Cycling The Grand Union Canal
Braunston Junction

Braunston Junction

Starting an 85 miles off-road cycle ride with an epic hangover probably wasn’t a great idea. The 2-day, 150 mile, Grand Union Canal cycle trip was tough enough anyway.

The trip was the main training weekend for the Lands End to John O’Groats trip in July. The plan was to travel up to Birmingham on the Friday night, start cycling on the Saturday morning, and arrive at the end-point in London with an over-night stay in Milton Keynes. That was the plan anyway. Six of us started, one of us finished.

Day 1: Birmingham to Milton Keynes

Start: Old Turn Junction, Birmingham, B1 2HL
Finish: Campbell Park, 1300 Silbury Blvd, Milton Keynes, MK9 4AD
Distance: 128 km ( 80 miles)
Elevation Change: + 696m / - 766m. Net -70m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Walk): Grand Union Canal Walk, Millstream Way, Millennium Way, Heart of England Way, Shakespeare’s Avon Way, Centenary Way, Oxford Canal Walk, Jurassic Way, Nene Way, Macmillan Way, Midshires Way, Ouse Valley Way, Swans Way
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): NCN 41, 50, 5, 51, 535, 6 / Hanslope Circular Ride
Maps:
- OS Explorer Map (220) Birmingham, Walsall, Solihull and Redditch
- OS Explorer Map (221) Coventry and Warwick, Royal Leamington Spa and Kenilworth
- OS Explorer Map (222) Rugby and Daventry, Southam and Lutterworth
- OS Explorer Map (223) Northampton and Market Harborough
- OS Explorer Map (207) Newport Pagnell and Northampton South
- OS Explorer Map (192) Buckingham and Milton Keynes

The Friday night in Birmingham was the first time the “Lands-End 6” had got together. I got a bit over excited by the event and had a bit too much wine, hence the hangover the next day. This was very much a learning weekend for the group and I had learnt my main lesson very early on.

On Saturday morning we headed off in 2 groups. Neil and I started first, getting to the official start at Salford Junction early so we could take a detour to Edgbaston for Parkrun. The other 4 were just behind, not feeling the need to do a 5k run on top of the 85 miles that day.

The run was fine, a nice park with a friendly crowd, and would have been perfect if my head wasn’t about to explode half-way. By 10:00 we were back on the canal, heading towards the others who were at least an hour further on.

After a promising start, we soon hit a diversion where the towpath was closed for maintenance. A quick look at the guide-book reassured us that we could do a small detour by road then get back on the canal at the next bridge. Somehow we ended up cycling aimlessly around grotty industrial estates before 2 kind ladies took pity on us and helped us get back on track.

Given their head-start we didn’t expect to see the other group until very late in the day or until the end. We actually caught them up just after lunch about 40 miles in, mending what turned out to be Martyn’s second of seven punctures. We had hit a grassy 15 mile section where the hedge had recently been trimmed. The thorns which were previously part of the hedge were now covering the towpath and were finding their way into everyone’s tyres.

The next 3 hours were an inner-tube bloodbath with another 14 punctures across the group. Every time one was fixed we would set off again and someone else would get a flat. It wasn’t long before Brian had the great suggestion of splitting into 2 groups of 3. That way 1 group could make some progress whilst the other fixed punctures. I went ahead with Neil and Reggie and made it 3 miles short of Braunston Junction before Neil’s last inner tube blew. He was in no mood to repair it so walked the bike the final few miles to meet us at the pub at the end.

By now it was clear that we needed a Plan B. The other group was still 8 miles back and not making much progress. They had already decided to come off the canal and take the roads to Milton Keynes. We were further ahead, but had no spare inner tubes for Neil’s bike. His wheels were a different size to Reggie’s and mine so his only option was to get a taxi to Halfords in the next town and stock up on tubes.

By 18:30 we were back in action with 30 miles via roads to the hotel in Milton Keynes. With only 1 more puncture on the way we made it to the hotel by 21:30. The other group had made it there shortly before and had already made it to the bar ready for beers and a post-ride debrief.

