I concluded last year’s ‘True cost of running’ post by stating that although I hoped that 2025 was going to be a less expensive year than 2024 and that I’d love to ‘run for free in 2025, I accepted that it was inevitable that I’d end up spending a fair amount on the sport that gives me a lot of pleasure. I decided that I wasn’t going to feel guilty for making what I describe as essential running-related purchases, for example, new trainers and osteopathy appointments, however, if I wanted to make any non-essential purchases, I would have to raise money by selling stuff on eBay and Facebook first. Effectively, I wanted my running hobby to fund itself. I’d love to say that this happened, but thanks to changes to the eBay selling process and a negative experience with a scammer, my last online sale was back in February.

[Photo: Rob Andrews]

I once again found going through my running expenditure spreadsheet – yes, I’m still a statistics geek – rather uncomfortable. Yet another much-needed wake-up call and reality check. I realised that by adding another three pairs of running shorts and 14 pairs of running socks, I’d failed to achieve my aim of ‘running for free in 2025 in style. I also discovered that thanks to ending the year with a rather expensive Garmin-related purchase, I’d managed to spend more this year than I’d anticipated.

So, now it’s clear I predictably failed to stay away from the temptations of Sweaty Betty et al., let’s have a look at what I purchased throughout the year. I’ve also included what I spent in each category last year.

Running clothes and trainers

• Versus Elite socks x 3 pairs (Vinted) – £13.59
• adidas sports bra – £16.99
• parkrun milestone V100 t-shirt – £20.00
• Sweaty Betty 6″ Power shorts (Vinted) – £29.85
• Rockay Women’s Xplore gilet – £29.99
• Sweaty Betty 9″ Power shorts – £30.00
• Twisted Running Cargo running shorts – £33.50
• Versus running socks x 11 pairs – £49.50
• Mizuno Wave Inspire 19 running shoes – £67.99
• Mizuno Wave Inspire 19 running shoes – £69.99

TOTAL: £361.40 (£582.17 last year)

Running accessories

• Lululemon headband (Vinted) – £9.39
• Inov8 Race Elite Peak 2 running cap – £9.99
• adidas Running X 4d Heat.rdy Cap £17.50
• adidas Running Aeroready Four-panel Mesh Cap £19.55
• Garmin Forerunner 265S GPS watch – £299.99

TOTAL: £356.42 (£14.45 last year)

Running-related books

• Making Fitness Your Business book – £7.99
• The Lazy Runner book – £7.99

TOTAL: £15.98 (£0.00 last year)

Race entries

• 7 Pools Run race entry – £20.00
• Royal Sutton Fun Run race entry – £28.00
• Great Birmingham Run 2026 race entry – £42.00

TOTAL: £90.00 (£132.20 last year)

Virtual races

TOTAL: £0.00 (£30.40 last year)

Travel and accommodation

• Return train ticket to Sutton Coldfield – £3.60
• Return train ticket to Sutton Coldfield – £3.60
• Return train ticket to Sutton Coldfield – £3.60
• Return train ticket to Sutton Coldfield – £3.60
• Return train ticket to Sutton Coldfield – £3.60
• Return train ticket to Lichfield – £5.20
• Return train ticket to Lichfield – £6.10
• Return train ticket to Lichfield – £6.10

TOTAL: £35.40 (£53.80 last year)

Running holidays

TOTAL: £0.00 (£0.00 last year)

Running club

• Royal Sutton Coldfield AC 100 Club fees – £32.40
• Royal Sutton Coldfield AC annual membership – £80.00

TOTAL: £112.40 (£111.40 last year)

Osteopathy appointments

• Returning patient osteopathy appointment – £56.00
• Returning patient osteopathy appointment – £56.00
• Returning patient osteopathy appointment – £56.00
• Returning patient osteopathy appointment – £56.00
• Returning patient osteopathy appointment – £56.00

TOTAL: £280.00 (£540.00 last year)

 Miscellaneous

• Protein Rebel Power Up Sea Water Magnesium Powder – £12.00
• Fit Kit Rehydrate Electrolyte Face Moisturiser – £12.99
• Fit Kit Body Rebuild Magnesium Body Moisturiser – £13.99
• Fit Kit Body Rebuild Magnesium Body Moisturiser – £13.99
• Protein Rebel Run Easy Marine Collagen Peptides Protein – £24.00

TOTAL: £76.97 (£66.49 last year)

GRAND TOTAL: £1328.57 (£1530.91 last year)

In the past, I felt slightly embarrassed when I worked out how much I’d managed to spend on my running hobby throughout the year. This year, although I ended up spending more than I’d predicted when I started writing this blog, I didn’t feel any shame for two reasons. A large proportion of my spending was on osteopathy appointments; the treatment I received in these appointments quite literally kept me up and running. Ignoring osteopathy appointments, my other most expensive purchases were a Garmin Forerunner 265S to replace the Garmin Fenix 6 I purchased in 2021 and two pairs of Mizuno Wave Inspire 19 trainers. I once again managed to stick to my ‘rule’ of not spending more than £100 on a pair of trainers.

And what about my spending in each of the categories? After spending what felt like far too much on running clothes and trainers in both 2023 and 2024, I managed to spend less this year. While several of my purchases were made in my local TK Maxx, I purchased a pair of my favourite Sweaty Betty 9” power shorts on Vinted and a second pair direct from Sweaty Betty using my 50% off birthday discount code. Due to my metatarsal mishap in July, I’m yet to wear the Twisted Running cargo running shorts and some of the running socks I purchased in an end of line sale. Thanks to me purchasing several running caps in a failed attempt to find a running cap that is small enough for my child-sized head and a replacement Garmin, my spending in the running accessories category increased from a respectable £14.45 to £356.42. I’m hoping this Garmin will last me a good 3-4 years and that I’ll be able to recoup some of the money I spent on running caps once my house stops doing a good impression of a building site.

This year, I purchased two running-related books. I’m yet to read either book as I’ve spent most of the year reading about anything but running. I reduced the amount I spent on race entries and still managed to enter what I hope will be my target event for 2026, the Great Birmingham Run. Last year, I had the foresight to enter this year’s Run Up to Christmas virtual event. I wasn’t tempted to enter any additional virtual events, hence the zero spending in the virtual races category.

My spending in the travel and accommodation category decreased slightly from £53.80 in 2034 to £35.40 this year. As in previous years, this expenditure was unavoidable as I’m not in the habit of fare dodging and the train tickets I purchased enabled me to attend my osteopathy appointments in Sutton Coldfield and to travel to Beacon parkrun in Lichfield. I once again didn’t have any running holidays; I’m hopeful this might change next year. My running Club membership and 100 Club fees increased slightly, like last year, I’m hopeful I’ll be able to train with my Club next year. I’ve already mentioned my osteopathy appointments and as for the miscellaneous category, I’m ashamed to admit that I allowed myself to be influenced by a runner on Instagram who I suspect didn’t waste £76.97 purchasing magnesium powder, face moisturiser, body moisturiser, and protein powder.

Although circumstances at home meant that, unlike in previous years, I failed to list and to therefore sell any of my unwanted running clothes and trainers online, I’ve decided to repost some of the information I’ve shared before. If you are looking to sell your unwanted running clothes or trainers online, dedicated Facebook selling groups such as the Running Gear Buy and Sell group is a great place to start. I’m still yet to sell on Vinted, so I can’t personally recommend it as a selling platform, but I’ve seen a fair amount of positive feedback. And don’t forget about eBay.

I’m going to end this post by saying that although I hope next year will be a less expensive year and that I’d love to ‘run for free’ in 2026, I’ve once again accepted that it’s almost certain I’ll end up spending a fair amount on the sport that gives me a lot of pleasure. I’ve decided I’m not going to feel guilty for making essential running-related purchases, for example, new trainers, however, if I want to make any non-essential purchases, I’m going to have to raise money by selling stuff on eBay, Vinted and Facebook first. I’m aware that I’m repeating myself, but I can’t keep buying new running clothes when I have boxes of running clothes I’ve barely worn in storage in my loft.

Have you ever worked out how much money you spend on running in a year?  Sorry for the repeated question, but you all know that I’m nosey. I’d love to see how my spending compares to other people’s spending.

Do you set yourself a budget at the start of the year? Except for essentials, new trainers, osteopathy appointments, and travel, my budget for 2026 will be zero. If I want to treat myself to anything outside of those categories, I’ll have to raise money by selling some of my unwanted running gear first.

The NHS Live Well website provided the following information about the three training runs in Week 6 of the Couch to 5k training plan.

Like the last time I attempted the sixth week of the Couch to 5k, I looked forward to tackling three different training sessions. I also wasted far too much time worrying about running for 25 minutes.

My Tuesday interval session started with a fast warm-up walk and ended with a slightly slower cool-down walk. I supplemented the one interval session I managed to complete with cross-training sessions on Monday and Saturday and rest days on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday.

As my knees were not feeling very happy towards the end of last week, I made sure I allocated time after work every day to stretching. I also used my Bob and Brad Q2 Mini Massage Gun to massage my quads and calf muscles before each interval session and whenever I felt my legs would benefit from an extra massage.

Monday – 30 mins cross training

The week got off to a positive start because I wasn’t working and therefore didn’t have to spend eight hours feeling like an imposter. I was also able to have a rare lie-in. Shortly after 9:00am, I was collected by Mum who drove us over to the Chase Farm Café for a cooked breakfast and a long overdue catchup. Not the best of photos, but this breakfast tasted amazing.

My review of Week 5 of my Couch to 5k training was published, and as I struggled to get out of mums car, I started to doubt I’d be able to complete interval  sessions on Tuesday and Thursday, a 25 minute run on Saturday, and the Royal Sutton Fun Run on Sunday.

I spent the remainder of the Spring bank holiday gardening and tackling yet more house-related paperwork. I decided that spending over three hours in the garden clearing ivy counted as a form of cross training, so I didn’t attempt a power walk in the rain.

Tuesday – 24 mins intervals (run 5 mins/walk 3 mins/run 8 mins/walk 3 mins/run 5 mins)

I had originally planned to travel to the Birmingham office so that I could print out some guidance documents, however after getting approximately four hours of sleep, I decided to stay at home. After a somewhat overwhelming day, I was able to finish work at 5:00pm. As soon as I finished work, I spent some time getting a guest post ready and completing yet more house-related paperwork. I booked a place on a Lichfield Cathedral tour and ordered and devoured a takeaway from my favourite Chinese restaurant.

My knees had been feeling quite niggly since Sunday, so I got changed into some running gear and spent some time massaging my quads and calf muscles with my Bob and Brad Q2 Mini Massage Gun. I also completed some of the exercises I’d been given to hopefully strengthen my knees. My knees felt quite niggly during my warm-up walk but not painful enough to make me think I shouldn’t run. I completed my warm-up walk, spent some time fiddling with my socks and laces, selected some music on Spotify, and started to run.

Once I’d settled into the first running repetition, I think my pacing was reasonably consistent, aided by the fact I spent the first five minutes running uphill. My pacing during the second, longer running repetition was all over the place, it’s clear where my left knee started to niggle. As for the final 5-minute running repetition, it was very much a case of trying to make it home.

Although my left knee felt increasingly painful as the interval session progressed and seemed to hurt more during the recovery repetitions, I enjoyed the interval session far more than I expected. I captured what turned out to be a slightly blurry selfie and then headed back home.

I hobbled home, drank a couple of glasses of chocolate milkshake, massaged my quads and calf muscles using my massage gun for the second time in an hour, and then headed to bed feeling incredibly frustrated with myself.

Wednesday – Rest

It’s a good job Wednesday was a rest day as the moment I stepped out of bed, I realised I’d injured my left knee the previous evening. My left knee was so painful I knew I wouldn’t be running on Thursday and seriously doubted I’d be able to run at the weekend. The first guest post I’ve featured on my blog since September 2020 – Enhancing Postural Health: A Doctor’s Take on Running – was published and almost instantly became more popular than any of my Couch to 5k related waffle.

Thursday – 23 mins intervals (run 10 mins/walk 3 mins/run 10 mins) Rest

My knees were so painful when I first stepped out of bed, I knew I wouldn’t be attempting to complete the second interval session of the week after work. I spent a bit of time in what Geoff used to call ‘self-pitying mode’ but gave myself a talking-to and ended up having a productive but expensive morning. It’s a good job I hadn’t treated myself to a new Garmin the previous week, as I ended up spending a not-insignificant amount on a Level 3 house survey.

Friday – Rest

I think the highlights of what turned out to be a gloomy end to the working week were the Chinese takeaway I treated myself to after work, and the fact that it was Friday. My knees started to feel slightly better but were still quite niggly.

