Running goals, motivation and chat 2026 - Part 3!

[BogRollBOGOF]

Hello runners!

Continuing on with our general running chit chat...

@SFRSmumwow sub 25 min 5K that’s fantastic!
how did the 9 year old go?
I run with my 7 year old which at times can be tough as they stop and want to walk a bit …when I’m ready to run faster the whole 5k

any tips ? 😊

@Lemontreeinthecity She got under 30mins last time we went and she can do the full 5k without stopping now but we do slow right down to a jog when she needs it. It took about 6 months of going regularly for her to be able to do it without stopping though. Biggest (and most obvious!) thing that made a difference is making sure she has water when we are running.

I use it as my easy run when I'm with her and don't push her at all, it's all at her pace, so she still enjoys going. Big bug bare of mine is seeing these poor kids getting dragged around by parents to while they are crying.

Lovely to hear about all the little running DC! Such a lovely thing to run with your kids and instil the love of it in them. My DC are older now but dd1 is nearly as fast as me now and dd2 is about half way through couch to 5k. They’re doing well!

well done on your sub 25 5k @SFRSmum that’s a great achievement.

local parkrun for me today. As I have said before it’s not a fast course and is across framers fields. I had a hard track session last night and it was quite an effort to get round today. But managed 23:23 and was first in my age category. So that was fun.

I have a trail half tomorrow but I have spend the afternoon getting a bit drunk with friends in the garden so will see how it goes. I was just going to bimble around but my young running friend (the guy I call my running son) has now decided to do an on the day sign up and wants to run it with me so I’ll have to pull my finger out. Pray for me! 😂😂.

We had a good parkrun today. I was just off 30mins but it was a solid tempo run, and I haven't done "high aerobic" in a few weeks. DS2 pulled ahead of me for his first sub-30 in a while after an injury over the winter. DH got a cb around 25 mins, and DS1 also got a sub 22 cb.
When we saw him after the first loop, DS2 exclaimed "he's a sodding front runner!"
(DS1 did slightly overshoot and end up with positive splits until his final sprint)

I hate reluctant children being lugged round; it's why I don't love tailwalking at juniors as it's always a bit of a gamble. In my DC's early days we finished a few juniors after the first lap to come back on a better day. That paid off as both DCs have done 200+ each.

@Whataninterestinglookingpotato hope the half goes well, and the head is not foggy this morning 🤣 a good run will be just the ticket for a semi hangover.

Well done to all @BogRollBOGOF family, what an excellent family effort!

Run club for me this morning for a social run, then a 8 mile hilly hike with family. Feel like I should have a rest day soon, but I've got too much to fit in 🤣

Thanks @SFRSmum it went ok. It was hot, hilly and I was more hungover than I would have liked to be 😂. The first half was a struggle but my friend was really thoughtful and didn’t moan about waiting for me up the hills. Though by about mile 8 I think I’d sweated most of the alcohol out and I got into my stride. At the end of the race I had to wait for my friend as he was starting to flag. I could have sprinted the last mile but I thought it would have been rude to do that as he had waited for me earlier in the race. We did do a sprint to the finish line and we ended up with the exact same time. 2:02 which I think was pretty respectable considering the 1700+ ft of elevation and very uneven terrain.

Hope you enjoyed your social run and hike @SFRSmum

well done on your family parkrun success @BogRollBOGOF

@SFRSmumthank you for the tip on the water. Any recommendations for water bottles - obviously something I don’t have to carry. No access to water on the run. No water bubblers.

Hello all! I have been awol for a bit again. I did a spot of parkrun tourism 23/5 and managed my best time in 12 years 26.25, edging closer to my all time pb.
Yesterday I did another half marathon, the route changed at the last minute to a much more hilly one, it was red hot, I'd hardly slept and to top it all off I fell over at mile 3! It was a 2 loop race and I was very very tempted to stop at 1 lap. Luckily some of my run club members were also running and kept me going. I managed my 3rd best half marathon time, 2h 15, which I'm very happy with on a day where everything felt against me!

I have unusually opted for a lie-in this morning instead of being up at parkrun o'clock, mainly that I CBAed with the combination of sluggish hormones with heavy rain. It's also a busy weekend so quite nice to leave one thing out of the equation.

I mixed it up a bit this week and swapped a run for a bike ride which worked really well, particularly as I wanted some anaerobic work which I find hard to achieve when running. It was also nice to get further from home in a tight time window, and ease a bit of pounding off tired legs.

