Perfect weather for giving the phone camera a test

We had a friend staying over last night, who will be with us for the week.  It made the timing for the bathroom etc that little more hectic, but we managed to all get away at a good hour, I dropped the ladies off at the station, took Olive to nursery, and then went home to get the bike out for the ride to work.

I'm now going to venture down a particularly English avenue, and discuss the weather, if you'll forgive me.  Personally, I like the colours as nature blossoms in the Spring; the relentless sun and the warmth of the Summer; and the colours in the woodlands that only Autumn can bring.  However, for me, there is nothing like a true Winters day.

The sun was as low as can be when I got home, no blemish tarnished the perfectly clear blue sky up high, there was a nip in the air, with no breeze.  Everything was calm, and your shadow seemed to stretch to infinity before there was an end to it.

Shrewsbury Park

Consequently, I thought this would be a good time to test out the camera on a new phone I got through work just before Christmas.  Some results were good, others were appalling (it certainly cannot handle being pointed anywhere with this sun in front of it), I learnt it could even do 180°.  

So avoiding the urban jungle, and tower flats of South Bermondsey, I thought I'd share some of the images from a cycle that made me late for work.  It was a shame the view from London Bridge didn't work, I must save this for the ride home when the nights get longer.  I did compensate by legging it up Charring Cross Bridge for an alternative view looking further west.  

To start, here's a South London resident up in the tree.  The woodlands south of the river Thames are home to Parakeets.

Shrewsbury Park

Entering Greenwich Park

Greenwich Park

 Riding Beside the Greenwich Park bandstand

Greenwich Park Bandstand

View to the Isle of Dogs... Canary Wharf is the pyramid topped building in the middle.

Isle of Dogs from Greenwich Royal Observatory

Greenwich Royal Observatory, where I like to say, time was invented.  Certainly the home of the Prime Meridian

Greenwich Royal Observatory

180° view from the Greenwich Royal Observatory, L-R... Observatory; London City; National Maritime Museum (foreground); Isle of Dogs and Canary Wharf (background); Greenwich Power Station; O2 arena aka the Millennium Dome (you probably need to know it's there to see it beside the power station). Click photo for larger image.

180° view from Greenwich Royal Observatory

180° view from Charring Cross Bridge, L-R... London Eye; Westminster Bridge and the Palace of Westminster; PS Tattershall Castle (blue boat on the river); Savoy Hotel; Carring Cross Station.  Click photo for larger image.

180° view from Charring Cross Bridge

As a quick aside, the PS Tattershall Castle is an old ferry that was used to cross the River Humber, along with its sisters PS Wingfield Castle and the PS Lincoln Castle.  The ferry service was made redundant after the Humber Bridge was built and opened in 1981.  The PS Tattershall Castle is now a riverside bar moored on the Thames.  The PS Wingfield Castle is now preserved at Hartlepool's Maritime Experience.  The PS Lincoln Castle used to sit on the River Freshney at Grimsby, until it was scrapped in 2010.

Broken Broadband; Two rides; a Two year old on a rock face

I tried to put a quick ditty up yesterday as the only thing to note were the rides to and from work, however, I've lost the home broadband at the minute, and it became an ordeal to type something more than twenty words with my phone.

I couldn't believe how cold it was on this occasion.  This was the first time this year that I have had to wear several layers, and still feel it wasn't enough.  By the time I rode the 19.5km into work, I was seriously wondering if I could feel my right toes at all, and any speed above 26kmph gave a quick dose of the brain freeze as though I ate too much ice cream, too fast... can you eat too much ice cream?  I'll let Olive be the judge of that in the future sometime.

I added another pair of socks for the return leg, and the trip up Shooters Hill certainly showed... there was about 7mins difference in both directions, and I thought I hit it harder coming back (all in a brave effort to stay warm).

I'll always add the links to future workouts in here, the write up will give an indication as to how it felt.

From The Telegraph Website, Photo: Hook News

Aside from all this, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw an article of a mother who took her two year old daughter up a rock face, in a back carrier. There are so many levels as to how this can possibly be wrong.  To start with, there is the issue of why is there the need to take a two year old up there?  I agree, getting them to appreciate the great outdoors at an early age can only be a great thing, we do so with Olive as often as we can, and I've carried Olive up some big peaks in Wales.  The header picture was taken on one such day to Fan-Y-Big in the Brecon Beacons, but as you can also tell, we took the initiative to not let Olive hang as close to the edge that I was prepared to (Julia was well back, even wincing at the sight of me there).  