Saturday – 30 mins cross training

My knees felt so painful during the first few minutes of my four mile walk to Boldmere Gate I contemplated heading back home. Had I not set myself a target of completing 50 parkruns in 2025, I may well have turned around and walked back home. Fortunately, five minutes into my walk to Boldmere Gate my knees started to feel much better, not completely niggle-free but better than they had done since my Tuesday evening interval session. I must really like taking photos here, I promise I haven’t just recycled last week’s photo.

As always, I’m pleased I made the effort to walk to Sutton Park parkrun. I managed to walk most of the course and ran up the final hill. Although my knees twinged a couple of times they seemed to settle down once I’d warmed up. After what turned out to be a slightly warmer than I was anticipating Sutton Park parkrun, I spent some time relaxing on the grass stretching before I started to walk back towards Mere Green. I even remembered to post a slightly grumpy update on Instagram.

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A post shared by Emma Neachell (@thephdrunner)

My left knee felt so painful during my walk back towards Mere Green, that I called my friend Vic to see if he could rescue me. Predictably, the person who is usually attached to his mobile phone ignored my calls and text messages. After a painful three-mile walk hobble I reached the Mare Pool pub in Mere Green where I bought myself a couple of pints and spent an hour relaxing in the sun and resting my knees.

After spending a couple of hours with my brother, the rest of my Saturday was so mundane, it was not exactly what I’d describe as blogworthy. Following a productive afternoon and evening, I headed to bed at a sensible time with Trespasses by Louise Kennedy.

Sunday – 25 mins running with no walking Rest

In an ideal world, I would have completed a 25-minute run as part of Beacon parkrun leaving me to participate in my favourite local running event; the Royal Sutton Fun Run. I don’t live in an ideal world and after getting out of bed and discovering both of my knees were quite painful, I accepted that I wouldn’t be tackling this year’s Royal Sutton Fun Run as walking 8.5 miles wouldn’t be sensible. The Royal Sutton Fun Run will always be there next year.

I ended up spending most of the day gardening and managed to fill six large green garden sacks with a combination of what I hoped were weeds and a lot of ivy. I regretted not attempting the Royal Sutton Fun Run a couple of times as the weather was perfect but reminded myself that I’d made the right decision. I managed to avoid heading to bed for a Sunday afternoon nap and ended up having a second consecutive mundane but productive afternoon and evening.

So, that’s Week 6 of the Couch to 5k not exactly successfully completed. I wish that this blog was more positive and contained more in the way of running, but that’s the reality of life as an injury-prone runner with fragile knees.

Week 7 looks challenging and, quite frankly, impossible unless a miracle happens and I wake up with pain-free knees. I get to say ‘goodbye’ to interval runs as in the final three weeks of the Couch to 5k; all the training sessions are continuous runs. Not ideal! Like last time, I think my main concerns are how my knees will respond to running for 25 minutes three times in a week and getting my pacing spot on.

Training totals:

• Runs: 16 (out of 18)
• Time: 5 hrs 27½ mins
• Distance: 29.69 miles

Niggleometer:

• Right knee: 4/10
• Left knee: 8/10
• Left foot: 2/10

Do you read guest posts?

Did you have a good weekend?

I have a guest post for you today written by Dr. Antti Rintanen. I’m sure that you will find it interesting.

Running is more than just putting one foot in front of the other – it’s a full-body activity that demands balance, coordination, and rhythm. While it’s often celebrated for its cardiovascular benefits, running also places unique stresses on the musculoskeletal system. As a doctor with a passion for biomechanics and injury prevention, I’d like to share how thoughtful attention to posture and technique can dramatically improve your running performance – and reduce the risk of injury.

[Source]

Why Posture Matters in Running

Postural health refers to the alignment and function of the body during movement and at rest. For runners, poor posture can lead to inefficient mechanics, excessive strain on joints and muscles, and ultimately injury.

Injury-prone runners often present with a combination of overuse syndromes – think IT band syndrome, plantar fasciitis, runner’s knee – and posture-related dysfunctions like forward head posture, rounded shoulders, or anterior pelvic tilt. These issues don’t always start with running, but they are often exacerbated by poor running form [1].

A runner with good posture maintains an upright yet relaxed stance, with the head stacked over the shoulders, the shoulders aligned with the hips, and the hips aligned with the feet. This alignment allows for efficient forward momentum, reduced impact forces, and optimized muscle recruitment.

Common Postural Faults in Runners

Let’s take a closer look at three of the most common postural issues I see in runners and how they affect performance:

1. Forward Head and Rounded Shoulders

Hours spent at desks or staring at screens encourage a hunched upper body. When you run in this position, your breathing becomes shallow, your arm swing is restricted, and your upper body can’t assist in propulsion. Over time, this posture can also strain your neck and upper back. In fact, poor posture has been shown to limit respiratory efficiency and reduce vital capacity [2].

2. Overstriding with Heel Striking

Overstriding – landing with your foot well ahead of your body’s center of mass – is a form and posture issue. It increases braking forces, wastes energy, and amplifies the load on the knees and hips. Research confirms that a higher step rate reduces joint loading and improves efficiency [3].

3. Pelvic Drop or Tilt

Weak glutes and core muscles can cause the pelvis to dip side-to-side (Trendelenburg gait) or tilt forward excessively. This poor alignment disrupts gait mechanics and overloads the lower back and hamstrings [1].

Key Principles for Postural Running

Improving your posture doesn’t mean becoming rigid. Instead, it’s about developing awareness and making small, consistent adjustments. Here are four doctor-approved principles to help injury-prone runners like you improve postural health through technique:

1. Run Tall

Think of a string gently pulling you upward from the crown of your head. This simple cue encourages an upright, aligned posture that allows for better breathing, efficient core engagement, and optimal force transfer through the legs.

Keep your gaze forward (about 10-15 meters ahead), your shoulders relaxed, and your arms swinging naturally at your sides. Avoid looking down at your feet – this shortens your neck muscles and shifts your weight backward.

2. Engage the Core

Your core muscles – abdominals, obliques, back extensors, and pelvic floor – play a central role in stabilizing the spine and pelvis during running. A strong, engaged core keeps your torso stable, reduces energy leaks, and helps prevent compensatory overuse of the lower back and hips [4].

Before you run, activate your core with exercises like dead bugs, bird dogs, or planks. During your run, think of gently bracing your midsection as though someone were about to tap your stomach – not tensing, just stabilizing.

3. Shorten Your Stride, Increase Cadence

Many posture-related running injuries stem from overstriding. Shortening your stride and increasing your cadence (step rate) helps you land more under your body, reduces ground contact time, and promotes a more efficient midfoot strike [3].

Aim for a cadence of 170-180 steps per minute as a general guide. You don’t need to hit this perfectly, but moving in that direction can help you find your body’s natural rhythm. A good cue is to imagine “running quietly” – minimizing the noise and impact of each step.

4. Use Arm Swing for Balance and Postural Stability

Your arms don’t just hang – they help maintain balance and rhythm. While research on arm swing’s direct effect on running economy is mixed, studies suggest that restricted or asymmetrical arm movement can compromise running stability and coordination [5].

Keep your elbows at about 90 degrees and swing them back and forth in rhythm with your stride. The motion should come from the shoulders, not the hands. A smooth arm swing helps keep your trunk stable and aligned.

[Source]

Strength Training and Postural Support

Running alone doesn’t build the postural strength needed to maintain proper form over time. That’s where targeted strength training comes in. Focus on:

• Glutes: Exercises like hip thrusts, bridges, and lateral band walks
• Core: Dead bugs, planks, Pallof presses
• Upper Back: Rows, reverse flys, and scapular retractions

These muscles support upright posture, hip stability, and spinal alignment. Incorporate two strength sessions per week to build the endurance needed to maintain form deep into your runs [4].

Breathing and Posture: The Missing Link

Another underappreciated connection: how we breathe influences how we hold ourselves. Poor posture restricts the diaphragm’s ability to expand, which limits oxygen intake. Conversely, efficient breathing reinforces better posture [2].

Try this: mid-run, check if your breathing feels shallow or strained. If so, scan your posture – are you slouching, leaning forward, or holding tension in your shoulders? Reset by taking a deep belly breath, lifting your chest slightly, and re-centering your stride.

Listen to Your Body

Postural awareness is a skill you can cultivate. Don’t obsess over perfect form, but pay attention to discomfort, fatigue, or repetitive aches – they’re often signs that posture and technique need adjusting.

Running form is dynamic, and your body changes with fatigue, terrain, and pace. Use the early miles of your run to dial in form, and the latter miles to maintain it.

Final Thoughts

Enhancing your postural health through mindful running technique doesn’t require a complete overhaul. Small, consistent improvements in alignment, cadence, and muscle engagement can lead to noticeable gains in performance – and a welcome reduction in injury risk.

For injury-prone runners like Emma and many of The PhD Runner’s readers, a posture-focused approach can be the key to not just running farther or faster, but running longer into life.

If you’re interested in more evidence-based tips on running and postural health, feel free to visit my site, The Internet Doctor, where I translate complex doctor knowledge into actionable advice for everyday athletes.

Happy running – and stay upright out there!

About the Author

Dr. Antti Rintanen is a Finnish medical doctor with a background in engineering and a special interest in biomechanics, injury prevention, and performance optimization. He is the founder of The Internet Doctor, where he translates complex doctor knowledge into practical advice for everyday athletes. When he’s not writing or consulting, you’ll find him running trails or analyzing the science of movement.

References

[1] L. M. Powers, “The influence of abnormal hip mechanics on knee injury: a biomechanical perspective,” J. Orthop. Sports Phys. Ther., vol. 40, no. 2, pp. 42–51, 2010. https://www.jospt.org/

[2] J. Han, S. Park, Y. Kim, Y. Choi, and H. Lyu, “Effects of forward head posture on forced vital capacity and respiratory muscles activity,” Journal of Physical Therapy Science, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 128–131, Jan. 2016. https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/

[3] A. R. Heiderscheit, T. S. Chumanov, B. J. Michalski, T. W. Wille, and D. G. Ryan, “Effects of step rate manipulation on joint mechanics during running,” Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., vol. 43, no. 2, pp. 296–302, 2011. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

[4] D. M. Willson, J. D. Dougherty, M. J. Ireland, and I. K. Davis, “Core stability and its relationship to lower extremity function and injury,” J. Am. Acad. Orthop. Surg., vol. 13, no. 5, pp. 316–325, 2005. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

[5] J. R. Fletcher, S. P. Esau, and B. R. MacIntosh, “Changes in tendon stiffness and running economy in highly trained distance runners,” European Journal of Applied Physiology, vol. 110, no. 5, pp. 1037–1046, Nov. 2010. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

**Full disclosure: I didn’t receive any payment for sharing this guest post. The first two photographs were obtained from Pexels**

]]> https://thephdrunner.com/2025/05/28/enhancing-postural-health-a-doctors-take-on-running-techniques/feed/ 0 35193 https://thephdrunner.com/2025/05/26/couch-to-5k-training-week-5-i-love-running-in-the-rain-because-no-one-can-see-me-cry/ https://thephdrunner.com/2025/05/26/couch-to-5k-training-week-5-i-love-running-in-the-rain-because-no-one-can-see-me-cry/#respond Mon, 26 May 2025 09:30:25 +0000 https://thephdrunner.com/?p=35180 Good morning. Happy Bank Holiday Monday! As always, I hope whoever takes the time to read this weekly life and training update had an amazing weekend. If, for whatever reason, your weekend wasn’t great, I hope the next seven days are more positive. My weekend had a couple of highlights; the fact it finally rained and that I managed to run for 20 minutes.

The NHS Live Well website provided the following information about the interval sessions in Week 5 of the Couch to 5k training plan.

Like the last time I attempted the fifth week of the Couch to 5k, I looked forward to tackling three different training sessions. After last week’s shenanigans, I made sure the training sessions were saved on my Garmin and wasted a lot of time worrying about running for 20 minutes.

My Tuesday and Thursday evening interval sessions and Sunday morning 20-minute run started with reasonably speedy 5-minute warm-up walks and ended with slower 5-minute cool-down walks. I supplemented the interval sessions and 20-minute run with cross-training sessions on Monday and Saturday and with rest days on Wednesday and Friday.

As I’d love to complete the Couch to 5k before the end of the year, I allocated time every day to stretching. In addition, I used my Bob and Brad Q2 Mini Massage Gun to massage my quads and calf muscles before each interval session and whenever I felt my legs would benefit from an extra massage.

Monday – 30 mins cross training

The new week didn’t get off to the best of starts when a series of emails left me feeling completely overwhelmed and in tears. I wrote a ‘things to do’ list and reminded myself I could do my job. My review of Week 4 of my Couch to 5k training was published, and I spent a couple of minutes thinking about the week ahead. As I wanted something to look forward to after work, I booked a table at the Quill and Taper pub and messaged my friend with the details of the booking.

