27 August – 2 September 2018
I enjoyed eight days of rest after my seventh half marathon. The only exercises I committed to were walking and easy-paced cycling.
Then, knowing I only had seven and a half weeks before my eighth marathon (my fifth in Chelmsford) I returned to training.
However, I was conscious that to improve my personal best I needed to ensure my training was different than previous seasons. The only other criteria was I didn’t want to commit to excessive weekly mileage.
I discovered the Runner’s World plan, focusing on three runs per week. Studies have proven that this method works, if the strict paces are adhered to. Based on my fitness level, my targets are the following:
| Type of Run | Pace Range |
| Long Run (15+ miles) | 7:00-7:15 per mile |
| Long Tempo Run (8-10 miles) | 6:30-6:35 per mile |
| Mid Tempo Run (5-7 miles) | 6:15-6:20 per mile |
| Short Tempo Run (3-4 miles) | 6:00 per mile |
Tempo Run – Tuesday
1:00 per mile slower than training plan
Intervals – Thursday
0:20-0:40 per mile slower than training plan
Long Run – Sunday
0:05 per mile slower than training plan
Rest Days – Monday, Wednesday and Saturday
Includes walking and light cycling
Although I failed to hit any of the target paces for my workouts I expected this to happen. Still, there were many positives to take from my week, namely that my running form stayed strong throughout my workouts and my long run was surprisingly ‘comfortable’.
I also complimented my training with cycling of over 12.75 miles, including intervals as a hard cross-training workout (with a fast one mile run directly afterwards).
I accumulated over 30.5 miles (over 3 hours and 40 minutes) in four days. I feel confident I can build on this, and am motivated to achieve a new marathon personal best next month.
Grounded Runner Coaching 
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