After my tuesday mountain marathon simulation I had assigned a full week for resting and (active) recovery. Apart from some blisters I felt fine - the soreness in my legs was there but not to an extend that it would hurt.
I did a few light days (core work and cycling) and decided to do an injury check run today. Here the main goal is to activate your muscles to an extend in which you can feel them actually working so you can idenify if the deeper tissue is damaged so you can customize your recovery where needed.
I decided to do a 1km warmup (zone 2) then run 5 km progressively in zone 3 (close to marathon race pace) and then do a cooling down in zone 2 again:
The run went smooth, no real issues or pains at all - although I did notice that it is yet again time for new shoes. My road shoes (saucony omni 22) are great but not really durable.
For next week I will rework my trainingschedule a bit so I can inclusde 1 weekly hill session (hard) and 1 hard interval session as main elements. I feel my climbing foundation is getting stronger and I feel I know how to keep improving that to be where I want to be before September. Next to my Jungfrau goal I also have some tempo goals to reach in 2026:
- sub 20 | 5 k ✅ (januari)
- sub 40 | 10 k
- sub 1:30 | 21.1 k
- sub 3:00 | 42.2 k
So I will try and dedicate my Wednesday for additional speed work!
Today during my run very typical Dutch weather, sun, rain and strong wind all within 40 min - feels great being outside!
Happy running!
Great to see you approaching recovery with such intention and self-awareness. That injury check run sounds like the perfect way to test the waters without forcing anything, and the fact that you could run 5 km at close to marathon pace with no pain is a huge green light. Blisters and mild soreness are just souvenirs from a tough effort deeper tissue being silent is what really matters. Also, experiencing sun, rain, and wind all in one 40-minute run? That’s not just typical Dutch weather; that’s character building. Moments like that remind us why we love this sport it’s raw, unpredictable, and always rewarding if you show up.
And those 2026 goals? Sub-40 for 10K, sub-1:30 for the half, sub-3 for the full that’s a beautiful ladder to climb. You’ve already checked sub-20 for 5K, so the momentum is real. Adding a weekly hill session and a hard interval session shows you’re serious about building both strength and speed. Jungfrau will demand climbing power, but those tempo goals will make you a more complete runner. Keep trusting the process, listen to your body like you did today, and don’t underestimate the value of a good shoe rotation your legs will thank you.
Thanks my friend!
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I'm glad to hear you made it through that hill training session relatively unscathed. Only a blister and a few sore muscles, really not too bad at all. Smart move the injury check run today and it's a good thing you came out in good shape. Except maybe financially, since it seems you're going to need some new road runners! Yours is not a cheap hobby! Shoe expenses must get pretty steep throughout the year.
I like the goals you have set for yourself to be ready for September. With a solid plan like that you should be ready to conquer those mountains!
Despite the strong wind and the rain out there, it turned out to be a pretty day. You had some great scenery for the run today. I'm still amazed by just how flat things are there, but I'm used to mountains off to the east and rather hilly terrain here in California. Even if I head out to the desert on the other side of the mountains it's still has more mountains and old volcanoes everywhere that are eroding away over the millennia.
Keep up the great work, glad to hear things went well and that you're feeling strong!
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Thanks man! Would love to explore California one day, what you describe sounds amazing! Might go for the Big Sur marathon one day!
Congratulations. You do very well job ☺️
Thank you my friend!
I love your discipline, and you're super ready for the Jungfrau marathon, All that remains is to overcome the weather that every marathoner knows that this is an important factor since it defines performance
Thank you! Yeah, that will have a huge impact. With the Jungfrau last year it was very hot, year before that lots of rain! Like you say will have a define how it goes! !DUO
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Keep it going 🏃♂️
Sounds like a very reasoned plan, keep it up!