I power walked to the Quill and Taper as I wanted to spend 30 minutes doing something that resembled cross training. I was feeling slightly woozy as I hadn’t eaten since breakfast, so during my walk I decided I’d order a soft drink rather than my usual pint of beer. Unfortunately, by the time I’d walked from the pub entrance to the bar, the landlord had already poured me my usual pint of beer.

I didn’t want to risk eating the royale chicken tikka masala, so I ordered the crispy fried chicken burger southern-fried chicken breast fillet. Looking at the photo I took, I’m still not convinced why gravy was included, but the burger tasted amazing.

Apologies for the terrible photo. I still feel self-conscious when I’m trying to take photos of food in public. The burger wasn’t quite as filling as I’d anticipated, so I ordered a salted caramel sundae for my dessert. And I wonder why I struggle to lose weight.

Tuesday – 21 mins intervals (run 5 mins/walk 3 mins/run 5 mins/walk 3 mins/run 5 mins)

I finished work at 5:00pm and could tell I’d spent too long staring at a screen because I was starting to get some visual disturbances, usually a sign I’m about to get a migraine. This meant that rather than tackling some of the mortgage and house-related paperwork I needed to complete, I spent an hour lying in a dark room. Not ideal from a productivity perspective, but it meant I felt well enough to attempt the first interval session of the week.

Some unexpected light rain meant that conditions were perfect for this unfit runner. I completed my warm-up walk, spent some time fiddling with my socks and laces, selected some music on Spotify, and started to run. I think it’s fair to say that my pacing was inconsistent, largely because midway through the second running repetition and at the end of the interval session I had to speed up to get away from some slightly dubious-looking people. I suspect I also sped up a few times to get away from the smell of overflowing bin bags.

Although my right knee twinged a couple of times, I enjoyed the interval session far more than I expected to, especially considering how I felt immediately after finishing work. In an attempt to avoid a group of teenagers who were loitering around my usual route home – yes, I am a bit of a wimp – I walked home via the local Nature Reserve.

I made it home, drank a glass of chocolate milkshake, massaged my quads and calf muscles using my massage gun, and then, in a desperate attempt to get some sleep, headed to bed at the early time for me of 10pm.

Wednesday – Rest

This weekly update has already turned into one of my essays, so as Wednesday was a much-needed rest day, I’ll fast forward to Thursday.

Thursday – 21 mins intervals (run 8 mins/walk 5 mins/run 8 mins)

On Thursday, I finished work slightly later than originally planned and then spent the next three hours trying to combine printing out and filling in the pile of forms my solicitor had emailed, cooking myself something reasonably healthy, and completing a couple of loads of washing. All this productivity meant that I didn’t manage to leave the house until just after 9pm.

Conditions were once again more or less perfect and by the time I reached the end of my warm-up walk, any feelings of tiredness had disappeared. I made sure my laces weren’t too tight, selected some upbeat music on Spotify, and started to run at what felt like a sensible pace I had a chance of maintaining. I managed to run at a reasonably consistent pace during the first 8-minute running repetition and then made the most of the 5-minute recovery repetition. My pacing during the final running repetition was more inconsistent, I’ve no idea why.

I completed my cool-down walk, managed to capture yet another somewhat unflattering selfie, and headed home feeling pleased with myself for completing another interval session.

Sensible runners would have spent some time massaging their calf muscles when they got home. I’m not sensible, so I spent an entertaining couple of minutes trying to pin out washing in the dark before heading straight to bed. At times I really am my own worst enemy.

Friday – Rest

I think the highlights of what turned out to be a slightly stressful end to the working week were not wasting money on a takeaway from the local Chinese and the rain that had been forecast making an appearance.

Saturday – 30 mins cross training

I was feeling so tired on Saturday morning, that I considered treating myself to a lie-in. Had I not set myself a target of completing 50 parkruns in 2025, I may well have attempted to get more sleep. Once I’d dragged myself out of bed, I very briefly considered heading up to Lichfield again. Without sounding slightly pathetic, I wasn’t sure if any of my Sutton Park parkrun buddies would be around.

As always, I’m pleased I made the effort to walk across Sutton Park to Boldmere Gate as I ended up enjoying every minute of Sutton Park parkrun. I walked and talked my way around the Sutton Park parkrun course with Ellen. My left knee niggled a couple of times which was a little concerning but seemed to settle down once I’d warmed up. After what turned out to be another busy Sutton Park parkrun with 586 finishers, I spent a couple of hours in the Communitea Café in Boldmere helping sort through a mountain of finish tokens. I even remembered to post an update on Instagram.

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So that’s 20 parkruns completed this year, 30 parkruns to go

Following a fun couple of hours talking about all sorts of random topics and not thinking about the real world, I was dropped off in Mere Green and walked to the Fox and Dogs pub where I’d arranged to meet up with my brother. I say ‘walked’, unfortunately during the walk, my left knee twinged a couple of times and started to feel quite painful. I started to have doubts about running for 20 minutes the following morning.

The rest of my Saturday was so quiet, it was not exactly what I’d describe as blogworthy. Following a productive afternoon and evening, I laid out some running gear, checked my Garmin was charged, and headed to bed at a sensible time as like last Sunday, I wanted to get the final run of the week done before 8am.

Sunday – 20 mins running with no walking

Well, that was the plan. Although I’d gone to bed at a sensible time, I struggled to get to sleep, and after a couple of hours of slightly restless sleep, I woke up and spent three hours in overthinking mode. I switched my 6am alarm off at 3am in the morning as I figured I had the entire day to fit in a 20-minute run.

After a Sunday that featured another trip to the Sutton Coldfield tip, so much gardening I’ll need to return to the tip, a spot of Vinted shopping, an afternoon nap, and some life admin, I got changed into some running gear and spent some time giving myself a rather painful calf and quad massage. For some reason, when I headed out on my warm-up walk, I didn’t feel confident I’d be able to run for 20 minutes.

I would love to say I enjoyed every second of the final training session of the week, but I spent the majority of the 20-minute run telling myself to slow down and chuntering to myself. I almost got run over by a motorist who either failed to see me or hates runners. I increased my pace several times to get away from the aroma of festering rubbish. I’ve got everything crossed Birmingham City Council empty everyone’s bins this week. My left knee twinged a couple of times but otherwise felt okay. I just need to get better at starting my training runs at a sensible pace that I have a chance of maintaining.

On reflection, I think it’s fair to say my pace was far too ambitious for my current level of fitness. My left knee started to feel so sore during my cool-down walk I started to doubt I’d ever be able to complete the Couch to 5k. There’s nothing like being overdramatic.

So that’s the fifth week of the Couch to 5k completed. Despite some dubious pacing, I managed to run for 20 minutes without walking. The sixth week of the Couch to 5k looks challenging and I’m aware that my fragile knees might come back to haunt me. As the duration of the longest continuous run increases from 20 to 25 minutes, I might complete the run at Beacon parkrun.

Training totals:

• Runs: 15 (out of 15)
• Time: 5 hrs 3½ mins
• Distance: 27.49 miles

Niggleometer:

• Right knee: 3/10
• Left knee: 4/10
• Left foot: 1/10

Did you have a good weekend?

What’s the most parkruns you’ve completed in a year?

For the reasons I’ve already outlined, I decided to start again with the Couch to 5k training plan that is available on the NHS Live Well website. This version of the Couch to 5k training plan should take nine weeks.

The NHS Live Well website provided the following information about the interval sessions in Week 3 of the Couch to 5k training plan.

My Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday interval sessions started with a fast 5-minute warm-up walk and ended with a slightly slower 5-minute cool-down walk. I supplemented the interval sessions with cross-training sessions and two rest days. As I still don’t have access to an exercise bike and I can’t afford to join a gym, my cross-training sessions comprised of 30-minute walks.

As I would love to complete the Couch to 5k, I dedicated time every day to stretching and strength and conditioning. In addition, I used my Bob and Brad Q2 Mini Massage Gun to massage my quads and calf muscles before each interval session and whenever I felt my legs would benefit from an extra massage.

Monday – 30 mins cross training

After a longer than originally anticipated break from running due to the combination of a complete loss of motivation and temperamental knees, I decided to restart the Couch to 5k at Week 3. I rescheduled all the training sessions on Garmin Connect, made sure my Garmin updated and proceeded to spend more time worrying about running than running.

I could and should have made the most of the Early May Bank Holiday, but in typical Emma style, I spent most of the day sitting inside my house on my own, feeling sorry for myself. I ignored the ‘to-do’ list I’d written the previous evening, and I didn’t leave my house until I forced myself to complete a 30-minute walk just as it was getting dark. Such a waste of a day.

Tuesday – 18 mins intervals (run 90 secs/walk 90 secs/run 3 mins/walk 3 mins x 2)

Returning to work after a long weekend is always a bit of a struggle. I wasn’t overly thrilled when I checked my Outlook calendar and discovered I had a day of back-to-back meetings to look forward to. Apologies for how moany this weekly update is already sounding. Work was challenging, and I was feeling drained when I was able to shut down my work laptop at 4:30pm. I’ve no idea how people manage to balance working with looking after families. I’m struggling to balance working a minimum of 40 hours a week and trying to buy a house.

After allowing my healthy evening meal of cheesy chips to settle, I got changed into the running gear I’d laid out the previous evening, worked through some strength and conditioning exercises, and massaged my calf muscles. Earlier this year, I completed most of my interval sessions in the dark, training in the light made it easier to spot the numerous wheelie bins blocking the pavements. I know I’m repeating myself, but the first interval session after a break from running due to a running injury always feels a little stressful. To make matters worse, since Lina left Ebrook Osteopathy and Sports Clinic to return home, I’m yet to find a replacement Osteopath.

I completed my warm-up walk, checked my laces weren’t too tight, selected my ‘Random Bits and Pieces’ playlist on Spotify, and started to run. I’d love to say my pacing was sensible, but it felt so good to be back running, I ran the first interval at a pace that was a little too ambitious for my fitness levels, which set the tone for the rest of the interval session. I think it’s fair to say I was frustrated to see just how overly ambitious and inconsistent my pace was.

At least the interval session was enjoyable and, despite my trainers feeling as cushioned as a pair of clogs, pain-free. I reached the end of the 18 minutes, captured a somewhat blurry photo, and then started my cool-down walk.

I got home, drank a glass of chocolate milkshake, did the washing up, and massaged my calf muscles for a second time. I can’t remember who reviewed Fit Kit and shared a discount code over on Instagram, but I’m easily influenced, and I invested in a couple of bottles of Magnesium Body Moisturiser. I figured smothering my legs in Magnesium Body Moisturiser after I’d run couldn’t do any harm.

Wednesday – Rest

My rest day was restful. Work was so busy, I didn’t have time to squeeze in a lunchtime walk. After spending far too many hours staring at a computer screen, as soon as I finished work, I spent an hour clearing what I hoped were weeds from the front garden.

Thursday – 18 mins intervals (run 90 secs/walk 90 secs/run 3 mins/walk 3 mins x 2)

After a lot of procrastinating, I headed out on my warm-up walk just before 9pm. It was a lot darker than I was expecting, not helped by the fact that, thanks to Birmingham City Council’s cost-cutting measures, the streetlights didn’t come on until it was dark. The combination of the limited light, wheelie bin hazards, and uneven pavements did have one unexpected positive, I completed my interval session at a more sensible, if inconsistent pace.

Rather frustratingly, my trainers once again felt about as cushioned as a pair of clogs. I don’t understand why, as I’ve only run 25 miles in them. I reached the end of the 18 minutes feeling rather warm, loosened my laces, and made it to the end of my cool down walk without being heckled. I really do need to work on my selfie skills.

I got back home, drank a glass of strawberry milkshake, and gave my calf muscles a massage with my massage gun. I’d love to say I remembered to use the Magnesium Body Moisturiser I mentioned earlier in the week, but I completely forgot.

Friday – Rest

As Friday was a very welcome rest day and this weekly update is already very lengthy, I’ll mention that I entered the 2026 Great Birmingham Run and leave it there.

Saturday – 30 mins cross training

When my parkrun alarm woke me, I didn’t want to get out of bed as I was feeling tired after a few too many disturbed nights. Had I not set myself a target of completing 50 parkruns this year, I might have attempted to get more sleep.

As always, I ended up enjoying every minute of Sutton Park parkrun, it was very much a case of time flies when you’re having fun. I ran and walked with Gemma and managed to avoid the temptation of the ice cream van at the Jamboree Stone. After a what turned out to be a record-breaking Sutton Park parkrun with 625 finishers, I spent a couple of hours in the Communitea Café discussing all sorts of random topics and helping sort through a mountain of finish tokens. Amazingly, no finish tokens had gone AWOL and I remembered to post and update on Instagram.

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You know your updates are boring when only 20 out of 1055 followers take the time to ‘like’ what you’ve shared.