@BogRollBOGOFi also opted for a lie in rather than parkrun today. We did go swimming later that afternoon.
On my day off this week I’ll be doing the parkrun route and just getting some practice in. I really want to be a sub 30. Best had been 30’58”.
anyone recommend any good trainers - I’ve kept to my Nikes - they are getting old though…

I’m a huge fan of brooks trainers. I’ve got the glycerin gts (21 I think…) and the glycerin max. Absolute game changers!

@Lemontreeinthecity trainers are a really personal thing. Different ones are right for different people. My current rotation are: asics novablast 5s for daily training, Saucony endorphin speed 5s for tempo and track, Saucony endorphin pro 4s for racing, Saucony omni 9s (I think) for the gym, also mixed terrain runs in the summer as they are stable, Saucony xodus ultra 4s for trail. I also have some old asics gel trabuco which I use for really muddy shorter trails and walking at present.

i do have some Saucony endorphin elites sat in my basket at the moment. Trying to convince myself I don’t them 😂.

but what suits me won’t suit everyone and so I would go to a proper running shop, try lots on and get fitted properly.

@Lemontreeinthecity I second the above comment on getting a proper fitting and gait analysis. Everyones run style is different and it's worth getting the right shoes for you to prevent injury. Most places charge a small fee usually taken off the price of a purchase but it is worth it.

We did parkrun yesterday but I did it with my 6 year old (her first completed parkrun, we attempted last year but she only managed 1out of the 3 laps) so we were took it easy, 41 mins I think it was but I'm so proud that she didn't give up half way round. Yes we walked a bit but that's ok. She enjoyed it and that's what matters.

To be honest, I was happy to have the excuse to go slow, we were interval training at run club on Thursday, short repeats, and I really pushed and my right hamstring has been letting me know it's there since, I don't think it's injured I think it's just worked but I've got my big run next weekend so I'm being sensible and not doing much.

17k planned for tomorrow, daughters 17th birthday and she wanted to run 17k for it, we've agreed to split it with a lunch break in the middle to take it easy.
Same daughter also wanted to get a sub 30 5k PB this week, which we did on weds, she knocked 3 mins off her time and managed 28mins.

Feeling very lazy today, might do a short gentle run tonight but I really CBA 🤣

@SFRSmum well done to your little one on completing her first park run. I hope that your older dd enjoys her 17k for 17 years. It’s lovely to run with them isn’t it. Even dd2 has started coming to track with me sometimes though she said she isn’t coming to anything else until she can run further and faster, she’s currently about half way through couch 2 5k. Good luck for your big race next weekend. Which one is it you’re doing?

DH and I had a couple of nights away on the Shropshire/powys boarder and did quite a bit of walking. We got back earlier than planned this afternoon as we were going to stop in the wye valley for lunch but we were both still too full from breakfast.

I wasn’t going to run today but as we were home I decided to do most of the local winter hilly trail race that I did I’m December. I just decided to change the last couple of miles as I would have had to have kept the dog on the lead due to sheep and ground nesting birds, but the way I decided to go instead was so overgrown and I was cut to pieces. It was so bad we had to turn back and so I ended up being about a mile short. 9 miles rather than the panned 10 done but it was still good fun and nice to get out. Good prep for next weekend when I’m running cheddar gorge challenge marathon.

I wasn't sure if I'd pull off my long run this weekend, but a family visit was cancelled which at least freed up a window to do it.

I'm looking forwards to tapering time...
I'm feeling quite niggly, but I think that's also amplifed by my hormones as it's happening in the same part of each month. It's annoying though as it makes it hard to read how I genuinely feel. (Will go to the GP about it next month)

Happy Monday all,

I did an event called the Drop with some gym friends yesterday, we were blindfolded and driven 10 miles on a bus, dropped off and had to make our way back to the finish within 5 hours! Probably the craziest thing I'v ever done but we made it back. Due to mixed abilities in our team we walked most of the way but were very happy to make it back before the cut off.

This week I'm doing a 3 person relay run around a local reservoir, I am the 9 mile leg. Looking forward to it

That sounds fun @tinks3110 !

I have been a bit AWOL - I got lazy after my marathon and am nursing an injury. But I had me fastest parkrun since last November on Saturday, so the rest has done me some good.

I'll go and catch up on the thread now.

Reading along good to hear about your runs. I’m still sat on injury bench not run for 5weeks but I have restarted and building up my strenght training and been out on the bike 3x a week plus had a swim. So hoping this rehab will put me in good place to restart when hip / back issue settles down a bit more. DH has just signed up to a coastal marathon in Sept to keep himself motivated. He has bit of something to prove to himself as last time he did that route as an 31m ultra he collapsed at the end & was vomiting blood. It was a tad scary but he was dehydrated with salt imbalance but after an hour in the medic tent with fluids he was let go. It had been very humid day so despite drinking he hadn’t taken on enough electrolytes. Really hope he’s learnt his lesson this time!

