Project 20 - chasing the sub 20 5k parkrun

The Catch Me Up Episode

This episode is a full catch-up on everything that’s been happening behind the scenes. From hitting sub-20 five weeks in a row, to PB’ing across multiple distances, to p

Project 20 - Season 1 Finale | The Shoe Came Off... Literally

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 f

Project 20 - Week 27 Update | Doubts, Determination, and the Final Push

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 re

Project 20 - Weekly Update | Stiff, Sore, and Sorry (But New Shoes!)

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. Fr

Project 20 - Week 25 Update | Mixed Results but Staying Determined

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

Project 20 - Week 24 Update | Time Trial Reflections and Next Steps

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 se

Project 20 - Week 23 Update | Best Track Session Yet and New Sub-20 Timeline

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

Project 20 - Week 22 Update | Over Time and Nearly Back on Track

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 “no

Project 20 - Week 21 Update | Lingering COVID Fatigue and Pushing Through

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

Project 20 - Week 20 Update | Lingering Fatigue and Reassessing the Goal

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 th

Project 20 - Week 19 Update | Rest, Recovery, and Ready to Resume Training

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 trai

Project 20 - Week 18 Update | Adjusting the Goal After COVID

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-mi

Project 20 - Week 17 Update | COVID Strikes Mid-Training

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 wa

Project 20 - Week 16 Update | New PB and Final Push for Sub 20 Minute 5K!

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 pre

Project 20 - Week 15 Update | From Slow Start to Personal Bests!

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,

Project 20 - Week 14 Update | Feeling Faster and Pushing Through the Hard Sessions

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 p

Project 20 - Week 13 Update | Confidence Boost and Running with Zeke 🐾

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 j

Project 20 - Week 12 Update | Time Trial Reflections on the Road to a Sub 20 Minute 5K Parkrun

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

Project 20 - Week 11 Update | Managing Cumulative Fatigue in My Journey to a Sub 20 Minute 5K Parkrun

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 cat

Project 20 - Week 10 Update | Halfway Point of My Journey to a Sub 20 Minute 5K Parkrun

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 be