'Join my run challenge: How far can you go in 2014?' blog discussion

A question about : 'Join my run challenge: How far can you go in 2014?' blog discussion

This is the discussion to link on the back of Martin's blog. Please read the blog first, as this discussion follows it.

Read Martin's Join my run challenge: How far can you go in 2014? Blog.

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Best answers:

• Running goals for 2014
  1 Run 500 miles (10 miles per week)
  2 Run a sub-11 minute/mile 5K
  3 Increase distance to 10K
  Totals so far: 3 out of 500 miles
• My goals for 2014 are:
  Run 800k.
  Complete my first 10k race.
  Most importantly - Stick with it.
• I am 42
• Climbed Ben Nevis last year , new to running this year
• I Won't be very fast but determined to achieve a steady running pace
• Race for Life challenge
• Don't have running spreadsheet but using change for life app called couch to 5k and another called map my run to keep my totals and achievements
• My name is Tracy. And my running challenge target distance for 2014 is 587.4 km which is 365 miles!"
  I am 43 and been running for 4 years,
  I plod along at 11 to 12 min mile pace,
  I have completed 3 half marathons, One in Jan 2012 in Florida and the other 2 within just 3 weeks of each other last autumn.
  My goal is to run 3 half marathons in 6 weeks in the autumn and beat my pb in one of them which is currently 2:29
  Last year I ran 254 miles but had pneumonia so didn't run much till end of February and then didn't run Nov and Dec so pleased with that total.I log all my runs on Daily Mile as it totals weeks, months and years for me :-)
• Hi my name is ian and im 28 years old.
  I started running last year by starting out on couch to 5k.
  My aim for 2014 is to do 800km.
  I did around 400km in 2013. My longest race was a 12k mudrun. Apart from that I did a couple of 10k races and plenty of 5k parkruns. My best time for 5k was 21:22.
  My other goal is to go under 20mins for a 5k but this will be hard work.
• My name is Beth. And my running challenge target distance for 2014 is 225km.
  I'm 25 years old and completely new to running. As I love spreadsheets, I've set one up ready to track each journey.
• My name is Lisa and my running challenge target distance for 2014 is 500km.
  I'm 27 and only just started the Couch to 5K programme. I don't imagine I'll get a decent amount of kms logged for the first quarter of this year - have never run before and am seriously unfit so will take a while to get the distance up.
  Doing all my running on a treadmill at the gym - can't handle rain, wind, uneven terrain etc!
  Good luck everyone!
• Just me who is giggling at this blog post, coming on the back of the "mmmm crisps" blog a few hours previous?
• My name is 'er over there
  I am 36
  I ran (badly!!) a 10k race in 2008, in 1hr 25m.
  I have entered a new 10k race, in August, and my sole aim is to beat the above time.
  I want to lose weight and get fit. I'm starting off with a 5k training programme, and then after my hols in may I shall be working up to 10k.
  Training started tonight so I am still full of adrenaline and quite achy too
  I will aim for 200k for the year. I've just spotted it in someone's signature so I'm away to edit mine
  Good luck everyone
• My name is Cath and my running challenge target for 2014 is 500 miles.
  I took up running last year and surprised myself by getting to the stage of running a half marathon which is something I thought I would never be able to do.
  I'm aiming to do three half marathons this year to keep me motivated and in training having let things slip in the last two months
• My name is Jim, and my target is to get my spreadsheet set up by the end of 2014 so that it will work out cumulative totals on each line, whilst hiding the formula from rows which have yet to have data entered. Not sure I'll have much time left for running though.
• My name is Kev and my running challenge running target is 1000km.
  Currently have a half marathon in March and the London 10k in july booked in.
  As of today 24km into my target for the year... 976 to go...
• My aim this year will be 800km. I started running when my eldest daughter was training for the specials, she didn't continue but surprisingly I did! Four years on aged 47, 2014 is going to be a tough year, I have places in both the London Marathon and The Great North run! When our youngest daughter was granted her 'wish' by the charity 'When You Wish Upon A Star' after being diagnosed with a massive Brain Tumour aged 7, it made such a difference to her life that I decided that I had to make that possible for other families and running as played a large part in me being able to give back! Good luck to everyone out there trying their hardest!
