WHEN YOU ‘RE BETWEEN RACES AND NEED A QUICK FITNESS FIX, TRY ONE OF THESE FOUR- WEEK MINI GOALS TO FIREUP YOUR MOTIVATION, FAST!

WORDS: ELIZABETH HUFTON

GET FIT QUICK!

Running with a goal is so satisfying. It gives purpose to every training session and a clear definition of success: complete your training without mishap for a few months and there’s a good chance you’ll achieve that goal, whether it’s going from couch to 5K or running a sub-four marathon.

The only trouble with most running goals is that they take a long time to reach. That means, by the time you take on that race or challenge, you might have lost interest, having trained for it for so long. And if something has got in the way of your training – which is often the case through injury, work or family pressures – then you can feel you’ve wasted weeks of effort.

However, ditching the idea of a training goal can be risky. If you’re training without focus then you won’t recognise progression in your fitness, and that can be demotivating. The freedom you were craving when sticking rigidly to your plan can be your undoing.

If you’re still deciding what your next big running goal should be, or have just reached a good level of fitness but aren’t sure what to do next, then our mini-goals could be the answer. Each of the plans cover just four weeks of training: long enough to give you tangible results, but not so long that you’ll get bored. The best thing about them? Every plan will improve your fitness, so that you can move on to a bigger running target, like a 10K or half-marathon PB in the autumn.

CHOOSE YOUR MINI-GOAL

Run a best parkrun

This speed-focused programme is for people who can already run 5K – but want to go quicker. You’ll run at your local parkrun every week (using the same route) so you can get a feel for the course, bettering your chances of a PB.