Reflecting on the Week - 1st Feb

Distance: 70.0 km
Time: 5:28
Elevation: 396 m
Fastest pace: 4:05/km
Max HR: 182 bpm

The week started in that classic “train like normal, live like you’ve got three jobs” sort of way. A couple of nights away for work meant I was grabbing windows wherever I could. Monday’s “Taking it to Monday” 15 km was exactly that: a statement run to set the tone, legs ticking over nicely and me reminding myself that consistency matters more than perfection.

Midweek I kept things simple with a couple of steady runs, including one in London where I found myself wondering why none of the other runners out there could manage a smile.

The big one was Saturday’s 5 x 5 km negative split session near Cheltenham after the school drop. I had been a bit nervous about it; it has been a long time since I last did that workout before Daytona100, and it asks quite a lot of the head as well as the legs. Each rep got a shade quicker, and I finished feeling pleasantly wrecked rather than flattened. That is exactly the kind of controlled, progressive effort I want as the training focus ramps up.

Today I rounded things out with a soggy trail run with Si. Not epic, just honest: mud, chat, and a break from tarmac. It was a good reminder that variety matters, especially with Badwater still in limbo. HQ have delayed the race announcements until next Sunday, so I am very much in the “waiting to hear” phase. For now, the plan is simple. Keep showing up, keep training.