Winter 25/26 - Race Week 1

Photo Credit @jerry_sun

It's still shocking after this year that I actually have a race to prep for, rather than just turn up and run with an injury!

It's been 5 months since I have eased into a race with the slightest expectation - believe me, I'm not expecting anything above a line in the sand - and only the 4th time in 2025 I am going in to a race easing off.

Last time I actually came away super happy nothing fell off - however it started the latest injury woes so I have to ease back afterwards and NOT DO ANYTHING STUPID.

Monday 29th December 2025

Weigh in 65.6kg.

Finally back in the 65s. Rest day today. Feeling pretty fatigued both mentally and physically yesterday. Had that something-in-my-system feeling, not too bad running but like something is lurking. Think a lot of that is diet from Christmas so I'l stay super healthy going in to Wednesday.

Massage booked for today so should wake up tomorrow feeling looser.

Body feels ok, a little beaten and it feels a good place to ease back. 10 weeks I have averaged 50 miles per week with a proper cut back week (40) and an induced cutback week (30) with niggle and hangover which didn't leave me feeling any better.

Starting to plan for Wednesday. I'll test out the Puma R3, DNE3 and Pro 4 tomorrow on track doing some easy 200s and see which shoe feels fastest. Mile on the road is pretty easy to prep for, training indicates that a very low 5 should be on the cards but I am hopeful of a 4.59! The good thing is that I will use this race as a guide for paces going into indoor races. I also will have a really good idea of 5k fitness off the back of the mile - am I actually in sub 17 shape or not! I have the feeling that I have been unable to put out effort in the Parkruns and I am actually fitter.

So the plan for today is to treat the body and wake up tomorrow morning feeling refreshed and good to go.

Tuesday 30th

Weigh in 66.5kg.

No idea where that kilo came from lol. Oh well, we'll get on top of diet in the new year I guess.

Pre-race prep today, hit track but it's shut and security are sniffing around. Usual 2 mile warm up route (and cool down).

Plan was to do ~200m x 2 in 3 sets of race shoes. First up was the Puma DNE3. These are benchmark. They felt smooth. I like these shoes and effort was pretty low for 2 x 36 secs. Next up the Adios Pro 4. These were my only 5k race shoes last year (2 races and 2 sub 17s). They felt bouncy and splits went 34 & 36. Same effort coming back so wondering if there is some power lost there at effort. Either way I knew these were not it. Finally the Puma R3. Effort felt higher but they feel so bloody fast. 33 & 34. 

5.4 miles bagged for pre-meet. Felt good, nothing major - probably bit more effort than I should do before a race but I'm still not there yet.

Off feel I will go with the R3. They are so much faster, not sure if I'll be able to hold the effort. Today's paces were on the money at 4.58 to 5.10 pace. As always it feels impossible to hold that for 8 x straight through but I'm sure tomorrow will be fine.

Anything in the 5.0x range will be par. I hope to go sub 5 although i honestly don't believe I am much further on than that. 

New Years Eve

Weigh in 66.6kg.

Battersea Park Podium / FNUL 5k/mile. What a mouthful!

Wake up, get mobile and legs feel OK. Train to Battersea, off at Sloan Sq as usual and jog in. 2nd warm up for 2 miles total and legs feel fine. Nothing major either way. Tempo warm up 25 mins out, start quick at 5:42 pace and finish up with 0.5 at 6/mm in the Puma R3. Few strides, drills and stretch. Everything checks out and hit the line.

Bang, get caught out by the starter lol. Settle in about 7th/8th and try to relax. Pace at front is serious (4:34) and I'm rolling along. Lactate rising as I exit the track. Head to bandstand. Seems to go much much quicker than usual and lose a bit of time to Guildford man but reel him back. Feel like I am lifting pace as we come back towards track. Just feel like my legs don't have more pace - as expected of zero speed work. Follow Guildford guy on to track and he kicks and retains 2-3 secs on me. Working hard. At the 150 to go mark I know I am under 5. Pass the line in 4:57 and the 2nd mat in 4:58 (got caught out before). Finish up with 4:57.5 - well under 5. Unexpected but hoped for. 

Cool down and then jog to station and home.

That's a wrap on 2026. Only 3rd race where I have been in any sort of remote shape (even if it's not great). Happy with that. Very confident I'll be able to go sub 4:50 indoors so at the starting blocks.

Recover tonight and tomorrow and then the build continues proper!

