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

The Ongoing Battle Against the Sleep Monster Day 11 of training, and the battle against the sleep monster continues! Much like the calamity of Day 10, when my alarm clock was thoroughly ignored, waking up at 5:15 am remains a Herculean task. I suspect my duvet is plotting against me, much like a minor household conspiracy. A Chilly Morning Run Along the River This morning’s run was a 43-minute effort at a standard training pace—a comfortable 30 seconds per kilometre slower than my planned marathon pace. The route wound its way along the Rochester Esplanade, a picturesque stretch following the River Medway. Despite the threat of snow lurking ominously in the forecast, the weather held back, leaving me with a bone-chilling but mercifully dry run. It’s the kind of cold that convinces you your nose has taken up ice sculpture as a hobby. Early Starts and Winter Challenges While the crisp air was invigorating, the real challenge continues to be dragging myself out of bed. Training during the...

It’s Day 10 of my London Marathon 2025 training, and I’ve hit what can only be described as a wall of reality – the sort of wall that doesn’t politely step aside when you approach but stands there smirking, arms crossed, daring you to wake up at 5:15 am. After two blissful weeks of holiday mode – late nights, leisurely mornings, and alarm clocks gathering dust – my body decided to stage a mutiny against the return of discipline. The Alarm That Wasn’t In fact, the mutiny was so effective that I managed to sleep right through my alarm and woke up at the far more civilised hour of 6 am. Clearly, my subconscious had concluded that holiday lie-ins weren’t quite ready to vacate the premises. Still, I’m counting this as a minor victory: I did wake up eventually, and that’s half the battle, right? A Gentle Start Mercifully, the training gods smiled upon me today, serving up a 22-minute recovery run on the schedule. After the shock of returning to early mornings (or not-so-early, in today’s ca...

A night at the opera, a leisurely breakfast, and a long run in the rain — that’s how Day 9 of my London Marathon 2025 training unfolded. Each element brought its own flair and challenges. A Night of High Notes Let’s rewind to Saturday evening when I checked off a major bucket list item: experiencing La Bohème at the Royal Opera House. Thanks to Kelly’s thoughtful planning, I was treated to Puccini’s masterpiece, a spectacle of soaring arias and heart-wrenching drama. It was an evening of pure magic, where the music seemed to hang in the air like a spell — or perhaps like one of those particularly persistent Christmas songs that refuses to leave your head in January. Buffet Bliss and Carb-Loading Sunday morning brought the joys of a hotel breakfast buffet, which, if you ask me, should be classified as an Olympic sport. With marathon training as my excuse, I embraced the concept of carb-loading with a hearty selection: sausages, bacon, hash browns, bagels, and croissants. It was a feast...

A Return to Basics Day 8 of my London Marathon 2025 training, and today was all about getting back to basics after the festive indulgences. On the agenda: a steady 30-minute run to ease back into the rhythm. Nothing fancy, no fireworks, just the kind of run that’s the training equivalent of a warm hug—comforting, reliable, and slightly sweaty. Prepping for Tomorrow’s Challenge This run served as a perfect prelude to tomorrow’s longer effort, which promises to be a bit more demanding. Why? Because tonight, I’ll be indulging in a different kind of performance—an evening at the Royal Opera House to see La Bohème. It’s my final celebratory hurrah of the Christmas holidays before returning to work, and let’s face it, running a marathon may be epic, but Puccini’s high notes can make even a sprint finish look like a casual jog. Flexibility in Training Plans Fitting tomorrow’s long run into the schedule might require some tactical maneuvering. After all, staying overnight in London doesn’t exa...

A Double Dose of Recovery Day 7 of my London Marathon 2025 training, and it’s officially the week of the recovery run! Two in a row might sound odd to some, but after yesterday’s short effort, my body practically sent me a thank-you card for the extra easy day. DIY Workout: Fence-Fixing Today’s “exercise” actually had a bit of a DIY twist. I spent a good chunk of the day helping my Dad with some serious garden fence repairs. Imagine, if you will, a battle not just of man versus nature, but man versus warped, splintered wood that clearly had a mind of its own. And to make it even more delightful, the temperature seemed determined to join the challenge, dropping to the kind of cold that makes your breath visible and your fingers question their life choices. With numb hands and a chill that crept up sleeves and down collars, we hammered, lifted, and wrestled stubborn planks into submission. By the time we were finished, we were shivering but triumphant, and the fence now stands as a monum...

