My Road to Sydney - Week 6 Recap

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 all the earlier weeks of base building, recovery and consistency pay off. There are two peak weeks in this plan, and Week 6 was the first.

Total mileage for the week: plan said approximately 52 miles. Actual mileage 61.85 miles.

MONDAY JULY 27 — TRAIL RUNNING & STRENGTH

Monday morning brought a walk followed by a trail run. Average HR 128, max HR 158. Then a full body strength workout in the afternoon. This felt like a good solid effort to open peak week.

TUESDAY JULY 28 — BUILDING VOLUME & CLIENT SESSIONS

Tuesday was mainly client sessions with a 4.5 mile treadmill session squeezed in at the end of the day. All runs were comfortably easy, banking steady miles ahead of the big midweek session tomorrow.

WEDNESDAY JULY 29 — THE LONG RUN

This was the session the entire week was built around. A short easy 3.6 mile run in the morning, and then my 20 mile long run on Wednesday afternoon. Average HR 130, max HR 163. Total daily mileage 23.6 miles.

My own note from the day says it best: "Didn't feel that bad." Twenty miles is no small effort at any point in a training block, and completing it midweek on a July (nearly August) afternoon takes a particular kind of mental focus. But it went well, it was controlled, consistent, and genuinely encouraging heading into the back half of this build.

Thursday evening recovery trail run

THURSDAY JULY 30 — CLIENT SESSIONS & RECOVERY TRAIL MILES

Thursday brought a morning of clients, cryotherapy and then an evening trail run at Jockey Hollow. Cryotherapy is a tool I'm using to help with my injury, and so far, along with the strength training, it is feeling ok. All easy effort runs today as the legs absorbed Wednesday's big session. Getting outside onto trails the day after a 20 miler is exactly the kind of gentle, low-impact recovery that helps the body bounce back.

FRIDAY JULY 31 — A SOLID MIDDLE-DISTANCE RUN & STRENGTH

Friday brought an early morning 6.1 mile run followed by a walk. Average HR 131, a steady, purposeful session with more time spent in the moderate zones than earlier in the week, a sign the legs were working through some accumulated fatigue. Friday afternoon was a 60 minute upper body & core workout.

Friday Morning early miles

SATURDAY AUGUST 1 — CLOSING OUT ON THE TRAILS

Saturday brought a 11 mile run on the Columbia Trail to finish the week. This felt like a strong, controlled effort to close out peak week on the trails, exactly where I feel most at home.

SUNDAY AUGUST 2 — FULL REST

Sunday was a complete rest day. A dog walk and some yard work, with some gentle stretching and nothing more. After the volume this week has demanded, full rest is not optional. It's essential.

WEEK 6 BY THE NUMBERS

Total running miles: approximately 61 miles, the highest volume week of the block so far Sessions completed: Trail runs, treadmill session, and the standout long run. Key session: 20 miles- the longest single run of this training block. Feeling at end of week: Tired, but genuinely proud.

WHAT I LEARNED THIS WEEK

Peak weeks reward the weeks that came before them. The 20 mile long run felt manageable specifically because of the consistent base built across the previous five weeks, including the recovery week and the week I had to scale back due to an old injury.

Nothing this week happened in isolation.

Fatigue accumulates honestly, and that's fine. Friday's run spent more time in moderate heart rate zones than earlier sessions this week, which is a clear, honest signal of accumulated fatigue after the 20 miler. Recognising that pattern rather than fighting it is part of training smart during a peak week.

One more peak week, then taper begins. Knowing there is one more big push before the taper starts is both motivating and a genuine relief. The finish line of this training block, not the race itself, but the hardest training, is finally in sight.

WHAT'S COMING IN WEEK 7

Week 7 is the second and final peak week before tapering begins. Expect similarly high volume, continued attention to recovery, and the satisfaction of knowing that once this week is done, the hardest training is behind me.

3 weeks to Sydney. One more peak week to go. Week 6 done. Peak Week 2 ahead— let's finish strong.

If you are training for a fall marathon and want expert guidance through your own peak weeks and taper — I'd love to help.

Book your free 30-minute intro call at nbx-runningcoach.com

Coach Nic Baxter is an RRCA Level 2 Run Coach and ACE-Certified Personal Trainer based in Morristown, NJ. She is currently training for the Sydney Marathon on 30th August 2026.