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With the Great North Run just over three months away, we approach the part of the training phase which really ought to be taken seriously.

It's easy isn't it, to let the odd day (or, say it in hushed tones, week!) slide by with minimal input on the training front, but as race day gets ever closer, so too does that daunting, unsettling feeling in the pit of the stomach regarding the levels of preparation.

Am I doing enough? Are we on course? Is all of this going to translate into an accomplished run once the (hopefully) bright and not too breezy day in September rolls around? These are all the questions we ask ourselves, on a weekly basis.

Express Sport is diving straight into both the Great North Run and then the Manchester Half Marathon just weeks later, and so the training diary series are back in full flow as time is of the essence and personal bests are, very hopefully, set to be broken.

The mid-year grind

Training for big races that fall into the autum and winter months is always an interesting one. The temptation remains sky-high to only entertain small runs and menial outings in the early months, while making a silent promise to yourself that the real business will begin as the warm weather creeps in.

Thankfully, we've done things properly this time around. Everyone should have a goal in mind when preparing for a race, regardless of experience, ability or current fitness levels.

It could be to simply finish a race and feel good in yourself in doing so, or at the very opposite end of the scale it may be to complete a race to such a level that an exemption invite, based on age bracket, into future events is achieved.

This year we're setting out to get as close as possible to the daunting 1 hour 30 minute mark in the half marathon distance, which requires the shaving off of around six minutes from the offerings in 2024. It's no simple task, but it remains plausibly achievable.

Training switch-ups

Currently the training phases comprise blocks of low intensity long runs, set at conversational pace, along with tempo shake-outs and lactate threshold runs for durations of around 40 minutes or more.

Keeping these outings turning over in a tidy frequency, per week, is key to not only improving fitness but maintaining and building a consistent base.

No training is linear, and we certainly don't each feel fit, firing and ready to go at any given time. Things invariably get in the way; spells of sickness, family situations, constant work deadlines. Training will at times have to take a back seat, meaning it's vital to keep the overall base of fitness solid in the months leading up to the race.

Should you have to take a week or two off and the running shoes begin to collect a film of dust by the back door, fear not, a steady pre-built base will allow you to get back on track to some reasonable degree once things resume.

Locations are always something worth bearing in mind, and often go overlooked. Most of us have our usual running routes; a little cut around the back of the house perhaps and linking on down through to a nearby park of green area.

Consistent, easily reliable routes are great, but ensuring they are shaken up here and there can provide the perfect tonic for both re-challenging the body with different terrains, or adding a contrasting element of increased incline or undulation. To keep things sharp in this regard, training in the last month has switched in and out between my go-to reliable every day route, along with trips to a nearby reservoir and also a local running track.

Diet and supplementation

This is a big one, a really big one.

No matter what your goals and objectives are with your upcoming race, however lofty or menial - diet and supplementation has to be taken seriously. It can be the difference between an effective training hour, or a total write-off of a day.

In order to keep on top of things and push hard for a personal record improvement from last year's racing schedule, Express Sport has been using the following items and seeing huge improvements as a result.

Herbtender - Perform & Recover

During the training blocks of previous races in the last calendar year, supplementation primarily included the usual basics; protein powders, creatine and energy gels. This time around, something much more organic and natural was needed, and this is where have come in.

Free from additives, fillers and unnecessary ingredients, getting a daily pep up from Perform & Recover has played a big role so far in feeling replenished for the day ahead, while also meaning the edge is taken off the soreness from the previous day's pavement-pounding labour.

After regular consumption the daily benefits of Herbtender have been lifting, and also helped to create a balance of consistency and repeatable recovery. Mornings feel a little less intense, and muscles a measure more supple; something that always bodes well when chasing personal best times that occurred some years ago.

Ainslie + Ainslie NIGHT POWER

Of all products, this one has been the game-changer. We've all heard the wise old tales that cracking the perfect sleep formula makes way for improvements in all areas of sporting performance.

It's true, of course; sleep is the very human, very natural and very much unrivalled process of pure rehabilitation after exertion. But achieving perfect, or as near to perfect as possible, sleep is easier said than done.

Each evening, a scoop of mixed into water and given a quick shake, around an hour before bedtime, has made for marked improvements. Measurable sleep score - via a Garmin trackable - has both rocketed up and held steady.

Most importantly however has been the enhancements made to HRV (heart rate variability) during periods of heavy training and life stresses. Previously, this was incredibly difficult to maintain in the 'balanced' green zone, but restful sleeping courtesy of NIGHT POWDER has quickly made this a thing of the recent past and brought things under control.

Devised by decorated Olympian and sailing athlete Sir Ben Ainslie along with his wife Georgie, NIGHT POWDER sets its stall out early and states that it is designed for elite athletes, but intended for everyone.

The modus operandi is to help users recalibrate the circadian rhythms, in order to achieve rest and continuously deliver peak performance. Packed with a host of high quality ingredients to defend the body's cells from oxidative stress, taking this supplement has especially helped in making morning shake-outs and early runs all that more bearable - and also highly productive.

The sharp but sweet taste of the tart cherry always goes down well of an evening, and will be used right up until race day and beyond.

Kudu collagen protein

Looking to get regular installments of high quality protein into the system throughout the day and, importantly, at ease, was a high priority.

Cheffing up an entire meal of lean protein offerings is clearly not always an option, but a training body is one that needs fuelling and - spoiler alert - it doesn't care for your excuses.

Using has offered a new dimension to the supplementation, with sour cherry, orange and peach flavours offering a tasty dash of zest to the daily palate.

Collagen protein, unlike other protein sources, gives the added benefit of targeting muscles, joints, bones, hair and skin. It feels like a comforting squeeze of wellness in a sachet, and tastes equally as good either during breakfast or as a sharp afternoon snack. With 20g of protein per sachet, along with zero sugar and just 85 calories, there is a lot to love.

Equipment

While the training comes thick and fast and the practice events are sandwiched in, it is also imperative to ensure the right kit and equipment for the task in hand is being used.

Picking up from last year's Manchester marathon, in which the Adidas Adizero 2 was the footwear of choice, this year we stick with the famous three stripes and the new iteration of the silhouette; the Adizero Adios Pro 4.

Used in tandem with the Adizero Evo SL, which do a sterling job for longer and more impact-intense runs, the high level footwear range brings with it a sense of reassurance and encouragement that the tools for the job are very much playing their part.

A very pressing issue heading into the training block, however, came in the form of a nagging and persistent injury of the shins and ankle.

Though undiagnosed by a medical professional, all the hallmarks of shin splints were apparent as the early months of 2025 rolled by. As a result of the prolonged dull, aching pain, runs of any exertion (and particularly those following an uphill route) had to be instantly and unceremoniously parked.

This, of course, is not conducive to getting the hard yards done. And so, in what felt like blind hope to remedy the situation, solace was sought - and very much found - in the form of .

The product is gaining some serious traction in running circles now, and can be seen often tested on social media. The performance insoles slip into all running shoe types effortlessly, and make for seamless training straight away with a huge 89 percent more shock absorption promised.

And, it's safe to say, such promises are delivered. After being plagued with dull, throbbing pains running down the shin-bone for several months, and having to scale down all runs as a result, it made a world of difference to be back out and cranking up the mileage while feeling less physical stress bubbling in the lower part of the legs.

has been making for much easier outings, both for long runs and during short-burst anaerobic sprint sessions. The key component being the PX1 tech within, which transmits impact forces horizontally through the insole and reduces shockwaves sent back up through the leg as a result.

The AJ Bell Great North Run is taking place on Sunday September 7th, all

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