A week-by-week index to the 2026 running diary, from the winter ultra build through triathlon training and into the autumn marathon block.
2026
- Week 1: 29 Dec–4 Jan — Forty miles across New Year as training competes with family time.
- Week 2: 5–11 Jan — Foot soreness interrupts the start of the year and shifts work towards cross-training.
- Week 3: 12–18 Jan — Back to 46 miles while still chasing fitness ahead of the Arc.
- Week 4: 19–25 Jan — UTMB Arc of Attrition week.
- Week 5: 26 Jan–1 Feb — Very light recovery after the Arc.
- Week 6: 2–8 Feb — Running volume returns with the June 70.3 increasingly in mind.
- Week 7: 9–15 Feb — Lower running mileage plus a long day in the Lakeland Fells.
- Week 8: 16–22 Feb — A full 53-mile running week with gym and cross-training.
- Week 9: 23 Feb–1 Mar — Another substantial week, just under 54 miles.
- Week 10: 2–8 Mar — Running volume eases to 37 miles with some gym and cross-training.
- Week 11: 9–15 Mar — Thirty-nine miles and the search for a replacement for the old Newton Fates.
- Week 12: 16–22 Mar — A steady 34-mile running week.
- Week 13: 23–29 Mar — Thirty-eight running miles with more than two hours cross-training.
- Week 14: 30 Mar–5 Apr — Forty miles plus an hour of cross-training.
- Week 15: 6–12 Apr — The year’s biggest running week so far at nearly 64 miles.
- Week 16: 13–19 Apr — Running backs off to 40 miles while cross-training increases.
- Week 17: 20–26 Apr — A heavier 56-mile week, with tiredness and sleep becoming part of the equation.
- Week 18: 27 Apr–3 May — More than ten hours of training as running and 70.3 preparation overlap.
- Week 19: 4–10 May — Forty-five running miles with swimming and other 70.3 work alongside.
- Week 20: 11–17 May — Nearly 58 running miles plus a sizeable block of cycling and swimming.
- Week 21: 18–24 May — A much lighter running week with pool, bike and mobility work.
- Week 22: 25–31 May — Back to a fuller 47-mile week with turbo work alongside.
- Week 23: 1–7 Jun — A genuinely mixed endurance week across running, cycling and swimming.
- Week 24: 8–14 Jun — More than 47 running miles layered on top of bike and swim work.
- Week 25: 15–21 Jun — Running reduces as the balance shifts towards cycling and swimming.
- Week 26: 22–28 Jun — Northumbrian 70.3 race week at Kielder.
- Week 27: 29 Jun–5 Jul — No running: a proper recovery week after the 70.3.
- Week 28: 6–12 Jul — Running returns cautiously alongside four pool sessions.
- Week 29: 13–19 Jul — Holiday running on Paros before moving on to Naxos.
- Week 30: 20–26 Jul — More holiday miles on Naxos without turning the trip into a training camp.
- Week 31: 27 Jul–2 Aug — A sharp change of gear: almost 57 miles and marathon training properly resumes.
- Week 32: 3–9 Aug — Another 50-mile-plus week while combining holiday, work and training.
- Week 33: 10–16 Aug — Intervals, tempo and steady mileage settle into a familiar rhythm.
- Week 34: 17–23 Aug — Fifty-four miles with an eight-mile tempo as the week’s main benchmark.
- Week 35: 24–30 Aug — The biggest week of the block: just over 60 miles.
- Week 36: 31 Aug–6 Sep — Fifty-three miles and a nine-mile tempo averaging 6:37/mile.
- Week 37: 7–13 Sep — Great North Run week, finishing in 1:27:25.
- Week 38: 14–20 Sep — No running as illness takes the decision out of my hands.
- Week 39: 21–27 Sep — A cautious test run as the cough begins to settle.
- Week 40: 28 Sep–4 Oct — Easy return runs and swim technique work ahead of Chester.
- Week 41: 5–11 Oct — Chester Marathon: a revised plan, a tough finish and a big smile.
- Week 42: 12–18 Oct — A quiet post-marathon recovery week, two runs with the dog and the start of a nine-week MAF experiment.