After a fun morning and lunchtime, the rest of my Saturday was more what I’d describe as mundane and not exactly blogworthy. I don’t think people want to read about my mortgage application or Vinted purchases. Following a productive afternoon and evening, I laid out some running gear and headed to bed at a sensible time as I wanted to get the final interval session of the week done before 8am.

Sunday – 18 mins intervals (run 90 secs/walk 90 secs/run 3 mins/walk 3 mins x 2)

I set my alarm for 5:30am but must have switched it off in my sleep as I was woken by the sun just before 7am. I briefly lay in bed debating trying to get more sleep. I decided running in the morning when it was cooler and quieter would be the best option, so I got changed into some running gear, worked through some strength and conditioning exercises, drank a glass of water, and headed out into the Sunday morning sunshine.

During the warm-up walk, my knees reminded me I’d done a lot of walking and some running the previous day but felt more fatigued than niggly. I reached the end of the warm-up walk, checked my laces, selected some cheesy tunes, and then started my interval session. Although my legs felt quite fatigued during every run repetition, I enjoyed every second of the interval session. Running in the daylight was far more enjoyable than running in the dark, and conditions were perfect for running.

I completed my 5-minute cool-down walk, captured this slightly dubious selfie, and headed home feeling pleased with myself.

Although my pacing didn’t feel inconsistent while I was running and during my recovery repetitions, when I looked at my running and recovery splits, it was clear my pacing was a bit dodgy. Something I need to work on.

The rest of my Sunday was productive, as I needed to make the most of the weekend. I won’t bore people with the details, but it included three loads of washing, two hours of gardening, a trip to the tip, some life admin, and an afternoon nap. I saw that the photos Rob took during yesterday’s Sutton Park parkrun had been uploaded, thanks for this photo, Rob.

[Photo: Rob Andrews]

So, after a longer than originally anticipated break from running, that’s week three of the Couch to 5k completed. Just another six weeks to go.

The fourth week of the Couch to 5k training plan looks more challenging. I’ve said it before but unless I run at a pace I have a chance of maintaining, I know I’ll struggle to run for 5 minutes. It’s clear from reading my previous Couch to 5k training updates that I’ve always found Week 4 of the Couch to 5k difficult.

Training totals:

• Runs: 9 (out of 9)
• Time: 2 hrs 57 mins
• Distance: 15.30 miles

Niggleometer:

• Right knee: 2/10
• Left knee: 2/10
• Left foot: 1/10

Did you have a good weekend?

Do you prefer running in the morning or in the evening? 

For the reasons I outlined last week, I decided to start again with the Couch to 5k training plan that is available on the NHS Live Well website. If everything goes to plan, this version of the Couch to 5k should take nine weeks to complete.

The NHS Live Well website provided the following information about the interval sessions in Week 2 of the Couch to 5k.

My Tuesday and Thursday evening and Sunday morning interval sessions started with a fast 5-minute warm-up walk and ended with a slightly slower 5-minute cool-down walk. I supplemented the three interval sessions with two cross-training sessions and rest days on Wednesday and Friday. I’m not a member of a gym and don’t have access to an exercise bike, so cross-training sessions comprised of 30-minute walks.

As I want to give myself the best chance of completing the Couch to 5k, I allocated time each evening to stretching. I used my Bob and Brad Q2 Mini Massage Gun to massage my quads and calf muscles before each interval session and whenever I felt my legs would benefit from an extra massage.

Monday – 30 mins cross training

Thanks to some epic early morning overthinking, I started the week feeling shattered. Not the best start to a new week. Following a morning of number crunching, as one of my goals for the week was to spend time away from my laptop screen every lunchtime, I decided to walk to the Post Office to collect my new passport. As I figured a faster-paced walk would count as a form of cross training, I decided to see how quickly I could walk to and from the Post Office.

After finishing work, as I wanted to spend some time outside while it was still light, I spent 30 minutes weeding. Hopefully, this counted as more cross training. My review of Week 1 of my Couch to 5k training was published and I spent some time planning my training for the week ahead.

Tuesday – 21 mins intervals (run 90 secs/walk 2 mins x 6)

My Tuesday started with a walk into Mere Green for a doctor’s appointment. Following a much-needed reality check and a reminder I’m 45 and not 25, I walked home and managed to start work by 09:30. I think the highlight of what turned out to be a difficult Tuesday was closing down my work laptop at 16:00.

Like last week, I almost fell into the trap of spending more time thinking about running than actually running. A couple of hours after a slightly later-than-ideal evening meal, I got changed into some running gear, massaged my calf muscles using my massage gun, and headed out into the cold.

Although my legs felt fine during my warm-up walk, as soon as I started to run, both of my calf muscles felt quite tight, and it felt like I’d managed to tie the laces of my trainers too tight. My trainers were annoying me so much, that I stopped running, retied my laces, and restarted the interval session. My left knee twinged a few times during the final three run repetitions, and I reached the end of the 21 minutes feeling like I was starting to fall to pieces.

I completed my cool-down walk, took a selfie that failed to capture how upset I was feeling, walked the rest of the way home, made myself a cup of tea, spent some time massaging my quad and calf muscles, and then entered the ballot for an event later this year. If by some miracle I’m successful in securing a race place through this ballot I will **** myself.

Wednesday – Rest

As Wednesday was a much-needed rest day and this weekly update is already getting quite lengthy, I’ll fast-forward to Thursday.

Thursday – 21 mins intervals (run 90 secs/walk 2 mins x 6)

After receiving an email to inform me I’d been unsuccessful in securing a public race place in the 2025 Royal Parks Half Marathon ballot, I worked out I’d been rejected seven years in a row. I’ve said it before, but as I feel I have unfinished business with the Royal Parks Half Marathon, I’ll continue to stick my name in the ballot every year.

I’m aware I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but work was incredibly stressful and after spending another day feeling overwhelmed and like an imposter, I finished work, shut down my work laptop, and headed to bed for a nap. I woke an hour later feeling a little more positive however as I didn’t feel like cooking, I ordered myself something to eat from the Hungry Sparrow Chinese takeaway. Happily, the food tasted better than it did the previous Thursday.

A couple of hours later, I got changed into some running gear and used my massage gun to massage my quad and calf muscles. I completed my warm-up walk on slightly busier than I was expecting pavements. It wasn’t just a case of dodge the wheelie bins but also of dodge the dog walkers. I’ve come to the conclusion that Thursday evenings are very popular with dog walkers.

I reached the end of the interval session feeling strong if not exactly pain-free. Luckily, I have an Osteopathy appointment this Thursday. I completed my cool-down walk, made myself a cup of tea, and then spent more time massaging my quad and calf muscles.

Friday – Rest

I’m not sure why I went into what I call ‘middle of the night overthinking mode’, but after getting less than four hours of sleep, I knew the last day of the working week would be a struggle. I’m not sure how I made it to 3pm without falling asleep at my desk. I was meant to spend the evening at an 80s Anthems by Candlelight concert at Lichfield Cathedral, but I felt so tired I opted to stay at home.

Saturday – 30 mins cross training

Sutton Park parkrun was cancelled, not due to the weather but due to the fact another event was taking place in Sutton Park. As a result, Ellen and I arranged to head to my NENDY, Perry Hall parkrun. I completed what was a very well-organised Perry Hall parkrun in exactly the same time I completed Sutton Park parkrun the previous Saturday, 40:38. Spooky! If everything goes to plan, we’ll revisit Perry Hall parkrun when the weather is a little better.

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We didn’t have time to stay for a post-parkrun coffee, so after Ellen kindly dropped me off near Boots so that I could collect a prescription, I walked home and then spent an hour catching up on some rather overdue housework.

I’d managed to book a table for the soft launch of a new Mediterranean-inspired restaurant in Mere Green called Willow. All food was half price, so I ordered crab and crayfish ravioli to start followed by a double steak burger.

I’m not sure exactly why given the size of the menu, but my friend Vic only ordered himself a starter. This meant he ended up eating more than half of my double steak burger. Anyway, the food I did get to eat tasted amazing and I’ll definitely return to Willow when it opens later this month.

Following a productive but rather lonely afternoon and evening, I laid out some running gear and headed to bed at a sensible time.

Sunday – 21 mins intervals (run 90 secs/walk 2 mins x 6)

Although I hadn’t set my alarm, I found myself wide awake just before 06:30. Irritating. I lay in bed for a couple of minutes contemplating attempting to get more sleep before reminding myself running in the morning would increase the likelihood of me actually running. I got changed into the running gear I’d laid out the previous evening, worked through some strength and conditioning exercises, had a productive loo visit, and headed out into slightly breezier conditions than I’d anticipated.

My left knee had been quite painful after parkrun, so I felt a little apprehensive when I set out on my warm-up walk. I completed my warm-up walk without too much knee pain, so I checked my laces weren’t feeling too tight, selected what I hoped would be motivational music on Spotify, and started to run. The interval session was enjoyable and mostly pain-free. I managed to run the first run repetition at a reasonable pace and attempted to increase my pace throughout each run repetition. I reached the end of the interval session feeling like I’d worked hard but could have carried on running if I needed to. I think it’s obvious I still need to work on my selfies.

I walked home, made myself a cup of tea, and headed to the Co-op to grab a newspaper and some groceries. Unlike last week, rather than heading back to bed for an hour I attempted to use my foam roller for the first time in a while and worked through some stretches. The remainder of the day was so mundane – the highlight was entering the Shenstone 10k – I won’t bore you all to tears with the details.

So, that’s the second week of the Couch to 5k completed, just another seven weeks to go. As I don’t want to have to take another lengthy break from running, I hope that my temperamental knees and left foot continue to cope with the training.

The third week of the Couch to 5k looks achievable. I feel quite confident I’m more than capable of running for three minutes at a time. As I’ve said a million times before I need to remember to run at a pace I have a chance of maintaining.

Training totals:

• Runs: 6 (out of 6)
• Time: 2 hrs 3 mins
• Distance: 10.47 miles

Niggleometer:

• Right knee: 4/10
• Left knee: 4/10
• Right calf: 2/10
• Left foot: 1/10

 Did you have a good weekend?

 Do you ever feel like an imposter at work? 

After a few too many failed attempts at completing the Couch to 5k last year, I wasn’t going to publish weekly training updates, but I love writing them and people have said that they enjoy reading my training (and life) updates and. I also hope that my random thoughts help other runners who, like me, are tackling the Couch to 5k after being injured.

As always, I can’t guarantee that these updates will be interesting or that they will contain blogworthy photos, but I promise to be completely open and honest and to share the highs and lows. I can guarantee the updates will be filled with typos as I’m still getting to grips with my new laptop.

I decided to start again with the Couch to 5k training plan that is available on the NHS Live Well website. This version of the Couch to 5k training plan is spread over nine weeks.

The NHS Live Well website provided the following information about the interval sessions in Week 1 of the Couch to 5k training plan.

My Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday interval sessions started with a fast 5-minute warm-up walk and ended with a slightly slower 5-minute cool-down walk. I supplemented the interval sessions with cross-training sessions and two rest days. I’m not a member of a gym and don’t have access to an exercise bike, so cross-training sessions comprised of 30-minute walks.

As I would love to finally complete the Couch to 5k, I dedicated time every evening to stretching and strength and conditioning. I’d love 2025 to be the year I complete the Couch to 5k and get back into running consistently.

Monday – 30 mins cross training

Last time I decided to restart the Couch to 5k I was on annual leave and could run whenever I wanted. This time I decided to restart the Couch to 5k during a busy week which would involve a return trip to Leeds and a Friday evening concert in Lichfield. And that’s without including a load of health and house-related stresses.

Following a morning of data requests and report writing, I packed my laptop away, checked I’d got everything I needed for my overnight stay in Leeds, and then walked to the train station. I like to think my speedy walk to the station while carrying a heavy rucksack counted as cross training. Anyway, almost four hours after leaving home I arrived in a colder than anticipated Leeds.

I managed to navigate my way to my hotel without getting misplaced, checked in, dumped my rucksack, and then walked through a still rather festive-looking centre of Leeds to Five Guys to grab something to eat. I’m not convinced the hamburger, small fries, and large Diet Coke was worth what it cost but I didn’t fancy eating on my own in a busy restaurant.

I navigated my way back to the hotel room and spent what was left of the evening watching a selection of police-related programmes on Channel 5. There are some nasty people out there.

Tuesday – 20 mins intervals (run 60 secs/walk 90 secs x 8)

My meeting wasn’t scheduled to start until 09:30, so in an ideal world, I would have treated myself to a rare weekday lie-in. I don’t live in an ideal world and my hotel room was located at the front of the hotel on a main road, so I was woken bright and early by the sound of people shouting. The view from the room went some way to make up for the early morning wakeup.

I hadn’t booked breakfast in the hotel, so after a lot of worrying I’d left something in the room, I checked out and walked the short distance to McDonald’s to grab myself a healthy breakfast. My line manager is going to love my expense claims. I was able to grab myself a window seat, so what should have been a quick breakfast turned into 30 minutes of people-watching.

