Week starting 1st September

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Well done to everyone who raced this week. There were some amazing performances across the board — some of you smashed PBs, while others made strong comebacks and laid down markers that show this winter is going to be a really exciting one. More importantly, it’s been a great chance to step back, review performances, and look at where we are as a group.


With that in mind, here are some thoughts on how we move forward into the autumn…



For years runners were told that “lactic acid” was the reason for the burn and why you slowed down. We now know that isn’t true. Your body doesn’t make lactic acid — it makes lactate, which is actually a valuable fuel. The real issue is the H+ ions that build up alongside it, lowering pH and creating that heavy feeling. Training around your lactate threshold teaches your body to use lactate more efficiently, clear it better, and tolerate more of it before slowing down.


This explains something many of us have seen for years: people who smash brilliant training sessions but can’t reproduce it in races. Running too hard too often doesn’t create the right adaptations. The answer is not more heroics — it’s more control, more consistency, and more belief in the process.


Moving into the autumn, that’s the philosophy we’ll work to. Over the summer we sharpened up with 5Ks, now we’re building strength, threshold, and endurance for the road relays, half marathons, and cross country. The programme is not random — it’s based on proven methods, contemporary science, and years of experience. It’s logical, adaptable to every level, and it works if you commit to it.


Tuesdays will shift onto the roads, with sessions using hills, longer reps into shorter reps, and varied recoveries — all designed to build strength that transfers into racing.

Saturdays will be fartlek, continuous threshold runs, XC-style sessions, and the occasional set of Kenyan hills.

Sundays remain the long run, often with efforts or progression, with football pitches in the evening for anyone who wants extra aerobic conditioning.


As Steve Magness says: train everything all year round. That’s what we’re doing — building speed, endurance and resilience together, not chasing single sessions but developing as athletes block by block. Trust the process, believe in it, and the results will come.





Week starting 1st September



Tuesday — 6.50pm, warmed up and ready to go, West Park South Gate


  • 1 mile just above threshold
  • 2x 1 miles controlled just under threshold
  • 1 mile back above threshold
  • 5 min jog full recovery
  • 4 × 200m fast but smooth (not flat out)



Saturday — 9.30am, warmed up and ready to go, Compton Park


  • 10 × 2 min on / 1 min float (continuous)
  • 8 × 12 sec hill sprints (fast, powerful, full walk back recovery)



Sunday — 9.30am, West Park


  • Long run on the MVR course
  • Include 3 miles tempo in the middle to build strength and race focus


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