As close as we'd get together.  Olive was all wrapped up warm.  Courtesy of Tim Loe

However, saying this, I understand parents wanting their children to be a part of the thrill of their activity, and our decision to keep Olive safe from an edge was ours to make.  The mother here says 'she's been on my back a lot when we've been hillwalking and I knew she was safe and comfortable in the carrier... and [she] started saying she wanted to go on my back while I climbed.'  It was acknowledged as safe by her group, including a qualified Mountain Leader, which I trust, but surely you can have a stronger say over a wilful two year old daughter who wants to stay on your back, and demands "up mummy, up"?  

The most alarming thing for me though was the mother had her helmet on, and the child did not.  Here the explanation is offered, 'I'm aware how it looks in that photo. I'm wearing one and she's not. I regret wearing one myself now. The truth is, the area we were climbing is extensively climbed.  The rock is stable and the routes are short. There isn't really any need to wear a helmet. I put mine on out of habit, but from a safety point of view it wasn't necessary.'  As far as I am aware and concerned, it's a golden rule to have the right safety equipment, and wear it at all times.  If they were planning on rock climbing, then bring a helmet for the child if she is wilful.  To justify yourself by saying you didn't need one either is crazy, sometimes the most well worn routes are the most unstable.  I cannot imagine any qualified Mountain Leader letting any member of their party not wear a helmet for a Grade II scramble, nor a climb of any description.

Maybe I'm getting anal in my old age.

Rant over, as ever, views expressed are my own.

I need to get more concise.

GB

Planning the future; Anthony Nolan; and a sore finger

This was orignally posted yesterday, but playing around with things has resulted in it appearing today.

I should start with an apology if this post is a little long:

I guess it was about a year ago that I would have happily sat in a pub, discussed the merits of running, and branded anyone who did such an activity a mentalist.  In some ways, I stand by my convictions, but happily include myself in such a lame categorisation.

The reason I came to start running was (in my view) the fault of a childhood friend of mine, Stan, from the village I grew up in 30 years ago.  We had one of our random chats, and he let the cat out of the bag that he had entered both the Lincoln and Hull 10km races in 2011.  I reckon there was a wager involved somewhere here, but the competitive nature in me decided that if he can run 10km, then so can I… so I entered the British 10km, and the rest is history.  I was hooked.

Before I knew it, I had planned the next 12 months.  I was entered into the Run to the Beat Half Marathon in September, which was great as it was down the road from my home; the Brighton Half Marathon in Feb 2012; and the Brighton Marathon in April 2012.

With hindsight, I look back at this ambitious planning, and wonder what the hell I was playing at.  Why plan so much when after the first run training for the 10km, I got 2km before I had to lie down wheezing in Shrewsbury Park?  This wasn’t like me, and furthermore, Stan, the poor bastard was coerced into following my plan, and is still sticking with it to some extent, barring an injury he fears will pull him out of the marathon, and sensibly so to.

I have no answer to the question above, but I find myself already looking beyond Brighton, and possibly towards Amsterdam in October, with a half marathon in the Langdale Valley of the Lake District in September to really test the legs.  It’s all crazy, but I have to plan ahead before I can stop.

I also want to do one thing for charity every year in my 30′s.  It started walking the Yorkshire Three Peaks for the Mountain Rescue England and Wales.  Last year I ran the British 10km for Anthony Nolan.  My mother died over 12 years ago to Leukemia, so this is a charity that I am happy to be involved with as they do a lot of work towards matching donors for people suffering and need a bone marrow transplant.  I’m stuck in two minds whether to pick one event for this year, or alternatively open a charity page for all events, and just let people know which events are coming up, and remind them of the sponsorship at the time.  I just don’t like to look as though I pester my friends and family continuously all year round.

After the Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge

Anyway, the training has been going from strength to strength.  I inadvertently ran over 20 miles on Sunday without thinking about it.  It hurt me a lot, but I did it, and was happy to have made it round in one piece.  It has given me the confidence that I only need to find another 6 miles, and get used to a better pace.

Training has involved cycling to work 2-3 times a week with the running taking place over the weekend.  I’ve slowed down on my cycling pace, just using it as an excuse to loosen the limbs, as well as save money on the transport costs here.  Yesterday, cycling into work, it was raining, and travelling through Greenwich, I saw a car that decided to pull out in front of me.  With all the water on my brakes, I wasn’t able to pull off the kind of stop I’m used to, and ended up hitting the back of the car and falling into the road.

Luckily all I could identify was a sore finger (which is currently in the phase of fusing a purple colour with red).  What amazed me was, a/ the driver drove off, b/ all other traffic were doing their best to drive around me, rather than helping some poor fool lumbered on his arse by another motorist.

The camaradarie of city living.