We’ve had Winter Solstice and we’re into the final week for the December Quest so hopefully we’re nearing the end of the ever-growing Christmas list of “things to do” and we can celebrate with a final burst of our Quests with a few runs or exercises or bubble baths or whatever we choose 🙂
I have loved reading all your Quests and updates and seeing your gorgeous photos. There have been some amazing achievements and great personal goals met. Well done to each and every one of you, you are stars ⭐️⭐️
As we said at the beginning of this Quest, December is not the best month for our running and we can only do what we can do. And yet I’ve found that this is nearly always just enough along with everything else that demands our attention 🙂
Thankfully I managed to get the tree up, carried on meeting friends, planted half of my spring bulbs and made time to get a few runs in too! I still have some wrapping to do so today is the day for that as it’s too frosty here to work in the garden 🥶
I had a parcel returned to me saying the person “wasn’t known at that address”! WHAT?? 🤨🤔 I then realised that I’d used her old address 🙄 Honestly, Christmas brain 😂
Although not as bad as a friend who one year posted all her Christmas cards without stamps 😂
So how’s it all going for you? Tell us in the comments below.
For anyone who hasn’t yet joined the Quest don’t forget you can join at any time, even for the last week! It’s surprising what we can squeeze in in a week! We’d love to see you here.
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 weeks are pretty much structured according to the C25K programme, and we wouldn’t want the Quest to interfere with that.
Some 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 want to ..............
So, this is the last push before a new year. A perfect time to end the year as we mean to go on. Let’s have a big sparkling celebration as we do what we can in this final week.✨✨💫💫🌟🌟
I’ll send out a final post on the last day of December just to wind this Quest down but in the meantime, Happy Christmas/Seasons Greetings to you all and stay safe x
Written by
Irishprincess
Graduate10
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Sounds like you are “ on it” even with your Xmas brain Irishprincess! I’m grateful to you for joining us together for a December quest . I’m having been having quite an awe inspiring time with my quest to run every day. The weather has been showing off with a different landscape every day - yesterday swirling mist and today white frosted grass. Each day a different flock of birds has visited the tree I sit under after my run - yesterday starlings, today crows. All in a little urban park in London Even with further covid restrictions looming this can’t be taken away.
Hi IP! Sounds like you’re all ready for the big day, and I hope you and your family have the best time. 🎄🎉😍
My lowly quest is still going! I’m running 3 times per week - but I haven’t gone beyond 5k for all sorts of reasons, weather and lack of time being the main ones. Still, 5k is an acceptable distance so all good. 🏃♀️ The photo was taken this morning. 🥶😍
I’ve also jumped back onto my yoga bandwagon having had several weeks of simply not doing it with any regularity. It does feel wonderful and I’m sure my body is thanking me. 🧘♀️ 🙏🏻
I did it! Just back from my last run this year on my run down under journey. I’ve run 1717.19km since I began in February 2021.
I’ve run from Canberra to Roma which is on the edge of a beautiful national park in Outback Queensland. It is also the hub of the beef industry in Queensland & also the largest livestock sale yard in Australia with up to 12,000 head of cattle sold per day. Quite funny that I’ve given up meat this year and ended up there 🤣
Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and happy new year x
I would be really really happy if I can tick off the next long run of my HM training on Boxing day - 8 miles. Not (just) to feel smug, but if it's dry I think it would be a lovely & peaceful midwinter run. And be a silver lining to this year's extra-quiet Christmas.
And my favourite Zwift area is available on Christmas Eve, so I'll do a short treadmill run that day.
But if things get cosy & christmassy & what I need most is a rest & some time with my partner, I hope I will realise that's the best choice and not push myself or berate myself, and enjoy the downtime instead.
Things going well with my quest so far this month. I got a HM in on Sunday and have planned to do a few medium runs this week, a short one on Christmas morning, maybe a 10km on Boxing Day, then play the rest of the coming week by ear.
Getting to 1000 miles this year is looking very tight (I'm currently 80km short). If I don't make it I'll have a little sulk for about 30 seconds. 🤣
Apart from that, my priority is still to not get injured, yet maintain the about same level of activity.
You could always run 10K every day to make up the gap 😳 On second thoughts, that could definitely lead to injury 😱
It is absolutely NOT going running wise for me. I feel I am kinda in a dip running wise or any activity wise. Might try a short run tomorrow, but there is absolutely no regularity in my running at the moment. Really need a kick under the donkey to get myself running again... So my quest at the moment is: get running again!
Good afternoon Irish Princess, may I wish you and your family a very Happy Christmas and a happy running New Year, by the way, this morning I ran my 80th (not) parkrun, after last weeks first night run in a slower than normal time for me of 42:31, this mornings daylight run was a sub 35 minutes run of 34:16 which is the exact same time of my very first official Parkrun, once again have a great Christmas 🤶 🎄 🎶 🏃🏾🤶🎄
Still recovering from flu, but now regularly rowing (thanks to the virtual worlds of Zwift).
My metatarsals are still niggling when I walk, so I’m now wondering if they ever will get better. They didn’t get worse but that tiny niggle just keeps me from running. Annoying!
