Many thanks to Sandie1961 and Shake-and-run for hosting the Oktoberquest !
i have really enjoyed following everyone's journeys.
I really can't believe how quick the weeks and months are going by .
Halloween now over and Christmas on the horizon !
And the weather is certainly on the change, whatβs with all this rain !!!
And of course now for those of us here in the U.K we have had the clock change , so hopefully it will make it a little lighter in the mornings for a while anyway.
β So how has your running been going ?
Have you all been achieving your personal quests ?
i have been reading about some great runs, targets, distances and races, congratulations !
For me it has been a very up and down couple of months , my run frequency and distances have slipped right back, work as a driving instructor has gone crazy since the end of lockdown and I have been finding it increasingly difficult to fit the runs in and unfortunately at the moment i have been resting 1 or 2 niggles as well !
β So what is the Quest ?
The regulars here of course will know !
for any new comers, welcome, and let me explain .
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.
Some popular goals are:
β To run three times a week
β To slowly increase distance
β To train for a specific race
β 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 want to ..............
Every week I will put up a new post and we can all chat about how we are doing.
My own Quest for the month is to get over the recent niggles with more stretching and strength exercises to enable me to run more frequently again (Work permitting) and hopefully stay off the injury couch and start increasing the distance again.
So there we are.
Please join in, i look forward to hearing all about your goals !
Good luck, Ian.
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Instructor57
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As we head into the final two months of the year my main focus is on consolidating the work I've been doing since returning to running in August after a long break but one in which I boosted my general fitness.
I'm now up to running 4x per week, and hope to consolidate that over this month and next month's quests and end the year on a consistent note.
On top of that, I want to make my 10K runs into 'less of a big deal' - I still feel nervous before them, just like I used to with a 5K until I ran them regularly enough that they lost the fear factor.
So without further waffling, my quests for November are:
- Run 1x10K per week at an easy relaxed pace
- Run 4x per week overall, with 1x5K and the others as shorter runs
- Keep collecting some shiny Garmin badges - November rundown (80Ks), Step month (300K) and a weekend 10K on the 26th would all be lovely
We have the "Virtual November HM" in the Marathon forum here on the 14th. I'll be doing that.
I hope to be able to extend my distance/duration a bit this month, possibly up to 26.2 km (Metric Marathon). No hurry though.
It would be nice to do 100 miles of running again this month. I'd also like to get in some long walks again. October's weather made that a little difficult.
Apart from that, my aim is to get in at least three runs per week and not get injured.
At least three! I will probably do four or five if the weather cooperates. I'll always take a rest day before parkrun and a rest day after the long run, so it's unlikely to be more.
Thank you for being our Quest leader this month Instructor57. After not running since for ever, my quest last month was to be cheerleader in chief for the Great South Run - that box ticked and hands just about recovered from all that clapping! This monthβs efforts I hope will be to get to run - it may not be much and it wonβt be far or fast, but small stepsβ¦β¦!
Please may I join in with the Remember to Quest in November Questπ thank you for leading us this month.
Still consolidating I would like to keep up the 2x a week running I managed in October. Taking the time for these runs just for me is helping my stamina and I am improving again at last. Also aiming to get to the 5k distance comfortably by the end of the month.
I will aim to do 2 P.E with Joe Wicks HIIT sessions a week, time permitting.
I will continue with my daily YWA yoga practices which I really enjoy.
I hope to keep an eye on my wine intake, after dry October I will limit myself to the occasional glass, I didn't miss it much and feel better for abstaining.βΊ
Nannie duties are an important part of my week of course now, and I'm always happy to be there for my daughter and baby grandson π and he is quite heavy now!
I have started the month well with a run this morning followed by a yoga practice. Maybe a Joe session tomorrowπ€
Hello and you are very welcome to join this month's Quest ππIt sounds like you have busy active weeks and being able to maintain 2x runs , 2x Joe wicks HIIT sessions and daily yoga sessions is a great Quest , not to mention the Nanny duties as well π
You deserve that glass of wine π¬
And as you say, a good start with that run today ! π
Hello Ian, and thank you for hosting this month's quest. π
I ended October by running 44 km in the last week. This is a good level for me, and a milestone, as I set running that distance each week as a target for myself when I completed a run through of C25K in August.
So as my lone Quest goal I would like to continue to run 44 km each week during November!
Erm - there is an element of naughtiness in there. Of course noone should do it, and it is crazy etc, and absolutely not something I would recommend to anyone else, but since I completed C25K in August I have been running every day. (Save for a couple of days when I was trying out the Garmin coach).
