Looking for inspiration? Mojo hiding under a fluffy blanket? Challenge time!!! ❄️⛄🏃👟

[linda9389]

Late December / early January can prove tough when it comes to lacing up and clocking up the miles. Often between events, weather unpredictable, festive season demands stealing our time, daylight hours at a premium….

I’ve seen a few posts here and on Strava suggesting I’m not the only one who could use a little encouragement right now!

I feel a forum challenge coming on? But what? Any ideas? We could go for distance again (in the vein of Good Riddance 2020), or maybe a Bingo Card as used on our sister forums. Speed challenges are often popular, but may not be best suited to cold and slippery pavements!

So, we thought we’d ask our lovely community if you have any ideas? Something you’ve seen on Strava or Facebook perhaps? Or something your running group or runny friends have tried?

We’d love to set up a group challenge, so please let us know in the comments if you’re interested in joining an end of year running challenge and - most importantly – if you have an idea for a new challenge that we can run with (yep, groan …sorry 🙃!!!).

The marathon team xxx

[mrrun Ultramarathon]

Twice every year some runners look for their mojos. Cold winter/short days or bright summer sweaty days with high temperatures. Both can be uncomfortable - unless we ignore the circumstances and aim for a specific goal. First start with a question. Do I want to run? If no, fair enough, don’t, stay home and do your thing. If yes, then do it. There’s no other option. Want to motivate yourself? Pick a program. Learn faster 5k, negotiate a HM or go for marathon training, that will keep you busy until April if you start now. Rain, cold, wind and all that? Back to the first question. Do l want to run? 😉

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to mrrun]

Pick a program ... OR ... pick a challenge 😃. There's no doubt I want to run, but I do like a bit of extra motivation 😊

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to linda9389]

Program is a challenge 😉! I remember my first marathon training and a cold winter evening after work when I had to do a 16K run. I simply came home, changed into my gear and went without thinking. The feeling after was what this is all about. Was it easy and was the run enjoyable? No way, and to an extent but it was in the calendar, hence it got done. 😀

[sparky66 Half Marathon]

Got my thinking cap on 👍

But remembering last year ..I had a wonderful Christmas day morning run.. It really set me up for the day's festivities.. 🎄🍽️🎅🤶

Wonder if anyone would like to do a Santa dash.. get a Santa hat,or some tinsel do a virtual run and maybe post some pics 🎄

I'm up for a Challenge.. hopefully we get some great suggestions 👏👏👏

[nowster Metric Marathon in reply to sparky66]

Christmas Day was a rest day for me last year. I did my first ever 8km run on Boxing Day (average pace 6'57"/km).

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to sparky66]

Am loving this idea!

[Cmoi Marathon in reply to sparky66]

Oh I like this sparky66 ! I ran - or more accurately jogged about 1km - in a bright red fleece with a reindeer on it on Christmas Day last year. We definitely need photos though if we do this.

[sparky66 Half Marathon in reply to Cmoi]

Yipee hopefully some more member's will join in 🎅❄️⛄

[Reggit Marathon in reply to sparky66]

Been wondering if the wife and kids will let me sneak out for a few k on the 25th.Had to pull out of a Santa dash at weekend - date clash with a family event - got the fancy dress. Be a shame not to use it 😂

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Reggit]

Then this should becright up your festive street! Watch this space!!!

[Week7 Half Marathon in reply to sparky66]

I was thinking about doing my first ever Christmas day run this year.This looks like a really good way to make it party of the festivities and possibly start a new Christmas tradition in my family with the "Great mad mum Christmas run!"

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Week7]

Love this!

[sparky66 Half Marathon in reply to Week7]

Fantastic 👏🏃‍♀️🎉❄️⛄

[RunBrianRun Half Marathon]

We’ve had speed challenges and distance challenges. How about some kind of elevation challenge? I lack imagination on how that might be implemented though 😬

[nowster Metric Marathon in reply to RunBrianRun]

Might be difficult to complete for the folks who live in Lincolnshire and Norfolk, though, and easy for those in rural France. 🤣

[Cmoi Marathon in reply to nowster]

Not when we're under several inches of snow, though as you'll have seen from Strava, it's pretty much melted now so I went a bit bonkers today!

[Blackberrypie Half Marathon in reply to RunBrianRun]

We did one in my running club - they got everyone to sign up to that month's strava run climbing challenge which you can filter to show all the people in a particular club (you can create bespoke clubs so you just get those people who want to participate.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to RunBrianRun]

Surely there are inclines everywhere ... hill repeats anyone? 😱🙈🤣

[Blackberrypie Half Marathon]

Festive Strava art is always a fun one.

