PROGRESS SO FAR

Over the last 2 months I’ve been deep in a build phase, focused on laying proper foundations rather than chasing any single “big” session. The aim has been simple: make race rhythm feel normal again, build strength under fatigue, and reintroduce real speed in a controlled way while staying healthy.
A big breakthrough came with an 8 × 200m session in trainers, off 3 minutes. The first couple were about finding rhythm, but then I settled into repeated mid-25s and even finished with another mid-25 while still relaxed. That was the first time in this block that race pace began to feel normal rather than forced. It changed my mindset – this wasn’t about surviving speed anymore, it was about living in it.
From there, the work moved into more race-specific territory:
4 × 250m off 12 minutes in spikes: 32.6, 31.3, 31.3, 31.9 – strong, controlled, with speed still there at the end.
4 × 300m off 6 minutes earlier in the block, averaging around 42.5.
A 350m complex (350 → 200 jog → 100 stride) in windy conditions and trainers: 47.5, 45.7, 49.4. This was about learning how to operate in the uncomfortable middle of the race rather than chasing tidy splits.
2 × 600m in 91.5 and 89.5 followed by a 300 in 37.5, done on sore legs after heavy gym work. That session showed me I can still run well when tired – exactly what a 400 demands.
Alongside this, I’ve been layering speed and elasticity back in. Rolling 30s have dropped as low as 3.25 when tired, and even faster when fresh. Short sprint work has produced 100m segments in the low-11s even under load.
After two full rest days I ran a clean speed check: 3 × 200m in spikes with long recovery.
Rep 1: 23.59 (finding rhythm)
Rep 2: 22.81 (best rep)
Rep 3: 23.20 (holding form under mild fatigue)
Each rep also gave me electronic splits for 100 and 150, showing that the mechanics and cadence are coming back in a controlled way rather than through forcing.
All of this has been layered on top of consistent gym work – squats, lunges, posterior-chain strength – plus plyometrics and elastic work. I’ve also had to listen carefully to early warning signs from my groin and Achilles and manage load when needed. Rest days have been as important as hard sessions, because that’s where the work actually lands.
This phase hasn’t been about hero workouts. It’s been about building inevitability: making speed repeatable, learning to stay composed under fatigue, and teaching my body that race rhythm is simply how I run now.