Hello everyone, how are you all? I hope you are all bearing up at this difficult time? I’m running every day still, I passed 1200 days last week which really gave me a boost. The pic is from my run in the woods today, which was glorious.
So ....... this months quest is all about finding MAXIMUM potential in a world that limits us right now. So, wherever you are, if you are shielding, socially isolating, going to work, working from home…..and everything else in between, there will be something that you can do. As we have seen from the world, people have run marathons on balconies, ultras around their house, and all manner of wonderful adventures right at home. So, this is the place to say what you would like to achieve this month, here are some ideas:
•Running in the garden…. For added challenge add some high knees and skipping.
•The Magic plan… for those of you that can go outside. Link below.
•Getting out three times a week for a run….. you may want to include a PB goal for speed or distance.
•Complete an indoor workout challenge ( see S and F for the quest there).
So, whatever it is that you would like to achieve, please say below and I will add your name to the challenge.
Hi ju-ju- I'm ready for my May challenge. I've just finished a very hard April covering 146k with too many 10ks so in May I'm going to continue with running alternate days but mixing up the distances with a lot more shorter runs. I'm 🤞 hoping the longer for move takes place this week which will have me running on new routes closer but still social distancing from family. Happy running everyone 🤗
I'm still plodding on with my HM plan, I ran 13 KM this week, which went well apart from the fact that I wasn't really dressed properly and got very wet and cold..This week I'm hoping to get to 15 KM.
Firstly great post Ju-ju, I'm going to continue to get out there 3 to 4 times a week when it's possible..... I'd love to get my HM below 2hrs 👍 (only 3.27 seconds over currently) Your 1200 runs is mind-blowing 🥴 I completed a 5 day running stint then life reeled me back in 🙄.....
Currently trying to juggle the nightshifts/running/teen-agers 😬 but it's good to push ourselves.
Also helping the eldest on her c25k journey (just about to kick off week 5).
If that HM PB happens woohoo 🥳🥳
But as long as I'm running weekly(trails included) that's a bonus. I'm enjoying blogging my runs and sharing the scenery, it may help those who can't get out as much, or at all so it's kinda of a messy quest, but it works 👍
Wow I really hope you get that PB, I’m rooting for you.... it’s all quite hard at the moment to juggle everything. I have two teenagers who don’t get up till about 12....it’s quite hard to motivate them, but they are managing. And great goal too, for just keeping on getting out there... that’s what it’s all about...
Number 1, get in a decent final run this week for roseabi 's Speed Challenge on t'other side after Thursday's megafail . Not sure I can improve on 4'06" for a flying k but have to give it a go.
Number 2, try to further extend the distance over which I can maintain 5'00"/k. Managed 7.5k in April, 8k should be possible this month. I started doing this on a treadmill which did away with the pace judgement problem, but it's got to be on the road now - which means I need the weather to be kind.
Number 3, fit in a run of 10k or more somewhere, at least once in the month. I did an unexpected 13k in April for the 2.6 challenge (13k being 2.6 parkruns), but don't think I'll be doing that regularly.
But more important than any of these, start trotting alongside Dexy5 as she begins her trek back to where she was before her wipeout from behind on skis in Colorado. Perhaps she'll post her own goals for that on here shortly …. hint, hint
My goal is to run less despondently. I am very lucky to be able to do my long runs in a forest park not too far from my home. I run my 5kms on the roads around where I live. I say hello to neighbours and stop and talk sometimes - or should I say we shout at each other from a distance.
My running events have all been cancelled, I have a sore bum from online pilates classes, I feel like i'm running to stand still as I am running so slowly.
My challenge is to remember how lucky I am to be able to get out to run. What does it matter that i'm slow ? I'm increasing my distance slowly after months of knee bothers. So I have nothing to complain about at all really
Well said, and I love the shouting comment, it does feel like that. I am so with you on the pace issue, I prefer to focus on getting out, and improving fitness where possible, and always remind myself how lucky I am. I hope your sore bum gets better soon....
I haven’t run since 22 February and am so missing it. But at least I have recovered enough to be able to walk (7k last week) and cycle for my daily exercise.
My first physio appointment was cancelled because the physio was worried that I’d just been on a 10 hour flight from USA and may be carrying Covid . I wasn’t , but understand the concern. Fortunately I had a medical report from an orthopaedic consultant so a Physio plan has been put together and we’ve been doing sessions via FaceTime. I’m now on week 10 and have been given a set of dynamic exercises to prepare me for running. They are really challenging and I am certainly feeling it in thighs and glutes. I will follow these each day and hopefully be starting to run intervals by the end of the month.
It has to be said that I think these exercises would have been challenging even before my accident so I may be stronger than I was before when I do get up and running. 🤞
New normal for me is 3 runs a week - 1 5k, 1 longer run, and then either intervals or trail for the 3rd run, depending on where the first 2 have taken place - plus 3 home gym sessions.
Just as we were going into lockdown I managed to source a 24kg kettlebell, a Swiss ball, a TRX system and some additional elastics to go with the elastics and dumbbells I already had. We are continuing to pay the personal trainer to deliver 1 weekly session over Microsoft Teams, plus he has developed 2 other workouts to use during the week.
So my standard week now has 3 runs and 3 weight based sessions, plus some additional mobility / stretching work to which I have added a bit of basic yoga. I hope to keep this going through May. I lapsed a bit on one of the April weeks, I think it eventually builds up to be too much.
I am missing swimming, which I used to do twice a week in place of one of the runs and one of the weight sessions.
Thats so sensible getting all the home gym stuff, I have a few bits now as well as my beloved pull up bar in the garden. Its a life saver right now as the gym is closed. Your plan sounds great, if a bit full on. Sometimes its hard to fit it all in. I cant wait to get back to swimming too.
