Tuesday 24th February
Run #55
6k 5 Tube Stop Loop Round Knightsbridge &
Belgravia
Continuing on my quest
to keep my runchs interesting I devised a loop for today's run that follows the
most direct route between the 5 London Underground stops closest to my office.
GoogleMaps suggested I should be able to achieve this in about 5.7k so I saved
the route to my phone and, because there is part of me that is old school and
just finds it easier - scribbled the main roads in order on a post-it and
tucked it into my sleeve pocket.
By the nature of
demarking my route with tube stations I knew I had set myself up for people
congestion, so I was prepared for a lot of duck-and-weave on this run and
didn't mind. Straight out the door I felt light on my feet and buoyant in my
step. I felt like a boxer dancing around the trundle suitcases of Victoria as I
headed towards St James's Park tube. I could tell my pace between crowds was
good but I paid little attention to my Garmin other than to stop it at road
crossings or when the tourist throngs became full on stationary knots to
unravel my way through.
My first mistake was
to take the cut through I know well down the St James's Park tube. While this
got me to the back exit OK, I was off my map and none of the roads were on my
post-it, so I doubled back - basically round the block - to get back on track
at the front of the tube station.
With fewer people now
I was off the main road, I windmilled along, past the Ministry of Justice and
the next door barracks, finding myself back in front of Buckingham Palace
for the second time this week.
Then off through Green
Park. Constitution Hill seemed so much shorter than when I last ran in this
Park: intervals last Summer. In fact, the whole Park seemed smaller and I was
out at the Bomber
Command Airmen and on to Hyde Park corner before I knew it.
I can't lie,
often enforced waiting at pedestrian crossings is a pleasure and relief that I
take no guilt in and usually relish. But today I could feel myself fidgeting
and jumping on the spot waiting for the green man, eager to be off.
The slowest part of
this run was the section round Hyde Park Corner tube. Partly because I got all
turned around and couldn't quite work out which side of the road I needed to be
on: cue several unnecessary runs under the underpass, popping up like a meerkat
only to scurry back to the other side in indecision. Having chosen the side of
the road I thought I needed to continue down, within 500m I met a police
blockade that had closed the entire walkway. Conscious of losing time and keen
to be underway again it was back under the road and on down Knightsbridge.
The strip of pavement
down to Knightsbridge tube isn't particularly wide and I was bobbing and
weaving like a rubber duck in a rapid, equally eager not to slow any more than
I had to or take out any unsuspecting shopper. But over the road at the tube
station and I was onto Sloane Street which is considerably wider and quieter.
Like finally getting a fast car out of traffic and on to the autobahn I could
feel my pace pick up. It was joyous to feel my legs circling under me and the
spring in my step propelling me forward. I so very very rarely get this feeling
that it was a struggle to rein it in. But a little voice in the back of my mind
was trying to remind me that it's front-foot running that aggravates plantar
fasciitis and that I needed to get my heels down.
All too quickly I was
at Sloane Square tube and the number of roads to cross and increase in traffic
necessitated slowing and stops again. Knowing I had little time to spare as
this loop was closer to 6k than my usual 5 that fits, along with the showering
and changing, neatly into a lunch hour I abandoned my post-it for the route I
knew and got back to the office feeling elated and refreshed, if a little more
tired than usual.
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