So what are your running Goals for 2020. What do you want to accomplish?
In 2017 I did C25K and took part in my first parkrun in April of that year. My first parkrun finish time was 39:14. It took a while but over that year I knocked my parkrun finish time down to 31:04.
In 2018 I injured my back and could not run for 5 months. I came back in the Autumn but I was slow and 5K was taking over 34 mins.
In 2019 I set myself several goals, sub 28 min 5K, lose 2 stone in weight, run 30 parkruns and take part in 5K and 10K road races.
I achieved all my goals, I lost 2 stone, ran a Parkrun PB of 25:36 and ran 36 parkruns in 2019 plus 5K, 6K and 10K road races. I even managed a 13K mountain race.
So my Goals for 2020 are to keep the weight off, lose the extra little gain from Christmas 😋, run a sub 25 minute parkrun, run 40 parkruns in 2020 and get my Volunteer 25 T-Shirt and 100 Milestone T-Shirt. I’m currently at 61 parkruns in total. Plus to run a few 5K and 10K road races.
What’s your 2020 running goals?
Damien
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damienair
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Well done Damien great running. Can I ask you about the weight loss what plans do you use .I need to drop some weight this year as I have found out you cannot outrun a bad diet. Good luck with the future goals Happy New Year and happy running. 👍🏃♀️
Hi, you will never lose any weight by running alone. But I discovered that when you do lose weight running becomes so much easier. Weight loss is 90% food related and only 10% exercise.
I did not do any particular diet. I just became very mindful of what I was eating. I stuck to 3 meals a day. No snacking in between meals. I gave up eating bread for a few months. Breakfast was 1 weetabix with some fruit. Or a low fat yogurt with fruit. Lunch was a healthy pita pocket with loads of salad, a salad or an omelette. Dinner was what everyone at home was eating but I portion controlled pasta, rice etc. once dinner was over there were no more snacks for the rest of the evening.
That was it. I did not eat scones or any treats if I was in a cafe, I’d just have a coffee. It soon became normal and weight fell off me, and the lighter I became the easier running became, so I wanted to run further and more often. It became a healthy circle. But over the past 2 months I’ve fallen off the wagon. I’ll be back into healthy eating next week.
Thanks Damien some good tips there bread is definitely my go to comfort food its fast you can put almost anything on it to munch. 😁I think I may give bread the heave ho for Jan and see what happens along with major sugar reduction. I just want to run better and I know carrying the extra weight around is putting a lot of pressure on my body and getting in my way. So here's to healthy eating and happy running in 2020 cheers Damien.
I promise, if you cut out snacking in between meals and cut out bread and sweet treats, you will shed loads. Be mindful of what you do eat and enjoy it.
The weight loss mantra of eat less and exercise more seems very simplistic, but that’s all there is to it. It’s just awful hard to change habits.
Wow you’ve achieved so much Damien, really well done. I have no doubt at all that you’ll succeed in your 2020 goals. Good luck - and as ever, remember to keep us posted! 👍
My first goal is to complete my HM race in March, and run its entirety. I can’t compete speed-wise, but I’m ok at endurance. Having said that, unless I get a ballot place into London one day, I don’t fancy a marathon. No way! Secondly I’d like to shave a little more time off my 5k and 10k times, much as I prefer pootling. So I’ll continue JogRunSprint sessions once a week. Like you, I’ll pick up my 25 volunteer teeshirt at some point. I’d also like to keep up my PR alphabet challenge and stopwatch bingo! 😅
Your way braver than me. Not sure I’ll commit to a half marathon. 10K is my limit I think. But I will do that 13K mountain race again next November. Enjoy all your parkrun challenges in 2020 with Flossie and wear your new red 50 milestone T-Shirt with pride.
You can find it on the Running Challenges app (only on Chrome and Firefox I believe). It links to your PR profile. Stopwatch Bingo is seeing how many “minutes” you can accumulate from 00 to 59! Rather addictive! 😀
There are loads of different parkrun related challenges. Alphabet challenge where you try to do a parkrun starting with each letter of the alphabet, parkrun bingo is where you collect your finish time seconds from 00 to 59. I’m also doing one called the compass challenge, so far I’ve collected Westport and Eastville where I had the pleasure of meeting some VRB’s.
