2018 running goals

We many be 6 weeks into 2018 but I’m one of it seems many who used January as their free trial and didn’t actually accomplish much. With moving house over Christmas, renovating said house and a busy start to the year at work, running took a firm back step. However that’s all changed thanks to an exciting email hitting my inbox last week.

Yes, I’m one of the lucky few who received a space in this years Great North Run. After completing it last year in lots of pain thanks to recovering from a broken ankle, I knew I wanted to give it another shot this year.

Thanks to that email I’ve had chance to think about what I want to achieve with my running this year. Mostly it’s to get back to my pre-broken ankle running pace. I’m a slow runner, always have been and probably always will be, But I’m a good 3 minutes slower per mile than I used to be. Currently I think it’s thanks to a combination of things; instability thanks to my broken ankle, confidence on said ankle and being less fit,

So in 2018 I will;

• fix my instability. Thanks to my broken ankle I’ve developed instability because I’ve been over compensating on one side. Through my strength training I will strengthen my weak areas which should help. If it continues I will be seeking professional help.
• try and increase my confidence again. I have read that this is hard to do until you fall again and realise that you don’t always break bones when falling over. I’ve not yet fallen over since breaking my ankle and I’m currently scared to. My confidence in my running is especially bad on slippy surfaces, such as cobbles, grass or trails and when it’s raining or icy. I’m hoping that through fixing my instability and strengthening up I’ll gain more confidence.
• increase my fitness through a combination of training for races but also more strength training and cross training.

On top of these three goals I also want to run at least 4 races. This is a lot less than my usual tally however with my wedding this year, my months are already booked up.

So far I have on my list;

• Lincoln 10k
• Leeds 10k
• Great North Run
• Abbey Dash

The Lincoln 10k is only 4 weeks away so I’m getting back onto a training plan to increase my fitness post Christmas break so I can hit a time I’m happy with.

What goals have you set yourself this year? And which races will you be tackling?