❄️ December Quest Week 1: Tis the season to be Questing! ❄️

[MissUnderstanding]

Welcome to December’s Quest! Massive thanks to   Oldfloss for taking us through a stormy November.

I love the first day of a new Quest. It’s so exciting to have a new month ahead with a great start and lots of goals to tick off. Big goals that last the whole month. Little ones to last the week. It’s often a busy season so maybe even plans to keep running through Christmas craziness. I’m so glad I’ve got running to keep me sane!

So what sorts of things do you want to achieve this month? Are you targeting a new speedy PB or a new furthest distance? Are you aiming to stay consistent with your runs? Do you want to run somewhere new or try a something different for the first time? Is your training plan on need of ticks? Perhaps it’s other things outside running like strength, nutrition or buying new kit that’s on your mind. Whatever goals you’ve got, let’s get sharing and let’s keep each other accountable.

I’m at the very start of a training plan for an event in April…yes, April! I need to start now. How bonkers is that?!! I’ve been vaguely following something different for a few weeks but the latest issue of Women’s Running had an article about “Marathon training for busy runners” and the accompanying plan looks like it’ll suit me really well. I’m aiming to complete weeks 1-4 through December. I’ve also entered the Great Run Solo Christmas Challenge to help keep on track-that means doing 12 runs before Christmas Day. I’ll be trying to complete the Advent Challenge runs to get into the Christmas spirit! Walks count too so that should definitely be achievable.

I’ll also be really focussing on strength. I know my IT band needs strength work to stay happy so it’s (minimum) two workouts a week.

Finally, I have the fun goal of replacing my lovely long run trainers. Sadly my knees are grumbling after wearing my current ones (which I love 😭😭😭) so I need some new and shiny trainers.

So for me….

❄️ Four runs a week from training plan

❄️ Two strength sessions a week

❄️ Replace old trainers with shiny new ones (photo will be provided on purchase!!)

What are your plans for the month? Will you be doing anything to Christmasify your runs?

Can’t wait to hear what you’re all going to be doing in December!

ChristmissU and the team xx

If anyone is interested, two posts to look at are the Bridge Advent Challenge here

healthunlocked.com/bridgeto...

and the Great Run Solo Christmas Challenge here

healthunlocked.com/bridgeto...

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For any newbies, here’s an introduction to 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.

You need to be 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 I 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 strength and flex 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...”

Any questions, just ask! Come and say hi, we want to know what you're aiming for!

Photo credit: unsplash.com/photos/shallow...

[CBDB Graduate10]

What a cutie of a Lego man!

I’m not quite full back in health but slowly getting there.

I did a very short run yesterday, a very slow row today, so I think I’m slotting slowly back into my routines. (Sniffling and coughing still as I trundle along…. What an annoying lingering cold!)

So my quest is : play it by ear. Move forward when I feel my body can take it but take it slow.

So no fancy planning, but plenty of adapting.

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10 in reply to CBDB]

Thank you! As soon as I scrolled past this image on Unsplash I knew it was the right one for this post. Bizarrely I didn’t haven anything suitable seasonal on my camera roll!

Your quest sounds perfect. Coming back from illness or injury, pressure free play it by ear is the nicest way to do it. Enjoy your organic, free-form quest. That sounds like it should cost £2 more than regular Quest in the supermarket!

[CBDB Graduate10 in reply to MissUnderstanding]

🤣🤣👍🏽🙏

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

Hi all 😄 well I've been bragging about starting to run again, I have a morning of treatment on Tuesday and may sleep for a few days after that, so my quest this week is to run twice .Happy questing everyone

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

It’s so nice to see you running again-brag all you want. It’s well deserved!

Super quest too. Hopes the treatment goes well and good luck with this week’s questing!

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to MissUnderstanding]

Thank you, I better add fit some Christmas shopping in too 🤣🤣🤣

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

Me too!! I haven’t even started yet!

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to MissUnderstanding]

My granddaughter is celebrating early with her boyfriend before they both go to family for actual Christmas so there's a parcel all ready and waiting for posting, I've bought a load of scratch cards to go in cards, and that's it so far for me and I might lose most of this week

[GoogleMe Graduate10]

Such an interesting month I think because there can be so much else on, and we are starting to reflect on how the year has gone and our hopes for the next year.

Like others, I think my theme for the month is "No pressure" I am going to take forward many of my recent Quest goals... to provide structure rather than stretch.

1) Run a 5k for the final 2024 British Wildlife medal series at Virtual Racing: it's a really beautiful goldfinch. I have signed up for next year's series although some of the 'Britishness' for 2025 is highly questionable - golden oriole, pheasant, some sort of black fox, humming bird...

2) Baths, lots of 'em, at least 4... 6 would be even better. Was given a bath bomb advent calendar so needs must, hahaha.

3) Averaging 10 brisk minutes a day. I'd fallen out of love with this one a bit as I didn't achieve it last month and part of that was about the app... but I am ahead at this point in the month so I can't resist...

4) Daily pelvic floor exercises

5) 31+ yoga sessions including 15+ Ekhart Yoga classes (I think a lot of the latter will be meditations, and that is not a bad thing)

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10 in reply to GoogleMe]

What a super set of goals! Embracing “no pressure” is such a good plan for this time of year. I’ve had a look and those new wildlife medals are gorgeous. Enjoy the challenge!