Fantastic effort on achieving all of your goals.... for 2019 I wanted to lose weight, stop smoking and get fitter. I lost 2 and 1/2 stones, stopped smoking on the 1st Sept and now run 3 times a week, swim 3 times a week and do a gym workout 3 times a week so I am fitter than I was for sure.
In 2020 I would like to run a sub 30 5k, complete some 10k races and in Sept complete my first half marathon.
Fantastic. Congrats to you too on all of your achievements in 2019. Interval training is a great way to improve pace and get below 30 minutes for 5K. No doubt you’ll do it. Best of luck in 2020. The weight loss will help you greatly too and your lungs will recover greatly following your new healthy lifestyle. I’m sure your richer too from not giving your hard earned money to Tobacco manufacturers.
I have long term plan to be healthier... I started in 2018 for 2019 I did c25k, managed to get to 10k twice, got from obese to overweight and from smoking to vaping.
My goals for 2020 are to go from 10k to HM (as cheekychipmunks I would only go for a full marathon if I got the London ballot), I have registered for the Cardiff one in October and a 10k race in may. I want to continue my weight loss and go from overweight to normal BMI and I want to quit vaping (actually, this is the first goal). This year I don't have any time objectives for my running, I just want to be able to run without walking, I will save the time-based goals for 2021!!
Congratulations and very well done on your weight loss journey too. Best of luck for continued success in 2020. Well done too for training up to 10K, you get to half marathon too no doubt.
Impressive record Damien. Weight loss should be a goal for me, but I hope just to lose a little as a side effect of running (and lower blood pressure). Running goals for me, having started C25K at the end of August, and just started running 10Ks are
Well done. I found that by doing interval training for 5K and doing parkrun every weekend that my pace improved greatly allowing me to go sub 30 for 5K and sub 60 minutes for 10K. 7K is a great distance too as it leaves you within striking distance of a 10K race if you enter one and is also good training for 5K. Best wishes for 2020. Happy running.
I have two running goals for 2020: to train for and complete a 10k in March and train for and complete a half in October. Fingers crossed for everyone’s success
Wow, I’m always so impressed with anyone that trains for a Half Marathon. I’ll never say never. But 10K is my happy long distance. Focus and you’ll do it.
Damien
What a year for you Damien, well done. It's inspiring to hear that you came back from injury too. I only discovered park run this year so I'm aiming to get a volunteer t-shirt. I did think I'd do a HM this year but it might have to wait until next year. I'm aiming to get back up to 10km comfortably and maybe, maybe do a 10 mile race. Hope to meet up with you this year at park run or at the Giant's Causeway meet up.
You will do a 10K and a 10 mile comfortably. Perhaps we could arrange to meet half way and do a parkrun together. Plus go for breakfast afterwards. If there is a promise of breakfast Oisin will be there. Then we will already know each other for the Giants Causeway weekend.
Well done Damien, great achievements and some good goals for 2020.
I will start 2020 with my 5 year ‘runniversary’. Over the 5 year period I have run a number of larger events (Great South Run twice, London Vitality 10k, plus some local 10ks) but don’t have any specific event plans this year. I am out of the country when the 2020 London Vitality takes place, and have said never again for the 10 mile GSR distance. That said, I will probably do a 10k somewhere during the year, so will look into the other city based ‘great runs’.
I am just about to start another speed training block. Speed is a bit of a misnomer as I am never fast, but I find it’s necessary to do this once in a while just to temporarily arrest the speed decline. No particular objective other than trying to get at least 1 5k under or close to 40 minutes, I have crept back up to a typical 42 minutes this year.
Which brings me to parkrun. I am currently at 170 parkruns, so shouldn’t have any issue passing the 200 mark in 2020 so long as I stay fit. I am at 37 unique parkrun locations, so it might be pushing it to get to 50 during the year, although I have averaged 13 tourist runs per year across the last 2 years. I also commit to writing a run report for this blog whenever I do go to a new location. Next up is likely to be Fulham Palace in January. I volunteer, but probably won’t get my 25 shirt until 2021 as my preferred volunteer role is timekeeper and therefore can’t combine it with actual running.
