A big thank you to Floss for leading us through September. A new month already!
Sadly no beer on offer, but, as the nights draw in, the leaves start to change colour and we move into the “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”, well those of us in the northern hemisphere anyway, it would be easy to switch on the heating and curl up by the fire. Alternatively, the cooler weather is a perfect time to set some targets and push on with your running knowing you’re less likely to end up in a sweaty heap. Also we know that this month has an avalanche of races postponed from the spring or even from last year, which I am sure loads of us have signed up for, so no time to relax!
We (Shake-and-run and Sandie1961) were delighted to be asked to guest host this month’s Quest and we look forward to hearing from you all how you are getting on each week. We would also love to read your tips for successfully adapting to autumn running and to see your photos of the beautiful autumn colours where you are.
If your normal running schedule means you will now be running in poor light or in the dark or, for our friends in France, during the hunting season, please make sure you can see and be seen to stay safe.
What is the Quest?
The aim of the Quest is to help you find a focus or goal that you would like to achieve by the end of the Quest period.
The Quest takes one calendar month. You can join at any point during that time.
We ask that you are a C25K Graduate before joining the Quest. The reason for this is that pre-graduation your week is very much structured according to the C25K programme, and we wouldn't want the Quest to interfere with that.
Most popular goals are:
★ To run three times a week
★ To slowly increase distance
★ To train for a specific race
★ To add Stretch and Strength exercises to your weekly routine
This is a personal challenge, so it's completely up to you! If you want to join, all you have to do is comment below with something like:
I would like to join the Quest, or, count me in! I would like to...
Each week, we will put up a new post, so we can chat and see how we are all doing.
Written by
Sandie1961
Graduate10
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
I got back into the questing last month after some serious time off running. The objective was just building up consistency - which worked! I got back up to running 5K 3x per week.
I signed up to three Garmin challenges, step into september (100K steps by 14th, completed), weekend 5K (completed) and rundown (51.4 / 80.5 km completed). I did like the Garmin challenges as a way of having smaller challenges to aim for over the course of the month!
Here's my three quests for Ocotber:
Restart the BridgeTo10K - hopefully I'll be back to running 8K by the end of the month!
October rundown - not expecting to complete the 80.5K, but want to clock up more miles in October than September
Hit 300K steps and get the October Step Month badge
Well done FF, those sound like amazing challenges to keep you out there and running.
My quest is to try and run 2 x 5K during the week and 1 x 10K in the weekend (maybe adding a bit of extra distance once in a while to reach ten miles in a very far future). Unfortunately I won't be able to do that every week, as life sometimes crawls between it. Like next week, I will be able to do only 1 run during the week. But the main goal is set, fingers crossed!
Yay Sandie and Shakes, what a great team! So happy to see you both hosting this month. 👏👏
What’s my Quest? I really don’t know. Keep on running 3-4 times a week, and keep on having fun in the process always does it for me. I’d like to think I could beat my GSR time from 2019, and I’m still keeping up my enjoyable weekly NRC speed runs. I also have an experiment to start soon, but it might not be in October ….. maybe next month. 😀
And a beer will go down very very well after the GSR. Irishprincess and I enjoyed one after the Bristol HM! 🍻
Just trying to build up my daily step count with my new hip. Still using crutches and limited to about 1k before I need a sit down, to a total of less than 5k a day. I am therefore some way off my intermediate goal of being able to attend parkrun as a Walker rather than volunteer. Still, a month is a long time, and the gains keep coming, so I will keep working on it, plus doing the physiotherapist’s daily exercises.
My quest this month is to consolidate on what I've achieved in the previous month.
On the last day of the month I have the City of Manchester 10K in Heaton Park. I want to be physically able to do it, ie. not injured.
No heroics. The amount of activity I've been doing recently has me at about 40-50km of running per week, with several 10km runs per week. I'm actually feeling comfortable with that level of activity. (This is frankly amazing given that I hadn't ever run at all 18 months ago.)