I’ve not had the best week, pulled my calf at class on Wednesday morning but had a 9 mile relay in a team of 3 in the evening. In hindsight I should’ve pulled out but I didn’t want to let my team down. Ran 3 laps (9 miles) on 1 leg basically, so painful 😣 I rested yesterday and today and it’s feeling a lot better but I’m not going to run this weekend and let it get better properly

@tinks3110 hope the leg is feeling better after a rest. It can be hard to sit it out when needed, glad it seems to be getting better nicely

I've completed my 70 miler (rat race - the wall) I ran the runnable until about 30 miles in, then I walked. It was tough,, but not in a too many hills or too far, it was the roads that went on forever at 40 miles in I had a mini melt down and was ready to quit, luckily I came across a wonderful lady who stuck with me till the end.
I won't sign up again, due to the road sections, but I've got my 100 miler coming up next month, I think I'll walk the vast majority of that though.

Things to consider and work on - any advice welcome - my pack really hurt my shoulders, I swapped to a different one at the drop bag station which was better but those miles waiting for painkillers to kick in were hell. Is this a case of do more shoulder strength work? Bad pack?

My feet - really surprised by this one, I used kintoe socks which have been really reliable previously, and I ended up with 2 massive blisters on my little toes. I only had spare kintoe socks which although I love, made dressing toes really tricky. I'll be getting new trainers next week for the 100 miler as mine are just about done in so wonder if that was the cause

Sorry for the massive post!

@SFRSmum well done on your 70 miler! I hat an achievement.
thinking about running vests/packs, I brought the Salomon cross 4 running backpack for this marathon as my old one was rubbing me even on a half. Did commit the crime of wearing it for the first time in race day, but honestly I was so pleased I wore it. It didn’t rub at all and my shoulders/back feel fine. It was a bargain as well as it’s a lot cheaper than their usual running vests. I think it paid about £35 for it from sports shoes with their app discount.

cheddar gorge challenge marathon for me today. Definitely change by name and challenge by nature. I don’t think I have ever done anything so hard!! It was relentless, steep up hills with very steep technical down hills and even then flatter bits across fields were tough due to the rutted ground! However, it was a lovely event and the support from the Marshalls could not be faulted. I think I was first female too, thought I have to sit for the official results to come out to confirm but I was told I probably was at every aid station and then at the finish. 5:05 which gives you an idea of how hard it was. Also 4150 feet of elevation.

how others have got on well with their races and runs this weekend.

sorry for all the typos. My brain hasn’t quite kicked back in yet 😂

Hey all. Hope everyone has had a good weekend of running. Also hope that all those racing got on well.

dd1 and I did giants head half today. I wasn’t racing particularly but was pacing dd1 for her first trail half. She found it tough as it was hot and very hilly but a lot more runnable and less technical than cheddar last weekend.

she came in somewhere between 5th and 7th female over all (preliminary results that keep changing) so that’s fantastic for her first trail race. It’s also the furthest she’s ever run so super proud of her. I really enjoyed the run and as I wasn’t racing I was able to take pics of the giant and the views which was nice.

happy running all.

@Whataninterestinglookingpotato Well done to DD1, fantastic to get such a high place on her first trail half!

I've thought I'd had a fairly laid back week, maybe not! I went back to running on Wednesday and did an easy 11k, which felt absolutely fine, so I went to run club on Thursday, where we did hills. Which again was fine!

Had a 10k race on Saturday but I didn't race it, I ran it relaxed with my friend, which was lovely. Then yesterday I did an 11k social run with run club in the morning and then the 21k challenge for summer solstice at 9pm, so all in all it's been fairly busy!
Legs feel heavy today, but it's rest day today

I've not got anything on now until my 100 miler in 4 weeks.

Hope everyone has had a good week of running x

Hello! Can I join please?

I had my first race yesterday, a 10k, and I was absolutely delighted to get sub-1 hour - 58:12. I was aiming for 1:03, the fastest I had gone in training, as it was a hilly race and hot so I was stunned to realise in the last km I was on course for sub-1 hour! I absolutely loved it and have signed up for all sorts in the months ahead

Next event is a 10k trail race in a month. I’ve mostly been doing road/paths so will be fun to try something a bit different. I’ve only been running since the start of the year, although I had a head start aerobically from some cycling, so I am definitely very much a novice still!