Happy Friday! I’m going to start by making what sounds like an incredibly selfish wish; I hope that the year ahead is an injury-free year for me. I know that there’s more to life than running, but I really want to be able to run consistently. After what feels like far too many years of injury problems, I hope 2025 is the year I finally manage to leave my injury woes behind me. I’m aware I’m repeating what I’ve said numerous times, 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 last year. It’s time for me to look ahead to the next 12 months and set myself some running goals, some walking goals, and some parkrun goals. Last year, knee, calf, and foot niggles, and a couple of impossible-to-predict health issues meant I failed to achieve several of the goals I shared in this post this time last year.

As in previous years, I spent a fair amount of time debating making these goals public. I’m all too aware my goals have been getting rather predictable. I’m also aware that my knees are still not completely fixed. I’m aware I’m repeating what I said last year, but the reality is that without surgery, I’ll always have issues with my knees. I hope that by sharing my goals, I make myself more accountable. The last few years, sharing my goals has 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 repeating myself, but I consider myself a slightly fragile, injury-prone runner. Some runners rarely pick up injuries, other runners seem to spend the majority of the time either injured or recovering from an injury. I’d definitely describe myself as the latter type of runner. Over the last few years it has felt like I’ve been trapped in a 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’m aware I’m a much better person when I have running in my life. I’m also aware running helps me to keep my anxiety under control. I don’t want to spend most of the year feeling miserable because I’m unable to run, so I’m going to continue to closely monitor any niggles that make an unwelcome appearance. I’m also going to continue to invest in something that made a positive difference to my running last year, regular Osteopathy treatments.

2. Invest in regular Osteopathy treatments – After waking up barely able to walk due to an incredibly painful right knee, I spent a couple of hours feeling sorry for myself – there were some tears – and then decided it was time for me to do something about my knees. I did some research and booked an Osteopathy appointment at Ebrook Osteopathy and Sports Clinic in the centre of Sutton Coldfield. Since my first appointment in April, I’ve enjoyed(?) massages, shockwave therapy, and dry needling.

I’ve been able to train more consistently, I just wish that I’d invested in myself a little sooner. Although I’ve not had an Osteopathy treatment since the end of October, I’m planning on investing in monthly treatments this year.

3. 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 have been provided with during my Osteopathy treatments.

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

4. Train sensibly and consistently – Another repeat goal, but I’m still not great at training what I’d describe as sensibly and consistently. I’m getting much better, but I still have room to improve. I’ve said it before, but I’m usually so happy to be back up and running, that I’ll obsessively complete every running session whichever training programme I’m following suggests, I won’t give myself a week off from running when needed, and almost inevitably end up injuring myself.

5. Complete a 5k to 10k training programme – I started following the NHS version of the Couch to 5k last January and following a few breaks of various lengths from training due to injuries and illnesses, by the end of last year I’d reached Week 6 of the plan. Although I failed to complete the Couch to 5k, I was able to run 5k without stopping at both Beacon parkrun and Tamworth Castle Grounds parkrun. Weather permitting, my aim for the start of the year is to complete the Couch to 5k and then a 5k to 10k training programme.

6. 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.

7. Walk a minimum of 75 miles a month – Last year, I aimed to walk a minimum of 75 miles each month. Last year, except for a few notable exceptions, I failed to walk 75 miles each month. While my Saturday morning walks across Sutton Park continued to be the most amazing way to start the weekend, I still rarely left the house during the week, and both my mental health and walking mileage suffered.

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

I’m yet to invest in a car and doubt I’ll be in a position to afford a car this year, so unless I manage to grab a lift with other parkrunners, I’ll be limited to exploring local parkruns that are easy to access using 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. I recently discovered and joined the parkrun tourism without a car! group on Facebook and I’m planning on making use of the huge amount of expertise within the group.

9. Complete more parkrun challenges – This is yet another repeat goal, but much as I love parkrun, I didn’t take a lot of notice of the various parkrun challenges until a few 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 achieved my Bronze parkrun Obsessive badge, and I also added the Post-event Close Down volunteer badge 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 some progress on the Name Badge challenge (1/12 letters completed) and to get closer to completing the Stopwatch Bingo challenge (55/60 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 get to the stage I can run 10k, my goal is to take part in some training sessions with the Club.

11. Complete 5 races – Like last year, this is very much an injury-permitting, knee-behaving goal, but my goal is to complete at least five races this year. Last year, I powerwalked 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 previous experience I’ll find the most challenging. I set myself a similar goal in 2021, 2022, 2023, and last year and failed miserably. This year, if I want to make any what I’d describe as unessential running-related purchases, I’ll have to raise money to fund these purchases by selling some of my unwanted running gear. I want my running habit to fund itself. I’m not ashamed to admit that if I’m offered any trainers or running gear 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 keep having dreams I’m running the New York Marathon.

Do you think I’ll be able to avoid buying any unessential running gear in 2025? 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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