I have a routine that really suits me: 100 yards walk to the end of my road, then 0.5 km light jog, then a 6.25 km run at an easy / Zone 2 pace, ending up back where my light jog ended, leading into my warm down jog, 100 yard walk home, and static stretches.
Hesitate to post this, as I expect it may be controversial - but best to be truthful!
I only started running consecutive days around Easter this year. I do enjoy doing so. By that time I'd been running on alternate days (since graduation) for about six months continuously and had already done a couple of 10km runs.
However, even on my most active weeks I always have at least one rest day, usually after my longest or most strenuous run of the week. Even now, the muscles etc. need some time off.
I might be tempted to do RED January this year, but if I do it'll mostly be shorter runs (3-5km), rather than 10 miles plus.
This is my second phase of running. I also did C25K in August 2019, and I was running 30K each week in 3 * 10K by February 2020, which became my routine. When we went into lockdown I switched to running 5K each day (I'd been running about 7 months by then). I got injured and spent the next year on and off the IC.
I took getting injured through RED as my enemy and I was determined to "defeat" it when I started C25K again in June. That's just my personality I'm afraid, when I set my mind to something I am determined to overcome any obstacle to achieve my goal.
My quest is to wear my new Winter kit now that Iβve gone and bought it: run faster tights, reflective dark (k)night gilet and pull-down beanie. Despite the wind and rain, the weather hasnβt been nearly cold enough yet.
Running will be the second half of the Garmin 5k training plan so I hope by December Iβll shave a minute off my PB time; in time for a Christmas Day Parkrun! (there must be one somewhereβ¦itβs listed as a trophy challenge on the app.)
Hellooo! Hope you can keep holding your niggles at bayβ¦ Iβm skirting knee niggles quite often, but a phase of knee strengthening always manages to get them under control!
Thanks so much for hosting! And quests: count me in!
My Quest for this week:
All very simple due to my plan, thus I just need to follow it to finish week 4 of my plan (see pic), which will allow me to:
- - explore the audio coached runs on Runkeeper, as they added some
- - explore some city runs as part of the week, as I will have to run in the dark (Iβve mapped some βRun the Town Runsβ in my Footmap app which also has audio navigation, so mixing that with Runkeeperβs voices will be interesting! ππ€ͺπ΅βπ«)
- - run a 10k next weekend
- - continue getting back into a daily yoga practice (after having done daily Pilates last months)
- - continue to do my squats
And to slowly start thinking of what comes after the end of my plan, after week 5! π±
Thank you. Yeah, I saw the posts for NRC ghosting, but didnβt reply as my guided runs did not disappear, although Iβd have liked to hear a German version! π€£π€£
Knee niggles: I think the Athleten X video is great (listed in my focus on knees week at healthunlocked.com/strength... ).
Hope you find your guided runs again and take care of those knees!
Thanks, I've re download the runs !Thanks for the knee's week link , I'll take a look π¬π
Hello! Great to have you hosting us this month ππΌπ. I am going to keep things simple this month as I think I stand more chance of successβ¦.. My quest is to -
πββοΈ aim for 3 runs per week and hope to tip into 5k+ by the end of the month
π§πΌββοΈ aim for 3 yoga sessions each week.
Good luck to you for your quest too. Fingers crossed for success π€πΌ βΊοΈ
Hi I57! Thanks for this.Itβs getting chilly and Iβm going back to Russia in a couple of weeks so keeping to a routine as it gets colder and darker will be interesting.
Anyway, in November I will:
Continue running 3 times a week
Do a longer run through the forest, at least 7k
Do my local Parkrun. Thatβs probably the most difficult of all as it involves waking up at 7.30 am on a Saturday, something I really dislike. I know all you earlybirds would consider it a lie in but for me it really is a challenge π
I would like to join the quest please and my quest is - to get back to 3 runs a week, - to complete at least 2 strength sessions a week -
I have had half a term back teaching primary after a few years of not, which has played havoc with my running time! So as this week starts my second half term, I will set my new routine and make sure I get out for my own health and emotional well being!!
This is the first time I have joined a quest as I usually miss the start!
Welcome to the Quest πI'm looking to do pretty much the same thing but it may take me a little more time but 3x a week and 2 strength sessions sounds good !
