Week 2 Peak Training Block

Week two (10/16 overall) of my 2024 Valencia Marathon peak training block is in the books, and it was a solid one. Here's a recap of the sessions that made up this week. Total 96km.

Tuesday: 6x1km Repeats

This session was a pleasant surprise. I’ve done similar intervals earlier in the training plan, but with fewer reps, back in August and September. This time, I hit 6x1km repeats, running them at 3:33-3:37/km (5:43-5:49/mi). I felt much stronger and more controlled compared to the earlier sessions. Today much faster with more reps, a welcomed confidence boost.

Wednesday: Mini Mid-Week Long Run

Wednesday was a mid-week long run, nothing intense—just an easy run focused on keeping the perceived effort and heart rate low. It was a nice way to get in some extra mileage while allowing my legs to recover from the intervals. Distance approximately 19km.

Thursday: Tough Tempo and Strength Session

Thursday brought another tempo session, this time 2x6km. I found this session quite challenging, and halfway through, I adjusted the pace and effort. I kept reminding myself that the long run over the weekend needed enough recovery, so I didn’t push too hard. Honestly, the tempo sessions have been tricky for me throughout this training cycle—I haven’t nailed one yet. But I keep telling myself, patience—it will come. To finish off the day, I had a late evening leg strength and conditioning circuit.

Saturday: Easy Run and Cross-Country Inspiration

Saturday was a nice, easy 15km run. I didn’t realise beforehand, but the Cross Country Northern Championships were being held at my local park (Graves Park in Sheffield). It was inspiring to watch some of the runners race. While I’m not sure I’d enjoy racing in the mud myself, I have massive respect for cross-country runners—it takes a strong mentality and physical toughness to handle the undulating terrains. It’s definitely a different challenge compared to cruising on the road.

Sunday: Character Building

Sunday’s long run was all about battling the elements. I woke up to darkness, wind, and rain, and my mind immediately started throwing out excuses to delay the run until later. But I decided to get up anyway and hope the weather would ease up. I kept breakfast light—a coffee and a slice of sourdough toast with jam and peanut butter—and by 8am, the rain had stopped, so I set out.

I planned to run for 2 hours and 30 minutes, pacing by feel. Since this wasn’t a fasted run, I tried my fuel strategy, taking on Veleforte Chews every 30 minutes. They taste amazing and are easy to eat, but I discovered a big issue that could rule them out for race day. Stored in my shorts’ waist belt, the chews became moist and stuck together, forming one big clump. They even stuck to the packet, making them hard to access while running. I had to stop and walk just to get a piece out to eat—a big shame because I love them, but this goes to show how important it is to practice your fuel strategy before race day!

For Valencia, I’m considering switching to gels. With the marathon starting in cool weather but possibly warming up to 19°C (66°F) by midday, anything chew-related could melt.

The weather during the run turned nasty again, with strong winds and rain battering me. I found myself thinking about the runners racing the Yorkshire and Amsterdam Marathons at the same time in possibly very similar conditions. Weather can really mess with your pre-race logistics, warm-up, and pacing, and I remembered last year’s Amsterdam Marathon when torrential rain got into my head before the race even started—definitely not ideal when you’re chasing a big goal.

Despite the challenging conditions, I finished the run at around 31km (19 miles) with an average pace of 4:49/km (7:45/mi). The route was fairly hilly, with 393m of elevation gain, but it ended up being a successful run. From the moment I woke up, it was a bit of a ‘character-building’ exercise, but I’m glad it played out the way it did. I wrapped up the training day with a strength and conditioning core circuit in the evening.