The Tour de France sometimes visits Italy and Belgium and it’s even been to Yorkshire, so it’s probably okay for me to do a bit of the Mid Sussex Treble in London, right?
Today was the first of the ten mile runs: same again tomorrow except I’ll do it locally and then 10k on Monday for a total of 26 miles.
That’s my sister on the left, I’m the dumpy frumpy one. She’s my inspiration for running in the first place, and I knew she’d find me a nice route for my first run through the capital. She did a great job, from her home in Southwark we were almost at Tower Bridge already, crossed it in beautiful early morning sunshine, and then along the north bank to Parliament. It was lovely, seeing the millennium wheel, Westminster Abbey, and then back across the river past the Shard and Southwark cathedral, and it was just over the ten miles I needed.
Running in London is different from running in Sussex. Here in the sticks when another runner passes you in the other direction both of you make eye contact and usually say Hello, or smile and raise a hand. I got a couple of odd looks doing that this morning at first. I suppose London just has too many people for everyone to greet fellow runners. My Crocodile Dundee moment.
My sister is really fast, but she reined herself in to run with me. She said it’s a good way to start her marathon training. It was good for me too, the pace was a bit faster than I’d have done by myself.
Ten miles down, sixteen to go... 😊