Day 6 of my London Marathon 2025 training, and my legs were politely but firmly asking for a break after yesterday's New Year's Day Parkrun. Today, the plan called for a recovery run—a gentle 18-minute jog that might not sound like much, but trust me, it’s an unsung hero of marathon training. Why Recovery Runs Matter It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking every run needs to be a Herculean effort. More miles, faster times, right? Wrong. If marathon training were a novel, recovery runs would be the quiet chapters that make the big climaxes possible. Recovery runs are designed to: Increase blood flow , which helps flush out waste products like lactic acid that build up during intense workouts. Think of it as your muscles’ version of a spa day. Support muscle repair and rebuilding , reducing soreness and preventing those dreaded injuries that could sideline your training. The Long-Term Benefits While recovery runs may seem like the tortoise to the training plan’s hare, they pl...

Starting the Year with Determination Happy New Year everyone! Day 5 of my London Marathon 2025 training, and I kicked off the year with the New Year's Day Sittingbourne Parkrun. Despite a late night celebrating New Year's Eve, I managed to drag myself out of bed, even convincing Emilia to join me. She wasn’t overly enthusiastic about leaving the warmth of her blanket cocoon, but she rallied and came along. Battling the Elements The weather wasn’t exactly ideal—wet and windy—but we braved the elements and completed the 5k. There was a particularly challenging section where we had to run directly into the wind. It felt less like running and more like negotiating terms with a particularly stubborn donkey: exhausting and occasionally futile. Combined with my post New Year's Eve celebration fatigue, it made for a tough run, but a good reminder that even short runs can challenge you in unexpected ways. Consistency, as they say, is the key to unlocking progress… or at least the ke...

An Early Start for a Big Challenge Day 4 of my London Marathon 2025 training, and here I am, braving the unholy hour of 6:30 am on New Year's Eve for a session of anaerobic intervals. It’s a bit like starting a diet at a buffet—ambitious and faintly ridiculous, but you press on anyway. The Workout: Intervals That Test Your Limits After a 15-minute warm-up that mostly involved trying to convince my legs they weren’t still in bed, I launched into the main workout: 5 intervals of 40 seconds running hard at a 4:10 min/km pace. Between these sprints, I took 3-minute recovery periods, walking until my heart rate settled down to something vaguely human before easing into a gentle jog. The Science of Anaerobic Training For those unfamiliar, anaerobic exercise is essentially the art of asking your body to produce energy without enough oxygen, relying on the lactic acid system instead. This works by burning carbohydrates in a way that, while efficient, leaves your muscles with that delightfu...

Day 3 of my London Marathon 2025 training, and my body is already hinting—with all the subtlety of a hippo attempting ballet—that a rest day might be a good idea. It’s surprising how quickly those aches and twinges make themselves known, even at this early stage. It’s a good reminder that rest is just as crucial as the miles you’re clocking, especially when you’re gradually increasing the demands on your body. After all, you wouldn’t expect a vintage car to perform at its best without regular tune-ups, would you? And now, some rather exciting news: my place in the London Marathon 2025 is officially confirmed! While the public ballot didn’t favor me this year, I’m fortunate to work at a school that receives a guaranteed entry. This is thanks to the hard work of our staff and students, who volunteer their time on race day at the event’s bag drop. They’ll be responsible for ensuring thousands of runners’ belongings are safely stored and retrieved—a task that likely requires the organisati...

Day 2 of my London Marathon 2025 training, and it already feels like I'm building a bridge between my past running experiences and the ambitious goals I've set for myself this year. Today's run was a short but significant one – a 3-mile loop starting from home that took me along a section of the Swale Way. This path is an interesting juxtaposition of nature and industry. As I ran across the bridge towards Kemsley, with the wind whipping at my face, I paused to capture the moment. The selfie, with my tired looking face and slightly numb fingers, might not be the most picturesque , showing the meeting point of the Swale and the industrial landscape of the Eurolink Industrial Estate and the Kemsley Paper Mill. But it's a powerful reminder of the journey itself – the grit, the determination, and the less-than-glamorous moments that make up the bigger picture. This run, like the photo, reflects the ethos of my training approach this time around: steady, consistent progress. ...

Hello and welcome to my London Marathon 2025 training blog! I can't believe it's already time to start thinking about the iconic 26.2 miles again, but here we are! On Sunday 27th April 2025 , I'll be joining thousands of other runners in Greenwich, ready to take on the challenge of the London Marathon. This will be my third time running London. I completed it in 2019 and again in 2023, documenting the latter journey on this very blog. I like to write about it as sharing my experiences helps provide me with the motivation to get out there and follow my training program every day. This time around, I'm aiming to draw on those past experiences, push myself further, and hopefully smash a new personal best! Reflecting on Past Experiences One thing I learned from my previous marathons, especially the 2023 one, is the importance of consistency and pacing myself. Just like in 2023, I'll be posting regular updates on this blog. This will help hold me accountable and hopeful...