I might revisit the Half Marathon distance again, or maybe a little further, and then again I might not. It all depends on the weather, what other demands there are on my time, and how I'm feeling on the day.
Nowster that is an impressive achievement, so far in such a short space of time. You are right 'injury free' is a good target for all of us! Enjoy your running and keep us posted.
Whoo hoo Sandie and Shakes. Thanks for looking after us this month. October is a quest of 2 halves. Until the 17th I will be totally focussed on trying to stay safe and strong for the Great South Run.
Once I’ve got the T-shirt and the bling, I am going to relax a bit and run (short runs) just for the love of it in between a few mini trips away with the lovely UpTheStanley .
So it’s not a quest at all really, but I will be checking in.
Hello Sandie and Shakes. Thank you for doing this.
I really enjoyed my quest last month with OF, which was my first time as a Quester, and exceeded my expectations, so I am looking forward to hopefully repeating that success this month.
I would like to declare two goals. Firstly to run 39 km or more in the last week of October, and secondly to average 8 hours of sleep with up to 2 hours deep sleep each night, as tracked by my Garmin.
For my first target - running - I had planned that this month my target would be to run 39 km in the last week of October, but my easy run / Zone 2 pace has increased on my timed runs, so it looks like I might hit 42 km - which would be a milestone for me as it fits the runs I want to do very nicely. In September I aimed to increase my weekly running from 29 km to 35 km, and ran 36 km in the last week, so I hope to achieve a similar increase this month.
I'd like to aim for 39 km - if I do more than that it will be a bonus!
My 2nd target - sleeping better - might seem slightly off the topic of running, but I think it is the best thing I can do for my running (and my general health). I will have to make a number of lifestyle changes to have a chance of meeting this target, so it is quite a challenge for me.
Last month, because I had made it a Quest target I was able to find the discipline to run slow and stay in HR Zone 2 during my runs, and I hope making this sleep goal a Quest target will once again boost my self control.
You’re absolutely right about good sleep having an impact on running. I frequently have very interrupted sleep and it does make it harder to run. If you achieve it, you’ll have to share your secret! The running goal is great and fits really well with the advice to increase by no more than 10% a week. Good luck 😉
That’s plenty to be going on with. I had the intention of adding hill repeats when we were in France, as I have a big one just outside the door, but I never got round to it (plenty of elevation on the runs I did though). Now back in Lincolnshire, so the opportunity is gone, thank goodness 😂😂
Thanks OBK and hope your quest goes well. Udachi! (Hope I got that right 😁)
Hi Sandie and Shakes. Lovely to have you both hosting the quest this month. Hmm. What will my quest be? I got really on board with the quest last month, largely because one of them was to see my daughter through to her C25K graduation, which was a great incentive. I really want to keep the momentum going so my quests this month are…
🏃♀️ to reclaim my 5k distance - it’s been a while
🏃♀️ start to increase my time/distance
🧘🏼♀️ do more yoga days than not during the month - first one done today ☺️
Nice set of goals Hidden . I think I need to add yoga back into my goals. I did 4 months of Adriene during lockdown from January, but then it kind of dropped off.
I found out that Russia does Parkrun just after I started c25k and the idea has been fermenting ever since. Not even sure if it's going at the moment but my husband's friend is the organiser so maybe he'll put one on just for me 😂
Hello I’m new to this quest so here goes. Since graduation my runs have slipped to 2 a week and I really want to regain the commitment of 3- sounds really simple I know how hard can it be I ask myself but life and work get in the way. With the winter looming I know I need support to keep going so any help is appreciated. I am61 and have no desire to run longer than 30 mins.Many thanks 😊
It is very easy for life and work to get in the way, but a run is a run is a run, even if you only manage 10 minutes. Try putting your runs in your calendar and maybe treat them like a business appointment. Keep checking back here and let us know how you’re getting on. Lots of people here to cheer you on who have gone through or are going through the same thing. Good luck 😉
Well done Shakes and Sandie for leading the questing charge this month! I have no idea what my quest is this month except to actually get my running gear on and hope that my hip doesn’t complain again! It’s really frustrating 😡. I feel another visit to the physio coming on…
Oh no, it does seem to be taking a long time to clear up. I think the aim of just going for a run is a good one to have under the circumstances. The other one I would suggest for you is to shake your Pom poms for your Great South running buddies! xx
Hi lovely Questleaders Sandie1961 and Shake-and-run , please may I join the Octoberquest...🙋♀️ It helps so much to keep me motivated and be accountable.
