Running goals, motivation and chat 2026 - Part 3!

[BogRollBOGOF]

Hello runners!

Continuing on with our general running chit chat...

Hi @BogRollBOGOF good for you!

I feel like you and me are running similar types of runs atm. Even though I am not doing C25K.

I am on run / walk blocks of 4min: 1min and was intending to "graduate up" till 9min: min this week before my injury re-flared.

It is very frustrating as only in August I was banging out 18-21km runs every week and finding that okay. But, just as you say, doing anything is better than nothing, and we have to believe that each completed session is laying down a solid foundation for the future.

I'm reminding myself that it's a temporary set back, and I've been here before a few years ago with a different tendon injury. With that one I went from C25k to (deferred!) marathon in a year and followed up with a 5k speed plan and got a new parkrun pb.
This one has annoyed me more because it's been more limiting for cross training and I now have less time for alternatives like swimming.

Anyway, parkrun day tomorrow

Ahhh @BogRollBOGOF happy memories of those first longer C25K runs. Mine are all recorded for posterity on a MN thread somewhere, under a different name.

parkrunday here tomorrow as well, and then supporting DS1 and several chums at our local HM on Sunday.

I too have happy c25k memories. I did it a friend starting in a very cold and dark early March round and round a local playing field with my friend. It was 2021 and still had some Covid restrictions going on and it was a nice way of getting outside consistently. My fiend and I ran together all that summer getting up to about 10k towards the end.

I have revisited it a couple of times as until 2 years ago I didn’t run from the end of November until March. It’s only the last 2 years I’ve been running with any real conviction.

I hope it helps you to build back up again injury free @BogRollBOGOF

My first round of C25k began about this time of year and took until March. I was finally feeling like a (puffed out) functional human after a baby earlier in the year and needed a flexible way to get fit around feeds. We had a few hiccups and pauses along the way, but as well as doing great work at getting me fit, it was lovely having those little windows to do something for myself, by myself even if it tended to be at stupid o'clock at night after the cluster feeds.

I can't imagine having the energy to go running after 10pm now 😂

Parkrun done!
A pleasant sub40 run/ walk. Some niggles but that was to be expected having run yesterday too.

I've done a Get Fit Wth Rick "tai chi walking" video as a cooldown afterwards and that's felt nice to gently mobilise in a variety of different directions and I think I need more of that to balance myself up again.

Nice! @BogRollBOGOF glad your parkrun went well!!

I was super proud of dd2 this morning (the non running dd) who messaged me this morning and said “guess what I’ve just done!” She had taken herself off to parkrun near her uni halls and got a 5k PB there!! She was very pleased with herself. She even dragged her flat mate along with her.

I did a nice easy 9 miles this morning, which started as zone 2 and then turned progressive due to time and hills 😂.

I have an 18 mile training run planned with a gang of us tomorrow. Some tempo miles some easy. They’re quite a fast bunch so I’m not expecting it to be relaxing! 😂

Oh hello all! I haven't been on this thread in ages. It is lovely to see you all here still running, although sorry to hear about a few injuries kicking about.
I'm semi on the injury bench, very painful hip joint, although it is fine on flat ground and the worst is sitting for long periods.
I did parkrun today and somehow got a PB, 26.34, which beats my 26.48 of a month ago. Not entirely sure how I managed either with the reduced running. Maybe a sub 25 is doable, even post 50?!
Anyone else glad the summer heat has finally gone? It was not my running friend, although dark evenings are also not that fun, ploughing through a puddle you hadn't seen!

Are you fresher for resting more?

Mine's been struglling with the hills and sitting too. I've ended up getting a moulded cushion which has helped. I'll need to lug it to work on Monday as it's INSET with lots of sitting on hard plastic chairs. I think our INSET in the summer term did more damage than the half marathon a few days earlier!

Hello @Jumbojem ! Lovely to see you posting again! Sorry to hear about your hip.

And wowsers, massive well done on your parkrun PB.

I am enjoying the cooler weather (although not today's fog).

Great work on your parkruns @BogRollBOGOF and young @Whataninterestinglookingpotato . I did the first timers' briefing last week and we had a bunch of students from our local uni turn up. I hope their parents were proud.

Hope your long run goes well tomorrow @Whataninterestinglookingpotato . We're going to watch DS1 in the local HM and I might run home afterwards (depends what we do for lunch tbh)

Well done @BogRollBOGOF

For myself...

ARGH ARGH ARGH

I got out to do a 4km, yes 4km form run today. 4km!! And the inury flared. It was really getting better over about 6w and now it's like back to square one.

My AI "coach" says, neurological fatigue and being fair, the last 3w have been a beast, with 2 8h drives, a root canal needed re-doing, DD2 hospitalised with concussion, half term childcare and house guests, and super intense time at work. I guess it's a lot in relatively speaking, a few days.

But how can it stop me running 4 bloody k without a problem? Argh! This is baby stuff 😒

Good to see you back @Jumbojem and well done on your parkrun PB! It sounds like sub 25 may well be on the cards in the not so distant future!!

Hope your DS got on well in his half @OhOneOhTwoOhThree it’s great that so many of the DC are running!

sorry to hear you’re still struggling @JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff its just so frustrating!!

