fairweatherrunner

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Tag Archives: London


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City Jogging Tours

The weekend before last, thanks to Carla and New Balance, I went with a group of running blogger friends on a guided sightseeing run in London with City Jogging Tours.

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We joined their Royal London Parks and Palaces Tour starting at St James’s Park tube station and took in 4 Royal Parks, Horse Guards for the changing of the guard, The Mall, Buckingham Palace, Serpentine, Princess Diana Memorial fountain and the Albert Memorial to name a few and finished in front of Kensington Palace. The run was about 4 miles (7K) and run at an easy chatting pace with plenty of stops to discuss the landmarks along the way and allow runners at the back of the group to catch up. We were led by Amy an experienced runner and as we found out at the end pretty quick (as in elite start) marathon runner.

This tour is a great one for visitors to London but possibly not the most exciting of their tours for me because Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens are where I spend many an hour running or at BMF classes. However our guide was very knowledgeable and told us about landmarks, statues, monuments and the Royal Parks so I actually found out a few new things about my running neighbourhood.

serpentine

City Jogging Tours also have tours of Riverside London, Iconic London landmarks, Primrose Hill and Regents Canal, Maritime London and Hampstead Heath. They vary from 7 to 10K, for recreational runners or gentle jogs as scheduled group tours or bespoke tours.

Definitely a great way of combining sightseeing with a running workout for visitors to London and great fun for Londoners too.

New balance also kindly sent us all a pair of one of their new models of running shoes. I received a pair of their new cushioned model, 1080v3.

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I have to admit that these are the first pair of New Balance running shoes I’ve ever tried. They are soft and cushioned, without being too spongy with a very plush heel counter.  I am impressed how lightweight they are and that New Balance has lowered the heel a bit. They were great straight out of the box for the tour plus a few miles home. I haven’t run in them much more since seeing as they are pretty and white and I would like to have one pair of running shoes which are not caked in mud, but they will join my shoe rotation this summer. I think they will be a great warm weather long distance road shoe.


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Long Runs and Buses

londonbusesbyadam.zenfolio.com

At times my long runs are much less reliable than buses but when I’m marathon training I (usually) manage to do them a bit more often.

Sometimes frequent buses are just what you need when fatigue sets in, it’s getting late, cold, you’re feeling knackered and just want to get home.

That’s what happened to me on Sunday. Thirteen plus miles on my feet and I had just plain had enough.  Trouble was I was at least 3 miles from home.  Stagger on? Walk and take even longer? or phone a friend (OH)?  A that moment a bus came round the corner.  I have never ever been so pleased to see a 295 bus in all my life! (and for my habit of always carrying my oyster card and some cash).  And so I was rescued from deepest Fulham.

After last weekend’s Half Marathon I had gone out on my planned long run.  It turned out to be a step up in mileage too far having had time out with injury and 16 miles was just a bit too much for only my 3rd long run post injury.  Either that or I have thought too much recently about Half Marathon being the perfect distance and my current favourite race.

So I have had to make a few more adjustments along the road towards my marathon.  I will do 16 miles next week and not run the first of my 20 mile races on Sunday as it just feels too soon.  I will save that distance for the week after and maybe again during April.

Top tip for other would-be bus hoppers during long runs.  You can’t stay on the bus too long before you cool down and start to get chilled.  I did get off the bus in traffic nearer home and run (at a much faster pace) most of the last mile home rounding my run up to 14.4 miles.


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Snow excuse

Today for the first time during Janathon or Juneathon I haven’t run. London was snow free for an hour after driving my sons (pampered, yes) to school but my leg and glute muscles were not warm, loosened nor awake and sense told me to stick to my plans not to run early or go to BMF to avoid innjury, even if it meant missing today’s opportunity.

Instead I walked to the shops, twice (2 miles exactly, half of which carrying shopping.)

As the pavements will be too icy to run on tomorrow, I seriously toyed with the idea of going to parkrun which is on soft grass so less slippy to get a run in. Unfortunately my local one has now been cancelled so my return to parkrun will have to wait another week.

Janathon, Day 18: Two miles walked plus 20 press-ups. (Proper ones, yes toes not knees on the floor)


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On the up!

Many thanks for your comments, suggestions and support after my last post. I hope I haven’t put anyone off training for a first marathon too much! It’s a journey after all so there are obviously going to be one or two ups and downs (if it was easy, everyone would be running marathons!)

After last weeks down this week things are definitely on the up! I am now running in my widest fitting running shoes, going commando and strapping my rib cage with plasters to avoid chafing and I’ve bought myself a Camelbak so I don’t have to get angry with my water bottle. Most of all I’ve sorted out my head, which was the main problem.

