Day 63: Sprint Session in the Cold

The Return of Daylight (Sort Of)

This morning’s run brought with it the reassuring sight of daylight creeping back into the early hours. Setting off just after 6 am in Rochester near The Math School, I was greeted by a sky turning a promising shade of blue. However, while the sun may have been making a grand return, the temperature had clearly missed the memo. With the mercury barely nudging past 1 degree Celsius, it was the sort of cold that made a warm bed seem like the better athlete in this scenario.

Sprints, Slopes, and Strides

The session itself was a tough one: 9 x 10-second sprints, each followed by a 3-minute recovery to ensure that maximal effort could be thrown into every burst of speed. Given that the terrain around The Math School is distinctly lumpy, maintaining a smooth stride was occasionally more of a theoretical exercise than a practical one. A couple of times, I had to make minor adjustments mid-sprint, which my legs have since filed under “things to complain about later.”

Aches, Twinges, and the Inevitable Reckoning

As a result, my lower back, hamstrings, and calves have all formed a small but vociferous union demanding rest, warmth, and possibly a hot bath. Unfortunately, negotiations are likely to be unsuccessful. I’d love a gentle evening and a complete rest day tomorrow, but my training plan says otherwise. With heavy long runs looming over the weekend, it seems my legs will have to accept that democracy is not in operation when it comes to marathon prep.

For now, the only thing left to do is recover, refuel, and remind myself that this is all, in some bizarre and painful way, meant to be enjoyable.