Indoor Race Block 2026 - Mile / 3000m

Enter race week with a sore throat! After a pretty solid 14 week build from zero I hit my first real roadblock - a sore throat. First illness in about a year. 

I think I'll do this update a bit different. No daily just waffle shit.

Monday 2nd February 2026

Rested Monday as I wasn't feeling it at all. I'd rather be ill than injured but it drains the motivation out of my soul!

Massage with Jenny and just chill. Pretty much make the call to can Wednesday as I just don't think I'll be ready by then plus I really don't need to put out a properly shite performance.

Wake up Tuesday feeling better but still nowhere near 100%. Will jog later and do some strides just to do a basic engine check. From here the plan is to (ideally) carry on with Wednesday, do Tuesday session on Thurs, easy Friday, hit a Parkrun on Saturday harder, standard steady Sunday. That's the perfect comeback as I'll have opp at PR to get something out of the taper plus I'll bank a good Thursday and Sunday so it'll be closer. Failling that if it's still shitty I'll just run easy up until the weekend and go 9-12-10 with the usual routine. I'll adapt next week but it feels like this illness may make a bust of indoor season.

Frustrating but it is what it is. It's been so long now that this won't matter, just recover, don't do anything stupid and comeback. It's all about summer !!!

No run today. Have to do a big chore anyways and don't feel amazing. As day goes on to night start to feel bit better. Still small tickle in throat but def going to run tomorrow as feeling more back to myself.

Need to slap myself, I've let it slip recently on good habits. I needed a reminder how far I need to go to get where I need to be. It's not good enough. Too loose. You want it or not mate? Stop fucking about and get involved.

See how tomorrow goes but completely open on Saturday PR and which effort. See tomorrow and then all being well Ill do 10 x km off 90 jog on Thursday to see how things are responding. 

Wednesday - weighed in this morning. Feel 100% better but not quite there. 95% overall.  65.7 kg - not too bad. Better than it's been but still a way to go. Run with Dan on the coke club route. 7.49/mm for 132 bpm is pretty good. Felt OK but legs feel tight from doing nothing. Resting when ill does not recover the legs !!

Will do some km reps tomorrow and see where we are at but no reason not to resume training from here. I'll aim for 8 x km off 90 at 10k which should be fairly relaxed. 

No race tonight, obviously, very very frustrating but nothing to be gained from this position. If I continue to improve I'l hammer a Parkrun on Saturday but I'll err on the side of caution.

Thursday - weighed in at 64.8 kg. Yay good living lol. Ate clean yesterday and switched to water over shitty drinks. Will stay healthy for the minute and see how it affects things. That's 10 st 2 lbs - hovering around the lowest I have been in many many years. Definately where I have been at my fittest.

Health wise, still feel throaty but just clearing shit out. Do not feel ill anymore, maybe a very slight ache but overall where I would expect to be.

Plan today was to just crack out 8-10 x km (I fancied 10) BUT things are rotating a bit. For track tonight Andy posted up the session of 4 x (1km @ 8k, 400 @ 3k) and I think that one works better. Little bit of balance. Potentially I may do this one as 5 x to get a little extra volume in and meet in the middle. I think I'll do this solo, see how it goes and then assess Saturday.

One problem is getting up early, have been sticking to the pillow past few mornings! Not sure about a 6am start and hit a (very) hard Parkrun. I will talk with john but the plan will be dependant on today and it will be either - aim at sub 17 at Great Denham and just try to blast it out - or - run with John at Buggys and aim at 6 flat pace with a view to run another 8 afterwards and get the long run done.

If today's session goes well (3.30 / 76) then I will run very easy tomorrow, aim to hit PR hard Saturday and then do 10 x km @ LT1 as part of my Sunday steady. Complicated BUT a good way to rescue what I can from this week.

Today's session is the complicated one as I want to do the one I've settled on BUT I have a safety blanket from the longer threshold stuff. 

Run - head to Eddington. Feel shite, not 100% not even close but decide to just see how the warm up goes. Turns out all good. Feel ok warm up and drills.

Into the session. 4 x km at 8k, 400 at 3k. Off 90 jog back to start and walk back to start.

Session goes 3.30, 77 - 3.34, 77, 3.32, 76, 3.20, 78

Top end feels rough. Once HR hits 164 bpm my cardio system does not respond well. Around 162 ish it's golden. Almost all of the km reps feel pretty relaxed and I'm moving well. The 400s are a push from the 2nd set onwards.

Pretty chill session. Data is good, I am just not quite there yet but being able to do something whilst not healthy is a good start.

Cool down and 8+ for the day. Closer to 5k than 8k on the km reps and probably right on the 3k pace. Based on how I am feeling it's a very good sign as I'd expect things to progress once I get healthy. 90% sure I'll be good next Saturday but until then just need to live clean to get it over the line.