  Today was the day - race day! The culmination of 16 weeks of training ended with the London Marathon today! It was an early start to get the train from Sittingbourne to Greenwich to reach the start line. The weather was particularly bad when I got there as it really started to rain quite heavily. But that didn't stop us getting to the start line and commencing the long 26.2 mile run to the finish. As I approached the starting line, my heart was racing with anticipation. The energy of the crowd was electric, and the sound of the starting gun was deafening. I started off at a steady pace, trying not to get caught up in the excitement of the moment. I knew that I had to pace myself if I wanted to finish strong. The first few miles went by quickly, and I was feeling good. My friend Paul Harris was standing in the middle of the road shouting my name at around mile 5, which was a great boost. The route then took me round the Cutty Sark, which had crowds that were around 10 deep in plac...

This is it! One day to go until the big race day. Tomorrow morning I will be at the start line in Greenwich to kick off the 26.2 mile run. In fact, it is crazy to think that after these 16 weeks of training, this time tomorrow, I will have already crossed the finish line and be back home! It's been an incredible journey, and I can't believe it's almost over. As I sit here on the eve of the London Marathon 2023, I can't help but reflect on the past few months of training. It has been a tough journey with some ups and downs, but overall, I am extremely proud of myself for sticking with it. When I compare how I feel now with how I felt 4 years ago (when I last completed the London Marathon), my training this time has been so much better, and I have kept up with it too. I have learned so much about myself during this training period. I've learned that I am capable of pushing myself to new limits and that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to. I've also learned ...

  Happy birthday to me and welcome to day 110 of my London Marathon 2023 training blog! Today has been an incredible day filled with love, laughter, and of course, running. I started the day with a nice and easy 30 minute run to shake off the cobwebs from my now 37 year old body. It felt great to start the day with a little bit of exercise, and it really set the tone for the rest of the day. After my run, I headed off to work and powered through my day. I must admit that my mind was constantly drifting towards the upcoming marathon, but I managed to stay focused and productive. The excitement and anticipation of the race is definitely starting to build as the big day draws nearer. But, the real celebration began when I got home. Kelly and our three girls had planned a wonderful pizza party for me, complete with all of my favorite toppings. It was so nice to kick back and relax with my loved ones and enjoy some delicious food. And what's a birthday celebration without a little bit o...

  Today was an exciting day as I went to collect my race number at the ExCel Centre. As Thursday was expected to be less busy, I decided to take myself up to the ExCel via the cable car from the O2 - and it was a great decision! When I arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't busy at all. I sailed through the collection process and soon had my race number in hand. The organisation was fantastic, and I navigated my way through the trade show with ease. As I walked around the trade show, I was amazed at the variety of products and services on offer. There were stands selling everything from high-tech running shoes to energy gels to recovery products. It was clear that the running community is well-catered for, and I made a mental note to try out some of the products once the race was over. After finishing up at the ExCel, I headed back home via the cable car again. It was such a great experience that I couldn't resist taking it twice! The views from the cable ca...

  Welcome back to my London Marathon 2023 training blog! Today is day 108 out of 112, which means that there are only four days left until the big day. It's hard to believe that the end of my training is almost here, but I am feeling confident and ready to take on the challenge. This morning, I went for a short intervals run in Rochester. The session consisted of 2 x 5 minute efforts in heart rate zone 4 with a 1 minute rest in between. Including the warm-up and cool-down, the entire run was under 30 minutes, which was perfect for a tapering session. It felt great to get out and stretch my legs, and the intervals helped me to maintain my speed and intensity. Overall, my training has gone to plan so far, and I am feeling good about my progress. However, I have been experiencing some difficulty with sleep lately. My Garmin watch has told me for three days in a row that my sleep quality has not been the best. While there doesn't seem to be a specific reason for this, I know that g...

  Welcome back to day 107 of my London Marathon 2023 training blog! As you know, I am now in the final stages of my marathon preparation, and today was a training day with a difference. Instead of running, I opted for something completely different - walking! I was fortunate enough to be on a school trip to the Houses of Parliament today. This is something that I have been wanting to do for years, and when the opportunity arose, I jumped at the chance. As I live outside of London, travelling to the capital by train was necessary, which meant a significant amount of walking was involved. So instead of my usual run, I set myself a goal of achieving 17,000 steps throughout the day. The walk was a refreshing change from my regular running routine, and it allowed me to explore the city on foot, taking in all the sights and sounds of the bustling metropolis. As I strolled through the city, I was filled with excitement and anticipation for the big race day on Sunday. The realisation that ...