I really like this plan and I’ve introduced a method called periodisation. Which I think given the races you have suggested, will work very well for you.

The idea being we break the training down into phases. An initial short 4 week phase where the volume is light and includes the Winter 5k and the Poppy Half Marathon.

We then have a 12 week block where we put the foot to the metal and train harder to get your fitness to your peak level coming into the race season. That will include some big long runs in prep for the marathon, which you can do on the trails, but also some demanding half marathon sessions.

Then once the races start (Pier Pier date TBC) we ease off again. We go into a phase of maintenance. Your fitness should already be at it’s peak, so during this spell we race and recover.

We still have some quality sessions in there but the training is about 15-20% lighter than the previous 12 week block.

What this approach also means is that we don’t need to be hammering out big mileage either side of Rome Half and Hastings Half. If we attempted that I think you’d reach the start line of those races on tired legs.

So that’s what the different colours represent on the training plan spreadsheet. Orange means we keep the training in moderation, green means ALL SYSTEMS GO, and red represents the race season.

The sessions I’ve put on the plan for Tuesdays can always be changed from week to week. And if you ever want to run at track of join the team on a Tuesday evening that’s fine. If the pts are slightly different we can just tweak the length of one of the other runs.

In terms of progression, this is jump up from 90 pts which you’ve been averaging on your first plan to 105, so all being well you should continue to see gains in your fitness.

Any questions just ask. But I’m very pleased with this plan. Whilst there are no weeks off, there is the week after P2P which is very light and what normally happens at this time of year is we inevitably pick up some kind of illness and then we can use that as a rest week if need be.