Weeks 12 & 13 — When It Unravels (and What’s Left) Sub-3 on 3 Runs

Not to put it mildly, the past few weeks have not been good.

Week 12 started with a nasty stomach issue that completely messed things up. Every time I tried to train, whether it was running or riding, I’d get this sharp, stopping pain through my stomach. It was painful, and as much as I like to crack on and get on with things – it wasn’t happening.

It lasted five days.

Which in marathon prep terms… is a big chunk of time.

Frustrating more than anything, because outside of that I actually felt relatively okay. The engine didn’t feel terrible. But the body just wouldn’t let me do anything with it.

And this is where the limitation of the three-runs-per-week model really shows itself.

When you’re running five or six times a week and you lose a few days, you can drip-feed your way back in. A few short jogs rebuild rhythm and get time on feet without pressure. But when you’re limited to three runs, you don’t have that flexibility. You can’t ease back in gradually — every run suddenly feels like it has to matter.

And that’s not ideal when you’re coming back from illness.

Once the stomach settled, things didn’t exactly improve.

Instead, I managed to pick up a series of injuries, some bad luck and some self-inflicted. Football plays its usual role in that.

There’s a bone-related issue in the left ankle now. It's manageable early in a run, but once I get past about 45 minutes, it starts to become noticeable. Then there was a quad injury from taking a knee straight into the thigh. That one’s been the bigger problem, sore, awkward, and enough to alter my gait, which is never a good sign.

That’s the kind of injury that doesn’t just hurt; it changes how you move.

And once that happens, everything becomes a little bit off.

This past weekend I finally gave the body a bit of a break from football and managed to get out for 16 miles. On paper, that’s a decent tick. In reality, it was hard work. Nothing felt particularly right. It was one of those runs where you’re constantly aware of niggles, compensations, and the fact that you’re not moving how you want to.

And with just over three weeks to go until London… that’s not where I wanted to be.

Some of that is on me. No point pretending otherwise.

But it’s also highlighted something important about this whole project.

The three-runs-per-week structure works when things are going well.

When life throws a few curveballs, it becomes much harder to manage. There’s no buffer. No easy way to rebuild rhythm. No room to just go out for a few relaxed runs to get the body moving again. I’ve had a couple of short 5K jogs in there, which helped, but realistically I needed more of that, more frequency, and more low-pressure running, just to keep things ticking.

That hasn’t been possible within the constraints.

Which means, if I’m being honest, London is probably going to be a rough day.

And that’s okay.

The original goal was interesting. A challenge. A way to explore what’s possible with limited running. And I still believe, in a clean build, it was achievable.

But this hasn’t been a clean build.

And that’s the point.

If anything, the biggest takeaway from this whole process hasn’t been about pace or performance…it’s been about motivation.

At the start of this, I didn’t want to run more than three times a week. The desire just wasn’t there. The routine had slipped. The consistency wasn’t appealing.

Now?

Some days I actually want to go out for a run. Not because it’s on the plan. Not because I have to. Just because the weather’s decent, it’s social, and I enjoy it again.

That’s a big shift.

It’s reminded me where I’ve been in previous years: consistent, engaged, and enjoying the process, and it’s made me want to get back there.

Right now, things feel a bit out of rhythm. Three runs a week is just enough to keep things going, but not quite enough to feel fully settled into a routine.

With a few weeks to go, the aim is simple: piece together what I can.

If I can get a couple of half-decent long runs in, that’s a win. Realistically, the longest run of this block might end up being London itself. There won’t be much of a taper — it’ll be more a case of rolling into it and treating it as the final long effort.

Not ideal. Not perfect.

But I’m still looking forward to it.

Because at the end of all this, that’s what matters.

Si