The meeting I’d travelled up to Leeds to attend was very productive, after spending most of the last five years working from home, it felt great to meet up with some of my colleagues for the first time in several years. The meeting finished just after 15:00 which gave me time to grab myself something to drink in Leeds station. After a quiet journey between Leeds and Birmingham New Street, I got back to Four Oaks, walked to Mere Green, and ordered myself a Chinese takeaway as I hadn’t eaten since lunchtime.

Sorry, this is meant to be a running blog and not a food blog. An hour after eating, I got changed into some running gear, spent some time stretching, checked my Garmin was working, and then headed out the door. I’d love to be able to say that the first interval session was a huge success, but it wasn’t.

I’m aware I’m repeating myself, but the first interval session after a break from running due to a running injury always feels quite stressful. All sorts of slightly negative scenarios involving my right knee imploding were going through my mind during the 5-minute warm-up walk. I had to remind myself that running is meant to be something I enjoy! Something to help me forget about the real world for a few minutes. My pacing was all over the place and for some reason my new trainers felt about as cushioned as a pair of clogs. Although I found running for a minute at a time easy, my right knee twinged a couple of times, and my right quad felt a little tight.

I walked home feeling a little frustrated and questioning if it was time for me to retire. I figured if my knee couldn’t cope with a minute of running then it wouldn’t cope with the rest of the Couch to 5k. It’s always good to feel positive after an interval session. With apologies for the earworm, “Things Can Only Get Better”.

Wednesday – Rest

I’ve already waffled on far too much and Wednesday was a much-needed rest day that featured tears and a lot of stress, I’ll fast-forward to Thursday.

Thursday – 20 mins intervals (run 60 secs/walk 90 secs x 8)

I think the highlight of yet another stressful day that left me feeling completely overwhelmed and like an imposter was receiving a message to say my passport application had been approved. I figured having a passport would enable me to go travelling if the house purchase fell through.

I finished work and instantly found myself ordering myself a takeaway. Usually, a takeaway from a local Chinese restaurant makes me feel better. Unfortunately, the food I’d ordered tasted bland, made me feel guilty for wasting money, and did nothing to improve my mood.

I’m a little ashamed to admit this, but I almost abandoned the Couch to 5k after only completing one interval session. I didn’t feel like running, so after spending a couple of hours feeling sorry for myself, I decided to go for a short walk to clear my head. A couple of minutes into what was only ever meant to be a walk, I realised I was feeling well enough to tackle a run. Twenty minutes later I’d successfully completed the second interval session of the week. I wouldn’t recommend running in jeans and worn-out trainers, but my right knee was niggle free throughout the interval session. I didn’t take any photos.

Friday – Rest

Although I usually don’t provide much insight into what I get up to during my rest days, on Friday evening I headed into Lichfield for a Music of John Williams concert featuring the International Film Orchestra, so I thought I’d share a couple of photos here.

I’m going to blame drinking too much gin and tonic for booking myself a seat in the very front row of the concert. When I sat down, I realised I would be spending the concert less than a metre away from the concertmaster.

The concert was out of this world and featured music from Star Wars, Jurassic Park, E.T., Jaws, and Indiana Jones to name a few. We were told photography was prohibited, so once the concert started my phone remained in my pocket.

I was feeling hungry – my stomach rumbled a few times during the concert – and didn’t fancy standing around in the cold, so I headed to the warmth of McDonald’s to grab myself a healthy Friday evening meal. Following a short but highly entertaining train journey back to Four Oaks, I walked back home in sleet and snow and wondered if parkrun would be cancelled the following morning.

Saturday – 30 mins cross training

I didn’t want to drag myself out of bed as I was feeling shattered after a late night and a stressful few days. Had I not arranged to meet Ellen and set myself a target of completing 50 parkruns in 2025, I would have probably gone back to sleep. I’m pleased I made the effort to drag myself to Sutton Park parkrun as I loved my walk and talk with Ellen, even if this photo makes it look like I wasn’t enjoying myself.

Following parkrun, I spent some time in the Communitea Café in Boldmere talking through some of my moans and groans was dropped back near Mere Green and then headed to the Fox and Dogs as I’d arranged to meet a friend for a drink.

My friend had to leave early, so after spending almost an hour drinking on my tod, I decided to head back home. The quick conversation I had with someone outside the Fox and Dogs turned out to be the last time I spoke to anyone during the weekend.

Following a reasonably productive afternoon and evening, I laid out some running gear and headed to bed with my latest book; “The Trading Game” written by Gary Stevenson. Sometimes I ask myself when my life became so incredibly mundane.

Sunday – 20 mins intervals (run 60 secs/walk 90 secs x 8)

I found myself wide awake at 6am. I lay in bed in the dark for a couple of minutes contemplating staying in bed before convincing myself that running in the morning would increase the likelihood of me actually completing the third and final interval session of the week. I got changed into the running gear I’d laid out the previous evening, worked through some strength and conditioning exercises, had a productive loo visit, drank some water, and headed outside into the dark.

I completed my warm-up walk, checked my laces weren’t feeling too tight, selected some trance classics on Spotify, and started to run. The interval session was enjoyable and pain-free. I managed to run the first run repetition at a sensible pace, this set the tone for the rest of the interval session. I reached the end of the 20 minutes feeling like I could have carried on running. I still need to work on my action photos.

I got home, made myself a cup of tea, and then headed to the local Co-op to pick up some groceries before heading back to bed for an hour. I really do need to work on my post-run recovery routine. The remainder of my Sunday was not exactly what I’d describe as blogworthy, so I won’t bore you all to tears with the details.

So, that’s the first week of the Couch to 5k completed. I just hope that my knees and feet continue to cope with the training. After so many failed attempts at completing the Couch to 5k, I’d love to be running 5k in eight weeks’ time.

Week 2 of the Couch to 5k training plan looks achievable, I just need to make sure I run at a sensible pace I can maintain for 90 seconds.

Training totals:

• Runs: 3 (out of 3)
• Time: 1 hr 0 mins
• Distance: 5.00 miles

Niggleometer:

• Right knee: 310
• Left knee: 3/10
• Left foot: 3/10

Did you have a good weekend?

Did you manage to complete a parkrun or another organised event?

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.

Here are the links to my previous annual review posts, there’s definitely a theme 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023

January

Although I wasn’t injured, like last year started the year barcode scanning at Sutton Park parkrun. Conditions were perfect for running and watching hundreds of parkrunners finish their first parkrun of the year inspired me to charge up my Garmin, dust off my trainers, and locate my ‘lucky’ running gear.

 [Photo: Kenneth Choi]

The following day I completed the first interval session of Week 1 of the Couch to 5k. My pacing was all over the place and I realised my fitness levels were lacking. After successfully completing the second interval session of Week 1, I felt confident I’d be able run consistently in 2024, so I shared my running, walking, and parkrun goals for the year ahead. I also rewarded myself with my first Giggling Squid lunch in over four months.

I decided not to post regular Couch to 5k training updates on my Instagram account as I suspected people had got tired of seeing my standard post-run selfie pose, but wrote and published more detailed progress reports in training updates on this blog. I loved being able to look back at my rather intermittent training updates and hope that other runners found my Couch to 5k training musings useful.

I published Week 1 and Week 2 training updates and although I could feel my fitness levels returning, I was struggling with increasingly tight calf muscles. The massage gun I’d been sent to review became my best friend.

Week 3 of the Couch to 5k didn’t get off to the best start when running with tight laces meant I ended the first interval session of the week with tight calf muscles and sore feet. My calf muscles and feet recovered and 24 hours after witnessing the most stunning sunrise and then watching several hundred parkrunners safely navigate a small ice feature, I completed the final interval session of Week 3 of the Couch to 5k.

[Photo: Rob Andrews]

I published my Week 3 training update and following a delay due to the combination of Storm Jocelyn and a large meal at the Quill and Taper completed the first interval session of Week 4 of the Couch to 5k.

I’m not sure that completing two interval sessions in under 24 hours was sensible, but I published my Week 4 training update and concluded what had been a positive month and start to 2024 by completing the first interval session of Week 5 of the Couch to 5k. I ended January feeling pleased with my running progress.

February

I woke ridiculously early for a Saturday and completed the second interval session of Week 5 of the Couch to 5k and then walked across Sutton Park and parkwalked and talked with Helene.

The next morning, I woke before my alarm and despite some ambitious pacing managed to run continuously for 20 minutes and completed Week 5 of the Couch to 5k. I spent the rest of the morning feeling shattered, luckily a homecooked Sunday lunch perked me up a little.

The following morning, two things happened; I woke with a painful left foot and I published my Week 5 training update.

My left foot still felt sore the following morning, so I delayed attempting the first interval session of Week 6 of the Couch to 5k. The combination of a sore throat and generally feeling unwell meant that I took a week off from running. That weekend I missed parkrun for the first time I could remember as both of my knees randomly started to hurt again, and I was still feeling unwell.

Illness meant I postponed Week 6 of the Couch to 5k for a second week. I worried my fitness would instantly disappear, but I figured that there was little point in trying to run when I was unwell. In what has become an annual tradition I was rejected in the Royal Parks Half Marathon ballot. I wasn’t surprised or disappointed as a weekend in London would have been expensive, but after 2018 it feels like I’ve got unfinished business with the event.

Sutton Park parkrun was cancelled due to another event taking place in Sutton Park, so I volunteered as a barcode scanner at Beacon parkrun and then spent an enjoyable but slightly lonely couple of hours mooching around Lichfield.

My left foot was still painful, so I decided to postpone Week 6 of the Couch to 5k for a third week. It felt like I’d got out of the habit of running consistently. That Saturday, I walked across a slightly icier than anticipated Sutton Park and ended up volunteering as an additional marshal near the Jamboree Stone. Volunteering at parkrun was the highlight of what turned out to be a rubbish weekend.

I ended what hadn’t turned out to be the most positive of months feeling frustrated I’d not made much progress with my running but determined to restart the Couch to 5k.

March

At the start of March, I celebrated (??) four years of spending the majority of time working from home. With apologies for the repetition, while I’d continued to appreciate not having to spend up to three hours a day commuting on overcrowded and unreliable trains, I was feeling isolated from my colleagues. Although the days I literally didn’t speak to anyone were rare, they were still happening. I should have relocated when I had the opportunity.

The first Saturday in March I endured a cold and wet, rain would become a recurring theme in March, walk across Sutton Park and volunteered as a marshal at my favourite location near Wyndley Gate. I decided to reward my dedication to volunteering with a Giggling Squid lunch.

The following week I restarted the Couch to 5k. I found the first interval session of Week 6 hard but managed to run for eight minutes. I could tell my fitness levels had decreased since the start of February, and I doubted I’d be able to run continuously for 25 minutes. I then spent two days in Birmingham helping facilitate a face-to-face training course. At least the hotel room was peaceful, and the food tasted better than last time.

After falling asleep on the train back from Birmingham and having the embarrassment of waking up in Lichfield, I decided it would be sensible to postpone the Couch to 5k for another week.

The second Saturday in March a full quota of marshals meant I spent an hour barcode scanning at parkrun. After a quick chat with Ellen, I entered both the Sutton and the Shenstone Fun Runs. The following day as it was Mother’s Day and as mum didn’t want to go out to eat, I was treated to a lovely homecooked Sunday dinner.

I’m aware that I sound like a broken record, apologies, but midway through the month I restarted the Couch to 5k at Week 5. An unplanned but very enjoyable three-course meal at the Quill and Taper meant that I postponed the first interval session of the week by 24 hours.

When, after an excessive amount of post-work procrastination, I tackled the interval session, I was pleasantly surprised I found running easy. Two days later I completed the second interval session of the week before work and spent the rest of the day feeling shattered.

On Saturday, I walked across Sutton Park as I’d arranged to meet up for a pre-volunteering stroll. The weather wasn’t kind that morning as it started off sunny and lulled everyone into a false sense of security then the wind picked up and the heavens opened. I didn’t enjoy marshalling that morning and only warmed up after I’d consumed two large McChicken sandwich meals.

Perhaps it was inevitable that after getting so cold and wet at parkrun I’d feel unwell the following morning. I don’t know. I didn’t attempt the final run of Week 5 of the Couch to 5k and spent most of the day sleeping. I planned out what I hoped would be my training schedule for the next three months and decided to restart the Couch to 5k for what felt like the millionth time at Week 5.

What had been a somewhat frustrating month ended on a positive. The final Saturday of the month I met up with Ellen who was completing her 100^th parkrun and we powerwalked our way around the Sutton Park parkrun course. Although I loved the photos that were taken that morning, they gave me a much-needed reality check and kick up the bum.

