New target to stay motivated?

[SIXmm]

Hi Guys,

I've just ran my first ever 10k (non stop) and it took me 57 minutes. I couldn't believe I had done it - in fact I felt so good physically afterwards I wanted another go the following day. I was sensible and gave myself a rest but I'll be back on the trailway tonight.

But... now I have a problem! My personality - I need another target/goal or in no time at all I'll probably hang up my running shoes for good.

It's all about a sense of achievement/feeling immensely proud of myself. Do I go for the 1/2 marathon or is there a time I should aim for on a 5K or 10K?

[roseabi]

Well done, that's a fabulous achievement!!!!

Your next goal depends entirely on what you want to do! What do you think? Faster or longer? Although these things are not mutually exclusive of course

[roseabi in reply to roseabi]

Sorry, I keep hitting the reply button by mistake when I reply on my phone 😂

[Sqkr]

Congratulations! A great time, and you sound rightly proud 😃 Now you've got to your 10k target you can maybe take some time to think about what it is you enjoy about running, because that might help you decide where to take things. Is it the sense of achievement from getting a new PB? Is it racing with others? Or is it just getting out and seeing where your feet take you?

[SIXmm Graduate10 in reply to Sqkr]

I’m not sure yet. I don’t have many friends into running so it’s difficult to share my achievements based on improving my PB - but of course I’d like to running a little faster 😀👍🏻

I guess the ultimate aim is to run a marathon but I don’t want that goal just yet. It’s a little too large so I’m guess 1/2 marathon would be ok. 😳

Do you think I can reach 1/2 marathon by October? I’m thinking it might be pushing it. 🏃🏽‍♂️

[Sqkr in reply to SIXmm]

Well, everyone is so different it's difficult to say! Theoretically yes, there are twelve week training plans so end of October isn't unthinkable at all. However that doesn't leave you any time for consolidating your current distance, and might be quite tough without factoring in time off for real life, not to mention there's a big risk of overdoing it if you launch straight into a new plan. On the other hand, you might have got the bug so bad that you go out in a few weeks and happily bash out a 20km run (I'm not advocating this! 🤣). If you've got a specific race in mind and you do find the training hard there's nothing that says you can't run/walk/Jeff the half, it's an approach lots of people use very successfully. You just need to be honest with yourself—based on your level of fitness do you think you could sustain a twelve week plan? If you think you might be pushing it then in all truth you probably are. I'm admittedly totally kamikaze about these things myself so I sound hypocritical, my feet rule my head, but my advice for others is to err on the side of caution. Whatever you do you don't want to end up injured and back at square one! 🙂

[Oldfloss Administrator 60minGraduate]

Have a think and see what evolves.. you might try different things... I tried all sorts of weird stuff before I finally decided I was built for distance not speed...

Congrats on that first 10K.. what a great time too!

[Hidden]

That’s an awesome time for a first 10k. As for goals, how about 11k then 12 etc. With consolidation and recovery runs in between.

[UpTheStanley Graduate10]

Great result! I'm hoping, myself, that my regular 5k in about 25' can be turned into 10k in under an hour by using the bridge. As for the next target, I'd be tempted to see how you feel after / during the next 10k - euphoric again, or bored? If it's a bit samey, and you think there's time to be sliced off 5k, that might be the way - but then again, if there's lots more in your legs but you don't want to go quicker, go further. Only you can decide (but you knew that anyway, really ).

[pinkaardvark Graduate10]

I do worry when I hear people say they can't cope without a target. They are the same people that burn out or explode spectacularly. Maybe a good target would be to find a way to run without a target.. consider it a zen target to find the inner meaning in why you run

[ju-ju- Graduate10]

Well done you.... what about a HM? Or think about what you want to achieve?

[MMlk]

Oh no, you sound exactly like me... I spend literally hours dwelling on this subject though. XD

Personally where I am right now I am going for distance over speed, but whilst keeping speed in mind. Meaning next I will aim for 10k(5k already under belt), then half marathon, then marathon, then (maybe) ultras, but all the while keeping record of my speeds and doing work during my runs and outside of my runs(flexibility and strength), to try and make my time better. Beside all that, they say that with distance and time your speed will improve as well!

[MMlk in reply to MMlk]

Btw a time of 57min for a 10k...wow, I dream of that sort of time (: