I’ve been trying to think of what I want to do with my 2021... I needed a challenge and planning ahead is vital for my motivation. This month ends with me feeling stronger than ever. I’ve managed 30 runs in August while still taking rest days. What better way to recover from a 9.25km run yesterday lunchtime than a 2k walk and 2k jog with my daughter and two puppies? This has enabled me to cover 102.5 miles running this month and about another 50 in recorded walks. I ended last week on 30 miles, and this has made something that has been at the back of my mind for a while suddenly look very possible. So, I’ve been in contact with Dementia UK and am going to join their fundraising efforts from January 1st with a goal of running 2021 miles before the end of 2021. When I look at the required running, the just over 5.5 miles a day still looks intimidating, but putting it down as just under 39 miles a week looks pretty easy! I’ve plenty of time left this year to have my weekly milage over 40 very safely. My motivation for this challenge is to end next year with enough weekly milage to take on a 100k ultra in May 2022. I may take the June off!
None of this would have been possible without these forums... I know that I’d never have reached 5 minutes without my VRBs!
Happy running all.
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UnfitNoMore
Graduate10
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Well, I didn’t until yesterday 🤣. My friend and I were discussing my complete lack of interest in running any marathon in a big city... and suddenly he says he’s always wanted to run the Loch Ness marathon. Me being me, I immediately downloaded the gpx for the race... and had a look at it on pacepro. It’s a nice long downhill start, the only really challenging gradient is a whole third of a mile long, and it takes in some wonderful scenery... I think that’s the one we will be running next October! I plan to run my HM and then run marathon plans back to back to get me ready and keep the milage up for the 11 and a half months in between.
Pretty long way from me too... think it’s about an 8 hour drive to Inverness. I’m thinking it’d be a drive up the morning before, but then crucially a really light running week as I worked my way back to the border via some of the distilleries after!
I’ve been later for things... good job this is a year long event and not just a day... turning up at a church for a wedding a month late wasn’t good... fortunately not mine!
I was once camping at Criccieth and went into the pub next door. There was a posh wedding reception in progress but the doorman relieved us of our cagoules, asked us to leave our wellies behind the reception and showed us in. Weird but very nice evening!
Which has now reminded me of when we were camping in Shetland alongside a community hall. One chap was so interested in looking at our Romahome he forgot that he was supposed to be fetching the bridesmaids from the church. Then they turned up, they walked down in their posh dresses and white wellies!
Good luck to you UnfitNoMore on your 2021 miles run next year, by the way 2021 miles is 3252 kilometers, I just Googled it for the sake of you and Damien.
Looking even further ahead best wishes for your 100K ultra in 2022, to think of all those runs starting with run 1 of week 1 of C25K for you less than two years ago, congratulations.
Yeah, that’s quite a thought... 60 seconds nearly killed me, and now I don’t want to think how many seconds there will be in 3252km... of course I probably will! May need a stiff drink then.
Trust you’re keeping well my friend. As you’ve probably seen, part of this plan will have me heading over the border, if we’re still welcome by then 🤣, it’d be cool to run a few Ks with you.
Thanks UNM, I am keeping very well indeed, during last year and this year I completed two challenges that you suggested, in May of 2019 I did the 100 pushup a day and this year you did the July Quest which for me was to run ten miles before the end of that month, I ran 10 miles in just over 2 hours non stop on the 22nd July.
If you are coming to Scotland for that Loch Ness Marathon you will be very welcomed, if you wish to run a 5K with me, say at a parkrun that would be nice, not sure which one 😊🏃🏾
Well of course, a HM is just a parkrun after 10 miles!
Plenty of time to work out which one... I’d be looking at spending a week or two up in Scotland as the furthest I’ve been up that way willingly was Lockerbie! I’ve been to a few of the airports without ever leaving them, which is a whole other story!
Wow you have been busy and great to have future plans in place. Good luck with your 2021 miles , the way you've been going I'm sure you'll smash it. 🏃♂️💪
Thanks... I’ll get there, could be a long run in December 31st though 🤣🤣
Puppies are doing great and they love a gentle jog (up to 30 minutes) for which they employ a combination of Usain Bolt and Jeff Galloway... walk-sprint-sit-repeat! They’re nearly not puppies now, they turn one on the 20th September.
