My Ambitious Goal - Fastest Ever 5k at 40!
In 2026,
before I turn 41 in August.
I want to run my fastest-ever 5k.
I’m writing this for accountability.
I love setting big goals; they help me stay motivated.
Even if I don’t quite achieve them by the end,
I can’t help but feel proud of the work I’ve done.
Perimenopause Ups & Downs
My 5K times have been a bit up and down over the past couple of years.
I think it’s understandable.
Or maybe I’m just full of excuses 😆
I closed my fitness business after 8 years
and started navigating early perimenopause.
These both hit me physically and mentally.
But after almost two years of working with an amazing women’s health GP and slowly adjusting my HRT,
I’m starting to feel like me again,
physically and mentally.
And I can feel that starting to pay off in my training, too.
Faster Parkrun Times
In the past, I’ve used intervals to improve my 5k time when it’s dipped.
And after rebuilding from injury early this year, I recently improved my 5k time by adding in 5-minute skipping warmups before every run.
PBs
After my skipping challenge, I managed to get back to 24:52.
My fastest ever 5k is 24:10
That was back in 2023.
I would LOVE to get under 24 minutes in 2026.
Goals for the rest of this year
My goal for the rest of this year with running is to get back into a routine
and gradually increase volume for a stronger running base.
I don’t want to rush going for an ultimate PB too soon and end up injured.
Another reason I want to get faster
Canicrossing with my boy…
Arlo absolutely loves running, and he is so bloody fast! 💨
This year, we are entering our first canicross races.
There’s no pressure on our time; we’re doing it to bond and have fun 🥰.
But I want to help him as much as possible because it’s a team sport.
He is very strong at pulling me,
but I want to be at a good level of speed, stamina and fitness
so we can both have loads of fun and work together well.
Next Steps
I’ve written it down and shared it here, so that means it’s happening 😆
Stage 1:
Rebuild base cardio in the run-up to Christmas with some little-and-often runs each week.
