jogging – My London+

A bit of a random post

Walking into Richmond along the River Thames

I’m dying to get out on the Thames Path again, but the weather has prevented this. As it happens the sections close to the source of the Thames have been flooded after all the rain we’ve had. And it’s the sections further away from London I’m yet to walk. I’m hoping to do some proper planning soon and get back there in June, July and August. It includes overnight stays once we get beyond Goring (Berkshire).

However, last week a friend and I walked a short length of a London section which we’d done before, but separately. My friend has had a hairline fracture of her foot and this was the first walk she’d done. So we took it slowly and had a sit down once. We met at Teddington for a pub lunch close to the river and then walked to Richmond, about 2.7 miles.

Lunch

The day was warm but overcast and we ended with tea and cake overlooking the river at Richmond.

Tea and cake by the river

Yesterday morning I woke to realise I’d pledged to myself to go jogging. I had an inward groan as I slid from bed and wondered whether to bother. I’d not been jogging since the first Covid lockdown and I’d kept it up for around six months. But on Saturday I was trying something on in a shop fitting room and suddenly seeing myself in multiple mirrors my reaction was, how did it come to this? There and then I pledged to get fit. Since I had to stop playing short tennis in December last year (due to tennis elbow), walking was my only exercise. I re-started back at short tennis two weeks ago and now it was time to look at my diet and exercise.

Beverley Park

I was out of the house at 6.35am yesterday. Immediately I got that buzz of being out so early when it’s quiet with hardly anyone else about. Nature seems closer. You can hear the birds sing, the air is sharp, but not cold, and yesterday the sky was blue and the scent of flowers drifted in the morning haze. I headed to my local park and hoped the wet end wouldn’t be too bad. The park looked lovely in the early sunshine and I was the only one there at first. Later a man and his dog overtook me (they were on the third lap when I left after one lap of jogging and walking!)

Dandelion – a favourite of mine

In the wooden area where the mud is particularly bad

I’ve captured my local park in photos so many times over the seasons. I remembered how the first time I jogged there I watched spring turn into summer and then the early stages of autumn. The trees in particular change from stark branches to blossom and then green. The park was muddy in places, but I was determined to walk through my favourite bit down by the wooded part. I had to divert off the path a couple of times to avoid the most muddy parts, but someone had kindly put a few stepping stones down in one section.

Bluebell

Thanks to the kind person for putting down some steping stones

The flowers were looking colourful in the beds near the railings as I came along my finishing path. I saw the post I call my finishing line and sprinted towards it as I always used to. Somehow there is always a small reserve for the big sprint, which I love doing. I then collapsed on the low garden bed wall to recover! I even managed a jog down my road coming home.

I’ve watched these tree stumps rotting over the years

I thought I’d be suffering after that, but this morning I’m not too bad. Legs ache a little, but nothing major. I’m aiming to jog every other day. I need to be mindful of my knees and not overdo it. The diet is a low carb, no dairy, no meat diet, and as I don’t do the last one and only eat diary sometimes, it’s just the carbs I’m going to miss. It’s a sort of detox diet which I did years ago. It’s a 28 day diet. All that chocolate I have is going to have to sit there for a good long time!

Seat, anyone?

My sprint post/finishing line when jogging from the far side (taken from my collapsing point!)

How long can I keep up the jogging? It’s not my favourite way to keep fit. Very far from it. It’s a slog, but during lockdown it kept me fit. I prefer playing badminton or short tennis, but during lockdown all that closed down. Walking was my life saver during lockdown and jogging helped to keep me fit while I couldn’t have a racquet in my hand. Let’s see how things stand in month. Meanwhile, I shall still be out there walking and taking photos. Have a good week everyone.

Sunrises and flowers

I’ve started jogging again, after saying ‘never again’! I’d been thinking about it for a few days before I took my first jog in six months. Once out, I realised how much I’d missed the early mornings. There’s hardly anyone around but a few dog walkers in the park. Sounds seem magnified, so the birds seem to sing louder. Being close to nature works for me, and there’s always the possibility of seeing a great sunrise.

Yesterday our clocks went forward one hour. It meant I was late up. I try to jog every other day, and yesterday was a jog day. However, I felt tired and decided to run in the smaller park nearer me instead of Beverley Park where I usually run. It was an overcast morning and blowy. No lovely sunrise, but you can’t get it every day! One day I ran in rain. There was the sun and rain, so there was a rainbow. And then there are the flowers in the park. It gets more colourful each time I go. This will be the second year I have seen spring flourish in Beverley Park. I ran through half the seasons last year, only stopping in September. I did continue to visit the park, though I wasn’t jogging. So I have been through the year there with all the colour changes, as well as the rain, the sun, the snow, mist and wind. Is there somewhere you go regularly to get away from everyday stress and to keep sane in this pandemic?