[Photo: Ranjit Bindarh]

[Photo: Rob Andrews]

I spent Easter Sunday with some of my family. While it was great to spend time with my family, I was once again left feeling inadequate and questioning how I’d ever be able to afford to buy my own house on my single public sector salary, especially given the increasing uncertainty surrounding the security of jobs in the public sector.

April

April got off to a positive start. Following what felt like a lengthy break from running, I completed the first two interval sessions of Week 5 of the Couch to 5k in what were wet and windy conditions. I loved running in the rain.

That Saturday I volunteered as a barcode scanner at Sutton Park parkrun and then helped sort finish tokens. I got home and my right knee suddenly started to feel incredibly painful. One minute it felt fine, the next I could hardly walk. It was like I’d torn something inside my knee. Needless to say, I didn’t attempt to run for 20 minutes the following morning.

The second week of April was stressful as I was helping with virtual interviews for a post in my team, and I had a laptop that was liable to crash during MS Teams meetings. I managed to navigate my way through four online interviews without inadvertently swearing due to nerves and my laptop looked after me. I failed to leave the house during the week and when my Saturday morning ‘parkrun alarm’ woke me, I couldn’t be bothered to walk to parkrun. A decision I spent the rest of the weekend regretting.

In what would turn out to be a futile attempt to make myself feel better, I ended up feeling guilty because I’d spent so much money, I bought myself a LEGO Nintendo Entertainment System as an early birthday present.

Following what had been a far-from-ideal first couple of weeks of April, I decided I needed to be more positive and stop feeling sorry for myself. I booked an osteopathy appointment at Ebrook Osteopathy and Sports Clinic in Sutton Coldfield to see if I could get to the bottom of the seemingly never-ending issues with my knees and made sure I left the house every day.

My first appointment with the osteopath Lina went well. I was diagnosed as having Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) otherwise known as Runner’s knee and following a painful at times sports massage, I was sent away with another appointment and some strengthening exercises to complete every morning.

That Saturday I volunteered at parkrun as a marshal, got home, and entered the ballot for the London Marathon. The following morning I watched the elite London Marathon races and then treated my friend Vic to a Giggling Squid lunch. Apologies for the all-too-predictable photos.

The following morning I headed up to Warrington so that I could get my laptop fixed. I ended up spending such a lot of time at Warrington Bank Quay station during the year I thought it should feature in this review.

My second appointment at Ebrook Osteopathy and Sports Clinic was positive. I endured another leg massage and got to experience shockwave therapy for the first time. I felt quite awkward asking, but filming Lina demonstrating my ‘homework’ enabled me to complete my strengthening exercises.

The last Saturday in April I walked across Sutton Park and then I decided to see how quickly I could walk the Sutton Park parkrun course. I completed the course in 39:23 and then spent an hour scanning barcodes.

[Photo: Declan Fleming]

I entered the Miles for Mind May virtual event and set myself a target of walking/running 100 miles. I ended April feeling positive, not only because I was on annual leave but because by rearranging a couple of training sessions, I’d be able to restart the Couch to 5k on my birthday.

May

At the start of May, I celebrated moving into the V45 category by completing an early morning interval session. Later that day I met up with some family members for a birthday lunch. While the food was amazing, I allowed a snarky comment, namely I shouldn’t be spending any money on myself while I’m house hunting, to ruin the rest of the day.

The next day I headed into Sutton Coldfield for my third appointment with Lina. I was treated to another rather painful calf massage and got to experience dry needling for the first time.

The dry needling was surprisingly pain-free, and my legs felt amazing immediately after the treatment. I spent the final day of my week of annual leave with my sister and my twin nieces. I survived my niece’s Barbie-themed fifth birthday party by drinking pink Prosecco and while I wouldn’t recommend running while feeling slightly tipsy, my Friday evening interval session was a success.

The first Saturday in May I walked to Boldmere Gate, volunteered as a barcode scanner, and then headed with Helene for a belated birthday McDonald’s.

This was quite possibly the highlight of all my birthday meals. Nothing beats a post-parkrun volunteering McDonald’s. The next morning I got up early and completed the final training run of Week 5 of the Couch to 5k. For once, conditions were perfect for running, and I ended the run feeling confident I’d be able to complete Week 6.

The highlight of the May Day Bank Holiday was a spot of retail therapy. A runner can never have too many pairs of Mizuno Wave Inspires, especially at the bargain price of £49.99. The next morning I published my Week 5 (Take 2) training update and after a 24-hour delay due to a gardening inflicted knee niggle, completed the first interval session of Week 6 of the Couch to 5k.

Later that week I headed back to Sutton Coldfield for my fourth appointment at Ebrook Osteopathy and Sports Clinic. After I explained I’d hurt my knee gardening, Lina gave my legs a rather painful massage and then a second dose of shockwave therapy.

I found the shockwave therapy extremely painful, but my legs and knees once again felt much better after the treatment. I decided not to risk running the following morning, so later that evening I stuck on some dance music and completed the second interval session of the week. That Sunday I got up at 5am and despite some terrible pacing, I managed to run continuously for 25 minutes and completed Week 6 of the Couch to 5k.

The next morning I published my Week 6 training update. Following a week of missed interval sessions and what I could only describe as an intermittent knee niggle, I met up with Ellen at parkrun and we walked and talked our way around the course in under 40 minutes. I think we were evaluating my poor pacing skills in this photo.

[Photo: Rob Andrews]

On the penultimate Monday in May, I travelled up to Leeds for a meeting. I’m not sure why I was so surprised the centre of Leeds had changed such a lot since I was a student as I graduated way back in 2001.

I’m still unsure how this meal in Five Guys ended up setting me back almost £20. Train delays meant I didn’t get back to Birmingham until almost 9pm, far too late for me to have time to eat and then run. My knees were feeling quite niggly, so following a painful leg massage, I decided to postpone restarting the Couch to 5k until after the Royal Sutton Fun Run the following Sunday.

Looking back, the last week of May was underwhelming. The Spring Bank Holiday was a complete washout, I rarely left the house, and my mental health suffered. I ended the month well under my target of walking/running 100 miles but feeling determined to make June a more positive and active month.

June

Last June, after realising I needed something different to motivate me to record some training every day, I came up with the informal challenge of ‘collecting’ Royal Mail post boxes. This challenge was a success, and I recorded my highest walking mileage of the year. I’d love to say I came up with a similar informal challenge this year, but I didn’t.

The first weekend in June was one of the best weekends of the year. I volunteered as a barcode scanner at parkrun and the following morning, the sun made a rare appearance just in time for the Royal Sutton Fun Run. Ellen and I set out with the aim of completing the 8.5 mile course in under two hours. We finished well under our target in 1:51:47.

[Photo: Bunny Kyd]

The centre of Sutton Coldfield was somewhat chaotic, so we headed back to Blake Street and spent a couple of hours making the most of the sunshine, relaxing in the Quill and Taper beer garden.

An amazing weekend but sadly a case of time flies when you’re having fun.

Although my legs and knees felt great, for some reason my running motivation temporarily deserted me. After a couple of failed attempts at tackling Week 7 of the Couch to 5k, I decided to delay running for another week. Later that week I headed into Sutton for my sixth appointment at Ebrook Osteopathy and Sports Clinic. I was treated to a painful leg massage and some lower back manipulation. That Saturday as I wasn’t volunteering I walked and talked my way around Sutton Park parkrun with Ellen. Thumbs up for a pain-free parkrun.

The following week was not positive from a mental health perspective. The weather summed up my mood, gloomy, and my running motivation continued to be somewhat lacking. I started to question whether I wanted to run again. I’m not convinced getting drenched barcode scanning at parkrun did much to improve my mood, however, seeing how much others enjoyed running made me realise how much I love the running community.

Two days later I woke with a niggly right knee, and I realised I only had myself to blame. Running home after parkrun with sodden trainers was a case of too much too soon. I decided to postpone the Couch to 5k by another week. I spent most of the week feeling completely overwhelmed with no idea where to start to get my life back on track. Running would have helped my mental health, unfortunately running wasn’t an option.

That Saturday, I literally hobbled across Sutton Park so that I could marshal at parkrun. After spending the week feeling isolated, I found myself marshalling in a quieter section of the Sutton Park parkrun course feeling quite isolated.

At least summer had finally made an appearance. I’ve no idea why I took this photo of my legs and feet, I suspect I was trying to capture the source of most of my running-related injury woes.

The final week of June saw summer continue. I discovered I’d been rejected in the London Marathon ballot, not such a bad thing given I couldn’t walk properly when I received my rejection email. Later the same day, I hobbled across Sutton Park to meet up with Ellen. We completed the Sutton Park Gates Run (or in our case, walk) in a slightly slower time than last year, but given the heat, my right knee, stopping to cross a main road, and a couple of sock adjustment stops I think we did well.

I captured this rather dubious selfie, drank a can of warm Diet Coke, and was dropped home by Ellen. And that’s all I can remember. I woke the following morning still wearing my sweaty running gear feeling like death warmed up. Luckily, I’d booked the day off work.

I ended the month with a niggly right knee. It felt like all the osteopath sessions had been a waste of time and money. Despite this, I was determined July would be more positive.

July

I started July feeling positive. This positivity lasted less than three hours when I experienced what I’d describe as a major adulting reality check.

I received a rejection in the ballot for the London Landmarks Half and started to wonder whether I’d ever be successful in a ballot again. A couple of days later I woke to the not exactly unexpected news Labour had won the General Election and spent the remainder of the week wondering if my public sector job was secure. I’m still not convinced my job is safe. That Saturday, I walked across Sutton Park to Boldmere Gate where I was able to photograph Connie the Calf.

March of the Elephants a trail of elephant sculptures across Sutton Coldfield, Lichfield, and Tamworth had started and I had grand ambitions of visiting and photographing all of the sculptures. I ended up taking photos of four elephants.

The following week, I restarted the Couch to 5k at Week 5. I completed the first interval session in torrential rain.

Perfect running conditions! Despite some terrible pacing, I completed the second interval session of the week and found running for eight minutes easy. I decided to delay completing the final continuous run of the week until the second half of the Euro 2024 final. By slowing my pace and selecting a relatively flat route, I found running for 20 minutes easy. I got home, put the football on and Spain scored what turned out to be the winning goal.

After a couple of false starts, three days later I completed the first interval session of Week 6 of the Couch to 5k. I slowed my pace down again and found the running repetitions straightforward. The following day I headed to Bartley Reservoir to complete a working in and near water training course.

The weather was perfect, and I could almost see the attraction of open water swimming, possibly aided by the fact I was paddling around in shallow water wearing a dry suit. The warmer weather continued and after failing to complete the second interval session of the week before work, I ended up running later on Friday evening.

I missed Sutton Park parkrun for an unprecedented second Saturday in a row and treated myself to a lie-in. I’d arranged to meet up with my brother for a lunchtime drink and made the fatal mistake of drinking on an empty stomach.

I discovered I could no longer drink three pints; the rest of the day was a complete write-off. By some miracle, the following morning I completed the final 25-minute run of Week 6 of the Couch to 5k and captured this selfie.

I can’t remember why I didn’t share my training exploits in my running blog, I suspect I was still doubting my ability to complete the Couch to 5k.

After two more false starts, I started Week 7 of the Couch to 5k. I timed the first 25-minute run of the week to correspond with my favourite running conditions, torrential rain. The following evening I experienced another rather painful leg massage at Ebrook Osteopathy and Sports Clinic and was advised not to run for 24 hours. As I wanted to run at Beacon parkrun, I didn’t risk completing the second 25-minute run of the week.

The final Saturday in July, Sutton Park parkrun was cancelled so I got up early, got a train to Lichfield, and headed to Beacon Park. I jogged and chatted my way around warmer than anticipated Beacon parkrun in 34:11.

[Photo: Rob Andrews]

I love this photo as it shows just how much fun I had at Beacon parkrun that morning. I ended the 5k looking like a beetroot but with knees and legs that appeared to be in one piece.

I stopped for a drink at the Lakeside Bistro then headed home. I was aware attempting a 5k run before I’d completed the Couch to 5k was slightly risky, but my knees were pain-free throughout the two laps of Beacon Park.

The final few days of July weren’t very active. England experienced a mini heatwave and as I struggle running in the heat, I decided to give my knees and legs time to fully recover from Beacon parkrun. All things considered; July was a positive month from a running perspective if not from a personal perspective.

August

The first Saturday in August, I got up ridiculously early so that I could take part in some parkrun tourism and a Fetch meetup at Tamworth Castle Grounds parkrun. I’ve no idea who took this photo, but I’ve included it in this post as I was so busy chatting I failed to take any photos.

I hadn’t run since Beacon parkrun the previous Saturday and the Tamworth Castle Grounds parkrun course contained some tight turns and short but steep downhills, so I jogged around the course in 34:55. After parkrun we headed to a café for breakfast and a lot of running chatter. The opportunity to catch up with people I’d not seen for a long time was well worth the early start.

