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

A Well-Earned Rest (and a Lot of Pizza) Last night, I took the advice of my friend Paul Harris and did something revolutionary: I put my feet up and ate pizza. A full 14-inch pizza, in fact, inhaled at a speed that would make a competitive eater nod approvingly. I can confirm that this was excellent training—though not for running. That said, it seemed to do me some good, as I slept well and woke up feeling refreshed. With Polly’s football not on this morning, I had the rare luxury of a slow start and the freedom to choose an afternoon run. Anaerobic Adventures and an Unexpected Twinge Today's session was an anaerobic workout featuring 10 x 40-second efforts at a pace that could best be described as “uncomfortably enthusiastic.” It was certainly faster than my 5k speed, probably closer to a 1-mile effort—otherwise known as “the pace you regret after 200 metres.” Each burst was followed by a three-minute recovery, during which I permitted myself a little walking to get my heart rate...

The Run That Shall Not Be Named As I mentioned at the end of yesterday’s post, today’s run filled me with nothing short of dread. The infamous double threshold run loomed ahead, and, quite frankly, I wasn’t ready to face it. Threshold runs are already my least favourite—if running sessions were a royal court, the threshold run would be the one lurking in the shadows, grinning with far too many teeth. And yet, my ever-faithful Garmin, in its infinite wisdom, informed me this morning that today’s plan involved not one, but two of these efforts. I simply wasn’t in the mental space to accept this reality. So, I engaged in a well-practised coping mechanism: denial. I ignored it, carried on with my morning, and enjoyed a lovely lunch with Kelly and Emilia. We laughed, we ate and for a blissful while, I pretended my running shoes didn’t exist. But, as with all inevitabilities, I had to face my fate eventually. Into the Fire (Twice!) Knowing that a flat route would give me the best chance o...