There’s talk of a “cake” that won’t be exactly vegetarian so I can’t have any. They don’t have a problem eating cakes that I’m allowed either! We are hoping that covid stays under control and we can visit the in-laws for the occasion as they own the older sister to our two.
Even I couldn’t go into this blindly! It’s been in my head for a year or so... I’ve crunched the numbers a lot of times... added in how much I’d need to do if I couldn’t run for a couple of months etc etc. All of a sudden it’s not that big a reach from my weekly milage, so I’d best do it while it’s still a challenge.
There’s gonna be some walking in that ultra for sure! I’ve been listening to an audiobook about ultras, and I really want that part where I’m broken and can’t run any more... which may make me strange. I think I’ll learn a lot about myself on that one, and it is, I think, going to be just after my 50th.
‘30 runs in August’... ‘102.5 miles running this month and about another 50 in recorded walks’!! 🤩🤩🤩! That’s just jaw dropping amazing!!
And there you are talking about having had rest days, 100k Ultra’s and a wonderful fundraising charity dedication for the next 12 months. That’s just brilliant and such an amazing cause UNM!
So.....🤔...I think taking ‘the June off’, may be a great idea! However...I’m not quite convinced you’ll do it!! 😂😂😉
It sounds as though this is going to be an amazing 12 months ahead!! 👌🏽 Enjoy!! ❤️
Yeah... need to get ahead as soon as I safely can just in case... and it’ll be a year to abandon any thoughts of pace, I’m going to be pushing endurance and at times squeezing the recovery time a little, so slow running is going to be what’s needed to keep that risk down as low as I possibly can.
Well you certainly know how to inspire the troops! What a challenge - fantastic! You will have a massive support base cheering you on. I'll provide the virtual tea and cake. Good luck!!!
Will run for cake! I’ve always liked the tea bit of this, but didn’t have a sweet tooth until I started running... now I’m looking at how many calories I’ve burned and matching it to all sorts of wonderful treats!
My wife is an excellent baker... I can burn water. We made a decision years ago that I’d be the work from home guy and she’d follow her career that couldn’t be so. It’s worked well to a point, but our kids have had some bloody awful meals over the years 🤣
Wow, what an amazing set of challenges you have set yourself, I cannot wait to watch your progress. Completely inspiring. I wish you a healthy, injury free and incredible journey!
Thanks... injury free is the key. If I start posting fast run reports after December you guys best come give me a slap! It’s an achievable challenge for me now, but only because of the cheerleading squad that we all are to each other. We will achieve all our goals, there’s nowt surer than that.
Good point on the walks... I walked almost HM distance a few days before I ran one and I think it helped in a few ways... recently the runs have been increasing and the walks have been reducing a little, it’s a good time to think about getting a longer walk in on the rest day.
How far along are you? Getting to the business end of the 2020 now.
I set a monthly target of 200km so I can put extra k's in the bank to allow for possible injury or more recovery. The heat in August has reduced my running but I will be back to 200+ in September (fingers crossed).
The heat is a pain... another reason for me to get ahead before spring. You’re doing great, I’ve yet to hit 200km in a month but at least it’s in sight now! Typical British weather seems to have returned now... at least we runners can love it! Looks to me that you’re well and truly on the target here... hopefully neither of us needs a run on New Year’s Eve!
That’s an amazing goal.....love a challenge! I’m doing LEJOG for the same reason....looks quite tame against your goal but what I’ve learnt on here is your goal is what’s right for you!! I’m looking forward to virtually cheering you on and seeing your updates.....best of luck x
All things are relative... the pro marathon runners cover around 120 miles a week, some unheard of ultra runners call that a weekend 🤣.
There are many paths we can choose on our journey... if we make the right turns at the right time we can achieve all of our goals. Lots of mine don’t involve high milage, I’ll get to them later.
Goodness. This is so inspiring and a phenomenal plan for next year. What an incredible journey it will be and each run will bear extra significance too. That you feel stronger than ever at the moment is a real measure of how far you've come and how consistent you are. It also spurs on others like me who are close in age.
