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By Coach Nic Baxter | NBx Running Coach It has been exactly one week since I crossed the finish line at the Sydney Opera House. The medal is hung up, the legs feel like legs again, and I have had time to reflect on what this past week has actually looked like, both for me personally, and for what I would recommend to any of you coming off your own big race. Crossing the finish line....!🏃‍♀️❤️😀 Marathon recovery does not end when the race does. In many ways, the week after i

By Coach Nic Baxter | NBx Running Coach What a day! Sydney showed up and did not disappoint. If you've been reading my build up to Sydney, many of you will know that I was having slight issues with an old, recurring hamstring injury. On arrival in Sydney, in the days leading up to the marathon, I ran different parts of the course and completely changed my race day strategy. As this was going to be the first of four marathons in twelve weeks, I made the decision to run smarter

By Coach Nic Baxter | NBx Running Coach Week 9 of my Sydney Marathon training is done. This was the final full training week before race week itself. Mileage continued to drop, effort stayed purposeful, and the reality of race day is now genuinely close enough to feel. THE PLAN With Sydney just around the corner, last week continued the taper progression, with a further reduced volume, a mix of easy running and a few sharper efforts to keep the legs feeling responsive, and an

By Coach Nic Baxter | NBx Running Coach Week 8 of my Sydney Marathon training is done. After two peak weeks and the biggest training volume of this entire block, this week marked the shift from building fitness to protecting it. Here's how the first week of tapering felt. THE PLAN Taper weeks are a deliberate reduction in volume compared to the previous two peak weeks, roughly a 20-25% cut in total mileage, with the long run scaled back significantly and intensity kept light

By Coach Nic Baxter | NBx Running Coach Right now I'm about two weeks out from the Sydney Marathon, just into my own taper. And I can tell you honestly, it feels strange every single time, no matter how many times you've done it before. Your legs feel heavy. Your mileage drops off a cliff. You start wondering if you've somehow lost all the fitness you worked so hard to build. If you're currently tapering for a race, or about to start, I want to walk you through exactly what's

By Coach Nic Baxter | NBx Running Coach Week 7 of my Sydney Marathon training is done, Peak Week 2, the final and biggest push before the taper begins. This was also when NYC Summer Streets happened, which meant one of my longer runs came with closed roads, iconic skylines and my some friends alongside me. THE PLAN The second and final peak week of this training block, designed to squeeze out the last significant training stimulus before easing off for race day. Unlike a typi

By Coach Nic Baxter | NBx Running Coach Week 6 of my Sydney Marathon training is done, and this was Peak Week 1. The highest volume week of the entire training block so far, headlined by a 20 mile long run in the middle of the week. Here's how it went. THE PLAN Peak weeks are exactly what they sound like, the highest mileage and demand of the entire training cycle, designed to push the body to its greatest training stimulus before tapering begins for race day. This is where a

By Coach Nic Baxter | NBx Running Coach Week 5 of my Sydney Marathon training is done. I was back into building mode after Week 4's recovery week, and this week brought one of the more humbling long runs of the block so far. THE PLAN Coming out of a scheduled recovery week, Week 5 stepped volume back up and reintroduced some quality work. The big long run was also moved earlier in the week rather than the usual weekend slot. This was a deliberate choice to get it done and dus

By Coach Nic Baxter | NBx Running Coach If your running has only ever happened on roads and sidewalks, you are missing out on one of the most powerful tools available to improve your running, and your relationship with the sport itself. Trail running isn't just a nice change of scenery. It offers genuine physical and mental benefits that road running simply can't replicate. Here's why I recommend it to almost every athlete I coach, regardless of their goal race. View from Lak

By Coach Nic Baxter | NBx Running Coach Week 4 of my Sydney Marathon training is done. A scheduled recovery week that arrived at exactly the right time. Between wildfire smoke drifting through New Jersey, more high temperatures and still rebuilding my schedule due to injury, this was a week where the training plan's built-in recovery phase turned out to be a genuine blessing rather than just a number on a spreadsheet. THE PLAN Every good marathon training block includes perio

