Crikey, when I create your plans it really makes me realise how much you do. It’s impressive.

My model is simple. Training points represent how hard you are working in any given week. The more training points you earn, the harder the schedule.

So to get fitter, we need to target more training points and that is exactly what we have done in this block. From an average of 118 to 125 per week for this 2nd plan.

That might not seem like a huge jump but ideally you want to keep pushing that number up twice a year, so each time the races roll around in Autumn and Spring, you’ll be fitter than you were 6 months earlier.

The minute you reach the point where your fitness peaks or you push the points too high and get injured, the fun stops. So that’s why we don’t want to be in a hurry to train too hard, too soon.

What I have done is strip back the cross training a bit to allow us to push the running a bit harder.

I’ve entered a half marathon on the 8th March, that’s the weekend Eastbourne and Paddock Wood both take place. It’s not essential to enter either yet, but it helps me to have a focal point to build the training plan.

I’ve also been cheeky and entered the Pier to Pier. I know it’s a Hastings Runners event and to be honest I don’t even know when the date will be. But again it’s in the plan to determine the training in the build up. So you don’t have to run it, but I think it will be good to see if we can push the miles in this plan, and perhaps that will give us an idea if long term you’ll be up for doing marathons again.

So longer weekend runs, some really demanding half marathon sessions to get stuck into and some quicker speed work too. I’m a massive fan of the shorter reps and I think now might be the time to see how the body copes with some quicker speed in the legs.

If it causes problems we can always strip it back. As requested I’ve put some parkruns in as well. Once every 4 weeks and rather strategically used pacers day at Hastings. It can make a big different having a pacer to follow, especially if it’s windy as you can tuck in behind, so I think that is smart move.

The cross training, whilst slightly less, is on a similar pattern. I have reduced the swimming, and I would be open to you doing more if you wanted. So we can discuss that as the plan evolves. But at the moment I don’t want you to push too hard with your cross training that you’re then tired for the runs.

As always, the plan is super flexible. It’s a long plan and it might be that you find you want a week off at some stage, or as so often happens some illness crops up during the winter and you get that enforced break. I have put two really light weeks in there as well which should help aid recovery. So for you, those will almost feel like a week off.

But I’m happy, we keep the consistent routine which has worked to date and just push that little bit harder with the pace of the intervals and the distance of the long runs. Any questions just ask.