• I am completely new to running.
  I am 27 living in Devon so have lots of beautiful countryside to run around. I went for my first run the other day and did 4 1/4 miles mixed terrain in 1 hr, some of it was fast walking. Didn't realise how unfit I am.
  I want to do the race for life this year and possibly the great west run.
• Hey guys, I'd like to join in with this as my new years resolution is to improve my fitness level and lose weight (with a money-saving aspect of not having to buy bigger clothing as I'm currently bursting out of half of my clothes and am unable to fit into the other half ). As my name suggests, I'm usually pretty slim (well, skinny in my younger years) but I'm sad to admit that's no longer the case!
  In response to Martin's questions:
  Age (if you’re willing) - 33 (almost 34)
  Fitness level. - pretty unfit
  Whether you have any official races planned - Nope
  And whether you have a running spreadsheet. - Nope
  I'm not going to post a target just yet as this is all new to me. I used to walk to work 5 days a week but changed jobs 18 months ago meaning I now have to drive and have piled on a stone & a half in that time. I downloaded the NHS "Couch to 5k" podcasts about a year ago, finally put them on my phone about 6m ago, and then ordered my sports earphones last week so that I can jog and listen to the instructions without the earbuds falling out every 5 mins! Said earphones arrived on Friday while I was at work so I was able to start the first podcast that very evening and clocked up my first 3.4km.
  As Martin asked the question, I've chosen the Runkeeper app to keep track of my activities, and only because I noticed a friend was using it and logging her activities on facebook. It uses GPS to measure the distance travelled, gives you 5 minute updates telling you what your average speed is at that point, and it calculates how many calories you've burned. You can set goals (so mine is to lose 6kg) and link your account with friends which I think will be helpful to spur each other on. There is a paid (elite) version too which has more functions.
  Does anyone here happen to have any experience of manual treadmills, compact exercise bikes or cross trainers? I need something that folds up & isn't too expensive (under Ј100) so that I've got something to use in miserable weather when I lack the motivation to go out. I was looking at the Pro Fitness non-motorised folding treadmill which I can buy for Ј50 and seems to have good reviews...
• My name is Danothy, and my running challenge target distance for 2014 is 2,500km. Since the start of the year I've run 49.6km.
  Stats: Late 20s; Average fitness; Speed 10-11 kph longer distances, 11-12 kph shorter distances; 2014 races include Llanelli marathon, Bwystfil y bryn, Rat Race Dirty Weekend, and no-doubt some others; Ran 1,395 km in 2013;
• Hi All,
  My name is Neil and in March 2012, I couldn't even run for a bus and needed to lose some weight. I started running using the Couch Potato to 5K in 8 weeks running app.
  In week 1, I was struggling to run for 30 seconds to 1 minute, but by the end of the 8 weeks, I was running for 5k and then officially caught the whole running bug.
  If anyone is reading this and even thinking about starting running or getting fit, I am living proof that you really can do it.
  Age: 40
  Fitness level: Average
  How fast you typically go: A steady 09:50 a mile.
  Whether you have any official races planned: Nothing yet but possibly the Birmingham Half Marathon.
  2012 Running Total 296.5 Miles (476km)
  2013 Running Total 378 Miles (608km)
  Running App Runkeeper I love how this app stores all of your runs and allows you to track your progress.
  My Spotify Running Playlist
  My running blog
  It's going to be tough but I will also aim for the Martin Lewis target of running a total of 434 miles (700km) in 2014. I am hoping that signing up to this challenge will be just what I need to keep me motivated for another 12 months.
  Me and my big mouth, what have I just committed to?
• Age - 31
• Fitness level - Quite active, ran my first 10 mile last year.
• How fast you typically go - Depending on distance, between 7 and 10 minute miles.
• Whether you have any official races planned - Not yet, but hope to do a few 5km park runs and maybe a half marathon.
• Distance run in past years, if you know it - 300km (185 miles) in 2013.
• And whether you have a running spreadsheet - No all recorded on an app called Map My Run.

My name is Steve and my target for 2014 is 400km (250 miles)....sounds quite far, doesn't it!!