Now to the photos.

Waiting for the wind to disperse the seeds

The tennis courts (to the left) can re-open today. Fully booked all week!

A quick run through Blagdon Park on Sunday morning

My Week in pictures (6) and something from the archive

I visit Sussex quite regularly, especially around the Brighton and Eastbourne areas. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that I shall get there this year, but I live in hope. I thought I’d share a few photos of a walk I took with my family back in 2004 along the South Downs Way taking in The Old Man of Wilmington. The countryside is stunning and I miss being able to walk there, or anywhere in the countryside right now.

This week I reached a mini goal in my jogging by running down the side of the park and along the back until I came to the where the main path slices the park in half, all without stopping. Then it’s a walk until I come to a certain post then off again until I reach the trees. That is my favourite part of the journey. It is peaceful and I always stop (I need to by then anyway!) and admire the undergrowth. Them I set off again to the top of the park – another breather – a short run, another stop and then I’m in the final stretch. At the end I sometimes visit the flower garden and take some photos.

I’ve been binge watching Look Up London videos of virtual walks in London and Museums in Quarantine on BBC4, catching up with some art exhibitions that closed before I could see them, plus others I probably wouldn’t have gone to, but I found them interesting nonetheless. These included Young Rembrandt, Andy Warhol, and a documentary about Monet’s garden and other artist’s gardens. The later was particularly beautiful and relevant to me as we were due to visit Monet’s garden in June. This is the nearest I would get to it this year, sadly, but I am even more excited about the prospect of visiting next year (all being well).

So, here is my week in pictures.

My week in pictures (5) plus something from the archive.

Going through my some old files on a memory stick I came across a day trip we did as family back in 2003 to Bekonscot Model Village in Beckonsfield in the county of Buckinghamshire. I’ve always had a thing about model villages, and I’ve been to this one twice. Its high time to make a third visit when lockdown is over and we can travel again.

Bekonscot Model Village first opened in 1929 and was the brain child of Roland Callingham, a London accountant. The model railway was initially indoors, but Mrs Callingham said either it goes or she does! The model railway moved outside and the rest is history. In the past the model village was kept up to date with modern cars etc., but in the ’90’s it reverted to the the 1930’s and has remained so.

There is no social distancing here as crowds gather to watch the local football team play, hay is gathered in and railway engines chunters along over bridges and into tunnels, while a wedding takes place in the church, Morris dancers entertain and boats bob on the water. This is a brilliant place to take children and it’s nostalgic for adults. At present it is closed (like everything else) but the website gives instructions for getting there and Beconsfield Station is a short walk away. There is also a photo gallery on the site and lots more information.

This last week seemed much like any other week with a lot of time spent outside reading in the sunshine. I went for a walk with one of my sons and we came back via the shops only to find Tesco Express was closed due to electrical problems. All the other shops had long queues so we used our local Off Licence just to buy the essentials like bread, milk and eggs and some orange juice. Thankfully the small Tesco store opened again yesterday and we managed to buy some fruit and veg.

Jogging is going well. I’ve increased the time I run to when I walk, but I still find time to take photos. There is a small garden just inside the gate I use at the park and I’m watching that change as the daffs and tulips are finishing and new flowers are taking their place. I also baked a Marmalade and Ginger cake which is so moist and light and tasty that it is hard to stick to one slice. That and the left over chocolate from Easter is one of the reasons I run!

Beverley Brook runs along the bottom on the park

My Week in Pictures (4)

This last week, aware that I am putting on weight (probably not helped by Easter chocolate!) I decided that I would do some jogging. Mindful that the last time I did this (in 2012) I did my knees in and could barely walk, I have taken it easy by not running every day. About every third day I am power walking up to a nearby park and then run one lap around it, stopping every so often to take photos (a good excuse for a breather). It’s early days yet, but I hope to continue. I go early (about 7am) when social distancing is no problem as there aren’t many people out.

I was thinking of posting some pictures of past visits to London, but all my photos from last year and further back are on a server which has gone into meltdown. My son tells me that when Windows 10 updates it does ‘something’ to the server and messes things up. Hence I could not get into it this morning, and though my son had a go at fixing it, he couldn’t manage it. I do have the photos on my old laptop so I might try and transfer them all onto memory sticks because this is jolly annoying.

So, here are the usual week’s offerings of trees, flowers and whatnot.