Wk 6: Mon 10th – Sun 16th Feb

Run time: 6hrs 7mins (40mi) / Gym time: 1hr 8mins / Bike-Crosstrain: 0min

Monday started with a routine morning run before an afternoon spent traveling—one in the bank before the week got messy. Tuesday was a write-off with family commitments, but I salvaged something with an evening gym session. Wednesday nearly fell apart after a lie-in, but I salvaged a 5.5-mile heart rate (HR) run—shorter than planned, but better than nothing. Thursday was a double-run day, the first in a while. The morning session was another shortened HR run, which finished with a 10-minute push to make it home in time for the school run. The evening “football run” was about staying under 135 bpm, though I had to hammer the last mile to avoid another late pickup. Friday’s 6:15 alarm was met with knee soreness from the double-run day, so I called an audible and opted for rest—apart from an evening gym session to work on the knee, upper body, and legs. Saturday brought a reality check. With speed training on the horizon, I used a parkrun to set a benchmark—3.5-mile warm-up, then an expected but still slightly disappointing 20:28 (official 20:32), finishing 36th of 524. A half-mile warm-down, then some time to dwell on what needs improving. Sunday was a logistics challenge—travelling 100 miles for my daughter’s hockey fixture, so I got there early for a long, slow 10-mile HR run, which felt every bit as sluggish as the 10+ min/mile pace suggested. A week of small wins, some compromises, and a few reminders that progress isn’t always linear—but at least the wheels are still turning.