Day 51: A Sunday Run Through the Kent Countryside
Today marked Day 51 of my London Marathon 2025 training plan, and it was time for a two-hour long run. As it was a Sunday, I had the rare luxury of a civilised start time—10:15 am—rather than the usual crack-of-dawn madness. The weather was on my side too, a dry February morning that practically invited me to explore the countryside around Sittingbourne. The Road to Milstead (and a Breakfast I Didn't Have) My route began with a steady climb through Highsted valley, leading towards Milstead. It’s the kind of hill that doesn’t look too intimidating until your legs politely suggest otherwise. As I ran through Milstead, the Red Lion pub caught my eye. It was open. It was serving breakfasts. The rich, inviting scent of bacon drifted towards me, whispering all sorts of deliciously bad ideas. But I stayed strong, reminding myself that full English breakfasts and long-distance running are not, in fact, close friends. Milstead, for those unfamiliar, is a picturesque village in the borough o...