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🔵 Ultimate:

I've been thinking a lot about the final stretch of marathon prep recently — partly because I've just updated a blog post on exactly that. If you're 6-8 weeks out from a spring goal race, this is where the training gets interesting. Not harder, necessarily, but more nuanced. You're balancing volume with recovery, holding fitness without pushing for new gains, and managing the mental game of trusting your preparation. The temptation is always to do more. One extra session. A bit more mileage. But the runners who nail their tapers are the ones who recognise that rest is an active part of the process, not a passive one. I wrote about navigating this phase — fuelling, pacing in the final long runs, what to do (and not do) in race week: https://www.fullpotential.co.uk/post/2018/02/27/6-to-8-weeks-to-go-until-you-marathon-where-should-your-training-be Here are your next two weeks. Anything that needs shifting, just shout. Ben

🟢 Classic:

I've been thinking a lot about the final stretch of marathon prep recently — partly because I've just updated a blog post on exactly that. If you're 6-8 weeks out from a spring goal race, this is where the training gets interesting. Not harder, necessarily, but more nuanced. You're balancing volume with recovery, holding fitness without pushing for new gains, and managing the mental game of trusting your preparation. The temptation is always to do more. One extra session. A bit more mileage. But the runners who nail their tapers are the ones who recognise that rest is an active part of the process, not a passive one. I wrote about navigating this phase — fuelling, pacing in the final long runs, what to do (and not do) in race week: https://www.fullpotential.co.uk/post/2018/02/27/6-to-8-weeks-to-go-until-you-marathon-where-should-your-training-be Here are your next four weeks. Anything that needs shifting, just shout. Ben

🔵 Ultimate:

The LA Marathon on Sunday had one of the most extraordinary finishes in recent memory — Nathan Martin, an American high school coach, chased down Kenya's Michael Kimani Kamau in the final straight to win by 0.01 seconds. Kamau actually dove for the line and fell short. Both clocked 2:11:18. You have to see the footage. As spring arrives and temperatures climb, remember that the same pace costs you more in warmer weather. Even a few degrees makes a real difference to heart rate and perceived effort. Don't chase times on a warm day. Here are your next two weeks. Anything that needs shifting, just let me know. Ben

🟢 Classic:

The LA Marathon on Sunday had one of the most extraordinary finishes in recent memory — Nathan Martin, an American high school coach, chased down Kenya's Michael Kimani Kamau in the final straight to win by 0.01 seconds. Kamau actually dove for the line and fell short. Both clocked 2:11:18. You have to see the footage. As spring arrives and temperatures climb, remember that the same pace costs you more in warmer weather. Even a few degrees makes a real difference to heart rate and perceived effort. Don't chase times on a warm day. Here are your next four weeks. Anything that needs shifting, just let me know. Ben

🔵 Ultimate:

Sunday's Tokyo Marathon threw up some brilliant performances — Brigid Kosgei ran 2:14:28 for a course record, and Tadese Takele defended his title in 2:03:36. After a few years where Kosgei seemed to be battling form, that was a serious statement. Spring marathon season is properly here. There's a piece on Runner's World this week I've been recommending: "No, You Don't Have to Run 26 Miles Before a Marathon — This Coach Says 16 Is Enough." It's Kevin Hanson's argument, and it's something we’ve said by for years — cumulative weekly training stress matters far more than one mega long run. Your body responds to total load and recovery, not the label on a single session. It feels nice to be a little vindicated! There's a blog post on spring marathon prep here if it's useful: https://www.fullpotential.co.uk/post/12-weeks-to-spring-marathon-success Here are your next two weeks. Any questions at all, just shout. Ben

🟢 Classic:

Sunday's Tokyo Marathon produced some brilliant racing — Brigid Kosgei ran a 2:14:28 course record, her best performance in years. Always exciting when the spring season opens like that. On the training side, there's a piece on Runner's World I'd recommend: "No, You Don't Have to Run 26 Miles Before a Marathon — This Coach Says 16 Is Enough." It's by Kevin Hanson, it's something we’ve said by for years — cumulative weekly training stress matters far more than one mega long run. Your body responds to total load and recovery, not the label on a single session. It feels nice to be a little vindicated! I've put a guide together on the blog for anyone in spring marathon mode: https://www.fullpotential.co.uk/post/12-weeks-to-spring-marathon-success — worth a look even if you're not racing, as the structure translates well to general fitness building. Your next four weeks are attached. Anything that needs shifting, just let me know. Ben

🔵 Ultimate:

There's a fascinating piece doing the rounds on Runner's World this week: does running have a drinking problem? The research suggests even moderate post-run alcohol meaningfully impairs recovery and adaptation — not just the obvious hangover effect, but at a cellular level. It feels a little sensational as a piece and I am not going to remove alcohol from my diet, but always interesting. I've been doing a lot of cross-training myself recently — bike and elliptical rather than running — and one thing that keeps hitting home is how much honest easy effort matters. It's tempting to push when you're feeling good, but the real gains at this phase come from keeping easy days genuinely easy and letting your body adapt. Your aerobic base is everything right now. On the nutrition side, I put together a blog post on fuelling for long runs that's worth a read if you're regularly going over 75 minutes: https://www.fullpotential.co.uk/post/marathon-nutrition — even if you're not targeting a marathon, the principles around carb timing and hydration apply. Here are your next two weeks. If anything needs shifting around life or work, just let me know — plans should fit you, not the other way round.

🟢 Classic:

There's a fascinating piece doing the rounds on Runner's World this week: does running have a drinking problem? The research suggests even moderate post-run alcohol meaningfully impairs recovery and adaptation — not just the obvious hangover effect, but at a cellular level. It feels a little sensational as a piece and I am not going to remove alcohol from my diet, but always interesting. On the nutrition side, I put together a blog post on fuelling for long runs that's worth a read if you're regularly going over 75 minutes: https://www.fullpotential.co.uk/post/marathon-nutrition — even if you're not targeting a marathon, the principles around carb timing and hydration apply. Your next four weeks are attached. Any questions at all, just ask.

🔵 Ultimate:

How are you? Have you had a nice week? There's a piece on Runner's World this week I've been recommending to a few people: "What's the Difference Between Aerobic and Anaerobic Threshold?" — https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a70304574/aerobic-vs-anaerobic-threshold/ — worth five minutes. The distinction matters a lot at this stage: your aerobic threshold is the foundation you're building on (think sustainable long run effort); your anaerobic threshold is where fatigue accumulates faster than your body can clear it. Most runners blur these two and end up in a no man's land — hard enough to accumulate tiredness, not hard enough to drive real adaptation. I've been thinking about this in my own training too. I'm mostly on the bike and elliptical at the moment rather than running — cross-training while life is busy — and even then, keeping easy efforts honest makes a noticeable difference to how I feel on the days that matter. Here are your next two weeks. If anything needs tweaking around your schedule, just drop me a message. Ben

🟢 Classic:

How are you? Have you had a good week? There's an interesting piece on Runner's World this week worth a look — "What's the Difference Between Aerobic and Anaerobic Threshold?" — and it's more practical than it sounds. The core idea: most runners train in a murky middle zone that's too hard to be truly easy and too easy to be properly hard. The result is constant low-level fatigue without the adaptations from either extreme. Not ideal. Your next four weeks start Monday. Let me know if anything needs adjusting or if you have questions along the way. Ben

🔵 Ultimate:

There's a piece on Runner's World this week I've been recommending to a few people: "What's the Difference Between Aerobic and Anaerobic Threshold?" — https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a70304574/aerobic-vs-anaerobic-threshold/ — worth five minutes. The distinction matters a lot at this stage: your aerobic threshold is the foundation you're building on (think sustainable long run effort); your anaerobic threshold is where fatigue accumulates faster than your body can clear it. Most runners blur these two and end up in a no man's land — hard enough to accumulate tiredness, not hard enough to drive real adaptation. I've been thinking about this in my own training too. I'm mostly on the bike and elliptical at the moment rather than running — cross-training while life is busy — and even then, keeping easy efforts honest makes a noticeable difference to how I feel on the days that matter. We're getting into the sharp end of spring prep now. This new post on the site maps out the next phase well: 12 Weeks to Spring Marathon Success — https://www.fullpotential.co.uk/post/12-weeks-to-spring-marathon-success Here are your next two weeks. If anything needs tweaking around your schedule, just drop me a message. Ben

🟢 Classic:

There's an interesting piece on Runner's World this week worth a look — "What's the Difference Between Aerobic and Anaerobic Threshold?" — and it's more practical than it sounds. The core idea: most runners train in a murky middle zone that's too hard to be truly easy and too easy to be properly hard. The result is constant low-level fatigue without the adaptations from either extreme. Not ideal. As we head into the business end of spring marathon prep, this is exactly why your easy runs matter as much as the sessions. Protect them. New post on the site that fits where we are right now: 12 Weeks to Spring Marathon Success — https://www.fullpotential.co.uk/post/12-weeks-to-spring-marathon-success — worth a read if you want some broader context for the next phase. Your next four weeks start here. Let me know if anything needs adjusting or if you have questions along the way. Ben

🔵 Ultimate:

I hope you are well and having a lovely week. I have your next two weeks of training here to get stuck into. Let me know if you have any questions or if we need to make any changes to the training. We have a new post on our website around managing running shoes and races - https://www.fullpotential.co.uk/post/managing-your-running-shoes-during-marathon-season - potentially no new information there but often useful to remind us of ideas.

🟢 Classic:

I hope you are well and enjoying your week Here are your next 4 weeks of training. How does that all look? Let me know if you have any questions or if we need to make any changes to the training. We have a new post on our website around managing running shoes and races - https://www.fullpotential.co.uk/post/managing-your-running-shoes-during-marathon-season - potentially no new information there but often useful to remind us of ideas.

🔵 Ultimate:

I hope you are well and having a lovely week. I have your next two weeks of training here to get stuck into. Let me know if you have any questions or if we need to make any changes to the training.

🟢 Classic:

I hope you are well and enjoying your week Here are your next 4 weeks of training. How does that all look? Let me know if you have any questions or if we need to make any changes to the training.

🔵 Ultimate:

I hope you are well and having a lovely week. I have your next two weeks of training here to get stuck into. Let me know if you have any questions or if we need to make any changes to the training.

🟢 Classic:

I hope you are well and the start to 2026 hasn't been too rough. Here are your next 4 weeks of training. How does that all look? Let me know if you have any questions or if we need to make any changes to the training.

🔵 Ultimate:

How are you? How is your running coming along? Next 2 weeks of plans here for you.

🟢 Classic:

I hope you are well and the start to 2026 hasn't been too rough. Here are your next 4 weeks of training. In what can only be described as very exciting news, a new research paper came out in the end of 2025 and it's basic finding was that the best running shoes you can use are the ones you find most comfortable. They call it a "comfort filter", which I like a lot as an idea.

🔵 Ultimate:

I hope you are well and the start to 2026 hasn't been too rough. Here are your next 2 weeks of training. In what can only be described as very exciting news, a new research paper came out in the end of 2025 and it's basic finding was that the best running shoes you can use are the ones you find most comfortable. They call it a "comfort filter", which I like a lot as an idea.

🟢 Classic:

I hope you are well and the start to 2026 hasn't been too rough. Here are your next 4 weeks of training. In what can only be described as very exciting news, a new research paper came out in the end of 2025 and it's basic finding was that the best running shoes you can use are the ones you find most comfortable. They call it a "comfort filter", which I like a lot as an idea.

🔵 Ultimate:

I hope you had a good Christmas and New Year. Next set of plans here to get stuck into. Any questions let me know.

🟢 Classic:

I hope you had a good Christmas and New Year. Next set of plans here to get stuck into. Any questions let me know.