Week 4 — Volume Returns, Confidence Wobbles, Questions Get Louder: Sub-3 on 3 Runs:

Week 4 felt like a bit of a turning point — not because anything suddenly clicked, but because, for the first time in a long while, it resembled a proper training week.

Not sharp.

Not flashy.

But real.

In terms of overall load, this was probably my biggest week for some time. A bit more volume, a bit more stress, and just enough substance to expose where things are actually at — physically and mentally. And as always when that happens, the answers weren’t all comfortable.

The week included a solid ride on the bike, around 30 miles on Saturday, followed by a 15-mile run on Sunday that included some steady work. Tuesday night brought my first proper quality session in a while: 10x75 seconds. For moments during that session, it genuinely felt like I was moving reasonably well again. Not flying, not sharp, but functional. That in itself felt like progress.

At the same time, the harder and faster work is still where I feel most exposed.

Part of that is fitness. Part of it is sharpness. But a big chunk of it is psychological. When you know where you used to be, where you are now, and how obvious that gap feels, it’s hard not to run with the handbrake slightly on. You’re not just measuring effort against the session — you’re measuring it against memory.

That’s why I keep coming back to the thought that I probably just need a race.

Not to prove anything.

Not to chase a time.

But to recalibrate.

I’m genuinely okay with not being in great shape right now. That doesn’t bother me. What’s harder is understanding where I actually am in the landscape of fitness. Training can distort that picture. Racing doesn’t. A race strips things back and tells you, very clearly, what you’ve got and what you haven’t. And often, that clarity is more useful than confidence.

There’s also a slightly uncomfortable truth sitting underneath all of this. Historically, I was never the athlete who thrived on huge training volume. I wasn’t obsessed with perfect weeks or monster mileage blocks. I did enough, stayed consistent, and then relied on being a good racer. I could pull a lot out of the bag off relatively modest training because, when it mattered, I was willing to go somewhere uncomfortable. I could hurt. I could suffer. I could sit in that space and keep moving.

That’s another question I’m quietly circling right now. Not just whether the fitness will come back, but whether that part of me is still there. I haven’t visited that place for a long time. I don’t know if I can suffer in the same way I used to….and, if I’m being honest, I’m not entirely sure how much I want to. Is it a weakness ??? I’m not sure but; it’s reality. Racing demands a different version of you, and stepping back into that arena after time away is as much psychological as it is physical.

Which is exactly why the idea of racing keeps resurfacing. Not to chase validation, but to find out who turns up when it actually counts.

Looking back at the week, there was also a strong reminder of how much fitness can quietly slip away — and how easy it is to forget how good “good shape” actually was. There was a time when decent 5K, 10K, 10-mile and half-marathon fitness felt normal. Breaking an hour for 10 miles wasn’t some looming question mark; it was something I could tick off without going super deep. When that slips, even temporarily, it can feel like you’ve lost more than fitness. Perspective goes with it.

Sunday helped restore some of that perspective.

The long run was done with a friend & someone I coach, Richard, who hasn’t been having the easiest time lately so we were overdue a catch up. The pace was genuinely easy(for me) sorry Rich :). The focus was time on feet rather than splits. We chatted through training, life, frustrations, the sort of stuff that doesn’t show up neatly in TrainingPeaks but matters far more than people admit.

That run did exactly what it needed to do. Aerobically useful, yes, but mentally grounding. A reminder that not every session needs to be about proving progress. Some sessions are about staying connected to why you train in the first place.

The rest of the week was a couple of solid strength sessions and some aerobic cycling. Nothing dramatic. Just reinforcing the foundations.

All in all, Week 4 was a good week.

Not because it screamed “sub-3 is on.”

Not because everything felt easy.

But because volume is starting to return, sessions are stacking rather than colliding, and the questions are becoming clearer rather than louder. Right now, the work is as much about patience, identity, and perspective as it is about physiology.

Next week, we build again.

Same structure.

Same intent.

And at some point soon, probably a race, not to chase a number, but to reset the compass and see what’s really there.

Si