This week I went to BMF three times, in place of my midweek runs, where we had some laughs and I was happy to realise that I still have some pace in my legs. We also had some great post BMF coffees sitting in the sunshine by the Serpentine where we put the world to rights. Thanks team, head sorted and motivation restored.

I also got some fantastic marathon training advice for long runs from Rosie. Get a train or get dropped off miles from home and run back. Then there is no way to take a short cut, miss out a lap or give up (unless you find a handy passing taxi!) and every step of the run is a step nearer home. She also suggested getting a train out to Teddington and running the Thames path back to central London.

So started my research into the Thames Path and on Saturday morning I got the tube out to Canary Wharf and ran the 14 miles of Thames path back to Hammersmith.

morning sun over Canary Wharf

Tower Bridge and The Shard coming into view

the end in sight at Hammersmith Bridge.

Plus an extra mile towards home by which time it was getting warm and I decided I was far too hot and knackered to make it all the way home so rang my husband to come and get me!

A brilliant run, my best long run and furthest distance ever. I ran alone and without music but didn’t feel all the miles because for 2 1/2 hours I was happy to view the wonderful sights of London, smile at other runners and dodge tourists.

It’s a fabulous route following close to the river all the way apart from a few parts in deepest Fulham. I am only sorry, as a runner and a Londoner, I’ve not run any of the Thames path before. Now I’m off to plan the next one!


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Bupa London 10K

It was hot, blooming hot!

On Sunday I met up in Green Park with my good friend Kirsten (returning to racing after injury) and with Alma and Louise.  We met in the pleasant surroundings of Green Park and while we pinned on numbers and attached timing chips I realised how hot it really was.  It might have been a much better idea to stay there sitting on the grass for a chat and a picnic!

As usual for this race it was really well organised, plenty of loos and very organised baggage drop so it only took a few minutes to get ready before heading to the start.  The course had been changed this year to reflect the Olympic Marathon course starting on the Mall.  A very slick start and all waves were moved forward very promptly to get the start cleared for the elite runners to finish at the same point!  It was a busy race and there was a bit of weaving to keep up pace and having to wait to pass people and some elbow bashing at narrower points but there was a good atmosphere and lots of noisy spectators cheering us along.  As my 5th running of this race it was a nice change to run it in reverse!

Kirsten who has suffered with an injuries recently told me to go ahead at the start as she had promised her Physio to walk if her legs were tight.  However she caught up with me not long after 1Km and we ran the rest of the race together.  As I predicted, injury or no injury, Kirsten has one pace (quite quick which she can carry on for miles and miles!) and it was me who was the weak-link suggesting in a few places where the heat was really getting to me that we ease off a bit! Having a good steady pace maker helped me maintain a reasonable pace and I’m sure that left to my own devices I would have been far slower. I really struggled in the heat and almost stopped to walk just before the 9k point but managed to force myself on having got so far.  So I was happy to scrape in under 55 mins at 54.53.  My slowest 10K for a long while but by far the hottest, the reported temperature was 28 degrees!

The highlight was just before 3km when the front group of the mens race passed us on the other side of the road on their return leg and we all shouted encouragement to Mo Farrah to continue his winning streak  My olympic athletics experience! Who needs tickets?  We also saw the stands in place at Horse Guards Parade for the volleyball and crossed the finish line where the olympic marathon will in front of a crowd of spectators.

A great day,  finished with lunch out for Kirsten’s birthday with her partner and my family.  I have signed up for a sixth Bupa London 10K in 2013 when I hope to break my ‘getting slower and slower’ streak!


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Excuses

The dog ate my homework!

I have lots of equally good excuses why I didn’t get up early this morning and go to a cold frosty parkrun nor go out and do my long run.  Instead I slept until 10am and didn’t get dressed until after noon.  It wasn’t really because I was feeling lazy and a little fuzzy from an excess of vino last night.  No I (also) have sensible excuses such as my quads were sore from enjoying a good sprint yesterday and I’m getting a few aches in my left hip flexor which was the source of my injury problems last summer which made me have a lazy day.

However it’s Janathon so I still had to run (even if I’d now better ease off the speed work and take care on pushing my mileage) so by 4pm I was feeling guilty, warmer and less achy so I hung my garmin on the kitchen window to get a signal, grabbed my flourescent yellow long sleeve top, hat and gloves and went out for an easy plod.

