path (and run at my pace not that of the slowest person 50 runners in front of me). So waterproof socks would help!

Managed a faster than usual 4 1/2 miles hilly run this morning. It was cold but I was well wrapped up. @BogRollBOGOF it so easy to get chilled at this time of year. I always keep a puffa jacket in the car when finished.
@JanuaryOSunshine and like woolover socks, ankle socks made from wool and keep your feet warm.

Had to make my run short and sweet tonight due to a change of pick up plans for DC. So I want to thank whoever it was who suggested intervals, I programmed 4x400m into my watch with 1 min rests and ran the 400s as fast as I could manage (but trying to keep efforts across each one equal). Really enjoyed it!
Been doing easy pace runs for far too long and had forgotten how good a push of the pace can make you feel afterwards, not at the time though. I think there are a few local dog walkers who thought they were being chased by a panting woman 😂 I cannot nose breathe at all.

I was wfh today and managed to get out for a 40 min run at lunchtime, it was fab. About 1°c but beautiful sunshine, hardly any ice or wind, I loved it. Wish every winter run was like that!

I've learned from cold water swimming that if I can get warmth around me quickly, I'm better in light clothing while I suck up the heat. If I layer up in cold skin mode it just seems to insulate the cold in.
If there isn't heat then layering up stops futher heat loss.

My car tends to be a bit of a floordrobe. I keep a stash of race t-shirts in the boot anyway as post-run dry changes, but there's often jumpers or jackets left around in there too. I need to put the dryrobe back in after it recently wriggled into the house. That's another good post-run layer.

Yesterday I took my windproof off when getting sweaty uphill in the first half, but ended up putting it back on at the halfway point as I was already cooling off. That's a sign that it's really cold!

Huge well done to everyone getting out and about, or treadmilling in the cold weather! That beach picture is gorgeous.

I’m two walk-runs into the postnatal recovery plan and really enjoying Runna so far. It feels so nice to be back jogging again! Are lots of us heading to parkrun tomorrow? I’ll be on DS-and-dog duty still but will be counting down the weeks until an easy 5K turns up on my plan and I can hand them both over to DH and get my barcode out! 😄

I love running on the beach!

have to time it well though as at high tide the ideal zone between water and soft sand is non existent.

I think I've got the Holverstone but not 100% sure. There are lots of different lengths and waterproof levels.

Lovely run to the end of the golf course this morning. Slightly annoyed as Fitbit sdidnt start recording until 1/2 way round and won’t pare with Strava!
@bloodredfeaturewall running own soft sand is really tiring.