Happy Friday! I’m going to start by making what sounds like an incredibly selfish wish; I hope 2024 is an injury-free year for me. I know that there’s more to life than running, but I really hope I’m finally able to run consistently. After several years of injury problems, I hope that 2024 is the year I leave my injury woes behind me. I’m aware I’m repeating what I said 12 months ago, but I’ve had enough injuries to last me a lifetime.

I’ve reviewed the previous 12 months in far, far too much detail here and I’ve drawn a line under 2023. It’s time for me to look ahead to 2024 and set myself some running goals, some walking goals, and some parkrun goals. Last year, a persistent knee injury and other health issues I couldn’t have predicted at the start of the year meant I failed to achieve several of the goals I shared in this post 12 months ago.

I spent far too much time weighing up the pros and cons of making these goals public. I’m acutely aware my goals have been getting far too predictable over the last few years. I’m also aware that my knees are still not completely fixed; the reality is that without surgery they never will be. I hope that by sharing my goals, I make myself more accountable and less likely to quit. The last few years, sharing my goals helped me to start the year feeling both motivated and positive, so I decided to publish this post.

1. Listen to my niggles – I’m aware that I’m repeating myself, but I’m definitely what I’d describe as an injury-prone runner. Some runners hardly ever seem to pick up injuries, other runners seem to spend the majority of the time either injured or recovering from an injury.

It feels like some of us are trapped in a never-ending cycle of run – get injured – sulk – rest – injury rehab – recover from injury – get excited to be back up and running – run too much – ignore strength and conditioning – repeat.

I know I’m a better person when I have running in my life. Running also helps to keep my anxiety under control and I don’t want to spend most of 2024 feeling miserable and resentful because I can’t run, so I’m going to continue to monitor any niggles that make an unwelcome appearance closely. As I’m sat writing these goals, my knees are *touch wood* feeling more or less niggle free.

2. Dedicate time to strength and conditioning – This goal has featured in previous years, but I’m still not great at completing the strength and conditioning exercises I was provided with during my physio appointments.

I’m very much an all-or-nothing type of person, this needs to change as consistency will be key. I really am my own worst enemy when it comes to regularly completing my strength and conditioning exercises.

3. Train sensibly and consistently – Another repeat goal, but I’m still not great at training sensibly and consistently. I’m getting better, but I still have room to improve. I’ve said it before, but I’m usually so thrilled to be back up and running, I’ll obsessively follow the Couch to 5k, I won’t give myself a week off when needed, and inevitably end up injuring myself.

4. Complete the Couch to 5k – With apologies for yet another repeat goal. I started following a Beginner to 5k training plan at the end of July, completed the first four weeks, and then had to stop running for two months due to illness. If you’ve been following my weekly training and life updates you’ll be aware I’m currently TBC weeks into the Couch to 5k training plan. I don’t want to tempt fate, but I’m starting to enjoy running again.

5. Run a minimum of 25 miles a month – This is obviously very much an injury-permitting, knee-behaving itself kind of goal, but I want to run a minimum of 25 miles a month this year. I’m not worried about my pace, I’m not worried about having to take numerous walking breaks, and ‘Jeffing’ may well be the way forward. I just want to be able to jog or run three times a week.

6. Walk a minimum of 75 miles a month – Last year, I aimed to walk a minimum of 100 miles each month. Last year, except for one month, June, I failed to walk 100 miles each month.

While my Saturday morning walks across Sutton Park continued to be the most amazing way to start the weekend, I rarely left the house during the week and both my mental health and walking mileage suffered.

7. Try more parkrun volunteering roles

If you follow me over on Instagram you’ll already be aware that I’m slightly addicted to volunteering at parkrun and that last July I volunteered for the 100th time at my home parkrun, Sutton Park parkrun.

Although I’ve lost count of the number I’ve volunteered as a marshal, I’m yet to have a go at the Run Director, First Timers Briefing, and Results Processor roles. I recently became a member of the Sutton Park parkrun Core Team. I’m hoping this means I’ll get the opportunity to try out some new volunteering roles.

8. Explore more local parkruns – This is a repeat goal from the last four years. To date, I’ve still only completed five parkruns, Beacon, Didcot, Kingsbury Water Park, Sutton Park, and Walsall Arboretum. This year, I’m aiming to visit the following local parkruns, Tamworth Castle Grounds parkrun, Perry Hall parkrun, Aston Hall parkrun, Edgbaston Reservoir parkrun, Cannon Hill parkrun, and Wolverhampton parkrun.

I’m yet to invest in a car, so unless I manage to grab a lift with other parkrunners, I’ll be limited to exploring local parkruns that are accessible by public transport. I’ve worked out that several local parkruns are in theory easily accessible by public transport, it’s just unfortunate that the trains and buses continue to be somewhat unreliable.

9. Complete more parkrun challenges – I’m aware that I’m repeating myself, again, but much as I love parkrun, I didn’t take a lot of notice of the various parkrun challenges until two years ago. While I’d heard of the parkrun alphabet challenge and have met a lot of parkrun tourists at Sutton Park parkrun, I had no idea there were so many parkrun challenges. I still like to check my progress in completing the various challenges using the Running Challenge extension on a fairly regular basis.

Last year, I joined the parkrun 100 and the parkrun Volunteer 100 clubs and achieved my Bronze parkrun Obsessive badge. I also added the equipment storage and delivery and parkwalker volunteer badges to my profile. This year, I’d love to visit the home of parkrun and to complete the Bushy Pilgrimage challenge. I’d also love to make a start on the Name Badge challenge (0/12 letters completed) and to make more progress towards completing the Stopwatch Bingo challenge (51/60 times completed). Most importantly, I want to continue to have fun at parkrun.

10. Be a less antisocial runner – If I discount parkrun, I still complete most of my training sessions on my own. I also live alone, work from home what feels like 99.9 per cent of the time, and don’t have many friends. I do feel lonely a lot of the time and regularly find myself wishing that I had more interaction with people. I’ve also reached the stage where I miss training with other people. I re-joined my local running club three years ago, and if I manage to complete the Couch to 5k, my goal is to take part in some training sessions with the Club.

11. Complete 5 races – This is very much an injury-permitting, knee-behaving itself goal, but my goal is to complete at least five races this year. Last year, I walked my way around a couple of local events, and I enjoyed being surrounded by other runners and walkers. This year, I’d love to be able to add to my running medal collection.

12. Don’t buy any unessential running gear – And finally, the goal I know from experience I’ll find the most challenging. I set myself a similar goal in 2021, 2022, and last year and failed miserably. This year, if I want to make any essential running-related purchases, I’ll have to raise money to fund these purchases by selling some of my unwanted running gear online. I want my running habit to fund itself. I’m not ashamed to admit that if I’m offered any Mizuno trainers to review or offered free entry into a local race, I’m not going to say no. I’m also going to be entering every competition I see on social media.

Have you set yourself any running, walking, or parkrun goals for the year ahead? If you have, good luck! If you’ve shared your goals in a blog post, please let me know so that I can go and have a nose.

Have you entered any target races? Please don’t laugh, but I’ve already got two half marathons in my 2024 calendar.

Do you think I’ll be able to avoid buying any unessential running gear in 2024? If the last few years are anything to go by, I’m going to find this particular goal the most challenging.

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