As usual once out and moving I enjoyed it.  I went out to run 3 miles but extended my loop as I went.   It was just still daylight and the lights were coming on everywhere as the sun had set and London seemed to be waking up and coming out for the evening. A crisp cold evening after a sunny day.  It must have been cold because my hat stayed on and my gloves lasted 25 minutes! I  ran a few new roads and my Bee Gees soundtrack was perfect to go with the shop and street lights at dusk and the busy streets as I strutted my stuff to Nights on Broadway and Night Fever down Gloucester Road!

4.62 miles in 45.42 mins

2 weeks of Janathon completed  56 miles.


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Pine Tree Slalom

It’s great to be back in London!

Much as its nice to run in the countryside or by the sea I really love running in London.   Here I can run from home, at anytime,  plod the pavements and people watch or run loops in the park and listen to my music on full blast.

Just an easy run today, strutting my stuff to the Bee Gees (what else?) and counting lots of other Saturday runners and walkers on a beautiful day.  I did wonder whether the many discarded Christmas Trees clogging up the pavements of West London were supposed to be used as a slalom course or as hurdles!

3.07 miles  31.55 mins

First week of Janathon completed.  7 days run, 26 miles.


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Lazy Saturday and Bandaged

Juneathon Day 11.  A lazy Saturday after going out last night.  The Teenager and his brother didn’t surface until midday having still been still up and dressed on our return home at 11.30pm (oops!) and the Teenager having finished his exam week.  I had the usual  dilemma over whether to get up and put on running kit instead of getting properly showered and dressed to save repeating the process after a run.  Being somewhat tired, and fuzzy headed I took the least effort option but being hungry and having an achy Achilles I did not run first thing.   In fact I continued  to carry out my day, delivering and collecting the pre-teen, so he could keep his friend ‘safe’ from an excess of girls at his friends sister’s birthday party, collecting my car from the tube station where I left it last night, buying a birthday gift and so on all in my run kit with the excuse… ‘ I’m about to go for a run…’

Yes, my Achilles is still niggling.  I find that I get the most discomfort after wearing heels.  I don’t wear high heels very often (I can’t walk in them, because of weak ankles!  There-in lies the problem!) but when I do for an occasional evening, especially when I’m running a lot,  it hurts.  I’m therefore now going to spend the rest of Juneathon in my running shoes or fitflops!

Last week tryingtorun advised me to try an Achilles strap. I’ve researched them with a friend, who has a similar injury, and it looks like it could be a good option so I’m going to order one for support when running. We’ve also been advised to do regular exercises to strengthen our ankles  such as one-legged stair raises and one-legged squats.

In the mean time I’ve tried a tubie-grip bandage on my ankle for one run (helpful) but find the best treatment is to ice my legs and feet post run and then swathe myself in a compression bandage from knee to toes for the evening.

Not quite as comprehensive as this but still important!

With wine O’clock fast approaching I finally got going just before 6pm today…  By then my ankle had stopped aching and I felt more confident for a slightly longer run. I headed for Hyde Park and a version of my usual to the Serpentine then loop back towards home.  I left in a rush and forgot my water and sunglasses so was choking a bit on the pollen grit in the air.  I really missed my sunglasses.  Not because it was sunny or there were lots of flies to avoid but because while moving to one side of the path to get out of the way for a park maintenance vehicle I ran under a tree and got a branch full in the face.  Ouch.  No harm done and no-one noticed so pride fully intact! I’m obviously not as short as I think I am and need my contacts prescription reviewing.  No wonder I can’t park if my distance perception is so bad!

My attempts to try to look unapproachable and oblivious to tourists are obviously not working.  On the return leg (Bee Gees fad still on full volume) I was asked directions by some french (?) tourists. Fortunately for them there is only one Princess Diana fountain and even I can’t mess up the instructions for straight on!

My lower legs held up for a little more distance but were feeling tight by the last half mile so no more today.

4.81 miles   45.23 mins


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London.

Janathon Day 4.

Lovely to be home and back in London.   Decided to go out as soon as possible before I could get too cosy, stuck into sorting out post from junk mail or unpack my laptop.

It felt really cold so I went out all wrapped up only to discover fairly quickly it wasn’t too bad.  Hat lasted 10 mins and the gloves 15!  Very enjoyable 30 min loop around my local area.  It was dark but not late; the streets were well-lit and still busy so I had to do a fair bit of dodging around shoppers and people on their way home from work.

Much as I enjoy my scenic runs in Isle of Wight, London is my favourite place to run.  I love town running for the safety of lit pavements which allow (in theory) runs after dark, at busy periods, when it’s pouring with rain or even foggy.  I’m also looking forward to a run around Hyde Park later this week totally immersed in my music at full volume!

3.37 miles  31.46mins.

Janathon Totals:

4/31 days run   14.12 miles   1312 calories

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