Week 3 Peak Training Block

Week three (11/16 overall) of my 2024 Valencia Marathon peak training block complete. Here’s a recap of the sessions that made up this week. Overall distance 102.69km (63.8 mi).

Tuesday: 3x3km Intervals

Tuesday’s session brought back the 3x3km intervals at a pace around 3:55/km (6:18/mi), which is close to my PB half marathon pace. Although I felt sluggish from a poor night’s sleep due to a series of dodgy bowel movements (yes, the sh*ts), I didn’t feel any signs of illness just tired, so I stuck to the session. Thankfully, things settled by the evening.

Wednesday: Mini Mid-Week Long Run

Wednesday brought another fairly long midweek run. I focused on keeping this session purely aerobic to build endurance without falling into the trap of ‘running junk miles’ . I ran some undulating hills, keeping my average heart rate at 126bpm and pacing at an easy 6:06/km (9:49/mi). The run spanned two hours and covered a distance of 19.7km, feeling productive without overextending.

Thursday: Tempo and Strength Session

Thursdays are becoming my least favorite day of the week. Between the tempo session and evening strength circuit, I just focus on getting through it all. This week’s tempo was a slight improvement from previous weeks (not great, but okay), running 2x6km intervals at 4:00-4:10/km (6:26-6:42/mi). I kept the effort moderate, mindful of recovering in time for Sunday’s long run. While tempo sessions have been frustratingly tough to get right, I’m trying to stay patient, trusting that things will click soon. Afterward, I wrapped up the day with a leg circuit while watching running YouTube channels. The plus side of Thursday? I eat a lot throughout the day and at some point usually involves cheesy nachos from the air fryer!

Saturday: Steady Run

Saturday was a steady 16km at a moderate pace, around 4:15-4:30/km. It was manageable, but leaving it until midday meant dealing with a busier park (Millhouses Park, Sheffield). I find navigating through crowds makes it harder to stay focused, and I end up weaving around obstacles, including the occasional unleashed dog that almost sends me flying! Regardless, I kept the pace moderate and tried to stay relaxed. The rest of the day spent focusing on eating well to recover and fuel up for Sunday’s long run.

Sunday: Long Run

My initial plan was to drive to Tapton Lock in Chesterfield to run the canal path and the Trans Pennine Trail, but my car wouldn’t start due to a dead battery. I had to stick to my usual local routes instead although I avoided the steeper parts to try best simulate the originally planned profile. I still clocked 366m of elevation gain (it’s Sheffield, after all). I based my pacing on effort, settling around 5:00-4:30/km (8:03-7:15/mi). After over 2.5 hours and a little over 32k, I averaged 4:47/km (7:42/mi) with an average heart rate of 147 bpm. The run felt like a nice confidence boost, and the weather was perfect—a bit like Valencia december mornings.

The downside to the run was the Veloforte Chews. First off, they’re amazing—great taste, quality ingredients, and most importantly, they work well. But I had to stop a few times to deal with the chews sticking and clumping together once the warmth dissolved the flour-like coating that initially keeps them separate. This is fine during training, as taking a brief pause for water and resetting can be welcomed, as I also like to refill bottles at local park cafés. However, come race day, aiming for a sub-3 marathon, trying to pry apart a sticky mess isn’t ideal. I’ll be switching to Maurten gels, which I’ve used successfully for race-day fueling in the past.