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

The Art of Suffering Before Sunrise Another early start saw me up at 5 am, lacing up my trainers in the kind of darkness that suggests even the sun has better things to do. Rochester awaited, and after yesterday’s much-needed rest day, today’s session called for a 19-minute hard effort at a heart rate of around 165 bpm. Nothing quite says “good morning” like willingly launching yourself into oxygen debt before most people have found their slippers. A Lesson in Fuelling (or, How to Avoid Running on Empty) Threshold runs are designed to test both physical endurance and mental fortitude, a bit like arguing with a particularly stubborn parrot. Lately, I’ve found these morning sessions a struggle, my energy levels suspiciously similar to those of an old mobile phone—full charge at bedtime, mysteriously down to 2% by morning. In an effort to combat this, I tried taking an energy gel just before the run. The result? A slight improvement, but it became clear that my timing was off. The gel’s b...

A Rocky Start Today began with all the grace of a giraffe on roller skates. Sleep and I were not on speaking terms last night, thanks to an ill-advised Dr Pepper at Five Guys. Caffeine and I have an understanding—specifically, that I should avoid it after midday unless I want to spend the night engaging in a staring contest with the ceiling. Every half hour, I was jolted awake, as though my body had a secret agreement to check if the alarm had gone off yet. When it finally did—at 5am—it was, unsurprisingly, unwelcome. Dragging myself out of bed, I got ready for my planned morning run in Rochester, only to be met with weather that could best be described as ‘atmospheric catastrophe.’ Running in the rain is one thing, but running in whatever that was felt like a direct challenge from the universe. Begrudgingly, I postponed my run until after work—something I rarely enjoy but had to accept, as I reminded myself that back in 2019, nearly all my marathon training happened after work. The Th...

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 ...

The Luxury of a Saturday Run One of the true joys of marathon training falling on a Saturday is the chance to start later in the day. With no early alarms or work commitments to navigate, I was able to lace up my trainers after 11am—my favourite time to run. A proper night's sleep, a good meal and the daylight hours all make for the perfect combination. It’s a far cry from those early weekday runs, like the misty morning over the Medway Bridge a couple of days ago, where just keeping moving felt like an achievement. The Perils of Pizza and an Anaerobic Session Today's session, however, was never going to be an easy one. An anaerobic workout was on the cards, and I didn’t do myself any favours with last night’s choice of pizza. While carb-heavy, it always seems to leave me with a sluggish, food-hangover feeling the next day. I knew from the start this one was going to be a battle. The plan: a 15-minute warm-up followed by 7x1-minute hard efforts at around 4:30 min/km pace—far fa...

A Fine Line Between Pushing and Listening Day 34 of London Marathon 2025 training, and after yesterday’s tough session, today’s run always had the potential to be more of a battle than a breeze. I set out once again from The Math School, this time crossing the M2 Medway Bridge and venturing into Strood. On paper, it was meant to be a base run—steady, controlled, nothing too strenuous. In reality, my legs were voicing a rather strong opinion about the previous day’s exertions. The trouble with training is that improvement often masquerades as exhaustion, and knowing whether to push on or ease up requires the wisdom of a seasoned athlete or at least the common sense not to ignore your own knees when they start issuing threats. Twenty minutes in, I was already feeling the strain, making today’s run less about speed and more about persistence. No Turning Back Now Thankfully, my route choice was inspired—or at least, effectively limiting. Once I’d started, there was no real option but to co...