By Coach Nic Baxter | NBx Running Coach Week 3 of my Sydney Marathon training is done, and this was the week that tested something other than my fitness. This week tested my willingness to practice exactly what I preach. THE PLAN Week 3 continued to build on the previous two weeks with increasing volume and a 16 mile long run finally arriving. But partway through the week, an old injury flared up, and I had to make some daily decisions about my training rather than just follo

By Coach Nic Baxter | NBx Running Coach Running is a beautiful journey. It can be full of challenges, triumphs, and personal growth. But if you’re like most people, sometimes it’s tempting to push through every day, thinking more miles always mean more progress. Here’s the truth: rest days are just as important as your training runs. They are the secret ingredient that helps your body heal, your mind recharge, and your performance improve. Let’s dive into why rest days matter

By Coach Nic Baxter | NBx Running Coach Week 2 of my Sydney Marathon training is done, and it was a week that tested everything. Extreme heat, a holiday, a double session on the 4th of July and some of the sweatiest miles I have logged in a while. THE PLAN Week 2 stepped things up. The target mileage increased and this was the week marathon pace work entered the picture for real. With temperatures reaching 100 degrees and a real feel even higher, smart adaptation was just as

By Coach Nic Baxter | NBx Running Coach If you've been following me on Instagram this week, you'll know that something big was launched on Monday. After years of coaching others to finish lines all over the world, I'm bringing you along for every single mile of my Sydney marathon journey, which will end on 30th August. My Road to Sydney. AI image. I'll post a real picture on 30th August! :) Welcome to Week 1 of my Road to Sydney training diary. I'll be posting a weekly recap

By Coach Nic Baxter | NBx Running Coach I want to tell you about a decision I made last weekend. One that felt hard in the moment. And one that turned out to be exactly right. I had signed up for the Lake Placid Half Marathon. I had planned for it, looked forward to it and fully intended to run every one of those 13.1 miles through the beautiful Adirondack mountains. But as race weekend approached I had to be honest with myself. The week leading up to Lake Placid had been hea

By Coach Nic Baxter | NBx Running Coach I'm going to say something that might sound ridiculous......your easy runs are probably too fast. I know — you don't feel like you're pushing. It feels comfortable. It feels like you're barely trying. But if you can't hold a full, flowing conversation without pausing to catch your breath, you are not running easy. And it's costing you more than you realise. This is one of the most common mistakes I see in runners of all levels — and fix

By Coach Nic Baxter | NBx Running Coach Nobody spoke about it. Nobody warned me. And I suspect nobody warned you either. One day you're running the way you've always run — same pace, same effort, same recovery. And then gradually, things start to shift. Your easy pace feels harder than it should. Recovery takes longer. Sleep is disrupted. Your body composition changes despite nothing obvious changing in your diet or training. Some days you feel incredible. Others you feel lik

By Coach Nic Baxter | NBx Running Coach I'll be honest, there are days when running feels amazing. When your legs are light, your breathing is easy and you finish feeling like you could go forever. And then there are the other days. The days when your alarm goes off and every part of you wants to stay in bed. You didn't sleep well or you had a late night. Or it's cold or too humid. This is when that first mile feels like the hardest thing you've ever done. When you wonder why

By Coach Nic Baxter | NBx Running Coach Why didn't I start this sooner? There's a moment that happens to almost every trail runner. You're out in the woods, sunlight filtering through the trees, feet crunching on the path beneath you. Trail running is one of the most rewarding forms of running there is. It's slower, yes. It's harder, sometimes. But it's also more beautiful, more meditative and — surprisingly — easier on your body than pounding the pavement. If you've been cur

By Coach Nic Baxter | NBx Running Coach So you've signed up for your first marathon. Maybe you've been thinking about it for years. Perhaps someone dared you. Maybe you're doing it in memory of a loved one or for a charity close to your heart. Or maybe you just woke up one day and decided — why not? Whatever brought you here, I want you to know this: running a marathon is one of the most transformative things you will ever do. With the right preparation, you can cross that fi