Day 1 Elevation

Day 1 Elevation

Day 2: Milton Keynes to Brentford

Start: Campbell Park, 1300 Silbury Blvd, Milton Keynes, MK9 4AD
Finish: The Brewery Tap, 47 Catherine Wheel Rd, Brentford, TW8 8BD
Distance: 95.4 km (59 miles)
Elevation Change: +392m / -460 m. Net -68m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Walk): Greensand Ridge Walk, Two Ridges Link, The Ridgeway, Chiltern Way, Hertfordshire Way, Colne Valley Trail, Hillingdon Trail, London Loop, Beeches Way, Shakespeare’s Way, Capital Ring, Thames Path
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): NCN 6, 61 / Tring Route 5, Berkhamsted Route 6, Chilterns Cycleway
Maps:
- OS Explorer Map (192) Buckingham and Milton Keynes
- OS Explorer Map (181) Chiltern Hills North
- OS Explorer Map (182) St. Albans and Hatfield
- OS Explorer Map (172) Chiltern Hills East
- OS Explorer Map (160) Windsor, Weybridge & Bracknell
- OS Explorer Map (161) London South, Westminster, Greenwich, Croydon, Esher & Twickenham
- OS Explorer Map (173) London North, The City, West End, Enfield, Ealing, Harrow & Watford

It because clear very quickly that I was going to be on my own for Day 2. The others had got through all of their inner-tubes and continuing along the towpath would have been too risky. It was also a Sunday so waiting for the Bike shops to open would have meant too late a start. No-one seemed too bothered though as the prospect of a leisurely breakfast and an on-road cycle to the nearest train station was more appealing than another day in the saddle.

That night I slept so deeply that I had no idea where I was or what day it was when I work up. For 5 minutes I was convinced that I was on a business trip and it was a work day. Fortunately that turned out not to be the case, but I did have 60 miles of cycling before Brentford.

The towpath from Milton Keynes turned out to be significantly better than our Day 1 experience. Apart from a couple of grassy miles near Leighton Buzzard, it was a solid and thorn-free route all the way. I made good progress, reaching Berkhamsted by noon where Rob, a colleague who lives there, joined my for the final 35 miles.

This last section was on home ground for me and I’d cycled or ran many parts of it before. We reached the end of the canal at Brentford Lock just after 16:00. As with the start of the canal at Salford Junction, the end was quite underwhelming. Despite these being the start and end point of one of Britain’s engineering masterpieces, there was barely anything to celebrate the achievement.

As a learning experience the weekend did its job. The group had its first long distance cycle trip together and got good experience in puncture repairs, what not to pack and in adapting when things go off plan. I didn’t get the puncture repair experience, but I did learn not to ride 85 miles on a massive hangover.

route-26639870-map-full.png
Day 2 Elevation

Day 2 Elevation

The Complete Route

The full 2-day route (excluding diversions)

The Movie

Tips for Cycling The Grand Union Canal

The Route

End-to-end the canal is ~150 miles and makes a challenging 2 day or a more leisurely 3 day trip. For either option I recommend Birmingham to Braunston (approx 50 miles) as the target for Day 1. This is the toughest section with the highest chance of punctures so planning to go any further is risky. Braunston is a major junction on the canal and all milestones from London point to it so it makes a good target for a single day. On a 2-day trip Braunston to Brenford is very long but significantly easier than Day 1 due to better paths. For a 3 day trip, Leighton Buzzard is a good Half-way point between Braunston and Brentford.

The Bikes

A mountain bike is essential for this trip due to the "rural" surface for much of the first section. If you can avoid the few weeks after hedge-cutting it will cut down on punctures, but you should expect to get some. Make sure you have good tyres with a healthy tread and ideally use a puncture-proof set. I used Slime inner-tube which self-seal around most punctures. I'm sure that this was a major reason why I was the only one one the group not to get a puncture on the whole trip. Take at least 2 spare inner tubes plus tyre levers etc.

Food and Drink

There's large stretches of the canal without pubs or shops. Although you'll get to a pub eventually its essential to carry enough water and snacks to keep you going. 

