Monte Gordo, close to Faro Airport  |  9 to 17 January 2027

ITINERARY

Times are a guide and may shift with the weather, the group and the occasional extra coffee. Times in Portugal are local (WET). Spain is one hour ahead, and we'll remind you about that on our Seville and Ayamonte trips.

Day 1, Saturday 9 January: Arrival & Welcome

• Daytime: Arrive at Faro Airport. Monte Gordo is roughly 45 to 50 minutes' drive east along the A22.
• Afternoon: Check in at your 4-star accommodation, just a 2-minute walk from the beach. Unpack, stretch your legs and get your first look at the long golden beach.
• 3:45pm · Optional shakeout run (20 to 30 min, very easy): A relaxed jog along the Monte Gordo seafront and into the edge of the pine forest. It's ideal for flushing out the flight.
• 6:30pm · Welcome briefing: Meet the group and the coaching team. We'll walk through the week and talk about your goals. Please bring your current training load and any niggles so we can tailor your sessions.
• 7:30pm · Welcome dinner: Our first meal together, with plenty of fresh Algarve seafood and great conversation.

Day 2, Sunday 10 January: Into the Pines

• 8:30am · Easy trail run + strides (40 to 70 min, your choice): We'll explore the soft, flat trails of the Mata Nacional das Dunas Litorais, the coastal pine forest between Monte Gordo and Vila Real de Santo António. Then we finish with 6 x 20-second relaxed strides to wake up the legs.
• 10:00am · Breakfast
• 11:15am · Education session: Training Theory 101: How aerobic fitness is actually built. We'll cover intensity zones, the 80/20 principle, easy-day discipline and how to use heart rate, pace and feel together.
• Afternoon · Optional excursion: Castro Marim (about 10 min drive): Wander up to the medieval castle for sweeping views across the Guadiana to Spain. Then walk or jog easily along the salt-marsh trails of the Reserva Natural do Sapal de Castro Marim, where flamingos are often seen in winter. Prefer to stay put? The beach is yours.
• 4:00pm · Mobility & strength fundamentals (30 min): Your simple daily routine for the week.
• Evening: Dinner together.

Day 3, Monday 11 January: Threshold Day

• 8:30am · Key session: Threshold: First we warm up through the pines. Then the main set runs on the flat, sheltered forest road between Monte Gordo and Vila Real de Santo António, for example 5 x 6 min at threshold with 60 sec jog recoveries, adjusted to your level. You'll learn exactly what "comfortably hard" should feel like.
• 10:15am · Breakfast
• 11:30am · Education session: Threshold Training Decoded: Why threshold work is the engine room of distance running. We'll look at lactate, sessions that work for marathoners and 5 km runners alike, the "double threshold" trend and how to control your effort so you don't overcook it.
• Afternoon · Optional excursion: Tavira (about 20 min drive): One of the Algarve's prettiest towns. Stroll the historic centre, the castle gardens and the riverfront, then stop for coffee on the main square.
• 4:00pm · Optional recovery jog (20 to 30 min) or mobility session: Choose whichever your legs prefer.
• Evening: Dinner together.

Day 4, Tuesday 12 January: Seville Day (or Stay & Recharge)

Option A: Day trip to Seville, Spain (optional)

• 7:20am · Optional first-light shakeout (20 to 30 min, easy): A short loop along the promenade before we leave.
• 8:30am · Depart Monte Gordo: It's about 1 hour 30 to 45 minutes by road (roughly 150 km) across the Guadiana into Andalucía. Remember that clocks jump forward an hour as we cross into Spain.
• About 11:15am (Spain time) · Explore Seville: Choose your own adventure: the cathedral and the Giralda, the Real Alcázar, the tiled curves of Plaza de España, and the lanes of the Santa Cruz quarter. Long tapas lunches are strongly encouraged, and this is an easy day for the legs.
• About 6:00pm (Spain time) · Head home: You'll be back in Monte Gordo around 7:00pm local time.
• 8:00pm · Relaxed dinner

Option B: Stay in Monte Gordo

• 8:30am · Easy run (30 to 60 min): Beach or forest trails at a truly conversational pace.
• 10:00am · Breakfast
• Late morning: Beach, book, laptop or massage.
• 3:30pm · Coach's Corner (optional): An informal Q&A and running-form check, followed by a 30-minute strength and mobility session.
• Evening: Dinner together, or join the Seville crew when they get back.

