Leeds Marathon 2025 - lets go!

 "Just enter the London marathon ballot, you might get in" that was what Alan had said to me last year, and so I tried and failed to get a place, only Alan succeeded.

"Enter the club ballot and then you can run and train with me for London." and so I tried and failed to get a place. I considered Manchester marathon as I did that back in 2019, the last time Alan got into London and I didn't, but it's now on the same day as London.

I entered a few competitions, didn't get a place and then I was sat on the sofa on New Year's Eve and looked at other potential marathons and decided to sign up for Leeds again...

Why?

• Despite being incredibly challenging and hilly, it's a pretty beautiful course!
• The logistics mean I can stay in my own bed and get a predictiable night of sleep and the breakfast I want
• Alan can drop me off and pick me up if needed!
• The support last time was *INCREDIBLE* from Hyde Park Harriers, friends, family and even people like the lady who was the celebrant when me and Alan got married! -  I felt like a celebrity and I reckon that makes it an absolute no-brainer for me!

It's now 16 weeks to go...and I've written my plan! Fortuantely I still run regularly enough that I know I mostly just need to build in longer Sunday runs and add an additional session into my week on top of Tuesday Run Clubs and Saturday parkruns. I also need to keep an eye on strength and conditioning and if I can monitor what I'm eating and how I'm sleeping as they play a major part in training weeks before the race.

I'm a qualified CIRF, but I qualified in late 2019...I was all set to coach people in the club to achieve amazing things in 2020, but we all had to stop and so I wrote a number of sessions for the club that we could all do remotely instead.

5 years later I thought I'd commit to sharing a summary each week of my training and I'm happy to help anyone with coaching, advice and help who is training for a Spring Marathon - please get in touch. I might even try and arrange some fun long run sessions for people to join me on.

So here's my full plan below.

• It's got rest sessions built in, whilst I've built it around my schedule, someone could use it and move the sessions around, but it's important to have days with lighter loads to allow your body to recover
• It's working from my current base of running which despite a seasonal cold is still pretty decent, if you are faster/slower or already run more or less, it would be wise to adjust the sessions accordingly.
• I've built in planned races, I would take a view the following week if I needed to lighten my sessions at all.

Week	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
1 20/21/25	Rest/Cross train	Run Club/60 mins	10 mins easy running 30 secs fast running; 1 min jogging – 4 reps 10 mins easy running	Pilates/Cross Train	Swim/gym/rest	parkrun	90 mins easy
2 27/01/25	Rest/Cross train	Run Club/60 mins	10 mins easy running 5 mins at marathon pace 2 mins recovery 5 mins at marathon pace 2 mins recovery 5 mins at marathon pace 10 mins easy running	Pilates/Cross Train	Swim/gym/rest	parkrun	100 mins easy
3 03/02/25	Rest/Cross train	Run Club/60 mins	10 mins easy running 30 secs fast running; 1 min jogging – 4 reps 10 mins easy running	Pilates/Cross Train	Swim/gym/rest	parkrun	Peco?
4 10/02/25	Rest/Cross train	Run Club/60 mins	10 mins easy running 6 x 3 mins at half marathon pace with 90 secs recovery 10 mins easy running	Pilates/Cross Train	Swim/gym/rest	parkrun	Temple Newsam 10
5 17/02/25	Rest/Cross train	Run Club/60 mins	10 mins easy running 3 x 8 mins at marathon pace with 2 mins recovery 10 mins easy running	Pilates/Cross Train	Swim/gym/rest	parkrun	Snake Lane 10
6 24/02/25	Rest/Cross train	Run Club/60 mins	30 mins easy running	Pilates/Cross Train	Swim/gym/rest	parkrun	105 mins easy
7 03/03/25	Rest/Cross train	Run Club/60 mins	10 mins easy running 30 secs fast running; 1 min jogging – 4 reps 10 mins easy running	Pilates/Cross Train	Swim/gym/rest	parkrun	115 mins easy
8 10/03/25	Rest/Cross train	Run Club/60 mins	10 mins easy running 5 mins steady running; 5 mins faster running; 5 mins easy – 2 reps 10 mins easy running	Pilates/Cross Train	Swim/gym/rest	parkrun	130 mins easy
9 17/03/25	Rest/Cross train	Run Club/60 mins	10 mins easy running 10 mins at marathon pace; 3 mins jogging – 3 reps 10 mins easy running	Pilates/Cross Train	Swim/gym/rest	parkrun	Sheffield Half Marathon
10 24/03/25	Rest/Cross train	Run Club/60 mins	10 mins easy running 15 mins at marathon pace; 3 mins jogging – 2 reps 10 mins easy running	Pilates/Cross Train	Swim/gym/rest	parkrun	150 mins easy
11 31/03/25	Rest/Cross train	Run Club/60 mins	20 mins easy running	Pilates/Cross Train	Swim/gym/rest	parkrun	165 mins easy
12 07/04/25	Rest/Cross train	Run Club/60 mins	15 mins easy running 40 mins at marathon pace 15 mins easy running	Pilates/Cross Train	Swim/gym/rest	parkrun	Race half marathon/0 miles
13 14/04/25	Rest/Cross train	Run Club/60 mins	10 mins easy running 5 mins tempo running; 5 mins easy running – 3 reps 10 mins easy running	Pilates/Cross Train	Swim/gym/rest	parkrun	180 mins easy
14 21/04/25	Rest/Cross train	Run Club/60 mins	10 mins easy running 15 mins at marathon pace 1 min brisk running; 1 min walking – 4 reps 10 mins easy running	Pilates/Cross Train	Swim/gym/rest	parkrun	90 mins easy
15 28/04/25	Rest/Cross train	Run Club/60 mins	10 mins easy jogging Run 1 mile at marathon race pace, 10 mins easy jogging – 2 reps	Pilates/Cross Train	Swim/gym/rest	parkrun	60 mins easy
16 05/05/25	Rest/Cross train	Run Club/60 mins	10 mins easy jogging 10 mins easy running Run 1 mile at marathon race pace; 10 mins easy jogging – 2 reps	Pilates/Cross Train	Swim/gym/rest	Volunteer at parkrun!	RACE DAY!!

 Wish me luck!