I did the 18 mile training run today. As I guessed it wasn’t the most relaxing run but I enjoyed it. It was only a couple of chaps and I who were able to hold out the whole route to the end. I ended with the fastest guy who is a 6ft5 Viking of a man, but a super lovely guy (he probably could have gone faster than me but was being nice 😂). Little 5ft3 me was trotting alongside taking 2 steps for every one of his 🤣. We managed an average pace of 7:48 mins/mile and I was able to chat the whole way despite the hills. So that was good. Some of the others branched off and did their own thing and then we all met at the pub at the end for a pint and a catch up.

marathon ready for next week now. Just hope my slightly niggly hip behaves itself! It was staring to complain a bit the last couple of miles today but is only a tiny bit achy now I’ve stopped. I can always tape if it’s being annoying next week.

Good for you @Whataninterestinglookingpotato sounds like you are really flying! So nice to hear 💓

Thank you @Whataninterestinglookingpotato - he made his goal time despite taking a tumble on the way round and grazing his knee and elbow. He's only recently got into running as a serious endeavour rather than as fitness training for his main sport. He decided over the summer to have a year off doing his main sport competitively and focus on training for a marathon instead. Since then he's also signed up for an ultra. I don't know where he gets it from <<whistles innocently>>

Great work on your training run - you sound very ready for your marathon.

@JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff sorry to hear your injury has flared again - hope it improves soon.

Oh, and I did run home after watching DS finish - only 5.5 miles but it was good to be out.

Back in the game for me this weekend after a whole week of post marathon rest! Did a dog-partnered 5k loop yesterday, and a Hyrox class today.

Now why has social media started serving me ridiculous race adverts I wonder - the latest is "Harry's king of the hill" which is an ultra in Victoria, Australia. 4.2km lap with a 350m hill every hour. Last time I looked they were on hour 40 and there were about 15 runners left. That means they've done 4 marathons. Nutters.

A 4km run is still more than the majority of the population can pull off. With experience it's easy to loose the scale of distance that falls in your normal range and take it for granted. It's still fucking annoying when particular components of your body do not cooperate though

I'd reached a point some years ago where I was running 3 HMs per year and it didn't take much training to cycle my body up to the distance because I was used to it, and could bosh out a 10mi run on a whim. I remember driving home from racing a HM, turning off the motorway onto the A road and seeing a distance roadsign for my town 13 miles away and thinking, "Shit, I just ran that! It is a long way!"

My C25k runs are about 4km, and parkrun has been my limit for the last 4 months.

In good news though. I've done a local "hike" into the fields (before they turn into swamps) and walked 4 miles/ 6km-ish which is the longest I've done on foot since June. No bother on my dodgy side. I did feel my right hip flexor a little; used not abused. I'm thinking that having managed that, building in some regular hiking will do me a lot of good at rebuilding some strength and stamina with less strain than the impact of running and help with the rehab process.

I feel like I'm coming out of the doldrums a bit at last.

Another C25k done. Repeated wk5 run 1 as I didn't think I was up to the longer bursts of run 2 after work today. I did get a tired feeling whinging in my glute, but I think that's primarily down to stressing it in work.

I think, assuming it settles in the next 2 days, I should be OK to move on for the next run...

@BogRollBOGOF good for you, really well done. I feel like I'm a coupla steps behind you, so it's a real inspiration. For me, I would also say that getting out and doing a 5km when my brain is terrified the injury is coming back takes more mental grit than saddling up for 15 or 20km when I'm uninjured.

I've had 2 back to back strength sessions in the gym yesterday and today, going heavy on upper body cos I can and then doing lots of sloooow patient goblet squats with just a medium dumbbell of 22kg.

Tomorrow, my AI "coach" has suggested a power walk to avoid impact, so up at half five to squeeze that in before school run and work.

Glad things are going in the right direction @BogRollBOGOF

hope you will soon be too @JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff

i did a gym class on Monday where they made us do so many combinations of weighted squat and lunge combinations and I coupled with my weekend of back to back long runs my legs are really feeling it!!

i managed 10.5 easy (until the end where I raced a couple of guys, stupidly) club run last right and a 4 mile trail plod with my dog today but I’m honestly pretty stiff and sore. Hoping it sorts itself out before Sundays marathon!! I did have a hill repeats session planned for tomorrow but will see how the legs are. I’m def giving track a miss!!

happy running all.

Rest will do you more good at this point than sticking to the plan out of principle.

I think I'll feel it tomorrow... I did another C25k run after work (had to use a twighlight-friendly route) and I've had a strength class. My butt is feeling well-used now, but I think it's muscular which should be for the greater good.

@BogRollBOGOF i don’t have a plan exactly but Thursday is always hill reps night and it’s a nice social one where we go to the pub after. So I like to go if I can. I may go and just take it steady. I’ve only had a plan for Newport marathon this year and I’m incredibly bad at sticking to them! 😂😂.

Hopefully the feeling of being well used is a positive one!! Well done on the run and strength class!

Ran 6km yesterday morning, have bought myself a light up vest so I can be seen!
It was my first run since my 23mile walking challenge on Saturday, calves (calfs?) have been screaming since then so needed a few recovery days!
Found out my lab has cancer this week so his running days with me will soon be over, I will relish every one until then. 💔

@Iamblossom sorry to hear about your doggy. I moan about how annoying mine is all the time but I will be super sad the day she isnt able to run with me anymore. Treasure these last runs.

well done on your run and your long walk. I hope your calf’s (I think) are feeling better. Sometimes a gentle run does help free things up.

I feel a lot freer today so will do some gentle hill reps later (just don’t want miss out on the pub 😂).

Oh @Iamblossom ❤️‍🩹 I'm sorry

Short strength session in gym after work today, out power walking again to activate glutes at 530 tomo morning!

🍑💪