"London Marathon 2025: Getting in Shape Again for the Ultimate Running Challenge!"

 It’s not often I’m up and out before the house has fully stirred during the Easter holidays, but today was one of those rare mornings where the trainers were on, the watch was set and I was out of the door just after 8am. Not quite “heroic effort” territory, but certainly early enough to feel like I’d earned the first cup of coffee before most people had even considered socks. Into the Valley, Again The plan was another 1-hour base run—nothing fancy, just a steady pace, the sort of run that settles into your muscles like an old story: familiar, gently paced, and mostly free of dramatic twists. I didn’t consciously choose the Highsted valley route again, but my legs seem to know where they’re going these days. I suppose that’s what happens when you repeat a path so often—it becomes part of the week’s rhythm, like bins going out or mysteriously disappearing teaspoons. The descent into the valley always brings a shift in mood. The roads give way to lanes, the air smells faintly of...

Saturday dawned, as Saturdays tend to do , with a sense of inevitability and an alarm clock. Polly’s early morning football training was the first appointment of the day and while the action on the pitch was spirited, the weather remained dry and agreeable. No mud, no mess—just the satisfying crunch of boots on grass and the low murmur of parents pretending not to be too competitive. After cheering Polly on, we packed up and made our way home for phase two of the weekend agenda. There was no rest for the weekend warrior though—next came the supermarket gauntlet. Navigating aisles filled with indecisive trolleys and indecisive shoppers, I gathered supplies for the afternoon barbecue. The butchers proved more fruitful: three types of sausage and two types of burger. A fine haul. But first, there was the small matter of a run. Base Miles and Big Hills With the London Marathon just over two weeks away, I’m now into the stage of training where it’s all about consistency, calm pacing and ...