Project 20 - chasing the sub 20 5k parkrun

Welcome back to Project 20!  Season 1 of this journey has come to an end in the most unexpected way. Today’s final time trial started strong—358, 356 splits—and for the first time, I felt like sub-20…

Welcome back to Project 20!  Week 27 of what started as a 20-week journey is done, and I’m less than a week away from my next sub-20 time trial. Honestly, I don’t feel ready—mentally or physically. A…

Welcome back to Project 20!  This week was tough—stiff, sore, and mentally drained. The speed session went well, but by the long run, everything felt slow and painful. Friday’s planned session didn’t…

Welcome back to Project 20!  Week 25 is done, and it feels a bit like Groundhog Day—another week of ups and downs in training. Tuesday’s speed session went okay with 1km repeats for a total of 20:25 …

Welcome back to Project 20!  Week 24 is done, and today’s time trial at Sandgate parkrun didn’t go as planned. I started strong with a 3:55 first kilometre, but by the second kilometre, the mental an…

Welcome back to Project 20!  Week 23, and we might finally be back on track. Friday’s track session was my best yet—absolutely smashed it!  It was a huge confidence boost after a slow start earlier i…

Welcome back to Project 20!  Week 22, and what was supposed to be a 20-week project is still going strong thanks to COVID recovery. I'm inching closer to feeling “normal” again, and this week might m…

Welcome back to Project 20!  Week 21 is done, and the lingering fatigue from COVID is still affecting my training. Just five weeks ago, I was at peak fitness with a PB of 20:11, feeling stronger than…

Welcome back to Project 20!  Week 20 was supposed to be the final week where I hit that sub-20 5k goal, but COVID threw a wrench in the plan. While I’ve recovered from the virus, the fatigue has ling…

Welcome back to Project 20!  Week 19 is done, and it’s been a quieter week as my coach wisely extended my rest period after COVID. While I was eager to get back into training, in hindsight, I realize…

Welcome back to Project 20!  Week 18 is done, but it came with some unexpected changes. COVID hit me hard this week, throwing off the original plan to go for my sub-20-minute 5k in two weeks.

After t…

Welcome back to Project 20!  Week 17 update is a bit different because, for the first time ever, I got COVID.  I’ve never knowingly had it before, and it hit just as I was getting back into training …

Welcome back to Project 20!  Week 16 is done, and I hit a new PB for my 5k parkrun! My watch recorded 20:11, while the official parkrun time was 20:14—both beating my previous PB of 20:19 from two an…

Welcome back to Project 20!  Week 15 is done, and it’s been a rollercoaster. It started off with a tough speed session where I couldn’t hit my target pace, but by Friday, things turned around complet…

Welcome back to Project 20!  Week 14 is done, and it’s been another great week! I’m definitely getting faster, and I’ve really come to understand that the more effort I put into these sessions, the m…

Welcome back to Project 20!  Week 13 is done, and it’s been a great week. After last week's time trial didn’t go as planned, this week was a turnaround. Coach Carl joined me for an 8x400m track sessi…

Welcome back to Project 20!  Week 12 is in the books, and it was a tough one. This week included a time trial, and things didn’t go as planned. Despite preparing well and feeling ready, sometimes opt…

Welcome back to Project 20!  Week 11 is complete, and I’m feeling some of that cumulative fatigue again. With strength, speed, and long runs close together, it's catching up to me, but I'm pushing th…

Welcome back to Project 20!  We’ve hit the halfway point! Week 10 is done, and I’m feeling great. The initial shock to the body from the speed and strength sessions is behind me, and everything is co…

Welcome back to Project 20! 🎉 Week 9 is complete, and I’m feeling good as I near the halfway point of my 20-week program. With 11 weeks to go, I’ve got 40 seconds left to shave off my time to reach t…