Richard gowerCycle, NCN, Canal, Thames, London, England, Chilterns, Colne Valley, Warwickshire, Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Middlesex Comments
Growlerthon in the News

Here's a couple of recent mentions of the Growlerthon fundraising campaign. First one is a nice mention on the Thames Hospice Facebook Page and the second is an article in Marsterpieces, the Mars UK internal newsletter

Richard gowerComment
Chwarel y Fan: Monmouthshire County Top
Summit of Chwarel y Fan

Summit of Chwarel y Fan

Significance: Highest peak in Monmouthshire (Historic CT)
Member of: Hewitt, Nuttall
Parent Peak: Waun Fach. NHN = Pen y Gadair Fawr
Elevation: 679m
Date climbed: 5th April 2015
Coordinates: 51°57′30″N 3°04′51″W 
Route Start / End: Llanthony Priory, Llanvihangel Crucorney, Abergavenny, NP7 8DQ
Route Distance: 14.1 km (8.8 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 470m
Subsidiary tops on route: Bal-Mawr (599m)
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Beacons Way
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Map: OS Explorer OL13 Brecon Beacons National Park
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir)
Links: Wikipedia (Monmouthshire), Wikipedia (Chwarel y Fan), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

OTHER HIGH POINTS IN NORTH WALES

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Mountain, Brecon Beacons, National Park, Monmouthshire, WalesComment
Fan Foel: Carmarthenshire County Top
IMG_3574.jpg

Significance: Highest peak in Carmarthenshire (Historic CT)
Member of: N/A
Parent Peak: Fan Brycheiniog. NHN = Fan Brycheiniog - Twr y Fan Foel
Elevation: 781m
Date climbed: April 4th 2015
Coordinates: 51° 53' 14'' N, 3° 42' 49'' W
Route Start / End: Llyn y Fan Fach Car Park, Llanddeusant SA19 9UN
Route Distance: 9.9 km (6.1 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 540m
Subsidiary tops on route: Bannau Sir Gaer (Picws Du), Waun Lefrith
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Beacons Way, South Wales Traverse
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Map: OS Explorer OL12 Brecon Beacons National Park - Western & Central Areas
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir)
Links: Wikipedia (Carmarthenshire), Wikipedia (Fan Brycheiniog), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

This one is the highest peak in Carmarthenshire but only counts as a sub-peak of Fan Brycheiniog so it doesn’t count as a Marilyn, Nuttall or Hewitt in its own right. Looking back on this one I wish I’d made the extra effort to bag the higher peak too. Even so, this was an amazing walk on a clear spring day with views for miles. It was much less crowded than the Brecon Beacons too.

route-29027815-map-full.png
Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Carmarthenshire, Wales, Mountain, Brecon Beacons, National ParkComment
Brooklands Half Marathon

When: March 22nd 2015
Where: Mercedes World at Brooklands, Surrey, UK
Course: Loops of the Mercedes World race track and out onto residential roads around Weybridge
Other routes touched (walk): Locks and Levels SCC, River Wey Navigation, Thames Path
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 4
Finish time: 1:54

Brooklands, just inside the M25 in Surrey, was the worlds first purpose built motor racing circuit and has a long aviation history. It was was one of Britain’s first airfields and was a major aircraft manufacturing site before WW2. The race track and airfield have been closed for many years, but the recent redevelopment has been kind to it and you can still see parts of the old track and airfield.

Mercedes-Benz World, now in the centre of the site, has its own visitor centre and race track. This was the base for the Brooklands Half with the first and last 2.5 miles around its track. The middle 8 miles took us out of Brooklands and into a pleasant circuit of neighbouring Weybridge. This was definitely the most interesting of this month’s 3 Halves and one of the best of my 21 Halves so far.

My finish time for this one was 1:54:22, nearly another minute off and well within my target. I was especially pleased as this time as I had been working in the US the previous week and was coping with lack of sleep and jet lag too.

 
Richard gowerRun, Half Marathon, Surrey, England, CanalComment
North London Half Marathon

When: March 17th 2015
Where: North London, UK
Course: North London roads between Allianz Stadium Barnet & Wembley Stadium. Flat
Other routes touched (walk): Capital Ring
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Finish time: 1:55

North London was a new event for 2015, an out-and-back route between Barnet and Wembley. What could have been a rather uninteresting location was livened up by the start and middle points in large stadiums. The start and end was at Allianz Park, home to the Saracens rugby team. Mo Farah, the 2012 Olympic gold medal winner, was at the start line. I had expected him to be running rather than waving everyone off though.

Wembley Stadium at the halfway point was a big boost. I’ve been there many times for concerts, and running through the middle, via the players’ tunnel was a great experience. The MacMillan cheering spot was also in the stadium, another highlight of that section.