100% I will not push hard Saturday now. Plan is run usual with John tomorrow. Attempt long PR with some LT 1 on Saturday and 10 x km instead of 10k LT1 on Sunday. Good compromise for the week and then head into a standard taper week from Monday all being well.

Friday - 65.1kg. Possibly 65 flat (was 0.1 before getting on lol). Starting to feel much better, should be absolutely pinging by Tuesday fingers crossed. Recovery day today, aim now is to try to get back on this week and steady the ship. Nearly a week since it all kicked off and touch wood no major damage. Yesterdays session was pretty much on the numbers considering so seems to be in the right ball park.

Run - usual cafe coffee run with John. 9 miles @ 7:55/mm relaxed. HR little high but nothing major. Just happy to get through in 1 piece. The 100 club is on ice for 3 weeks! Tomorrow I'll knock out 12 miles easy / steady possibly on the busway and then Sunday hit 10 x km at LT1. Off 5 days I will roughly be on target of 9 miles per day. Can't complain with the niggles and illness being the only thibng holding me back over the past 4-6 weeks. Other than those I have hit everything.

Trying to dig out the best possible outcome from a shitty situation. Not the end of the world. Even todays run was good beats/mile compared to last time I did this.

Saturday - drop Sawyer in to work early and head straight into long run. P&R - Girton - Busway - Milton - River - Town - Track - West Site for 12 miles. Nice loop. Felt pretty bleugh today, just felt a bit below par. Not sure if still illness kicking around in system or just under fuel / early start but didn't feel amazing. Regardless, 12 miles @ 7.31/mm @ 135 bpm for 1016 beats/mile so pretty effcient. Annoying because it would have been a great run if I was feeling it - even at that paxce / hr.

Will chill rest of day. Plan is still to get a 6 x mile @ LT1 in tomorrow all nicely under control. Then rest Monday and hope that by Tuesday I am back firing all cylinders.

Sunday - lay in ! Headed to Northstowe to do 6 x mile @ LT1. The plan was to get Tuesdays session in with 6 miles of volume. From the off I feel rubbish. HR is low, pace is good but I just feel horrific. Unfortunately, as much as I want to stop there just isn't an excuse. Session goes -

1.01 - 6:02(6:00/mi) 145/158bpm

1.01 - 6:07(6:05/mi) 151/156bpm

1.00 - 6:05(6:03/mi) 149/156bpm

1.00 - 6:08(6:07/mi) 151/158bpm

1.01 - 6:09(6:06/mi) 153/158bpm

1.00 - 6:06(6:04/mi) 154/160bpm 

HR only ever got to LT1 and average is well below it. 60 seconds walk recovery except after 3rd rep when I took 120. Target was 6.0x pace which was nailed on and felt below half marathon effort (it should be).

Paces are great and HR is quality at that effort but just felt really sluggish and lungs are not clear. Good mentally to bank it but if I still feel like this I 100% will not race.

Rehab later and just hope tomorrows rest day pays off as I just can't shake this shit.

Taper week 1 - 46.1 miles. 0 race. 2 sessions. 1 long run. Honestly, not a total disaster but not far off. Firstly, too ill to race and missed Sunday, Monday & Tuesday. Managed to do 2 sessions BUT both of them felt rough. Long run ticked off again not feeling it. Most positive thing is that HR and pace shows I am really, really fit. Bad thing is I just cannot stop feeling rough when I run even when I'm OK outside it.

Honestly not 100% on racing next Saturday. I'll head into taper week 2 as planned. Monday will be a total rest, Tuesday I'll do the taper session and from there make a decision. It's so bloody annoying. 

Positive side - managed to rescue something from the flames. Averaged 9 miles a day for the 5 run days so there is some volume benefit. Ticked boxes too and erred on the side of caution by not pushing too hard. Weight is in a good place, in fact aside from feeling shit it's all lined up. If I don't race this weekend I think I'll just head into Thorney training anyway. Some great session ideas from Andy, get back in the gym and get more threshold stuff in (like today).

If I do race I'll be surprised with anything above a solid B but we live in hope. Fingers crossed I wake up Tuesday morning absolutely pinging! 

Monday 9th February

Weigh in 64.6 kg. 

Lowest for a long time! Feel better this morning, rest day today and hopefully clear the shit off my chest ready for tomorrow. Feel OK, it's annoying that when I start to run it goes tits up but that's just the chest. At least I am not coughing much.

Will rehab later but no run today, give my body a chance. Rate myself as unlikely to race still, I'll test the waters tomorrow and make a call but the likelihood is that I'll just dive back into training and run Parkrun a little harder if I am not in bits. Does not feel like racing a 3000m at this stage will be productive. Very fucking annoying after the build I have had and the previous 2 years.