The second Saturday in August I had another early start as I’d volunteered to tail walk at Aston Hall parkrun. There had been issues with the trains to Aston on Friday, so I wanted to allow enough time for a Plan B if the trains weren’t running. The trains were running, and I arrived at Aston Park well before parkrun was due to start.

Volunteering as a tail walker at a completely new to me parkrun with limited marshals was difficult. Looking back, without anyone to follow, I’m amazed I only went slightly off course once. Aston Park and Aston Hall were both stunning, a real oasis of calm near the centre of Birmingham and the perfect location for a parkrun.

On the morning I volunteered there were only 69 finishers and most parkrunners were tourists. Aston Hall parkrun always seemed to struggle for volunteers and several events were cancelled due to a lack of volunteers. The news that Aston Hall parkrun had been cancelled (paused according to the Facebook page) sadly didn’t come as a surprise.

I hope that Aston Hall parkrun starts up again in 2025 as Aston Park is a great location for a parkrun. The following morning I met up with Ellen for a slightly overdue training walk around Sutton Park. The weather was gorgeous, perfect for my first ice cream of the summer.

I also got to say hello to the Sutton Park cows for the first time this year. I’m not sure why but the cows seem to avoid parkrun since the course changed, so it was good to see them.

I’m aware that I’m sounding like a broken record, but the following week was another far-from-ideal week from a mental health perspective. Although my running motivation had deserted me, the week had one highlight namely donating blood for the first time in over two years.

The third Saturday in August, Sutton Park parkrun celebrated its sixth birthday and after what felt like a long break, I was back volunteering in the sunshine in Sutton Park.

A lot less stressful than tail walking at Aston Hall parkrun.

The following week, a mystery illness meant my resting heart rate shot through the roof, and I had no energy, so I decided not to risk running. Tests confirmed I didn’t have Covid, so I attended my appointment at Ebrook Osteopathy and Sports Clinic and endured some painful leg and lower back massage. That Saturday I volunteered as a marshal at Sutton Park parkrun and was treated to some miserable conditions.

Summer 2024 had made an unwelcome reappearance. Post-parkrun Colin the Caterpillar birthday cake in the Communitea Café in Boldmere put a smile back on my face.

On Bank Holiday Monday, I travelled to Ironbridge with my friend Vic to help make a start on some house decluttering. I somehow managed to twist my temperamental right knee walking up and down some steep stairs and when my right knee started to hurt, I realised I’d injured myself again. At least I got to see the River Severn and the Iron Bridge.

Perfect weather for a Bank Holiday Monday. The following morning I woke feeling unwell with a painful right knee, so I postponed my Couch to 5k training again. I volunteered as a barcode scanner at the final Sutton Park parkrun of the month.

[Photo: Rob Andrews]

I’ve included this sort of action photo of me scanning someone’s barcode as I love the concentration on my face.

September

Like last year, September was a positive month, largely because I spent half the month on annual leave. After a difficult few weeks, switching on my out-of-office on the first Friday of the month felt amazing.

On the first Saturday in September, I helped with the pre-event set up at Sutton Park parkrun, walked to Costa for some breakfast with Helene and Ellen, and then walked some of the parkrun course in reverse.

The following day I planned out my Couch to 5k training sessions again while watching one race I’ve never been tempted to enter: the Great North Run.

Thanks to some far from ideal weather, the first week of my September annual leave was what I’d describe as productive but quiet. The week had a couple of highlights. The first was lunch at the Giggling Squid in Mere Green for the first time since April.

The second highlight took place later the same day when I completed the first interval session of Week 5 of the Couch to 5k. Thanks to some sensible pacing, I found the interval session easy.

That Saturday, I walked across Sutton Park, met up with Ellen and power walked (and talked) the Sutton Park parkrun course. The following day, thanks to some chafing in a slightly delicate location, I missed the final interval session of the week.

The second week of my September annual leave was underwhelming. I decided it would be sensible to restart the Couch to 5k again from Week 1 and vowed to document my training. I headed to TGI Friday’s in Sutton Coldfield with a friend for lunch.

This would sadly turn out to be my last visit to this particular TGI Friday’s as the Sutton Coldfield restaurant was permanently closed a few weeks later. Thanks for the memories. The final day of my September annual leave saw me head to the Quill and Taper for lunch with Mum.

The penultimate weekend in September was a washout. I missed Sutton Park parkrun as I was helping a friend with some chores. I ended up spending the remainder of the weekend regretting not getting more exercise. The miserable weather that marked the end of my annual leave summed up how I felt about having to return to work.

I’m not going to complain about my job, but I suspect the subconjunctival haemorrhage I unexpectedly woke up two days into my return to work to was caused by work-related stress.

The final weekend in September was a case of saving the best until last. I walked across an autumnal Sutton Park, met up with Ellen, completed parkrun, and discussed our targets for the Shenstone 10k Fun Run we were due to complete the following morning.

I ended up loving every minute of the Shenstone 10k Fun Run. Although my right knee twinged a couple of times and we had a couple of what I’d describe as near misses with Sunday morning drivers, we managed to smash the target we’d set ourselves, completing the 10k in 1:18:38.

[Photo: Rob Andrews]

[Photo: Rob Andrews]

Thanks for the amazing photos, Rob. I ended the month feeling frustrated I’d wasted my annual leave and concerned about my right knee. Despite this, I hoped October would be the month I finally restarted the Couch to 5k.

October

At the start of October, I got changed into some running gear and restarted the Couch to 5k. The first interval session felt harder than I was expecting. This slightly blurry photo captures the location of what I hoped would be the start of more consistent training.

Despite missing the 20^th parkrun birthday weekend celebrations due to illness, I managed to complete Week 1 of the Couch to 5k and published my Week 1 training update. October had got off to a positive start.

The following week, I completed the first interval session of Week 2 of the Couch to 5k in my favourite running conditions; torrential rain. The next evening I headed to the Quill and Taper for Vic’s birthday meal. In an attempt to broaden my culinary horizons, I ordered the Royale Chicken Tikka Masala.

Although the Tikka Masala tasted as amazing as it looked, I was reminded why I tend to avoid eating spicy food. The following evening I battled through a knee niggle and tight calf muscles and completed the second interval session of the week. I didn’t quite manage to capture the Northern Lights.

On the second Saturday in October, I walked across a slightly gloomier than I was expecting Sutton Park, met up with Ellen, and completed my 23^rd parkrun of the year.

That morning I ended up walking over 11 miles, not the best preparation for the final interval session of the week. Despite my attempts at derailing my training, I completed Week 2 of the Couch to 5k and published my Week 2 training update.

The following Tuesday, I completed the first interval session of Week 3 of the Couch to 5k. I’m not sure why but midway through the interval session I started to experience what felt like pins and needles in the top of my left foot. By the time I reached the end of the interval session, I was aware I was hobbling rather than walking. Illness and a lack of sleep meant I missed the second interval session of the week. Wet and miserable conditions meant I treated myself to a rare Saturday morning lie-in. The following morning I completed the final interval session of Week 3 of the Couch to 5k and published a slightly negative Week 3 training and life update.

Week 4 of the Couch to 5k didn’t get off to the best start when a terrible night’s sleep and subsequent failed interval session resulted in me having to remind myself that running is meant to be fun and not a chore. The following evening, the week improved when I headed back to the Quill and Taper after work for a meal with Helene and Ellen.

The food was disappointing but spending the evening with good friends more than made up for the overcooked starters and stingy portions. The following day, I didn’t even attempt the second interval session of the week. The lack of sleep that week caught up with me and I was feeling physically and mentally exhausted.

Fortunately, the weekend was far more positive. On Saturday morning I met up with Ellen and we walked, talked, and ran our way around the Sutton Park parkrun course in a season’s best time of 37:13.

[Photo: Rob Andrews]

[Photo: Rob Andrews]

The following morning, I got up early to complete the final (and my first) interval session of Week 4 of the Couch to 5k. I was amazed at how many dog walkers I saw. I guess these dogs didn’t realise they could have had an extra hour in bed due to the clocks changing. Although I missed two out of three interval sessions, I published my Week 4 training update.

The final Tuesday evening in October saw me complete the first interval session of Week 5 of the Couch to 5k. The pain in my calf muscles made an unwelcome reappearance and my left foot started to hurt. I struggled to the end of the interval session, walked home, and spent a lot of time massaging my calf muscles and quads.

On Halloween, I headed into Sutton Coldfield for my first osteopathy appointment since August. The 45-minute appointment passed by quickly, I managed not to cry, and my lower back and legs felt a million times better at the end of the session. Thanks, Lina.

All things considered; October was a positive month. I restarted the Couch to 5k, and my training was more consistent. I also started blogging again. I ended October feeling confident I’d make more progress with the Couch to 5k during November.

November

The first Saturday in November saw me meet Ellen at Sutton Park parkrun. After our season’s best performance the previous Saturday, I said I needed to be sensible and walk the 5k as I was aiming to complete a 20 minute run the following morning. We still managed to walk and talk our way around the Sutton Park parkrun course in 41:53. Not too shabby.

Less than 24 hours later, despite what could only be described as dubious pacing, I managed to run for 20 minutes without stopping. Sometimes the best training runs occur when least expected.

The first Monday in November, I published my Week 5 training update and then decided to take a week off from the Couch to 5k to allow my legs and knees time to recover. Following a somewhat stressful week, I walked across a rather gloomy Sutton Park to Boldmere Gate. I knew I’d be parkrunning alone, so I decided to see how quickly I could run (and walk) the new Sutton Park parkrun course. I ended up recording a totally unexpected season’s best time of 33:42 beating the times I recorded at Beacon and Tamworth Castle Grounds parkruns.

[Photo: Rob Andrews]

I think this photo Rob took in the final 800m of my season’s best performance captures the effort I was putting in. Thanks Rob. My Saturday improved further when Wolves finally managed to win a game of football.

The following morning I met up with Ellen for a walk in Sutton Park. Midway through our walk, the anticyclonic gloom disappeared, and the sun made a welcome appearance.

A couple of days later, I got up early and completed the first interval session of Week 6 of the Couch to 5k before work. I enjoyed every minute of the interval session, and my knees and feet felt fine. That evening, I headed to the Quill and Taper for a meal and spotted my first Christmas tree of 2024.

After completing the second interval session of the week in far colder conditions than I was dressed for, I got home and dug out more winter running gear. On Saturday, I walked across Sutton Park to Boldmere Gate. My left knee felt quite niggly, so when I saw Helene was marshalling at my favourite location, I decided to spend an hour watching other people complete parkrun. That Sunday, I found running for 25 minutes far easier than I was expecting.

The following morning a couple of things happened; my Week 6 training update was published and I woke up feeling unwell. I ended up having to take three days off work and putting my Couch to 5k training back on hold. Given the snowy conditions in Four Oaks, I’d picked a good time to be unwell. That Saturday I was woken by the sound of rain bashing against my bedroom window. I treated myself to a rare Saturday lie-in then finished my Christmas shopping and decided to make the most of the LEGO Insiders Weekend.

The following Tuesday, as I was still not feeling fully recovered from whatever had kept me off work for three days, I decided to postpone the Couch to 5k until December. I ended November with a relaxed walk around Sutton Park parkrun with Ellen. It felt great to leave the house for the first time in what felt like ages.

[Photos: Rob Andrews]

I think it’s fair to say November was a month of two halves. The first half of the month I made sure I recorded some training every day, made great progress with the Couch to 5k, and set a parkrun season’s best. The second half of November was less positive, not only due to illness but also due to a dip in my mental health and short-term loss of motivation. I ended the month well under my target of walking/running 100 miles but feeling hopeful December would be a more active if not more positive final month of 2024.

December

I felt I would probably benefit from some extra motivation to exercise during December, so I entered the Run Up to Christmas virtual event and set myself a target of walking/running 100km before Christmas Day. The month got off to a good start as I met up with Ellen for a walk in a rather muddy Sutton Park followed by lunch at the Giggling Squid. In an attempt to feel festive, I started taking photos of Christmas trees.

Following a two-week break, I restarted the Couch to 5k at Week 6 and found the first interval session of the week easier than I probably deserved. After almost getting run over a couple of times despite wearing a reflective gilet and headtorch, I got home and spent some time researching superbright head torches for runners. I found the second interval session harder, partly due to the milder and windy conditions but also due to my dodgy pacing. The first Saturday in December, like the majority of other local parkruns, Sutton Park parkrun was cancelled due to Storm Darragh.

My Saturday didn’t improve when I discovered I’d not been invited to a family day out. I would have loved to have met up with my sister and her family, so to say I was upset would be an understatement. The following morning I was woken by Storm Darragh and decided to delay my 25-minute run until the evening when the wind was forecast to die down. I spent a couple of hours watching other people run in the European Cross Country Championships in Turkey and that evening ended up going for a Christmas lights walk rather than a run. I didn’t realise at the time, but that was the end of my Couch to 5k training.