Having never been an early morning runner, I am finding it difficult to make time to go out for a run these days. I will endeavour to fit some runs in when I get the chance, and will try for a 5k.
I am enjoying doing the P.E with Joe Wicks HIIT sessions, and intend to carry on with 3 of these per week.
I nearly always manage a YWA yoga practice every day and really feel the benefits of the stretching and core work this offers.
So it's more of the same for me this month taking the time to run when I can and trying to stay fit and happy....and of course enjoying family time with my gorgeous new grandson.
Wow, that’s quite a list of goals, but a great mix. I’m taking each week as Friday to Thursday, as Friday was 1st of the month, but you can use any 7 day period you want. Good luck!
Oops missed this quest post so I'm late to the party again.... But I'm here now 🤣* As I'm ever so slowly building my distance back up after injury my first quest is to get back to 10k this month. I'm back to 8k so I'm pretty confident that its achievable 🤞
*Secondly will be too consolidate the 10k so my target will be too work out a flexible plan to help with this
*Thirdly to continue with my physio exercises at least 5 times a week
*And lastly to continue to work on core strength I'm hoping this will be achieved through the October Daily Pilates challenge that In doing over on Strength and Flex.
Hi Sandie and fellow Questers 👋 I’ve had to think long and hard about my quest this month 🤔. I don’t want to push further. I achieved my 10 mile goal and time is an issue with work and family. I don’t want to do more. I run twice a week come hell or high water (and there’s been a lot of water lately) I run one long and one short run. I do Pilates one evening a week and a weights session on Saturday morning. Again time is the issue with doing more. So I thought I would try to go faster 🐢
During September I found a lovely new extension to my 5k route which makes it 6k. I’ve increased my speed at that distance from 8’15’’ to 8’06’’ today. So I’m thinking, perhaps to try to push it just below 8’ per k. Doable I think. I’ve added some squats with a 10kg weight to my weights routine this week along with some clams with a stretchy band. Any other tips will be welcome 🤗
Nothing wrong with consolidating the amazing achievements you have already completed and if running a bit faster is your aim for this month that’s fantastic. Onward and upward!
Hi Sandie1961 …sorry I didn’t join in at the start but I’m here now…my quest this month is to continue to run 3 times a week with one or two of the runs being a speed workout and the other a bit of distance…I need the motivation from my friends on here though…even though Autumn is my fav season for running there’s always something else that needs doing, especially now that I’ve started working after 19 years of being a stay at home Mum!! Hoping my running goes better than my juggling!!! xx
My goal for October was to hit 1,000 miles for the year before my birthday, which I achieved with a couple of days to spare.
I have the Edinburgh 10k on the 24th, so preparing for that. Other than that, as an evening runner, it's just doing the transition from running in daylight to running in the dark and enjoying the sunsets while I'm running, while I can.
Congratulations on hitting your distance goal 🥳🥳 1000 miles in 9 months or so is great going. Good luck for Edinburgh. I’ve got Lincoln 10k on 31st so once the Great South is out of the way on Sunday, it’ll be a bit of speed training to see if I can beat my 2019 time 🤞🏻
My 2019 time was 1 hour 3. I'm quite a bit faster now having clocked a 10k PB of just under 54 minutes as part of my Scottish HM a couple of Sundays ago.
Not looking to improve on that, but anything under an hour will do me.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
September Quest week 2
‘Be Awesome in October’ Quest, Week 3: How’s it going folks?
🌸 February Quest Week 1 : Put a spring in your step! 🌸