Still feeling shite today, not ill but this weird things where the shit on my chest makes me feel rough. Know that running is impacted. Right now I am actually doubting Saturday, just can't see me being able to line up feeling 100%.

Not sure what to do about it, it's going to clear up at some stage. Obviously cold weather doesn't help and also running itself will not benefit but in no position to rest.

Basically I'll still commit to a taper session tomorrow. I'll likely do it solo, then see how it goes but just can't see it feeling good enough. From there I'll just crack straight back into a standard training week as no point continuing a taper and freshening the legs up if they'er not called to action. 

I have enough time in the week to nail a 55 and just proceed. Surely at some stage I'll feel normal again but it just does't seem possible. I'm at that weird stage where you can't remember feeling healthy and can't imagine feeling it again.

Shitty but it is what it is. I am absolutely gobsmacked this has kicked me so hard at the top end but left enough for me to have hope. It's just very strange tbf, I'm not fucked off because it's just so bloody weird to feel both good and bad at the same time.

It is what it is, next up will be Podium 5k, there is a really good chance to nail a decent 5k time en route to Thorney via some solid 10k training. After tomorrow I'll drop all the speed work and just focus on hitting the stronger paces (thresh->5k).

I mean maybe I'll wake up feeling clear tomorrow but just seems highly unlikely. Makes the fucking blog title sketchy as fuck. Cannot believe I am suffering over a week after I started feeling it but still managing to get stuff done. 

Tuesday

Jeez, still can't seem to shake it. Up and stick to hot squash this morning. Just can't clear my chest. Will mobilise later and get set for session but still cannot see how I am going to race at the weekend.

Plan is still to give it a chance. I'll do a taper session and make the shout afterwards on the race but I can't imagine it. Actually woke up feeling like carding a zero again.

So didn't end up running. Still not feeling great. That's 2 zeros carded in a row.

Wednesday

OK, so now it's official, race is canned. I feel slightly better again but chest is still full of shit. The plan will be to just run easy through this until I can start to train again.

It's comical luck, but I guess health this time as a pose to injuries so look on the bright side.

I need to try and do as close to normal as possible but without tipping the engine into the red. Fingers crossed running acts as a decongestant and clears everything.

Not running now will not really provide any benefit. As long as it clears up at some stage it'll be the right call.

Next up will be Podium but at this stage it's hard to get excited about racing. This shit is depressing as fuck. I fucking hate this country in winter !!!

Anyways, positivity time. Get back running, put up with the shit until it clears and just wait it out.

So, week plan looks like this as it stands - W - 6, T - 8, F - 9, S - 12, S - 10. All easy (135 range) and just run like this, hitting miles not intensity until it's clear and I feel that energy boost of being healthy.

5 1/2 weeks until I race so plenty of time. 

Run - so felt ok, not amazing but better than expected. No hrm as out of battery but 7.50 pace felt easy enough. Coughing fit at halfway. My throat is narrow and shit is stuck solid. It's getting this off that'll put me in the clear. For now, just keep plodding away and see what's what.

Have to refer to how I felt in August. I would happily take being able to run 8.30 pace for half hour with no issues and no racing. Everything is much better than it was, don't let go of that feeling.

Run 2 - decided to get the shakeout double in to get the miles to 8. Easy 2, felt a bit bleugh, still not breathing right. Just have to ride this out until I feel healthy.

Reality is I take complete rest, feel healthy and then when I start running my legs feel shit. OR, I run through it, feel like shit in my lungs and weak as a kitten BUT legs feel pinging and should take too long to get back when it's right. Guess the risk is I make it worse but fuck it. Lets just plough on until I get healthy or die tryin.

Project England masters selection is on. Fingers crossed this is the last little hill to climb. 5.5 weeks until Thorney, 4.5 until Podium.

Thursday

Genuinely forgot what day of the week it is lol 

Ran at Eddington. Started easy. Into headwind and up hill and felt shocking again. Once I got to Maddingley village I started to pick up a bit and pace dropped from 8s to 7.20s. 

8 miles @ 7.41.mm @ 131 bpm. 

Felt OK at the end. Pretty decent in the middle. Had an inkling that I have not fuelled correctly and thinking back I think I am way under carbs last few days. Couple that with an illness and recipe for feeling horrific.

At 1007 b/mile that's actually the most efficient general non-session run for around a year.

So back to tracking today. At least 2,500 calories and hit carb goal (roughly 335g). See how that affects tomorrows run. Feeling weak and feels like I am lacking power and failing to put energy into my legs. It's most likely cause and coming off illness it's most likely culprit (KISS). It also helps that it's the most fun way to find out lol.

Starting to get movement on my throat / chest - coughing more which is a good sign. Do not feel particularly ill, resting HR is low and temperature is absolutely fine. HR under control running so really don't feel that this is what's causing problems. If it's fuelling I'll know immediately tomorrow.

