Lost and Found: My Day 25 Fartlek Adventure in Rochester

 Today marked the return of fartlek running to my London Marathon 2023 training plan. For those of you who are unfamiliar, fartlek running is a type of training that involves alternating periods of fast and slow running. Essentially, it's like playing a game of tag with yourself, where the "it" person is your own personal best time.

I set out for a 45-minute effort around Rochester, but with the added challenge of it being dark outside. I thought I had planned my route perfectly, mapping out a course that would bring me back to my school just in time for my morning work routine. However, as fate would have it, I took a couple of wrong turns and ended up in a part of Rochester that I didn't even know existed.

It was a strange experience, running through a park on a steep grassy bank in the dark. I felt like I was in some sort of adventure movie, where the protagonist gets lost in the wilderness and has to fend off wild animals and other dangers. But alas, there were no wild animals or dangers to be found, just a lone dog walker who gave me a confused look as I ran past. Despite my brief detour, I managed to make it back in around 50 minutes, which didn't affect my morning work routine too much.

In all seriousness, though, it was a valuable reminder that even the best-laid plans can go awry. And that's okay. Sometimes we need to get lost in order to find ourselves again. And in this case, I found my way back to my school, and maybe even a bit more of Rochester than I knew before. So, here's to embracing the unknown and making the most of every training session, no matter how lost we may get.