Monday free to rest. Tuesday evening is a tough one, but just keep the pace easy and let the hill make it hard work. Cruise control basically but getting stronger because of the incline. Then two easy runs which you could combine with parkrun? Then the key one Sunday. This is one of 2 big marathon sessions left in the plan. Jamie T may be doing something similar Sunday, he’s the same pace as you, but the guys you have been running with may also be ideal. I’ll encourage Jamie to do whatever you are. Happy New Year Conal.

157 Points Achieved

Really good week. Feel like I’m getting closer to being ready for the marathon. Not as strong as the other Sunday runners on the hills but really pleased how I kept with them on the seafront, and even on Galley Hill. Six weeks out I’m in a good place. Not pushing too hard but gradually getting strength and stamina. Just need to encourage my legs to move more quickly but that will come from steady effort in the next month. Don’t think I need to push 100% in efforts and risk overdoing it. Will be steady and work hard. I’ll do the midweek 50’ super relaxed and comfortable before work.

Anything 150+ in terms of points is a brilliant week. Perhaps ease back a little on the easy parkruns to save the legs for the Sunday ones. But over than that very happy with where you are at. Especially after the sciatica problems you had a few months ago. Feels like we’ve made that switch from the fast 5k training to the more tempo based marathon work rather nicely. Keep it up Conal

MONDAY

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Rest Day

0 POINTS

“Rest days are key. Our body adapts and gets stronger when we rest & recovery. Have a good one!”

TUESDAY

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28pts | Pyramid Hills

28 POINTS

This session should last 40 minutes. Find a location where you can pick different points on the hill. Lamp posts are great. So for example you would run to the first lamppost and back to the bottom of the hill. Then to the second lamppost and back. Keep making the reps longer until you hit 20 mins, and then start making the reps shorter again.

So you might reach lamppost 12 in 20 mins, then next rep will be to lamppost 11, then 10, then 9 and so on, eventually returning to 1.

Use the downhill as your recovery. You should be working at an RPE of 8 up the hill, and a 3 downhill.

A tough session so important to pace yourself well. If you really want to make it challenge, push the pace downhill as well.

28 Points
This was perfect. I had been feeling a bit sluggish and needed a session like this. I took your advice and let the hills do the work so I was always working at a constant steady level. Dave Turner set the pace and I settled in to that. I could feel the strength and stamina I’ve gradually amassed over the last few weeks as the session went on and could have pushed harder towards the end but kept a very steady pace throughout instead. I really enjoyed the downhill parts. Usually I find downhill running a bit jolting but can definitely feel my bones and joints getting stronger after running the second half of HHM route many times since the autumn. In the second half of this session the downhill really felt like rest and recovery. Walking home I could feel the stiffness in my quads and glutes which told me I’d done just enough work. I’m quite excited about Sunday’s run. It will just be a steady training run for Ashley and Louis but a proper challenge for me. These Tuesday hills will help for the first miles up Filsham road to the link road path. Then I’ll hang in there and aim to be strong coming back along the seafront from Bexhill. I’ll be tired when we get to GalleyHill but only need a final push from there. Thanks for everything this year Simon. You and Jax have been brilliant.
Ah thank you. This feedback is brilliant. It really makes me happy to see a little group form in a session like that as I know what a help it can be. As I say Dave is a fantastic runner and Glenn will be sub 20 next year. Both such top guys as well. Sounds like it went really well and should give you confidence for Sundays run. The fact you are able to train with the clubs 2 fastest runners is pretty special and reward for your hard work over the year. Happy New Year Conal.

WEDNESDAY

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15pts | Conal S&C

15 POINTS
Step Ups 1 x 70 Secs
Split Squat 3 x12(5kg)
Glute Bridge 2 x 14
Single Leg Deadlift 2 x 12(5kg)
Forward Lunge and Rotation 2 x 12(5kg)
Bent Over Row 2 x 14(5kg)
Russian Twist 2 x 12(5kg)
Squats 2 x 15
Plank 2 x 60 Secs
Bicep Curls 2 x 15(5kg)
Tricep Dips Dumbbells 2 x 15(5kg)
Wall Sits 2 x 60 Secs
Dead Bugs 2 x 15
15 Points
S&C good this week. Did plenty of stretching and yoga on other days
Great work Conal. I’m not sure how sure it is but I once read you can’t stretch too much 🤔 If true, the more the better.

thursday

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18pts | 60 Mins Run

18 POINTS

Keep that RPE down. You want to be able to run and chat, speaking of which, joining a group can add to the enjoyment here.