[RunBrianRun Half Marathon in reply to Blackberrypie]

I like this idea. It’s very inclusive. 🤗

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Blackberrypie]

Ooh yes! Definitely a good one

[Cmoi Marathon in reply to Blackberrypie]

This is great Blackberrypie , and I say that as someone who can't do Strava art to save her life. I can, however, run in a wiggly line and claim it as tinsel. Can't I?!

[Sandraj39 Half Marathon]

I have been fairly absent on the forums recently but have been reading posts when I can! Love sparky66 ’s idea of sone kind of virtual Santa Dash!🎄🎅🏼

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Sandraj39]

Hi!!! I like this idea too!

[RunWillie Marathon]

Hi linda9389 & VRB’s,

I have no problem with hiding mojos (yet) but I am conscious that I haven’t had a significant break all year! I’ll be cheering you on whatever challenge you do but I’m determined to take a break in December before the next running year. Just 100k left to run!❤️🏃‍♀️

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to RunWillie]

Wow. So close now. Hopefully this will be more of a fun challenge, and maybe we can keep it rolling it to the start of Jan ... let's see 😊

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon]

What about “running somewhere new” each week? The distance wouldn’t matter and we could add nice photos…

I’m not on Strava or Facebook so have no idea what’s around, but I did check out The Running Channel. They had a “no watch” race to see who could get closest to 5K without technology. Not sure how this would work for us…, still thinking about it but I like the idea…

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Irishprincess]

Ooh, I do like that variation on naked running (apart from the obvious issue of naked running, that is 🤣)

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon in reply to linda9389]

Definitely not at this time of year 🥶

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon in reply to linda9389]

It would have to be a newish route as I can judge pretty well a 5K distance on my popular routes. And we’d have to be totally honest of course!

[Cowladyrunning Marathon]

Sounds a good idea....I think the speed challenge I first joined was about a year ago? The speedy 1k or 1 mile challenge I'm ill at the moment so not able to run (nice virus from school children! Not covid) but a challenge would be good to bring me back.... as long as its gentle!!!

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Cowladyrunning]

Oohh, feel better very soon. I'm in total agreement - we need something gently encouraging 😊

[Cowladyrunning Marathon in reply to linda9389]

Just listening to the HU GE playlist by roseabi is doing quite well for motivation. If only I could move without coughing 🤣 Perhaps that could be the challenge....the first to run to the whole playlist (not in one go 🤪)

[Cmoi Marathon]

Thanks linda9389 !

I'd be up for a fun challenge e.g. Santa dash or Strava art. Programmes and performance wouldn't do it for me right now; my mojo would scuttle away, cowering, and would probably remain undiscovered for a while.

Could we maybe add in a variation of the Christmas bingo game? For example, while out running, spot and report/photograph items, ideally unusual ones, to spell out HU Christmas Running Challenge (or whatever.)

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Cmoi]

Fun is definitely the aim here. As it happens I am in the middle of writing up a bingo card!!! It seems the best way to incorporate lots of ideas and make it as inclusive as possible. Shouldn't be too long!

[dijep 10 Miles in reply to linda9389]

Oh a new Bingo card sounds great I've started using last year's again 😂 Whatever you end up doing will you post over on the Bridge as well?

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to dijep]

That's a thought dijep - we can certainly post a link to it in Bridge even if we don't run it as two separate challenges. I'll have it posted very soon!

[Cowladyrunning Marathon in reply to Cmoi]

I like this idea!

[Frizzbomb67 10 Miles]

I’d love to join in. A bingo card sounds fun! I haven’t started the one from last year yet so I’ll hang on 👍🏻My idea was a distance challenge to the North Pole🎅 The last section could be the Santa dash. Or how about Strava art spelling the letters of Christmas. It may be easier than trying the run a picture. I’ve started at my local streets for ages and can’t find a festive picture. Perhaps the challenge could be to run as many letters as you can. Ooo I’m on a roll now 😂😂

Whatever it is I’m sure it will be fun 😁

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Frizzbomb67]

Ooh, some nice ideas! A distance challenge to go to the North Pole sounds interesting (but definitely won't work on a bingo card, so we can store that one for next year maybe ...). Bingo card will be up early this week.

[Cmoi Marathon in reply to Frizzbomb67]

I like the idea of running letters, but suspect it's impossible for me - not enough roads, let alone streets, and the trails are far too random!