Running goals, motivation and chat 2026 - Part 3!

[BogRollBOGOF]

Hello runners!

Continuing on with our general running chit chat...

Is anyone using a vibration plate? I’ve been spammed on my socials with them so one found its way into my basket. I’m using it in the morning to wake up. Before a run and a longer session after runs. Too early to tell if it’s working yet.

I haven’t used one @Cantbesure I might have a look into them though. I have brought a heart rate monitor chest strap this morning! I keep getting sold running things! 😂

@Whataninterestinglookingpotato interested to know how it compares to the garmin heart monitor. Do let us know.

no races for me this weekend. I did parkrun. Didn’t floor it but did find it very hot and was sub 29. I also did a club social long run on Sunday. We did 12 miles but slowly and with lots of stops which I was grateful for. This running malarkey never feels easy 🙈😂

@Cantbesure i will report back once I have tried it. It should be coming today. Undecided whether or not to try it out on Bristol half at the weekend. Well done on your long run over the weekend.

has anyone ever done a backyard ultra? I'm eyeing one up for October but im undecided. it does look like a fun challenge!

I bought one too ha ha. But not sure when is best to use? After a run as a recovery? Never thought about using as soon as get up to wake me up. Need all the help...

@Cantbesure i tested my heart rate monitor out tonight by taking it on a run that I knew would raise my heart rate. I feel that it was probably quite a bit more accurate than my watch and my vo2 max went up by quite a bit after. It stayed in position reasonably well. All in all, quite pleased for £20. I’m still debating whether to use it on Sundays half or not. I might wear it to track tomorrow and Jen decide.

did a 5k up a big hill tonight at quite a fast pace to test out the monitor. Then I did the hills session that takes place near my house. All good fun.

@Whataninterestinglookingpotato that’s very interesting. How did the readings compare with your watch? £20 is a bargain!

It’s hard to say because I have connected it to my watch so the readings I see are from the monitor. I may disconnect it from my watch and have it just on my phone for a run so that I can compare the two. I found that my heart rate came down quicker even if it went up when I was going up hills compared to normal.

it was like 30% off on Amazon so thought I’d give it a go. So far so good.

@louise12112 I use it in the morning for a couple of minutes with my coffee. Sometimes I do lymphatic drainage massages I’ve seen on insta. Then maybe a minute or 2 before a run. And about 10 mins after a run including resting my calves on it, thighs, sitting on it etc.

I did an 8 hour backyard ultra, so not a true backyard but run on the same format with an max of 8 yards, it was both fun and hard! I’m not a fast runner at all and the first 5 laps I got back in time to have something to eat and have a breather but lap 6 I got back with only about 2 minutes to spare and I DNF’d on lap 7. I would do another one!

Did a local 5k last night and got a PB. 27 mins. I honestly don’t think I could go any faster!!

Thanks for sharing the backyard ultra experience @Iamanunsafebuilding

Well done on your 5k PB @Cantbesure

i did the great Bristol half today. I wasn’t feeling on top running form as I’ve been feeling like I’m trying to come down with something all week and my period is due any moment which always makes me feel a bit sluggish. I also made a slightly poor life choice and did some afternoon day drinking in the sun yesterday so could have felt fresher this morning! 😂
despite that I managed a decent time. My official time is 1:37:08 but Strava thinks I got a PB of 1:36:03. I didn’t, it’s just that the course was busy and so there was a lot of weaving to get round people which increases the distance you run, as it does on the majority of busy races. Still a nice day out as went with one of the other ladies from the club and saw one of my sisters who came out to support.

happy running all.

I'm back from my Suffolk coast trrail adventure. It was harder than I expected, not least as it was self-navigated and my Garmin is not up to date enough to upload a map, or however it works - so I bimbled along with phone in hand for big parts of it and went the wrong way several times. I spent far too long at the checkpoints with several loo stops/vaseline top ups on my chafed underarms/snacks/chatting to the lovely volunteers. But I did have a grand day out and we went up to the coast on Friday night and came back today so it was a proper mini break.

Lovely to hear all the running updates I’m sadly on the injury bench proper now. I reduced and reduced my runs but even doing 1x5k easy weekly has left me struggling to walk with hip pain. Cycling doesn’t seem to aggravate it too much but swimming and walking does. No idea if it’s tendinitis or bursitis or old age arthritis kicking in. Got a sports massage later hoping that and some cold sea walking slowly to ice it will help. I have to walk the dog so can’t just do nothing. But feeling fed up at the thought of losing my run fitness yet again as last time it took me 6 hard months to get just a 5k back, it does suck getting older.

