It was 5am, and I was stood under a tree with Jack in the pouring rain. The start area and road for the race was empty, there was no queue for the toilets; it seemed everyone was taking shelter. Occasionally we would see someone make a run for it to bag drop, sacrificing their trainers that they were trying to keep dry. By 5:35am I decided I should probably do some jogging pre-race, the rain had eased slightly. The starting areas were still deserted, so I was able to run briefly up and down the starting pens A and B, do a couple of dynamics and strides then make it back to Jack to leave my (his) waterproof with him. I told myself the first 5km would be my warm-up then! 

Having goals in running is common. But sometimes it can be tricky to know where to start. There are multiple avenues that people go down; so here are some tips to help you set and accomplish your next running goal(s)…