Run: 7hrs 1min (51.28mi) / Gym: 33mins / Crosstrain: 0mins

Monday kicked things off with the familiar loop, this time in the evening — nothing fancy, just enough to shake off the weekend and ease into the rhythm without overthinking it. Tuesday brought speed session number two, nudging the intervals up to 800s. I was aiming for 3-minute efforts, so I was quietly chuffed to land all five reps between 2:52 and 2:54. That’s consistency I didn’t expect this early on. With Tuesdays now earmarked for track work and Thursdays claimed by tempo runs, Wednesday needs to shift from being a filler to a proper rest or cross-training day. This week that meant 45 minutes on the turbo and some much-needed stretching.

Thursday… well, Thursdays are back to being unpleasant. Just three miles, but it’s 19+ minutes of sustained discomfort I’m still trying to talk myself into enjoying. Stretching again after, partly to recover and partly to delay whatever came next. Friday was all about familiarity: the usual morning loop, then a second outing in the evening while the lad was at football training. Rounded it off with some self-conscious car park stretching, feeling equal parts diligent and daft. Saturday was a write-off with another long university visit. That left Sunday to mop things up — a steady 12 miles in the morning and a cheeky 15-minute barefoot session on the treadmill later, just enough to tip me over the 50-mile mark for the week. Tired legs, ticking boxes, and a growing sense I’m edging closer to something again.

Run: 6hrs 49min (50.76mi) / Gym: 60mins / Crosstrain: 2hrs 19mins

Monday kicked off in familiar fashion with the standard morning loop—steady, no fireworks, just getting it done. I’m trying to bolt on 15 minutes of flexibility work at the end of each run now, unless time runs away from me (which, to be fair, it usually does). Tuesday had some logistical flair: dropped the car at the garage and ran the five miles home, fully aware I’d have to do it all again either later that day or Wednesday. As it turned out, Wednesday included the usual morning round—just under the hour but heart rate edging up to 140bpm, which I’m keeping an eye on. That evening, while my son trained, I logged just shy of seven miles on autopilot. Thursday became the delayed pick-up run, but I took the long way round, stretching it out to 7.5 miles and enjoying the novelty of not being pressed for time. Friday evening meant another footy training run—one of my three well-worn routes depending on which venue he’s at. Saturday was the pick of the week: a satisfying 10-miler in the morning, then 42 minutes of spinning on the static turbo trainer in the afternoon, more mental discipline than physical. Sunday wrapped things up with a proper 28-mile road cycle—trying to bank more time in the saddle ahead of the September trip. Finished off with the now-familiar stretch routine and a quiet sense that I’m doing alright at holding this whole juggle together.

Run: 2hrs 48min (21mi) / Gym: 40mins / Crosstrain: 6hrs 38mins

This was always going to be a lower-mileage week, with a trip away in the mix—but sometimes a step back in volume gives everything else a nudge forward. Monday kicked things off on a positive note: the morning round landed right on the hour, heart rate sitting comfortably at 137, and cadence holding at 172. One of those quiet runs where everything just behaves. Then came three days of purposeful, unhurried movement—my wife and I covering nearly 18 miles through country lanes, forests, and wide-open fields. No watches, no pacing, just walking and talking and letting the legs move differently for a while. A welcome change of rhythm and a total reset for the mind.

Friday picked things up again with a mellow 1hr 2min run in the morning, followed by a gym session and an easy 10k in the evening—nothing heroic, but enough to get the blood moving and remind the body what we’re about. Saturday was all about family—out with my eldest for the day and then straight into a concert that carried us into the night. Sunday belonged to Father’s Day duties from dawn to dusk. No time for the kit, but plenty of time for the things that matter.

Mileage may have dipped, but energy and perspective are back on the rise. The legs will remember the rest—and so will the head.

Run: 5hrs 33mins (42mi) / Gym: 48mins / Crosstrain: 0 mins

This one started with a familiar pattern—Monday’s morning round clocked in at 1 hour and 1 minute again, like a metronome with a mild grudge. Heart rate was on the high side, cadence low, and the whole thing felt more like ticking a box than hitting a groove. Tuesday’s rest day felt like a necessity rather than strategy. Come Wednesday, things perked up—1 hour flat, with HR and cadence just about acceptable. Nothing flashy, but a definite improvement. Thursday brought a change of pace: a cautious 10-minute trial on the treadmill in my barefoot shoes. Light, bouncy, up on the forefoot like I was skipping over hot sand. I stayed disciplined—cut it at exactly 10 minutes—and walked away feeling tall, springy, and slightly nervous about the consequences. Friday morning’s usual run (yes, 1:01 again) was the real test—and to my surprise, the calves and Achilles reported for duty without complaint. Even squeezed in a gym session afterwards, figuring I might as well press my luck. But Saturday caught up with me—tight calves and twinges in the Achilles reminded me that adaptation takes more than optimism and a pair of minimalist shoes. Still, I ground out a decent 10-miler, then rounded off the week with 8 more on Sunday. All in all, a solid week with a touch of experimentation. The Vibrams whispered promise—but the calves told a different story.