Wrote this Monday Morning but will draw it in later to the week. No point overthinking anything pre-race. I will end up doing speed a lot earlier than originally planned but my January block will look like this -

Monday - Rest & gym

Tuesday - (am) shakeout 2 (pm) Eddington [12]

Wednesday - 8 recovery [20]

Thursday - Track work to mile pace [27]

Friday - 9 Recovery with John [36]

Saturday - 12 top end of easy [48] & gym

Sunday - 7 steady [55]

All in today equates to around 17 flat for 5k and 4:35 for 1500m. That's off just threshold work. I think sprinkling some 200s in there now with some mile / 3k work will pay off. I am at the party at last. The plan from here is to NOT DO ANYTHING STOOPID!

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

New Years Day

Weigh in 67.1kg.

I have got to sort this shit out lol.

Run - easy recovery with John & Al. 6.8 miles @ 8:19/mm. Very easy. Hip bit grumbly but to be expected. Rehab plus some serious attention today and get on the good diet habits.

Friday

Weigh in 66.0kg.

What a rollercoaster my waist line has been on this week !!!

Back down a bit. Lets see tomorrow with a sensible day but I may need to start tracking again to stay on top.

Plan today is a session BUT my hip flexors and glutes are grumbly so I'll see how I warm up and possibly postpone it. Absolutely zero chance of me taking risks at this stage. Feel much better today, legs are good at the bottom for a change. Stay on the rehab and it's starting to pay off. I'll try some activations this morning to see if they help but if I warm up and it's not happening I'll pull the plug.

Waiting on Runbritainrankings and po10 to upload and see how the race gets me.

Run - Session. Was supposed to be 4 x 8 at thresh followed by 4 x 90 at 3k. Decided to do treadmill, think it's first time since August 2024? Basically warmed up then started first rep and pace felt absolutely insane. HR was low by my legs felt like they couldn't keep up. Always takes time to adapt to treadmill. Ended up doing (roughly) 5 x mile at threshold. Felt pretty solid workout, legs were not super happy but considering hip flexors and glutes ached this morning it was a sensible alternative. Cool down to bring up around 9 miles. Cold and icy outside so have to start getting familiar with the treddy at some stage!

Rehab and stretch out later. Not a terrible spot right now.

Saturday

Post run weigh in 64.9kg.

Lol - much better but not quite there! Probs 65 high.

Early start 10.2 miles with Jake along the drift from Eddington. -2 with a big headwind. Struggled today with fatigue and grumbles. Need to get on top of hip & glute. Lower legs seem better but need to nail this rehab on the upper legs.

So cold atm, just trying to stay active. Get through this week which will be reduced but back to standard routine from Monday. Not quite fully recovered from the race yet. Long way to go but need to make sure I keep making good decisions.

Sunday

Weigh in 65.9kg.

Back in the 65s. Need to stay consistent here. Plan today is to roll out a steady 6/7 and get the legs used to breaking up the paces again. It's been a while!

The left quad / hip flexor is under a bit of protest, the left glute still has some aches. Just feels the left hip is impinged if anything. The right quad just above knee has a knock of some kind.

Overall, feels like progress - just need to recover better. I'll take anything this week as it's race week. Plan for today is just to get myself to tomorrow without anything breaking and then next week it's 4 solid weeks of steady training leading up to the indoor season. Routine has felt way off since probably 3 weeks ago when I had a training wobble with foot and back then resting was a good choice.

I think January plan as a visual training concept is -

*55 miles a week * Threshold session * Mile pace session (off good recoveries) * Steady run * Shorter long run (12) * Rehab daily * Plymotetrics daily * Upper and core weekly 

Run - 6 miles steady with 2 miles cool down. Headwind out which was freezing but nice coming back. Ended up 6 miles @ 6:36/mm @ 149 bpm avg (155 max). Felt really comfortable and relaxed. 983 beats/mile for the 6 and 1006 overall. Best results for some time. Feel really fit today.

45.8 miles for the week. Race week this week so eased in and eased out. Race went much better than anticipated and had fully recovered it seems by Sunday which was my best training run for some time. Treadmill session of 5 x mile was hard work but HR under control and some 200s pre race gave me some quality this week.

Nice spot to be in. Bit of a grumble with left hip area but not over concerned. Just need to stay on top of the rehab and it should get ironed out.

Next 4 weeks will be a build up to my 2026 indoor campaign. Mile and 3000m all time lists will be on the agenda. Top 10 mile - 4.45 and 9.19 are a stretch but it's nice to have goals. At current rate they will be on the edge of achievable.

Current paces

1 mile - 4:57 = 74 per 400m, 3:05 per km

Equivalent times / paces

3k - 9:48 (3.16 per km)

5k - 16:50 (3.22 per km / 81 per 400m)

10k - 35.03 (3.30 per km / 5.38 per mile / 86 per 400)

Training guides

Recovery - 8.30/mm

Easy - 7.45/mm

Steady - 6.30 -> 6.40/mm

Threshold - 5.45 -> 6.00/mm = 3.38 / 3.45/km

3k 400s -> 78

Mile 400s -> 74