My goal this month is to get both teenagers to the end of C25K. They won't run together so I run alternate days with them and then get Monday to myself. As I'm only on road runs at the moment my other goal is to get back to trail and longer runs. Oh and to keep doing my Monday Zumba class in the garden. 😁💃🏃♀️
This is my first post on this site, I have previously posted on the C25K but didn't feel I was in your league. I did manage to run my first 10k yesterday though so, as Mummycav said over on the May graduate post, I am a runner and now feel maybe a little more worthy ☺️
Anyway, my goals for May are:
To make time for myself every day to complete some form of exercise. I am running 3 times a week but need to make sure I do something on every non run day too.
To run at least 2 more 10k runs during the month, mainly to prove to myself that this first one wasn't a fluke 😄
I think that might do for now, I don't want to do too much and risk a stay on the IC!!
Thank you all, stay safe and happy running 🏃♀️🏃♂️😄😍
Thank you, I followed your Magic Plan and it got me there.
I was over the moon, I keep checking Strava to make sure it definitely happened. I was really nervous before I headed out to do but I'm actually quite looking forward to trying it again now though.
A few years ago when visiting an old friend in England he suddenly said "Come on, I want to show you the Bluebells"
Now, this guy is - like myself - more or less retired and leading a mostly calm, sane and fairly respectable life. However, back in the day whenever the major Biker Clubs in Europe would hold big weekend or longer meets - involving hundreds of hard core Bikers - they would be very keen to secure his services as "Sherrif" and rely on him to keep the peace, or at least the felony rate at a minimum. Rival Clubs would declare a truce when they knew "RW" was the "law".
So - having never seen Bluebells outside a flower vase I truly was puzzled to say the least at the invite.
At the local woods, the ground was a mass of them - I swear they were a luminous blue. "Transcendent" was the first word that sprang to mind. A sight I will never forget and actually more impactful on me than any of the "major landmarks" I've ever seen around the world.
That shimmering glowing blue light on those woods - I wouldn't have been more surprised if I'd seen a UFO
Anyone over there whose running route goes by anything like that is one lucky Runner
No camera or photographer can capture the sight. I've spent a couple of years since prepping a small copse at the end of my garden and this Autumn hopefully a shipment of one hundred plants will arrive Virginia Bluebells have held their own in a test plot for two years now, do hopefully these "Real British" ones can flourish
My neighbor thinks I'm OTOP about them, but hopefully she will see even something approaching the shimmering translucence I did in Sussex all those years ago
I graduated C25K three weeks ago and have been running 5k three times a week since. I’ve just started your 10 is the magic number plan for distance today. I would like to improve my 5k time to 30minutes. I’m not far off so I’m hoping the longer runs will help. I’m excited 🏃♀️
First week done 🙂 I’m taking the 5k speed goal off my May goals as I made a rookie error flying down some steep hills on my 5k run. I managed to hurt myself although did some PB’s 🏃♀️ . I did the 5.5 run at a much slower pace and the injury seems to be okay. My mantra was Keep running but maybe it should be Keep plodding or Distance not speed 😂
Hi ju-ju- , please count me in on your quest, I want to continue running every other day. I finished a 10k plan last month, I found the 10k distance hard so I don’t know whether to work on that or resign myself to the fact that maybe I’m not a distance runner?
Your running is amazing, congratulations on passing the 1200 day mark x
Thanks so much... Dont give up on the 10k, you could increase your weekly average each week ( 10% rule and all that) and I think you will get used to longer distances. But its your call, I think we all have our niche if what is right for us. And thankyou so much, I cannot believe ive got this far!
Hi ju-ju, I’ve been running regular 35 minute 5ks for few months now and just don’t seem to have the stamina to go any further, so I’m going to take the may challenge and go for the magic plan! Hoping it will get me covering more distance and maybe even speed me up a bit! Thanks x
Hello ju-ju-. My goal is to complete the magic plan which I hope to by the end of the month.
Just started week 4 with the 8K run 🏃🏼♀️ on Saturday and managed that in just over an hour. Was lovely to finally get back out on the road as spent the last month running on a treadmill having struggled to get my hayfever in check. I’m still planking and attempting yoga 🧘♀️ everyday.
Hi Ju Ju. For May i will be hopefully completing your wonderful magic plan and hope to be running 10k by the end of the month. Today, the start of week 6 🏃♀️😊
I’ve completely fallen off the wagon since fracturing my shoulder (no pun intended😃) tried to restart C25K but it just wouldn’t work on my phone so started doing my own thing & then lockdown so I’ve been using my exercise for a daily walk with the family.
I’ve got a new phone & reloaded C25K, so I want to re-complete it together with s&f, yoga or whatever on other days. Not putting too much pressure on myself. Days when I’m not running I will continue to walk with the family. I really, really, REALLY want to get back into this!
Hi Ju-Ju, reporting in at around the half-way point …….
Week 1 saw a 4'09" 1k speed challenge, 3 secs off my PB but good enough following a total fail the week before .
Week 2 saw me stretch my 5'00"/k pace run out to 8k (in 39'46" to be exact) - and also saw me walk/run 1k in 9'15" with Dexy5 .
So all that's left of my Quest targets is to fit in a 10k at some point - and as a bunch of us who were going to meet in London for the Vitality 10k on Bank Holiday Monday are now going to run it virtually together in our own backyards, that should be OK too.
Hope everybody else is meeting their goals - onwards and upwards!!
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. Not sure I can improve on 4'06" for a flying k but have to give it a go.
September Scampers... New Month... New Quest 🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇Come and join us !
