Day 47: Threshold Torture and a Well-Earned Treat
A 5 AM Start and a Dreaded Run As promised, the 5 am alarm meant I was up and out early, travelling to work in Rochester before embarking on today's threshold run. These sessions are fast becoming my least favourite, sitting somewhere between dental surgery and attempting to fold a fitted sheet on the scale of enjoyable experiences. Today’s ordeal consisted of a 17-minute hard effort, maintaining a heart rate of around 165 bpm—a challenge that never fails to make me question my life choices. The cold weather certainly didn't help. My body, quite sensibly, did not want to get moving, but needs must. The first downhill section was where I noticed my improved fitness from the last six weeks. I wasn’t working as hard as I used to on the descent, which was a clear sign of progress—but also meant I had to adapt my route to make sure I hit the right effort level. Enter Maidstone Road, with its reliable uphill section towards The Math School. This, predictably, did the trick. My heart ...