At the finish I came in at at 1:55:41, about a minute and a half faster than Bath.

Elevation spike due to my GPS thinking I was on the roof of Wembley Stadium rather than on the pitch :-)

 
Richard gowerRun, Half Marathon, London, Middlesex, EnglandComment
Bath Half Marathon

When: March 1st 2015
Where: Bath, Somerset, UK
Course: on roads on a 2 lap loop around the river Avon.
Other routes touched (walk): Kennet & Avon Canal, River Avon Trail, Cotswold Way, Linear Park
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 244, 4 / Bristol-Bath Cycle Track
Finish time: 1:57

Bath was a proper test for me as it was the first major run since the Ultramarathon 6 weeks before. I'd taken it easy since then, sticking to my weekly parkruns and keeping an eye on my knee which had been annoying me since the Ultra. Timi and I made a weekend of it and had a nice afternoon and evening in the city the day before. The Sunday was a good arrangement: I would get up early for the run and Timi would do some shopping and meet me at the end.

The start wasn't promising. With such a large crowd, nearly 13,000 runners, we were told to get to the race village early. I got there 2 hours before the start just as it started chucking it down. There weren't many places to hide but luckily I was running for MacMillan Cancer Support and they had their own tent. I hid there as long as possible before getting to the start line. I took a fetching green poncho and went to the start with still another cold hour to go.

The route was great, 2 laps of the roads around a stretch of the River Avon plus some of the town centre. A large field of runners plus a city location meant a large crowd of spectators to support us. There were also several MacMillan cheering spots with volunteers looking out for runners in their t-shirts to give them an extra bit of encouragement.

The final bit of encouragement was Timi waiting for me at the final mile. I always love seeing her there at the end. My finish time was 1:57:21, just under my normal time of 1:56, but a good confirmation that I was fully recovered from the Ultra.

 
Richard gowerRun, Half Marathon, Somerset, EnglandComment
Dryathlon ... the finish line
The day after Dry January

The day after Dry January

I am very pleased so say that I have completed the Dryathlon: 31 days of January without alcohol. It wasn't too tough, just pretty boring. Given that January has to be the dullest month of the year, getting through it without a glass of wine at the end of the day is just rubbing it in.

I had originally planned a dry first 2 weeks of the year. This was mainly part of my preparation for the Ultramarathon but the link to Cancer Research, one of the Growlerthon causes, made it worth seeing through to the end of the month.

Not sure if I feel any better as a result, but a month off is probably a good thing.

Richard gowerComment
Country to Capital Ultra marathon
Bull’s Bridge

Bull’s Bridge

When: January 26th 2015
From: Shoulder of Mutton, 20 Pound St, Wendover, Aylesbury HP22 6EJ
To: Little Venice, London W2 6ND
Distance: 68 km (43 miles)
Elevation Change: +573m / -678m. Net +105m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Chiltern Link, The Ridgeway, Chiltern Way, Chiltern Heritage Trail, Chess Valley Walk, Grand Union Canal Towpath, London Loop, Colne Valley Trail, Beeches Way, Shakespeare’s Way, Hillingdon Trail, Capital Ring, Jubilee Greenway
Other routes touched (cycle): Hampden Route, Harding Route, Milton Route, NCN 57, 6, 61, Chilterns Cycleway
Maps:
- OS Explorer Map (181) Chiltern Hills North
- OS Explorer Map (172) Chiltern Hills East
- OS Explorer Map (160) Windsor, Weybridge & Bracknell
- OS Explorer Map (173) London North, The City, West End, Enfield, Ealing, Harrow & Watford
Finish time: 9 hours 54 minutes
Links: Wendover, Ballinger, Chesham, Latimer, Chenies, Chorleywood, Denham, Grand Union Canal, Uxbridge, West Drayton, Hayes, Greenford, Alperton, Little Venice

Of all of the events on the Growlerthon list for this year, the Ultra Marathon was the one I was most excited and nervous about. I was pretty confident that I could do the others but 45 miles was significantly further than any distance I had ever run before. It all seemed like a good idea last summer when I was talking to my friend, Mat, at a summer party, about his recent successful first Ultra. The next day I had signed up for “Country to Capital”, a 45 mile run from Wendover in the Chilterns to Little Venice in London.

