As I’ve covered in past posts, despite my almost relentless focus on pushing myself physically, I’ve never really given rest and recovery the same level of attention. More so recently though, I’ve acknowledged that I can’t keep punishing my body without giving it the rest, recovery, and recuperation it needs.

One of the areas I’ve consistently overlooked as part of my training regime is stretching and recovery. I often stretch at the start and end of training sessions and long runs, especially stretching my lower half. The reality, however, is that I’ve been putting my body under immense stress for years without giving it the proper recovery or stretching it not just deserves but craves.

For nearly two decades now, running has been part of my daily routine. When I moved to London in my early twenties, I swapped the commute in a crowded tube for running to the office and pretty much never looked back.

When it comes to fitness and physical challenges, my general approach is simple: it’s me versus me. Of course, there are other participants, however as I'm not a fitness professional, I don't necessarily expect to finish top of the pile against trained athletes. What I do expect is that I’ll push myself to my personal limits and leave it all on the track or in the arena.