24 Points
That was a good session. I jogged very easy from my house to Parkrun start, doing warm up drills as I went. I was properly warmed up and stretched for the start of Parkrun but didn’t start too quickly as I was in amongst a crowd so my first km was at 7:37 minute mile pace. The next three km were at 7:16 and just over then 6:55 for the last km which was still comfortable and not pushing too hard. I carried on with my run to make it 60 minutes and found it hard to maintain the pace but kept to 7:30 minute miles most of the way and a bit slower towards the end, 7:32 pace for the whole run so a good effort and a healthy change from my usual very easy solo runs. I’m going to have to maintain that same pace for 100 or more minutes on Sunday long run if I want to keep up with the others, which will be hard but will pay me back in the long run. Then I’ll look to work a bit harder than last time at Tuesday efforts. I still feel like I’m building back my base and stamina which I’ll need on February 15.
Some bonus points here for the quicker kms. I think Sunday try and ignore the pace and just think stick with those guys, nothing else matters. Try and feed off how easy they are making it look as for them, they will be cruising, but that should help reduce your perceived effort. Well done on today’s run Conal. I still feel like you’re in good shape, albeit the marathon is early in the year, but I think you’re on track for another strong performance.

FRIDAY

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Rest Day

0 POINTS

“Rest days are key. Our body adapts and gets stronger when we rest & recovery. Have a good one!”

SATURDAY

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12pts | 40 Mins Run

12 POINTS

The biggest mistake we can make with these recovery runs is running too fast. This will mean when our harder sessions come round we are still fatigued and not able to put enough effort in to make the necessary gains.

22 Points
A good run. I warmed up for twenty minutes then did park run.. Four easy km at 7’30” minute/ mile pace then for the last km I could sense a fast runner hunting me down so I determined to not let him, and to pass the man who cruised past me in the first km. Managed that without pushing hard but still doing a 6:31/ mile last km. Only 22:29 but stronger than last week.
Some extra points due to the quicker pace. I know it’s hard to keep it slow at parkrun, especially when you have people chasing you down. Well done Conal

SUNDAY

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71pts | 26K (M)

71 POINTS

2km WU @ Easy Pace (RPE: 2)

26Km @ Marathon Pace (RPE: 4-8)

2km CD @ Easy Pace (RPE: 3)

Huge marathon session. But if you can get this done then things are looking good for race day. Marathon training is meant to be hard, so embrace it.

68 Points
Great run. Starting with Filsham was hard but the whole run went well. Each time we hit a hill the good runners would leave me behind then I’d catch them on the next downhill. Sixteen km into the run I was lagging behind and missed a turning they took so went down a couple of dead ends and slowed while I had a gel. Then I bumped into them at the De La Warr and ran the last 5K at 7:20 mile pace, stuck with them up Galley Hill right to the end. I ended up doing 14 miles at bang on eight minute mile marathon pace. After cake and a little water I did parkrun by myself to cool down. That was a tough but good run. Looking forward to doing three hours next Sunday. Jack has planned a sixteen mile route similar to today. It starts with the HHM route up to the station and up Harleyshute which is a brutal start. Then it’s the link road path and finishing back along the seafront. I’ll stick with them as if it’s my race then refuel with cake and do the final forty or fifty minutes like a very easy park run. After that I’ll be fully up to speed with five full weeks to go. Feeling just right
Sounds like everything is coming together really nicely at the moment and good to keep nailing that pace, so it will feel comfortable on race day. So impressed you can keep up with those quicker runners, on the hills as well. Excellent work Conal. Roll on next Sunday 💪