It’s the 10th December and for the second year running I’m doing the “advent accumulator” - the premise is simple, run the number of kilometres of the day of the month up until Christmas Eve. It’s a bit of fun as a concept, but it’s harder than you think.

Strava was once celebrated as the epitome of a community-centered app. It wasn’t just about tracking runs or rides; it was about connection - a digital space where athletes of all levels came together to celebrate, compete and share. But as Strava matures into a corporate behemoth, the very community it fostered now finds itself questioning whether the platform is shifting away from its roots.

I met Fletch in Farnham, where the OneTrack Running HQ is, a small studio office and gym. The gym is kitted out with a a state-of-the-art running machine (obvs) and a rather serious looking squat rack, alongside a splattering of extras. It’s not a gym for workouts, one for assessments. Next to the running machine a sharps bit for all those lactate testing ear prick lances and a few gadgets lying about.

It’s Thursday, I ran this morning only about 6km, I had managed a similar distance yesterday. I’m recovering and not in as much pain today as yesterday, and certainly not as bad at before.