Miles, missed sleep, and a whole lot of heart

This week felt like keeping up with training while navigating a social calendar that got a little out of hand 😅. Between the workouts, short nights, and a knee that keeps whispering, “You’re not 25 anymore” , it was a bit of a balancing act, but I got through it.

Last Sunday’s race didn’t leave any real damage, thankfully. The knee is still making its presence known, but it’s not stopping me. I’m keeping up the usual routine: ice, TENS, stretching. Nothing glamorous, but it works.

The bigger challenge? Sleep. Three late nights meant fewer hours in bed, and both Garmin and WHOOP raised their eyebrows at me like, “Really?” 🫣 But honestly, I don’t regret a thing. This is what balance looks like: some tempo runs, some time with friends, and a bit of caffeine to bridge the gap ☕️.

Some sessions felt a little heavier than normal, some felt smooth, but they all got done. Not perfect, but real, and real is more than enough.

🏃‍♂️ Training breakdown

Monday – Reset and recharge

After Sunday’s race, I expected to wake up with heavy legs and low energy. Surprisingly, I didn’t. The legs felt good, tired, sure, but responsive. I started the day with 35 minutes of strength and conditioning, focusing on mobility and core work.

By evening, I headed out for a 75 minute recovery run. The goal was to stay in Zone 2 and keep the effort light, with 6×20 second strides in the last third to gently reintroduce some speed. The Asics Nimbus 25 gave a soft landing, and the 5:17/km pace felt smooth.

It was one of those quietly productive days where you do what needs to be done, without pushing too hard.

Tuesday – Intervals & momentum

Tuesday is my “get serious” day. I started with 20 minutes of strength work: abs, glute activations, stretching and saved the real work for the track.

The afternoon interval went exactly to plan:

• 10×600m with 90 seconds recovery
• Average pace: 3:43/km
• Shoes: Adidas Pro 3

The warm-up and cool-down (3km each) helped keep things fluid. Each rep was tough but controlled. One of those sessions where your body just understands the assignment.

I wrapped up the day with a focused leg workout at the gym: leg press, leg extension, hip adduction/abduction and leg curl. By the end of the day, I knew I’d earned my recovery sleep.

Wednesday – Active recovery & listening to the body

Wednesdays are flexible. If I feel good, I run. If not, I cross-train or skip the session altogether. Fortunately, I woke up with decent energy and no red flags from the knee, so I opted for an easy 54 minute run in Zone 2.

Pace: 5:23/km    Shoes: Asics Nimbus 25

The run helped shake out the fatigue from Tuesday’s intensity, and my morning 20 minute strength session focused on form and balance. These days might seem “low impact”, but they’re key to building consistency and avoiding burnout.

Thursday – Tempo pyramid on tired legs

This was the day I paid for the mid-week social event. I went out Wednesday evening and ended up with reduced deep and REM sleep, according to both Garmin and WHOOP. Not ideal before a key session, but life doesn’t pause for training.

Still, I pulled together a strong tempo pyramid session in the afternoon:

• 8/4/2/4/8 minutes at threshold pace with 2 minute float recoveries
• Paces ranged from 4:13/km to 3:54/km
• Shoes: Adidas Boston 12

I felt a bit off at the start but found my rhythm halfway through. The cool-down helped reset things, and in the end, I was proud of not backing down, even when conditions weren’t perfect. That’s the value of experience: you learn how to run tired, but smart.

Friday – Active rest & real recovery

Another social evening on Thursday meant another short night. But I’m not beating myself up. Connection with people is part of what fuels me too.

Friday is my official rest day, so I kept things light:

• 5.5km walk
• Sports massage to release muscle tension
• And yes, a haircut too. Recovery with style!

I skipped training, focused on hydration, and let the body do its repair work. Sometimes rest is the most productive thing you can do.

Saturday – Speed work with a clear head

Finally a full night of quality sleep: 9h45m. I woke up feeling like myself again, and I was ready to go.

The “Speedy Play” session was the highlight of the week:

• 3 sets of: 3 min / 2 min / 1 min / 30 sec (hard), with jogging recoveries
• Paces ranged from 4:01/km (for 3 mins) down to 3:22/km (for 30 sec)
• Shoes: Saucony speed 2

Each rep pushed me, but never broke me. There’s something energizing about this format. You’re constantly shifting gears, keeping the body alert. The cool-down felt like a victory lap. A true “I’m back” moment.

Sunday – Easy flow & social hangover

Let’s be honest, Saturday night was the social event of the week. I woke up at 11:30am, slightly dehydrated and not exactly ready to chase paces. But by 2:30pm, after some water and a mental reset, I headed out.

Conditions:

• Temperature: 30°C
• Mindset: Survive and enjoy
• Shoes: Asics Superblast 2
• Pace: 5:16/km

The run was 90 minutes in Zone 2, pure endurance, zero pressure. I didn’t chase pace, just settled into rhythm and let the miles pass. It was about reconnecting with the joy of running, even when your body’s slightly off.

These are the kinds of runs that quietly strengthen you, mentally and physically.

🧾 Weekly Summary

• ✔️ 3 Key Workouts (Intervals, Tempo, Speed Play)
• ✔️ 3 Easy Runs
• ✔️ Strength & Conditioning: 5 sessions
• ✔️ Rest Day (with movement + massage)
• 🌐 3 Social Nights (and 3 slightly foggy mornings)
• 🧠 Lesson of the Week: Perfection isn’t the goal, consistency is.