Run: 4hrs 5mins (31mi) / Gym: 0mins / Crosstrain: 1hr 26mins

Sluggish out the blocks this week—didn’t lace up until Wednesday, when I finally dragged myself out for the usual morning loop. Stuck right on 1 hour and 1 minute, with heart rate holding steady at 138bpm, which I’ll happily take. Cadence dipped into the 160s again—classic early morning brain-fog move. It’s like the legs are game but the brain’s still waiting for coffee. Thursday was a forced rest day, with my son’s football training benched by exams. Can’t complain—it gave the legs an extra beat to recover. Friday brought back some momentum: a 10-mile reverse loop in the morning to shake things up, then the trusty Friday night 10k during football training. Felt good to double up and end the week on the front foot. Saturday turned into a stealthy training opportunity—while my daughter was at regional hockey, I scanned the local countryside on Strava, mapped a loop, and snuck in a breezy 7-miler through rolling green. One of those unplanned runs that ends up being the highlight. Sunday was all about the bike—25 miles at a pace that didn’t leave much room for chatting (averaging 17mph), but it was technically “social” so I’m claiming it. A week that started slow but found its groove by the weekend—proof again that it’s not about how you start, but how you string it together.

Run: 5hr 46mins (42miles) / Gym: 0mins / Crosstrain: 0mins

Bit of a false start to the week with nothing on Monday—no shame in that, just a reminder that not every week has to come out the gates flying. Tuesday made up for it with a longer-than-usual pre-breakfast effort—just over 10 miles. Felt good to stretch it out a little before the rest of the house even stirred. Wednesday morning was a shake-up of the usual loop—kept it just over 10k, enough to blow off the cobwebs. Thursday was a double-header: a turbo spin in the morning, then back to the familiar 7.6-mile route on Friday morning, followed by a bonus 10k in the evening. Double days are back, apparently. Saturday started with good intentions—a solid 12-miler to kick off the weekend—but the execution wobbled. Cadence dropped, HR climbed, and I felt like I was grinding more than gliding. A bit of fatigue creeping in maybe, or just one of those runs where the numbers don’t play nice. Still, logged it, learned from it, and moved on. A quiet Monday doesn’t seem so bad when the rest of the week gets this busy.

Run: 5hrs 32mins (40mi) / Gym: 30 mins / Crosstrain: 2hrs 7mins

This week had a bit of everything: beauty, graft, and a subtle reminder that Majorca is coming in hot. Monday was one of those quietly perfect sessions—dropped my daughter at hockey training deep in the countryside, and squeezed in 55 minutes of running through sunlit forests and open fields. The kind of run that makes you forget you’re technically training. Took Tuesday off, which felt like a smart trade after starting the week strong. Wednesday morning I was back at it—7.6 miles on the usual loop, keeping the heart rate below 138 and still landing just over the hour. Thursday was more of the same: repeat the morning run, tack on a weight session, then log a solid 8 miles in the evening while my son trained. By now, I’m basically a mobile parent-powered gym. Friday was a well-earned breather. Saturday brought a proper hit-out: just over two hours on the bike with a mate. With the Majorca trip looming in mid-September, the realisation is setting in—there’s a decent mountain of work to do, and the days are disappearing fast. Sunday was the long run, and it clicked—14+ miles, comfortably under the two-hour mark, and I went full spartan: no water, no food, no problems. Felt strong. All in all, a week that balanced enjoyment and intent, with one eye on the horizon and the other on the ticking clock.

Run: 4hrs 50mins (35mi) / Gym: 40mins / Crosstrain: 0mins

A bit more of a cautious week, and rightly so. That abdominal/groin pain from last weekend earned some respect, so I started Monday with a knee-focused workout and held back to let things settle. Took Tuesday completely off—hard not to feel twitchy, but necessary—and gave the abs a cautious test on the turbo Wednesday morning. No issues, so I greenlit an evening run just shy of 7 miles. Everything held up, no flare-ups, which felt like a small win. Thursday followed the familiar script: early weights after dropping my daughter off for hockey, and then another run during my son’s football training. Balancing logistics and training like a well-oiled family shuttle service. Friday was a well-earned lie-in, and then another evening run during football—finding a rhythm here, even if it’s dictated by junior sport timetables. Saturday brought a drop-off-and-disappear birthday party for the youngest, which opened up a golden window for a longer run—just over an hour, out to the coast and back. Glorious. Rounded out the week Sunday with 40 minutes on the turbo, then an easy run with the dog in the afternoon—part training, part therapy. All told, a more measured week, easing back in while still keeping the wheels turning.