01
London
United Kingdom
BALLOT
I couldn't run a mile. Watch what happens next.
A personal journey from complete beginner to the Abbott World Marathon Majors — recorded as it happens, not tidied up afterwards.
Abbott World Marathon Majors · the goal
7
Majors
to run
to run
None of them yet. Year one starts here.
Next start lineEntered
Alton Towers Half Marathon
Goal: finish, running the whole way
88
Days
18
Hrs
59
Min
16
Sec
Running for · Tourettes Action
Every mile
raises money
I am raising money for Tourettes Action, the UK-wide charity for people living with Tourette syndrome. I have suffered with motor tics since I was a young child, so it is a cause I understand. Every race on the way to the majors carries a target.
Raised so far
£60
Target
£500
Tourettes Action · reg charity 1003317Donate →
The mission
02
Berlin
Germany
FLATTEST COURSE
03
Chicago
United States
CHARITY PLACE
04
New York
United States
BALLOT
05
Boston
United States
NEEDS A BQ
06
Tokyo
Japan
BALLOT
07
Sydney
Australia
NEWEST MAJOR
Training for · Alton Towers Half Marathon
The 18-week block
Week 04 of 18 · 13.1 miles on 15 Nov
Off the record
Logging starts · week 03, 7 Aug
15
16.5
010203040506070809101112131415161718
Base
Build
Peak
Taper
Miles per weekNothing loggedCutback weeks 04 · 08 · 11 · 14This week
Click any week for its runs →
Weeks 01 and 02 were run before this log existed. The miles counted, but there are no splits, no paces and no write-ups for them — those two bars are the plan, not a record. Everything from week 03 onwards is logged run by run, starting 7 Aug.
Week 03 of 18 · Base phase18 mi planned
Run 13 mi easy3.0 miDoneView run →Run 23.5 mi easy3.5 miDoneView run →Run 33.5 mi easy3.5 miFailedView run →Long run8 mi easy8.0 miDoneView run →Week 04 of 18 · Base phase · Cutback1 of 4 done · 15 mi planned
Run 13 mi easy3.0 miDoneView run →Run 33 mi easy3.0 miTo do
Long run6 mi easy6.0 miTo do
Week 4 is a cutback week: mileage drops from 18 to 15 and the long run comes back down to 6 miles. The point is to let the last three weeks settle before the build starts, so everything stays easy.
18 weeks · 4 runs a week · longest run in the plan 12 mi · race day 15 Nov
Week 05 of 18 · Base phase20 mi planned
Run 13.5 mi easy3.5 miTo do
Run 23.5 mi easy3.5 miTo do
Run 34 mi easy4.0 miTo do
Long run9 mi easy9.0 miTo do
Week 06 of 18 · Build phase21 mi planned
Run 14 mi easy4.0 miTo do
Run 24 mi easy4.0 miTo do
Run 34 mi easy4.0 miTo do
Long run9 mi easy9.0 miTo do
Week 07 of 18 · Build phase22 mi planned
Run 14 mi easy4.0 miTo do
Run 24 mi easy4.0 miTo do
Run 34 mi easy4.0 miTo do
Long run10 mi easy10.0 miTo do
Week 08 of 18 · Build phase · Cutback17 mi planned
Run 13 mi easy3.0 miTo do
Run 23.5 mi easy3.5 miTo do
Run 33.5 mi easy3.5 miTo do
Long run7 mi easy7.0 miTo do
Week 09 of 18 · Build phase23.5 mi planned
Run 14.5 mi easy4.5 miTo do
Run 24.5 mi easy4.5 miTo do
Run 34.5 mi easy4.5 miTo do
Long run10 mi easy10.0 miTo do
Week 10 of 18 · Build phase24 mi planned
Run 14 mi easy4.0 miTo do
Run 24.5 mi easy4.5 miTo do
Run 34.5 mi easy4.5 miTo do
Long run11 mi easy11.0 miTo do
Week 11 of 18 · Build phase · Cutback19 mi planned
Run 13.5 mi easy3.5 miTo do
Run 23.5 mi easy3.5 miTo do
Run 34 mi easy4.0 miTo do
Long run8 mi easy8.0 miTo do
Week 12 of 18 · Build phase25 mi planned
Run 14.5 mi easy4.5 miTo do
Run 24.5 mi easy4.5 miTo do
Run 35 mi easy5.0 miTo do
Long run11 mi easy11.0 miTo do
Week 13 of 18 · Peak phase26 mi planned
Run 14.5 mi easy4.5 miTo do
Run 24.5 mi easy4.5 miTo do
Run 35 mi easy5.0 miTo do
Long run12 mi easy12.0 miTo do
Week 14 of 18 · Peak phase · Cutback20 mi planned
Run 13.5 mi easy3.5 miTo do
Run 23.5 mi easy3.5 miTo do
Run 34 mi easy4.0 miTo do
Long run9 mi easy9.0 miTo do
Week 15 of 18 · Taper phase19 mi planned
Run 13.5 mi easy3.5 miTo do
Run 23.5 mi easy3.5 miTo do
Run 34 mi easy4.0 miTo do
Long run8 mi easy8.0 miTo do
Week 16 of 18 · Taper phase16 mi planned
Run 13 mi easy3.0 miTo do
Run 23.5 mi easy3.5 miTo do
Run 33.5 mi easy3.5 miTo do
Long run6 mi easy6.0 miTo do
Week 17 of 18 · Taper phase13 mi planned
Run 13 mi easy3.0 miTo do
Run 23 mi easy3.0 miTo do
Run 33 mi easy3.0 miTo do
Long run4 mi easy4.0 miTo do
Week 18 of 18 · Taper phase3.5 mi planned
Run 10.5 mi easy0.5 miTo do
Run 20.5 mi easy0.5 miTo do
Run 30.5 mi easy0.5 miTo do
Long run2 mi easy2.0 miTo do
Miles banked
52.5mi
Longest run
8mi
Peak week ahead
26mi
Days to race day
88
Race record
JCB Lakeside 5 · start line, 2026
5 miles
50:22
Half
15 NOV
Marathon
—
Majors
0 / 7
The log
All writing →Why
Seven cities, and who I'm running for
Why Tourettes Action is the name on the vest, and what living with motor tics taught me about it.
Read →Plan · 18 weeks
Building to the Alton Towers Half
Eighteen weeks, four runs a week, long run on Sundays. What I'm doing between now and November.
Read →
Race report · 2026
JCB Lakeside 5: first race number
Five miles, no idea what pace to go out at, and the moment the majors stopped being an abstract idea.
Read →