Not at all. Run 3-4 times per week, involve speed training with your 5K training plus 10K training and you’ll easily burst through the 30 minute 5K barrier. Believe me, if I can do it anyone can. Parkrun is a great way to gauge your progress.
Well done on your year’s achievement. 👏🏼 I don’t think I’m up to detailed goals, but having got to10k this year, I’d like to see if 2020 can get me to a point where I feel 10k is “just a normal run”. Think if I did get there, that would be a good place to roost while I cheered you all towards those HMs, speed goals, and (gulp) Marathons. 😄
Wow I loved reading this and it’s so inspiring to hear about your progress as I’ve been deflated recently. Truly encouraged by reading your updates over the last 3 years.
I haven’t really thought about my 2020 running goals, I suppose I should pay more attention to it. I’d love to collect more parkrun badges on running challenges, both running and volunteering. I will reach 25 volunteers in January and 50 Parkruns in May/June. I’d like to hit 40 Parkruns next year too. My biggest frustration is how slow I run, particularly having watching parkrunners on Saturday in my volunteer role, I “shuffle along” rather than run and next year I want to see me running more lifting my knees higher and lifting myself higher in the air... tomorrow I plan to do a 5K on the treadmill for the very first time and I’m going to see how it compares to my outdoor performance. Just a little variation and for fun!
Oh, I’ve also signed up for a 10K in Jan and a 5K in May and maybe some more along the way! Let’s see! 👍👍👍
Good luck Damian, I know you will reach your goals now you’ve said them out aloud you are accountable to this forum!
This sounds crazy. But run 500 meters as fast as you can. I mean sprint 500 meters as fast as you can. Then take a break, and run 500 meters at your normal pace. Then repeat. Then do that for 5K. It’s interval training. It gets you used to running at a faster pace. Keep doing it and gauge yourself at parkrun every week. You’ll shock yourself.
My goals for 2020 are two half marathons within a month of each other.
When club starts back I’m aiming to do a medium run, short run and park run every week. I want to build up gradually to be able to do a long run with club x
1: Sub-23 (by my watch) parkrun (got to keep ahead of you) - last achieved with my parkrun PB (22'58") on 1 August 2015. 2019 best - 23'40" on 9 December.
2: Sub-50 10k - last (only) achieved (40'10") at the Julie Rose 10k, Ashford, Kent 12 October 1986. No 10k runs 1987-2018! 2019 best - 51'44" at New Forest 10k on 8 September. Maybe at the Vitality 10k in London?
3: Continue to resist temptation to enter New Forest HM. If fail, sub-2 hours.
And lots of parkrun tourism and VRB meetups, of course ….. that one at least is realistically achievable.
Hello UTS, you’ll always be well ahead of me. If I could get below 25 mins for 5K in the next year I’ll be thrilled. I’m a long way off now. A good effort at the moment is 28 mins. But I’m sure with training and loads of parkrun efforts I’ll get there. I’m looking forward to kicking off the New Year with a New Year’s Day double, 2 new events and 2 new letters to collect for the alphabet challenge.
Amazing achievements damienair. A fractured vertebrae was my inspiration for beginning C25k so I know how frustrating and uncomfortable back injuries can be! But they do give you time to think and set new goals.
I ended 2018 with my first 10k run, after starting C25k in May 2018. This year I have cracked the 30 minute 5k barrier (28:17), and stuck to a 3 run pattern with a longer run each week, so I regularly run over 10k, with 6 runs at 10 miles plus including one HM distance.
Next year? I have entered the Vitality 10k and hope to meet up with VRBs there, I have set an alert for the GNR ballot, and would like to enter more races this year including one 10 mile race and one HM, which will hopefully be the GNR. My hill work, which I started a couple of months ago, will continue; that is part of a plan to finally get me up there on the wonderful moor trails. So plenty of challenges out there! Have a great 2020 👍
Reading this made me realise I am just one year behind you. No wonder I feel I’ve seen you disappearing up the trail towards my (distant) future goals so often. 😄 Hope I can keep up with your 2019 goals for my next year.... 🤔 Happy New Year. 🎉
I’m wanting to do the Manchester 10k in May and hopefully another (less busy) 10k before then.