So my quest for this last week is:
1) if by the end of this week my metatarsals don’t get better, get another physio appointment
2) continue rowing
3) continue yoga and squats
Not much, but it’ll have to do. Oh yes, and be patient with my body!
Flu recovery can take longer than we think so I’m sending you lots of TLC and wishes for a return to running soon 🤞
Rowing is one of the best exercises you can do for the whole body and I’m sure, once you start running again, you’ll notice a difference.
And then you’re adding in squats and yoga! I tell you, you’ll be as fit and flexible as anything in no time!
Have you thought about having a sports massage? I’ve found that some residual niggles from various injuries have disappeared after a good sports massage.
Is that because of COVID or you just don’t like the thought generally?
If the former then good physios should be pretty safe. I’ve had a couple of sports massages and physio in the last year and my therapists are fully PPE’ed and I’ve got to wear a mask, etc.
I’ve always felt ok and I’m at the “bit paranoid” end of the virus spectrum 🙂
Hi Irishprincess & fellow questers - hope you're all well and looking forward to Christmas and the New Year! ☃️❄️🎄🤶
I've started to pick up my running again and feel better for it.- YES - run at least twice a week
- NO - complete all the runs of Ju Ju's magic distance plan - Even though I ran a 10k in November, I will be restarting the plan at week 5 tomorrow (8k run) to build myself up gradually again (as I had reduced my running in the past 3 weeks and don't want to injure myself)
-NO - cross train at least twice a week - haven't done this at at all. Will aim to go for a swim in the next few days and do some yoga on Boxing day
- ALMOST- warm up longer than usual to help prevent cold weather injuries - I did parkrun on Saturday and rushed my calf raise dynamic stretches before the run which I think resulted in me getting a bit of a twinge afterwards so I need to warm up gradually as well as for longer than usual
-YES - run 2 parkruns. Still on track for this. Did parkrun last Saturday and will be doing my local parkrun on Christmas Day
-ALMOST- get +7 hours sleep a night. Definitely sleeping much more each night (now that I'm on holiday and don't need to get up early for work) but not necessarily continuously.
I'm hoping for the rest of this month to pick up my running and cross training and get as much sleep as I can so that I feel refreshed and recharged for my new year's goals
You’ve had a pretty good week by the sound of things! There’s lots of positives in there, well done to you 👏
I do try and warm up for longer in the colder months and, on some freezing days, do most of it inside before venturing out otherwise you never get warm 🥶
Good luck for your 8K today and for the rest of your Quest and Happy Christmas 🎄🎅
High IP - thanks so much for hosting this festive quest. 👍
All going OK for me I think. I redid C25K starting June 17th so this week was a 6 month runiversary and I hoped to mark the occasion with a faster run.
Banging on about times seems a bit vulgar, but I don't want to be coy about it - so I was keen to get a time in the 26s for 5K having peaked at 27:28 when I was previously running 2019-2020.
Took a rest day on Sunday thinking I might manage it on Tuesday as on Monday I would be very sluggish as I always am after a rest day.
Monday came around and the first 4K of my 6.25K run were distinctly mediocre and I thought "not today!" - but as I finished and pressed save the watch told me I had a new 5K PB of 26:57; when I checked I had covered the last 2K quicker than ever before.
ATB for Christmas and the New Year to you and all!
Hi Irishprincess and fellow questers. My quest was to work on the running bingo and I’ve pretty much completed all the boxes that are not date specific. I’ve not completed any boxes this week tho 😏I’ve got some Strava art planned but I want to complete that with my running buddy. However, she has 4 children and a full time job which makes this time of year very busy for her 😱 so she hasn’t been able to run for about 3 weeks now. So not wanting to complete it without her I decided to go for a 2021 5k PB. It’s been a while since I’ve just run 5k. My usual shorter route is 6k and I noticed that I’d been getting quicker (a bit 😂) over that distance and over 10k so I thought I’d see what I could do 🤔
Well I smashed my previous time by 1 minute 16 seconds, completing the 5k in 37:26 with an average pace of 7’24. For me that is good 😊. I was very happy with that as it’s just natural progression due to running slowly but regularly.
I won’t get to run now before Christmas due to everything going on but I’m hoping for a Boxing Day run to tick off another box on the bingo.
Hello IP, thanks for reaching out to us at such a busy time Well, my quest goals are firmly out of reach this month but hey ho. I never like December much, the long nights and gloomy days do my head in. I've only run twice since I got back from Russia, rather than the 5 or 6 times I'd aimed for. Haven't even been on any decent walks, it's just so uninviting. Still, on the plus side, I've installed the Nike Training app and have been doing their short core and yoga workouts every other day so it's not a total write off. I suppose it's theoretically possible I could run another 21 km before the 31st but the way I feel now it's not very likely.
Regarding Christmas, two of my sons have Covid and I saw one of them just before he tested positive. I'll be doing LFTs daily from now on, we're supposed to collect number 3 son from uni today, it'll be such a disappointment if we can't.