Dementia is a cause close to my heart and I can only say what a difference something like this can make to the charity. Here's to the remaining months of the year with continued injury free runs to set you up for the challenge ahead.
Thanks. We can achieve so much... and dementia affects so many of us (usually) late in life. My wife runs a dementia care unit, before lockdown we used to go in every day she was working with the puppies for a little pet therapy... even the dogs are missing it. I believe when we run we can beat our own issues, and if I can help with others for a year it’ll be well worth the extra effort.
Everyone here and a good cause will keep me going!
Not sure which that is 🤣. I know which one I lace first (yes, I have some pre run rituals) but I’m guessing that I step off with the opposite one! Thanks for your encouragement.
That sounds a great idea.... out of interest what was your mileage last year? For the last few years I have had the goal of running 1000 miles a year, and this year I have upped it to 1300 so its 2020km. I skipped the 10% rule by 200 miles as my plan to succeed felt doable. The only thing I will say is that it is hard. Its a really good idea to have a reset week every 4 to 6 weeks where you do v v little to enable the body to recover, so I suggest that you consider factoring that in, and allow for life stuff too. But I do totally think its doable, very tough but definitely can be done. Exciting times
The 10% rule would allow for a huge increase yearly! 1.1 to the power of 52 times the first week in January for a start! So if you followed 10% exactly and ran 1 mile on week one, you could run 142 miles a week a year later!
I know... hence my jump from 1000 to 1300 is quite big but feels doable. I know what you mean re the obvious flaw in 10% but I always figured it’s worth applying to longer term goals. That’s really good re the 800 last year, and what’s the plan for this year? If you work towards next years goal it will get you ready for it...
This year will end pretty similar to last as I didn’t run until the last week in January and wasn’t going to work up to HM again until 10 weeks ago... now I’m at 30 miles a week and intend to hit the required 40 soon. I’m at 400 miles (give or take a 10k) for the year now, with 4 100 months that would match last year, but I should be around the 900 mark I think.
10% rule doesn’t apply to really low or really high milage, or returning from injury.
That sounds like a great plan- very exciting year ahead.
As I said, I like to use the 10% rule as I guide for myself, just sharing what I’ve learnt rather than telling you what a text book may or may not say.
Sure... but you’re going way way under the 10%... if you did 1000 even through last year, let’s simplify and say it was 50 weeks, so 20 mile weeks, in the first week of this you could go to 22 a week and there’s your first 100 miles. Not sure I have the time to work out your average weekly increase to add 300, but it’s gonna be under 1% as that would be something like a 67% increase in weekly running between weeks a year apart.
Didn’t give any. I think we are both more on a baseline milage theory than 10%, which is even more injury resilient... I’m generally increasing a lot less than 10% and decreasing as the weeks go by so the monthly milage graph is pretty straight up rather than exponential... ideally I want it flat throughout 2021 to meet my goal without putting any extra milage into the legs. 40 miles a week should take me most places that I want to go.
I’ve managed not to do any stupid stuff on rest days and injure myself for over a year! The ultra stuff I’m reading all seems to be about running through injuries, think I need to find one about reducing them before I get to those start lines.
I ran through all of mine with the help of a v v v good sports osteopath. But I just did a lot of one miles, but it kept me going. Thankfully none in about 2 years now . He was amazing and gave me loads of exercises to strengthen the causes.
I wouldn’t know who to go to round here for that stuff... there’s a few good physios about. Amazing to keep you ticking over. Finding the cause is the key to these things of course, the symptoms are often in the wrong place.
Exactly and I had no idea that the course was totally separate to the injury of you get drift. I found him at the university of Bristol sports department. The assessment was free. I bet you have more available near you than you think. Hopefully you won’t need it anyway.
Most probably, I’m assuming there’s a good few with sports city and the cycle teams based there too just up the road... just never really thought of it really. Fingers crossed I don’t need to find out.
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So what’s working for me ? What’s working for you ? 
Time for some LSD for me!
Merry Christmas and here’s to 2020 🎄