I’d like to keep on with parkrun and try to get up early enough to try some new ones as I find myself not trying so much on my usual one.
Id like to do some interval running during the week (possibly starting when it gets lighter at night) with a view to getting faster. I want a sub 30 minute 5k and sub 60 minute 10k (current Pb 5k 34 minutes) so it should be achievable.
Non running wise I’m looking for a new job - so fitting in running with work and home responsibilities might become more of a challenge as I go full time - and I’m looking to food plan more in advance and including more days meat free
I’m hoping to make a master plan including household chores, menu plans, running plans (including parkrun tourist runs, longer runs and intervals)... I doubt it will happen BUT this time last year I couldn’t run two steps and my husband and kids didn’t cook at all ... now they cook a bit, we are meat free at least one day a week and I have ran 10k. So maybe it’s possible
Best wishes for your new job search. Make your running time for you. Time to relax, a break from the house, work etc. Enjoy your 2020 challenges.
I’ve really relaxed food wise over the past month. I’m terrified to stand on the scales. But from Thursday I’m back on the healthy wagon. My body is in for a reverse shock.
I only started running in August and love it! Managed 5k under 35min and lost 1.5st.
So for next year - 10k race on 17th March, 5k under 30min and 10 parkruns (I have ballet classes with children on Sat morning so can't do many parkruns).
My 2019 aims were to do C25K and graduate before my 58th birthday. If you had followed me you would know that was the age at which my dad passed. I started January 7th and graduated the day after my 58th the day my mum passed in the same hospice as my dad 26 years earlier. I was with her and was able to tell her I graduated. Since then I kept running doing over 40 graduation runs with Laura doing reruns of week 9 run 3 with the reassuring voice of Laura. Most of these around 5k taking in or around 30 minutes. Had a big health scare lost a stone and a half since February for no apparent reason so scans ct x rays and loads of blood tests but all ok. Wasn’t diet as obviously ate well already as we had not made any change. So now I have to eat more to maintain my weight. So tried for London marathon ballot. Did not get in and wasn’t putting myself under extreme pressure to raise £2000 grand for a charity place. Found London BigHalf and running for Pilgrims Hospice much more suitable amount to raise £350 well have raised £1270 now. So have now done various training runs of one x 13.2 miles (half marathon) 1 x 10 miles, loads of 10ks and 5ks.
My aims for 2020 are to raise as much as I can for the Pilgrims Hospice, to complete this official half marathon and to remain running having minimal injuries and to maintain my weight. Good luck to everyone running. Have a great new year and hopefully you achieve everything you are aiming for.
Hi Damien, what a great question! My running goals this year are: 10K (still chipping away at it!), 50 parkrun teeshirt (I ran my 11th this morning so it's quite realistic) and my running friend Suzie and I were chatting on the way home from parkrun this morning and we planned a long route (probably 12K or so) that we'd like to do involving a steep hill and a lovely trail through a wood which we can run from our houses. We're aiming to be able to do that comfortably by June. Bring it on!
I'd also like to lose my Christmas excess as I've been completely greedy, if I'm honest, for most of December! My plan is a spreadsheet. Sounds barmy, but it's worked for my running. I plan my runs for the next couple of weeks, with a row for each week, fitting them in around work and life, and then when I complete them I colour each cell green. Now I've got a green streak running from the first week of November with three cells coloured in on each row. I'm loathe to break the streak so I've got to keep going. If I miss one, I have to colour it red. So today I decided to set one up with the same principles for my food, like a food diary, but colour coded so that if I binge on cakes/biscuits etc I have to write it down and colour them in red! Brutal but if it works for running, it might just keep me on track to my three planned meals a day! I'm a pretty healthy eater, but I can put away masses, so three good meals will be plenty! Good luck with your goals.
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Goals for 2024
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