Day 5, Wednesday 13 January: Track Day

• 8:30am · Key session: Track: We jog about 3 to 4 km through the forest to the Complexo Desportivo de Vila Real de Santo António, a recognised high-performance training centre with an 8-lane, 400 m synthetic track that was fully resurfaced in 2024. After drills and strides, we'll run a session such as 6 to 8 x 800 m or 1 km reps with short recoveries, with paces set individually. Then a cool-down jog home through the pines. This is the same track that international squads use for their winter training camps.
• 10:30am · Breakfast
• 11:45am · Education session: Periodisation: Planning Your Season: How to structure base, build, peak and taper. We'll cover how to fit hard sessions around real life, and you'll leave with a draft outline of your next training block.
• Afternoon · Optional excursion: Ferry to Ayamonte, Spain: Hop on the small ferry at Vila Real de Santo António. The 15-minute crossing of the Guadiana takes you into Spain, where you can wander Ayamonte's plazas and enjoy a late tapas lunch before crossing back. (Spain is an hour ahead, so watch the clock for the return ferry.)
• 4:00pm · Optional recovery jog (20 min) + stretch, or beach time
• Evening: Dinner together.

Day 6, Thursday 14 January: Guadiana Trail Adventure

• 7:45am · Light breakfast
• 8:30am · Depart for Alcoutim (about 50 min drive): This sleepy whitewashed village sits on the Guadiana River, facing Sanlúcar de Guadiana in Spain across the water. It's also the starting point of the Via Algarviana, the long-distance trail that crosses the Algarve.
• 9:30am · Trail run (60 to 90 min, easy to steady): Rolling hill tracks and river views on the opening stretch of the Via Algarviana. Today is about time on feet and enjoying the scenery, not pace. Walking the climbs is completely fine, and shorter and longer options are available.
• 11:30am · Riverside brunch in Alcoutim
• About 1:30pm · Return to Monte Gordo: The afternoon is free for the beach or a nap.
• 4:00pm · Education session: Injury Prevention & Strength for Runners: The most common running injuries, managing training load, early warning signs, and the handful of strength exercises that matter most. A practical strength session follows straight after, so you'll leave with a routine to take home.
• Evening: Dinner together.

Day 7, Friday 15 January: Fuel & Recover

• 8:30am · Recovery run (30 to 50 min, easy) + drills: We go gently along the seafront and forest, then finish with a short running-form drills session.
• 10:00am · Breakfast
• 11:00am · Nutrition workshop: Fuel Like You Mean It: Daily fuelling for training, carbohydrate periodisation, recovery nutrition, gut training, gels and fluids, and a practical race-week and race-morning plan. We'll also cover how to fuel tomorrow's long run.
• Afternoon · Optional excursion: Faro & Olhão / Ria Formosa (about 40 to 50 min drive): Explore Faro's walled old town and cathedral, then visit Olhão's waterfront markets and the lagoon and island landscapes of the Ria Formosa Natural Park. A boat out to the barrier islands is possible, weather permitting.
• Or stay back: Have a full beach afternoon. This is the perfect day to do absolutely nothing.
• Evening · Pre-long-run dinner: A chance to practise the carb-focused fuelling we covered in the workshop.

Day 8, Saturday 16 January: Long Run & Farewell

• 8:15am · Key session: Long run (choose your distance, roughly 14 to 30 km): A flat, scenic route heading west from Monte Gordo through the pines and along the coast towards Manta Rota and the clifftop village of Cacela Velha, overlooking the Ria Formosa. You'll practise race-day fuelling, and experienced runners can add progression or marathon-pace segments.
• 11:00am · Big recovery breakfast
• 12:15pm · Education session: Race Strategy & Mindset: Pacing plans, the danger of going out too fast, how to handle the tough moments, mental skills and self-talk, and how to turn this week into your best race of 2027.
• Afternoon · Beach & recovery: Put your feet up, go for a cold-water dip if you dare, and do some gentle mobility. If you'd like a final Algarve sunset (around 5:35pm), Cacela Velha is a magical place to watch it.
• 7:30pm · Farewell dinner: We celebrate the week's work and share plenty of stories.

Day 9, Sunday 17 January: Final Group Run & Departures

• 9:00am · Fun final group run: the Monte Gordo Social 5 km (parkrun-style): A relaxed, flat 5 km along the seafront and forest. You can run it, jog it or chat your way through it. Easy pace, no pressure and lots of high-fives.
• 9:45am · Coffee & pastéis de nata: We'll toast the week and take the group photo.
• 10:30am · Brunch & farewells
• From late morning · Departures: Head off to Faro Airport, which is about 45 to 50 minutes away.

IMPORTANT NOTES

• Every session and day trip is optional, so you can tailor the week to your goals and energy.
• Sessions are adapted to all levels, from first-time 10 km runners to experienced marathoners.
• January in the Algarve is mild and sunny, but bring layers for cool mornings.
• Spaces are limited to keep the group small and the coaching personal.

Nine days of sunshine, smart training and great people. We'd love to see you in Monte Gordo.