I've designed my own plan using my own past experience from my 3:00:09 marathon PB training and also used A.I to help structure the sessions and build within it. I generally have 5 days of running and 2 weekly strength and conditioning circuits.

Weeks 1-4 Base Building
Focus on building mileage and endurance while gradually introducing speed work.

Weeks 5-8 Strength and Speed Development
Build on the base with increased intensity and race-specific workouts.

Weeks 9-12 Peak Training
Training with race-pace runs, higher mileage, and longer long runs.

Weeks 13-16 Taper
Gradually reduce the volume to rest and sharpen for race day.

Training Plan

Weekly Sessions

This is the general format of the weekly sessions. Sessions change depending on the specific block.

Tues
Intervals

Wed
Easy

Thur
Tempo
-----------
Circuit
Lower Body

Sat
Easy or Steady

Sun
Long Run
-----------
Circuit
Core

Intervals - Increase speed and efficiency.
Recovery/Easy Runs - Promote recovery and aerobic development.
Tempo Run - Improve lactate threshold.
Long Run - Build endurance, simulate and practice race conditions with fueling strategies.

Asics Cumulus 26

Easy / Recovery days.

This is a shoe I bought specifically for easy runs during my Manchester Marathon 2024 training. Technically, it’s my second pair; I had to return the first due to a production fault in the right shoe, which felt much tighter and caused serious pain. My current pair fits fine, with just the right amount of space for comfort over any distance. However, it’s a fairly dull shoe with a lackluster ride that surprisingly worsened after just a few hundred kilometers. A few years ago, this might have been acceptable, but today’s market offers plenty of options that combine comfort with a bit of excitement, even for daily, casual plods.

Pros: Fairly comfortable fit with the right amount of wiggle room.
Cons: The bounce and cushion fade after about 300 km, making it less enjoyable for my intended purpose.

Overall: 6/10

Adidas Adizero SL 2

Steady / Tempo work.

Steady to marathon-paced work feels good in these shoes, but any faster and they lose their appeal. They feel nimble and light but lack the responsiveness needed for a wide range of paces. The underfoot cushioning is quite thin, so I wouldn’t take these on runs over about 18 km. For steady runs and longer tempo intervals, though, they feel just right. The fit is passable, but the laces—like on most Adidas shoes—are a struggle for lockdown. Overall, I wanted a shoe without a carbon plate for training, and at a low price, I'm satisfied. One caution: the grip is awful on wet days.

Pros: Low price and great value, light and nimble feel, nice aesthetics.
Cons: Slightly awkward fit, poor grip in wet conditions, issues with lacing lockdown.

Overall: 7/10

Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 8

For intervals: up to 800m.

Speedwork reps of 800m and under—this shoe is made to fly. It's ideal for track work if you don’t wear spikes. Super light and agile, it's essentially a stripped-down Adizero Pro. It’s limited in comfort, though, so I wouldn’t take it beyond a longer session or further than a 5km/10km race. This is the shoe you lace up for business, when it’s time to get serious.

Pros: Lightweight, super fast, and makes you want to go hard (since running slow in these feels off!). Great price for this older model and a sleek, bold look.
Cons: Limited comfort and subpar lacing lockdown.

Overall: 7.8/10

Adidas Adizero Pro 2

For intervals: 1000m and up.

One of the best shoes I’ve used (though the Saucony Endorphin Speed 1 still holds the crown). This is my third pair, and I snagged it at a great price under £80. It’s not the most stable shoe, and I have rolled my ankle a few times because of this. However, it's fast, and the foam holds up incredibly well, actually seeming to improve with more mileage before it eventually wears out.

It’s not the lightest super shoe out there, far from the top in that category, but as a training shoe for longer reps, intervals, and tempo runs, it’s a fantastic addition to the rotation.

Pros: Versatile, fast, and long-lasting with great value.
Cons: Awkward lacing fit, slightly heavy for a "fast racer," and can feel unstable.

Overall: 8.5/10

Adidas Adizero Pro 3

Long runs and race day.

This shoe improves on the v2, making it ideal for long training runs. It’s more stable, lighter, and though not as fast as the v2, it hits the sweet spot for marathon pace and distance. The added stability is forgiving for those late stages when fatigue and form can break down. It’s a different kind of shoe than the v2—perhaps less versatile—but it truly shines in delivering comfort while cruising for miles. The laces are the typical, notoriously poor Adizero style, but I swap them out for softer, more cushioned laces to relieve the pressure these shoes often create. The tongue is quite thin and can fold over at the sides, so it's essential to smooth out any creases before setting off; I’d definitely prefer this model to have a gusseted tongue. Hopefully, this will be the shoe that finally breaks the sub-3-hour barrier in Valencia.

Pros: Comfortable, smooth ride for marathon effort.
Cons: Lacing, thin non-gusseted tongue, not ideal for faster paces.

Overall: 8.7/10

Shoe Rotation

Fuel & Nutrition

A summary of the main supplements and products used during training.

Veloforte - Chews, drink mix, energy bars.

I decided to try the brand Veloforte, which boasts some of the best ingredients on the market — natural products that steer clear of the mass-produced chemicals often found in most fueling brands. Time will tell if they perform as well as previous brands I’ve used, but it definitely feels better knowing what’s going into my body. After all, maintaining health and fitness in everyday life is far more important to me than performance in my hobbyist running journey.

The products themselves are brilliant, and I actually enjoy consuming them. I aimed to use chews instead of gels, mainly because I dislike the taste of most gels on the market, including Veloforte’s own, which I find overly sweet and syrup-like. However, it soon became clear that the chews wouldn’t be practical for race day. While they work fine for training runs, storing them in my shorts’ waist pockets caused the flour coating to melt, which made the chews stick together and practically glue themselves to the wrapper — a disaster waiting to happen on race day. This led me to keep Veloforte as my training fuel and return to a past favorite, Maurten, for race day.

Maurten - Gel 160 (40g Carb)

Maurten is a solid brand in the market. They’ve clearly earned the trust of many top elite athletes and serious endurance competitors, but I ask myself: does the super-high price tag justify the marginal gain an average runner like me might—or might not—get? Truthfully, I don’t think so. However, the main attractions for me are the consistency and taste. Its jelly-like texture means no sticky mess leaking down my fingers, which is a nightmare when trying to operate an action camera with gooey hands. The taste is mildly sweet, but nowhere near the intense sweetness I’ve found in brands like High5, OTE, SIS, and Veloforte.

Other brands, like Precision Fuel, Styrkr, and Kendal Mint, have caught my eye, but feedback from others suggests their sweetness level is as high-octane as the rest.

Top tip: check eBay for Maurten gels—I managed to save over £10 on a pack of 10 Gel 160s. Often, people sell their unused extras if they're not currently training or if the best-before date is approaching. As long as the date covers your event, there's no issue. Mine expire soon in February 2025, so it’s all good!

Bulk - Pure Whey Protein

This is something I’ve incorporated throughout my training blocks to ensure I’m getting enough protein for recovery. Studies suggest that athletes’ protein intake should range from 1.2 to 2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight. For me, even working on the lower end, that comes to around 75.6g per day.

I’m not too focused on exact numbers; I just know that taking this daily, combined with my regular diet, likely keeps me within general recommendations. It’s super easy to take—mixed with just 200ml of water, it adds a solid 23g of protein.