Could I join the quest please. I've been jogging along post graduation but the lure of the couch is getting ever stronger as winter approaches. My quest is to keep up with 3 runs a week and yoga 3 days a week. Now I've said it I have to do it! Already got my running gear on for the first jog of November. Good luck to everyone with their quests.
Hello and welcome !I'm glad the tittle reminded you π
Unfortunately I don't have time between lessons so it's just a morning window for me !
Your 4 aims sound spot on !
I would be happy if I could achieve that atm .
I hope to get off the ic this week !
Good luck with your quest ! π
The main quest for me is to try and run 3 times a week (excluding life happening like IV's and doc appointments) with 5K run on weekdays and 10K run in the weekend. On the side I have a little quest of reaching 10 miles, which was planned for the past week. But a sciatic brat prevented it from happening. Will have to see how I will fit that in this month or the next... The working up to 10 miles, not the sciatic brat...
Well, I'll have to go with building back up to three runs per week by the end of the month. Not even thinking about distance yet! ππ€¦ Thank you for leading the quest this month βΊοΈπ
Hello @Instructor57 thanks for hosting the quests this month. Good luck with your quests! Having started the month feeling a little run down I am hoping to be able to resume running again on Thursday. Thereafter my goals will be more of the same:- run 3 times a week (apart from this week)
- increase distance slowly using Ju Ju's magic distance plan
- run 3 different parkruns and volunteer at one
- cross train at least twice a week
- run my first 10k race on 21st November
-get 7+hours sleep a night
-and also warm up for even longer to help prevent any injuries in the colder weather (I had a nasty injury 3 years ago as I didn't warm up properly and definitely don't want that to happen to me again)
Thanks. Yes I do dynamic warm up exercises followed by a 5 minute warm up walk. For my dynamic stretches I do a combination from the below 2 videos :youtube.com/watch?v=4jCDjnz...
1)Knee hugs
2) Quad stretch
3) Leg pull
4) Leg swings - both front to back and side to side
Hi there. I would like to join the quest to find my running mojo! Have been using the weather as an excuse to back slide so I'm aiming for at least 2 runs per week with the ultimate goal of hitting 10k again by the end of the month. I hear there's a badge in it.... π€£π€£π€£π€£
πInstructor57 please may I hop aboard the Quest train?
I'm going to try again with at least one run a week which shouldn't be a challenge of course but will be.
My other goal is to try to do something from Ekhart Yoga every day - whether that's a meditation, relaxation, talk or any sort of class (the latter for at least 10 minutes of the session... it's not unusual for me to have to stop at that point with severe nausea, that's what happened last night with the gentlest of gentle) I took out an annual subscription which expires at the end of the month. I tend not to be keen on 'every day' challenges as missing one day can then so easily be the thin end of the wedge as the original goal can't be completed. But let's see how many I can clock up.
I started with what Ekhart Yoga put up for free on YouTube and got hooked that way! I've mostly been doing my own personal practice based on what I've learned from them but I like to try new things (unfortunately my body mostly really really doesn't)
Hi there, π First, I will try to be more consistent in checking in and reporting my Quest progress (I keep missing weeks π€·πΌββοΈ ). Best wishes to everyone for their new/continuing quests - so interesting to read what you are all up to!
My quest is to continue with the NRC HM plan, just as far as the 16k/10 mile mark. It takes me 10-14 days to do a βweekβ (5 runs), which roughly translates as 3 runs per week. I adapt if I have to. So far, Iβve rebuilt up to 10k long runs, but within a mixed menu of speedwork and recovery runs. I love the variety. The longer runs are enabling me to explore new routes, which is probably my main motivation for going further. Iβm now in the sixth βNRC weekβ, with a 8-mile/12.875k long run coming up, which will be my longest to date. With my commitments, that adventure might need to be delayed until next week. Iβm also prepared to adapt and drop it back to 7 miles/11.2k if I feel I need to. It feels both perfectly do-able (with nice and slow, no pressure running, Iβm quietly confident) and also quite a jump from βweek 5β (a second 10k) to βweek 6β. Many happy hours are spent drawing potential scenic routes of the requisite lengths on the Strava map!
Iβm still on the Plankathon. Iβm about a fortnight (maybe more?) behind schedule after straining muscles in my upper back (not by doing planks, I hasten to add!). I am determined to complete it. Iβm at the stage for 30s for elbow plank + 30s full plank + 30s side 1 + 30s side 2, but Iβm not yet strong enough to add onto this the up-and-downs for more than just a few seconds. All in good time. Patience!
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