In this week’s episode, I’m talking through a proper turning point in my training — the first week where things finally felt like they were moving in the right direction again. After months of managing the Achilles and rebuilding slowly, I hit around 45 miles, and for the first time in ages, I felt like a runner rather than someone stuck in rehab mode.

I also dive into my experience at the Kaim Hill Race — a short, savage blast where I pushed hard from the start, got overtaken by half the field on the climb, and then clawed back places on the descent thanks to good shoes and a bit of confidence. My watch showed Zone 5 for 98% of the race, which tells you everything about the effort. It was exactly the benchmark I needed.

I’m also celebrating some brilliant athlete performances this week:

• Bert & Maggie — both smashing 30‑second 5k PBs
• Fiona & Paul — completing the Devil O’ The Highlands in under 9 hours on a rocky, rugged Scottish mountain course
• Sheila — finishing the London Marathon in a rapid 3:33

All of these performances tie back to a core part of my training philosophy: speed and efficiency matter at every distance. Whether you’re racing 5k or grinding through a mountain ultra, building that top‑end ability makes everything else more achievable.

If you enjoy the episode, it would mean a lot if you could rate the show, share it with a friend, or connect with me on Instagram @davidultrarunner. And if you’re looking for coaching, you can find me over on Team RunRun — I’d love to support your next big goal.

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