So, fuelling. Literally force fed myself up to 2,800 calories with 300g of carbs and 130g of protein. May try and get a banana down later, better to over fuel tonight and see the results tomorrow. The effects of under fuelling are on the money so hopefully set this ship in the right direction at long last.

Plan is to roll out tomorrow on the Cambourne coffee club route with John and Al and see how it goes. Legs are not too shabby so hopefully this ends the slump.

If so I'll need to stay on top of monitoring intake. Nice run in to Podium if I can stop the rot.

Friday

Up and feeling better.  Head out to meet John and pace is much hotter - 7.20s to Johns and then we roll along at 7.40s to Cambourne. Usual coffee and cake and home. 9.25 miles @ 7.36/mm @ 135 bpm. Main thing is that feels so much better than it as for a long time. Stay fuelled !!

Plan will be to go a bit steadier in carbons tomorrow and see what is in the legs. All being well I'll follow up with a threshold session on Sunday and close out another rescued week. 

Saturday 

Up and atom. Fuuucckkk it's cold! Decide against a hard effort and stick with steady as it's sketchy on the ice. Head to Gt Denham and get stuck leaving Abbotsley. Change of plan and park up in St Neots and run to Pocket. It's cancelled. You couldn't make it up!

End up jogging around town, breakfast in Bohemia and then trot around priory park. 6.5 miles @ 8.18/mm. Will go out later and run a double and then try and get something productive in tomorrow. 

Still not feeling million %. It's better but not quite over the line yet.

The biggest problem -

I feel shit. Motivation is low, I feel depressed about this race block being ruined by being ill. I can't shake the feeling of feeling below par and it's having a knock on effect on my mental health.

I can't force anything, it's just going to take as long as it takes to pass.

Just run easy, don't push and when I get that feeling again I will crack on. It takes time to hit out of a slump, just bottom out, do what you can and when it feels right go again. No sessions, just run and get some miles in without doing any damage. 

Sunday

Again with waking up and feeling better. Still trying to get this shit off my chest. It's been a hugely frustrating time. Looking back to 2024 in November I notice I had basically a month feeling shit so maybe that's just what I need to get used to.

At the stage where I am just accepting the annoyance. I'll get seriously pissed off every day or two. Not a lot I can do, at some stage I'll feel 100% but right now I just imagine this is how I live the rest of my life lol.

In terms of running, I'll do what I can, when I can. I am away with Ange & Lola to Lisbon for a few days from Mon - Thurs. I'll plan at the minute to just get out and run with no real focus. Similar to Gothenburg and Vienna. Aim at around an hour each morning just exploring and see what happens. Fingers crossed |I come back ready to roll.

My god, I can't believe how smug I was 3 weeks ago talking about how easy and fun training felt at 55 miles per week. Now I'm trying to rescue whatever I can ach week.

Today - weather is honking. I'll wait it out and just roll round 12 miles. Probably on the same route as last week if Dan isn't around. Pace wise, 7.30s ish and just see. If it's solo and I feel good I'll push but expecting it's going to be much of a muchness. 

Run - head to Eddy and decide to do a route through town to Histon then busway to Girton and back. Start steady and actually find I'm moving well early doors. Tick off the miles moving through to mid 6.40s. By about 7 and coming off the busway to Girton on about 6.42/mm avg. HR is around 150 bpm and holding so pretty solid. Stop just after and end up having a long coughing fit. Trying to clear the lungs. The shit stuck to my chest is like superglue. Restart and immediately breathing is harder. Start to feel colder air in my chest. Long walk when I get to Eddington and try and move again but pace is dropping to near 7/mm. End up calling it at 10.5 - no point trying to flog a dead horse. Shame as it was lcose to being a really good run today.,

10.5 miles @ 6:47/mm @ 148 bpm.

Finish the week at 42.3 miles. Last 3 weeks now have gone 35.7, 46.1, 42.3. February 1st the illness kicked off and it's kicked my arse. The 15 days from starting taper to here have been pretty much a disaster BUT there is fuck all I can do about it. I feel less ill today but it's still not clear. 

Plan is to head towards the next block of 4 weeks training into Podium and then Thorney on the standard 55 miles plan with 2 threshold sessions. I am away in Lisbon from tomorrow until Thursday so hopefully just bank some easy runs and get healthy in warmer conditions. At the minute I have no idea as I can't believe I could ever feel truely healthy again lol. TBF I did feel more energised today and up until 7 I thought I was pretty much in the clear.

From there I'll decide on Friday what the plan will be. If I'm not fit it may just be easy until I m and maybe considering scratching all target races until I feel strong enough to train. It really is that situation, I just can't see this passing, it is bizzare.

So, Indoor race block 2026 - an absolute 100% total wash out. No races, no solid sessions just shit - basically lol.

Worst blog ever, feel like deleting this one.