The second week in December was my last week at work. I felt mentally and physically exhausted and was literally counting down the hours until I could activate my ‘out of office’. On Tuesday I did something that made me proud of myself, I ignored my anxiety and travelled on my own up to Lichfield to watch an Ex Cathedra Christmas Music by Candlelight concert.

The concert was incredible, and I finally started to feel more festive. That Friday, I activated my ‘out of office’ and locked away my work laptop for three weeks. A couple of hours later, I made my second trip up to Lichfield to watch The Piccadilly Sinfonietta perform Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

Walking through Lichfield after the concert was entertaining. It was great to see so many people having fun.

The following morning I walked across Sutton Park to Boldmere Gate and met up with Helene and Ellen. Although I had originally planned to walk parkrun, we ended up having a coffee and a catch-up in Costa. By helping with the post-event close down, I completed my 150^th volunteering stint at Sutton Park parkrun. Wolves lost again and the manager was sacked a couple of days later.

After a couple of false starts, the first Monday of my annual leave I wrapped my Christmas presents and wrote and posted my Christmas cards. For some reason, I was just not feeling very festive. I travelled into Birmingham, gave blood, took a photo of the Christmas tree inside Birmingham New Street station then travelled back to Four Oaks.

I’d arranged to meet a friend for lunch in the Giggling Squid in Mere Green. On reflection, drinking two pints of Cobra after I’d given blood wasn’t very sensible. Just looking at this photo reminds me of how much I enjoyed this food.

The third Saturday in December, I walked across a rather breezy Sutton Park, met up with Ellen and tail walked at a very festive Sutton Park parkrun. By the time I took this not-very-festive selfie I’d abandoned my Santa hat due to the windy conditions.

I met up with my brother in Mere Green and we had a quick drink and catch up and exchanged presents. I must admit I was more than a little bit jealous he was heading to Benidorm immediately after Christmas for a short break. I was meant to be completing the 10k at the Birmingham Running Festival but decided that as the weather was miserable and my knee was feeling quite niggly, I’d have a much-needed lie-in.

At the start of Christmas week I entered the February Birmingham Running Festival and booked an Osteopathy appointment with Lina. I found out I’d won something in the Fetch Advent Calendar and on Christmas Eve attended the Midnight Communion at my local church. On Christmas Day, I witnessed the most stunning sunrise during my walk to Boldmere Gate.

My camera wasn’t able to capture the colours of the sunrise. Without going into too many details, the sunrise and Christmas Day parkrun would turn out to be the highlights of Christmas Day.

On the final Saturday in December, I completed my 31^st parkrun of the year.

Next year, I’m aiming to complete 50 parkruns. I’m also planning on visiting more local parkruns. I published The true cost of running: the 2024 edition and then started to fret about the weather forecast for New Year’s Day. I figured it would be slightly unfortunate if after setting myself a challenge of completing 50 parkruns if the first parkrun of the year was cancelled.

And what about Christmas? I can’t really review December without talking about the Christmas period. If I had to use one word to describe Christmas 2024 that word would be ‘difficult’. Next year, I might hibernate over the Christmas period.

I always like to approach the end of each year feeling positive about the next 12 months, so I’ve set myself some running, walking, and parkrun goals for 2025. I’ve also set myself some life goals, and although I’m not planning on sharing these goals, one of my main goals is a repeat goal from 12 months ago. I want to finally get my foot on the bottom rung of the property ladder. It’s going to be challenging but things are moving in the right direction.

Looking back, 2024 was another challenging year for me. I spent far too much time feeling completely alone and overwhelmed. I also spent far too much time questioning my ability to do my job. At times I didn’t think I’d make it through the next day let alone the rest of the year. Although I shared some of the not-so-positive moments on this blog and on social media, when my life started to feel overwhelming, I shut myself away and distanced myself from my friends and family.

My running mojo disappeared after illness meant I had to stop following the Couch to 5k for what felt like the millionth time, and although *touch wood* I’m not currently injured, I keep delaying heading out the door and restarting the Couch to 5k. My monthly running (purple), cycling (green), and walking (red) bars illustrate how the focus of my training varied throughout the year. I think it’s safe to say I’ve had another somewhat consistently inconsistent year.

Although my training was once again inconsistent – I’d still describe myself as consistently inconsistent – I ran when I wanted to and was finding running enjoyable and walked when I was unable to run. I was sensible and stopped running when I needed to.

I’m going to conclude my review of 2024 more or less the same way I concluded my 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 reviews. I may sound selfish, but I hope that I have a less injury-filled 2025. 

What was the running highlight of 2024 for you? 

What are your running and fitness goals for 2025?

The NHS Live Well website provided the following information about the three training runs in Week 6 of the Couch to 5k training plan.

Like the last time I attempted the sixth week of the Couch to 5k, I looked forward to tackling three different training sessions. I also wasted far too much time worrying about running for 25 minutes.

My Tuesday and Thursday evening interval sessions started with a fast warm-up walk and ended with a slightly slower cool-down walk. I supplemented the interval sessions and 35-minute run on Sunday with cross-training sessions on Monday and Saturday and rest days on Wednesday and Friday.

With apologies for the repetition, as I’d love to complete the Couch to 5k before the end of the year, I allocated time every day to stretching. I also used my Bob and Brad Q2 Mini Massage Gun to massage my quads and calf muscles before each interval session and whenever I felt my legs would benefit from an extra massage.

Monday – 30 mins cross training

Following a week’s break from training, I started the week feeling positive and looking forward to tackling some more challenging interval sessions. My positivity improved when I was able to book Friday off as some last-minute annual leave. Although back-to-back meetings meant I didn’t have time for a lunchtime walk, I spent some time working through my strength and conditioning exercises after work.

As I fancied a change from cooking for myself, I booked a table at the Quill and Taper for Vic and myself the following evening. This left me with no choice but to complete the first interval session of the week before work as I knew I wouldn’t be able to run after eating a large meal.

I checked the weather forecast and discovered my morning run would be in somewhat cooler conditions than I was used to.

Many of us will need to dig out the ice scrapers tomorrow morning with a widespread frost expected on grass and cars

Air temperatures will also fall below freezing in some rural areas so remember that extra blanket tonight pic.twitter.com/xUDAjGzB6M

— Met Office (@metoffice) November 11, 2024

I laid out a selection of what I hoped would be suitably warm running gear, ensured my alarm was set for 5:30am, and got a reasonably early night.

Tuesday – 24 mins intervals (run 5 mins/walk 3 mins/run 8 mins/walk 3 mins/run 5 mins)

When my alarm woke me from what felt like a deep sleep, I debated staying in bed, but I reminded myself why I wanted to complete my interval session before work. For once the weather forecast was correct and I failed to warm up during my 5 minute warm-up walk.

Despite having to play dodge the wheelie bins and some poor route planning, the first interval session of the week went well. I somehow managed to time all of my running intervals with uphill sections and recovery walks with downhill sections. This meant that although I reached the end of the 24 minutes feeling like I’d worked hard, I didn’t experience any issues with my temperamental knees. Remind me to take better action photos in future.

I got home, drank a couple of glasses of chocolate milk, put on the heating, and spent some time massaging my quads and calf muscles. I wasn’t brave enough to use my foam roller. There was no point in me going back to bed, so I started work an hour earlier than usual. I’ve no idea how some people get up early every morning to run before work as by midmorning I could feel my eyes getting heavy.

Several hours and meetings later, I headed to the Quill and Taper for an evening meal with Vic. I was thrilled when I spotted my first Christmas tree of 2024. I’m not sure about the rather minimalistic decorations.

I fancied a change from Royale Chicken Tikka Masala, so I ordered the Sweet cured Gammon which the menu described as two 5oz sweet cured gammon steaks, fried free-range egg, grilled pineapple, and garden peas.

Although the restaurant was fairly empty, the food took forever to arrive and after spending almost an hour waiting for our meals I was starting to get rather hangry. Luckily, the gammon steaks tasted better than they looked when they finally arrived. We didn’t risk ordering desserts or coffee.

Wednesday – Rest

Although Wednesday was a rest day, I wanted to spend some time outside while it was light, so I completed a 30-minute lunchtime walk.

As my usual lunchtime loop was inaccessible due to roadworks, I walked through Hill Hook Nature Reserve and disappointed some of the not-so-wild wildlife in the process.

Thursday – 23 mins intervals (run 10 mins/walk 3 mins/run 10 mins)

As my early morning interval session left me struggling to stay awake throughout the day on Tuesday, I decided to tackle the second interval session of the week and the final interval session of the Couch to 5k as soon as I finished work.

Well, that was the original plan. I was feeling so peckish when I finished work I decided eating would have to take priority over running. After wasting a ridiculous amount of time weighing up the pros and cons of completing my interval session, I eventually headed out the door just before 9pm.

It was a lot colder than I was expecting and I somehow reached the end of my so-called 5 minute warm-up walk feeling colder than I did at the start. As I stopped to adjust my laces, I accepted it might be time to switch from running in shorts to running in tights. Once I’d warmed up I enjoyed the interval session and found running for 10 minutes much easier than I was expecting given the cold conditions.

I’m not sure if my legs got too cold as soon as I stopped running, but both of my calf muscles started to cramp during my cool-down walk. I hobbled home and spent 30 minutes massaging my quads and calf muscles with my massage gun.

Friday – Rest

I think the highlight of Friday was not having to spend the day at work. I suspect that most people would have made plans for a day of annual leave. I spent the day at home tackling some embarrassingly overdue housework while feeling sorry for myself.

Saturday – 30 mins cross training

I wasn’t volunteering at parkrun, so it was unfortunate I’d once again forgotten to switch off my ‘parkrun alarm’. The early alarm wasn’t welcome, and I was feeling so tired I briefly contemplated staying in bed. Apologies for the all-too-predictable moaning about weekend alarms. I knew that by the time I’d walked across Sutton Park the early start would be forgotten, so I decided to drag myself out of bed.

My right knee twinged quite a few times during my walk to Sutton Park parkrun, so when I discovered Helene was marshalling, I decided I’d rest my legs and volunteer as a bonus marshal. After doing my best to offer encouragement to 545 runners and walkers, I ended up helping sort through a mountain of finish tokens in the Communitea Café in Boldmere.

I was dropped back in Mere Green and more by luck than judgement immediately managed to meet up with my brother in the Ale Hub.

I wasn’t quite so lucky during my walk home as it started to rain, and I ended up getting drenched. I’ve waffled on enough about Saturday, so I’ll fast forward a few hours to Sunday and the final training session of Week 6 of the Couch to 5k.

Sunday – 25 mins running with no walking

My alarm woke me at 6am and I somehow managed to go straight back to sleep. Luckily, I woke a second time at 7am. I got changed into the running gear I’d laid out the previous evening, worked through some strength and conditioning exercises, had a productive loo visit, drank some water, and headed outside into the gloom.

I completed my warm-up walk, checked my laces were not too tight, selected some trance music, and started to run. I spent most of the first five minutes of the run forcing myself to slow down. As I wanted to give myself the best chance of running for 25 minutes I decided to run around the reasonably flat for Four Oaks Streetly Tennis Club loop. My route selection worked, and I found running for 25 minutes a lot easier than I was expecting and I reached the end of my Sunday morning run feeling strong.

I spent a couple of minutes stretching, completed my cool-down walk, and then headed home. I got home, made myself a cup of tea, and massaged my calf muscles. As this weekly update is already far too long I won’t describe the rest of what was an incredibly mundane Sunday.

So, that’s Week 6 of the Couch to 5k successfully completed. I just hope that my left knee and calf muscles continue to cope with the training. Without making it sound like completing my Couch to 5k training sessions is the most important thing in my life, I also hope that the snow that has been forecast doesn’t make an appearance in Four Oaks.

Week 7 looks challenging but should be achievable if I run at a sensible pace I can maintain. I finally get to say ‘goodbye’ to interval runs as in the final three weeks of the Couch to 5k, all of the training sessions are continuous runs without recovery intervals. So, that’s no more walking and getting my breath back. Like last time, I think my main concerns are how my knees will respond to running for 25 minutes three times in 7 days and getting my pacing spot on.

Training totals:

• Runs: 14 (out of 18)
• Time: 4 hrs 53.5 mins
• Distance: 25.37 miles

Niggleometer:

• Right knee: 2/10
• Left knee: 3/10
• Calf muscles: 2/10
• Left foot: 2/10

Have you put up your Christmas decorations yet? I must admit with all the doom and gloom in the news at the moment I’m thinking about putting my decorations up at the weekend.

Do you have a favourite volunteering role at parkrun? I must admit I don’t really enjoy token sorting as all the numbers start to look the same after a while.