Anyone got good recommendations for a self massage gun? I do use a foam roller and spiky ball to help do trigger point self massage but wonder if a gun with help too?

@TheDaffsareOutRunning sorry to hear you’re out with injury. It really sucks. I hope the sports massage helps. I brought a massage gun from Amazon for about £20. I’ve been very pleased with it but have never owned an expensive one so I can’t give you a comparison. But it’s helped my healing injury quite a bit.

Hello runners.

i went to my local parkrun for the first time in quite a while this morning. They had to change the course as its on a working farm and the ploughed and planted part of the old route. I think the new course is actually better and I got a PB for that location. 2nd female too, so that was good. Tried out my new trail shoes and they were fab! Very pleased with them!! Looking forward to taking them on some longer adventures.

hope everyone has a good weekend of running.

@WhataninterestinglookingpotatoI did my local parkrun as part of a 10k today. They changed the route last summer as it’s around a nature reserve and one of the fields cracked badly when it was really dry. I prefer the amended route and I think it’s staying! Well done on your PB and yay for the new trail shoes

Well done on your long run with a parkrun included @Iamanunsafebuilding i keep thinking I’ll do this but for me to run to my nearest and then run it and run home again makes about a 20 mile run 😂. Maybe I’ll do it at some point. friends of mine did it this weekend which made an 18 mile run for them. She actually came 3rd female in the middle of her run! And he did a 21 min park run, which on that course is quick!

I had a lovely chilled run in the new forest today. Meeting up with dd1 as I’m pacing her for her first half next weekend and then we’re doing a trail half together in June. She did absolutely brilliantly and held up really well over the 10.5 miles. We have now decided to aim for 1:55 and hopefully faster for the half next weekend! It’s not going to be quite the leisurely run I was thinking I was going to get 😂. Not flat out for me, but not a plod either!

happy running all

I had a nice weekend. Sports massage on Friday so mainly walked parkrun as I was feeling somewhat battered, but it was a nice morning for it, and DS kept me company. Yesterday I got to 10 miles on my plan, and managed to dodge the showers of rain and hail.

Sorry I've been absent for a while! There's been some cracking runs, well done all!

Ive had trouble with my stomach on alot of runs recently. Im pretty convinced its diet related, Was wondering if it was gluten but think its possibly fat. Im usually worst effected when im running away from home, so eating easy meals or eating out.
I did a 10 miler a couple of weeks ago that was just awful. My stomach was cramping so bad.

However, this weekend I have done a 24hr event (amazing! Loved it, i definitely am an ultra 'runner') and loaded up heavily on carbs and didnt really have any issues, a slight bit of trapped wind feeling for the first 4hrs but nothing awful. I completed 16 laps, 95km, 3000m of elevation (i musmusttuss like them hilly) and came 5th female. Very very pleased. Considering I walked id guess at least 70% of it

Off to catch up on everyone's posts now.

@BogRollBOGOF How do you feel after a sports massage? Ive never had one, and never particularly felt i needed one and if im honest, id worry they'll hurt me 🤣 but ive got 4 more ultras booked in this year so maybe thinking its something i should consider. But then I think, if its not broken dont fix it.

@Whataninterestinglookingpotato I've just completed a 24hr ultra lap event. The format is slightly different to a backyard in that it do as many as you like in 24hrs. I loved it. Absolutely loved it. The night running especially was amazing. The other runners were so supportive, not competitive at all.
Im already looking for my next one 🤣

@SFRSmum I have a sports massage every month and have done for years. I’ve tried a few different people but my current lady I’ve seen for 8yrs. She’s L5 trained and very knowledgeable like physio really helps maintain my long standing niggles. She’s also a pilates teacher so often gives me advice on strengthening bits. If you can find one listed on here Level5 trained normally means they are good www.theisrm.com/

@Whataninterestinglookingpotato wow that’s some run well done. I hope you can sort the stomach issues. My DH struggles too at times with his stomach and not really found a solution he runs longer distances as well. Mostly he runs on an empty stomach not ideal though and has played around with trying those carb drinks on really long runs which helped. I eat gluten free and plain carbs sit better in my stomach too if running.