Haven't got around to wrapping any presents or putting up a tree etc as we were going to wait until the kids were here. At least I bought all the Christmas food yesterday as soon as I heard we might be at risk so if the worst comes to the worst we won't starve.
I hope you get the Christmas you want. It’s almost impossible to make plans at the minute and all we can do is aim to go ahead and keep everything crossed🤞
Core and yoga workouts are great for your running body! You’ll get out again when you feel like it and the workouts you’ve been doing will pay dividends 💪
Merry Christmas IP and fellow runners 🎄🎅☃️Well you've beaten me with the tree mine is still drinking water in the greenhouse,. My eldest son's arrives later this afternoon to stay for a week so I'll get him to help🤞
I'm really pleased with how my December quest has gone ...
I've managed two runs each week even when I wasn't feeling like it and have tried to have some Xmas related fun while running.✅✅
I've been keeping up with the physio ✅
Fingers crossed for my last quest, to learn how to use my son's treadmill, should be happening tomorrow
Thanks for hosting December quest and for your replies and encouragement
Hi Irish Princess, still doing my 3 runs a week, as well as trying to fit in some yoga and stretching. Like you say not easy at this time of year. Had a Jingle Bells Pre Christmas run with the local running group, a 6.5K run around the local streets taking in the Christmas lights and decorated houses- lovely and festive, even if the weather wasn’t. The others are so much faster than me that I will have to re walk the route to appreciate the lights😁😁. Am up to running 8K now. A couple of weeks and I should be up for running 10K🤞. Glad to hear you are managing to get out for runs amidst all the Christmas excitement 👍
Exactly! The way to see Christmas decorations and lights properly outside is to run really slowly 🙂All those fast whizzes just get a glimpse of glitter and then it’s gone 😂
A jingle bell run sounds so much fun. Did you all wear bells?
Really well done on reaching 8K 👏 That 10K is within a whisker.
You’ve done really well on your Quest. Running three times a week, stretching and yoga!! Go you 💪
Hello all questers and IP. I've kept up with running and yoga, even took yesterday off work to 'bank' an extra run and yoga session as I know I won't get one done over the next few days (I know that's probably not a thing) Eldest son coming tomorrow and his girlfriend on boxing day, haven't been able to see them due to covid, there's been so much separation over the last few years I'm super exited to have all the family under one roof at the same time. Have a good one everyone , and good luck with you end of year questing. 🎄🎅
Hi there! Late, as ever, so I’m totally losing track of which week I’ve reported and which not. Good news is that I’ve managed two runs per week for the last fortnight. As I was working myself back into a regular practice after a small injury, followed by another and then a cold, the first week was just to get out with no pressure. I was pleased with my 5k + 3.5k. This past week I’ve upped the demands a tad with fun being my priority. I explored a new route, which took me 6.25k through parks, markets, canals, and past an old hidden burial ground. I did this with a run-walk ratio of 4:30 to 0:30 (think that’s the same as Hidden does), which certainly helps control HR. Today was meant to be a not-too-demanding ‘pyramid’ session, where after warmup I would run a minute at a slightly faster pace, 5 mins at my higher end of normal pace, 10 at the slower end of normal, and then reverse (a walk-jog rest between each segment). However, my guide podcast failed to function as did my hopeless efforts to do the counting in my head. My 10 minutes turned into 17, apparently. My running partner was considerably less amused than I was, so figuring that the final minute of ‘faster’ mightn’t be welcomed, I recalibrated the rest of the session to a longer gentle jog. No matter, that still made for a good 50 minutes of decent activity.
Wishing you all the very best for the close of 2021… and look forward to catching up in 2022. Thanks Irishprincess for hosting us through December.
The photo shows what’s proved to be a very rare glimpse of sky beyond the relentless cloud cover.
Pink-tinged mauve morning clouds with trees silhouetted.
Correct, I do the 4:30 / 0:30 run walk ratio. Pleasant eh? Not too short a ran ratio that you have to continuously stop and get back up to speed, but not too long so you can get your heartrate to lower again in time 😊
Yes, I also found it a very nice balance. The 30 seconds is gone in a jiffy but it’s enough for allowing the heart rate to drop back. Like a lot of others say, I find my HR initially climbs very quickly (however slow I go) and then trends gently upwards over the course of a run - plateauing unless I push myself hard. I feel totally fine (it’s not as if I’m about to explode; I feel nicely comfortable in fact). Still, it was great to see the impact of the intervals. I noticed that I had to walk the ‘walk’ section to see that; the gentle jog just didn’t have the same effect (or, at least, not quick enough in the allocated 30 seconds). Will definitely be using this method again to help manage injury risks especially on longer runs.
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Well, my quest goals are firmly out of reach this month but hey ho. I never like December much, the long nights and gloomy days do my head in. I've only run twice since I got back from Russia, rather than the 5 or 6 times I'd aimed for. Haven't even been on any decent walks, it's just so uninviting. Still, on the plus side, I've installed the Nike Training app and have been doing their short core and yoga workouts every other day so it's not a total write off. I suppose it's theoretically possible I could run another 21 km before the 31st but the way I feel now it's not very likely.
September Quest week 2