Two days before the race I was wondering if the complete lack of long distance training was going to be a real problem or not. I was having dreams that week about “ultra disasters” such as getting off-course and lost in London or arriving to the start without running shoes and socks, and having to run in borrowed hiking boots.

Other than the lack of training, I felt pretty good on the morning of the event. I was halfway into “Dry January” so I had 2 weeks off alcohol as well as a week of carbing-up and some early nights. I stopped looking at the weather forecast days ago as it was only getting worse as the weekend got nearer.

Arriving at the start at a pub in Wendover I was relieved that the forecasted snow hadn’t happened. About a second after I posted an update about it on Facebook the snow started.

The pub was fairly chaotic, packed with scarily fit people checking-in, getting changed and filling up on bacon rolls. Everyone I spoke to was on top form and eager to share stories and advice about the run. Worryingly everyone I spoke to had done several Ultras before and no-one else appeared to be doing it for the first time.

Despite the warnings of my anxiety dreams I had a near miss when I accidentally checked my hat and gloves into the kit-van, which was going to be driven to the finish. Luckily I was able to fish them out before it was too late, much to the amusement of the organisers.

The best piece of advice came from a veteran Ultra runner at the start line: “Stick to your game plan” he said. “If you’ve planned a pace, don’t get overexcited or distracted by other runners. Just do what you planned for”. His other advice, echoed by several others during the day, was that these events would get addictive. One girl at the start told me she had done her first the previous summer and this was now her 4th. Given my obsessive nature with these kind of events I already had a feeling I would be back for others.

At 08:30 the clock started and 350 runners filled Wendover high-street. The pack soon thinned as the course headed along paths and tracks out of town and into the Chilterns. The first section from Wendover to Chesham was beautiful. The small villages and woodland were now more like Christmas card scenes with the snow settling due to a mini-blizzard at mile 2.

My plan, carefully worked out on a spreadsheet, was to run sets of 3 x 10 minute miles followed by a 15 minute fast-walk mile and a 15 minute rest at each check-point. At Checkpoint 1 at Chesham this was working well.

This second stage was both hillier and harder to navigate. There were no direction makers on the course, so we were all given maps to follow. For the first stage I kept at least 5 runners ahead of me in sight leaving the navigation up to those in front. By the second stage the group was thinning out a lot more and there were larger gaps between runners. There were several occasions where I arrived at a junction and a group of runners were returning back to the route having taken a wrong turn. I was pretty lucky to have kept on the right path throughout.

Just outside of Chesham the route went through a large playing field. This became quite disorientating for the group splitting it into 3 streams, one going down each side and one through the middle to find the path at the other end. The actual path then crossed a fast flowing stream passable only by slippery and wobbly logs laid out as stepping stones. Many slipped and got one foot soaked with at least one runner going all the way in.

The second stage, Chesham to Chalfont via Chorleywood, was trickier overall but the plan was still working and I made it bang on time to Checkpoint 2, where my support crew (Timi and Mum) were waiting.

By Stage 3, Chalfont to Cowley, I was on home turf and navigation was easy as I’d ran and cycled every path around there in the last few years. By the time I hit the Grand Union Canal at Denham I had lost some time due to some really muddy hills after Checkpoint 2. The game plan that worked so well for the first half was proving too optimistic for the second and each mile was getting somewhat slower.

Timi and Mum were waiting for me at Checkpoint 3 just like at all of the following ones. This was a big morale boost and made a great day even more special. Timi had become my official social network agent for the day, posting my progress on Facebook throughout. Seeing the supportive likes and comments at each Checkpoint was another great motivator. By now I was 25 miles in, just under a full marathon and feeling good, despite slowing down.

From here to the finish the navigation was easy: just follow the Canal and don’t forget to take the Paddington arm at Bulls Bridge. The group had really thinned out by now and for most of the time I could only see 1 other runner ahead in the distance and 1 behind me. This was the point where the iPod had become essential kit and I was ploughing through the Podcasts.

At Checkpoint 4, 31 miles in, it started to get dark and the marshalls made sure we had our head-torches on. We also got paired up with other runners for safety. This already seemed like a good idea as the canal becomes a magnet at night for groups of shifty looking people roaming around smoking and drinking. The frequent “missing person” notices stuck to trees and bridges weren’t a confidence booster either.

Julian, a friendly guy from Milton Keynes, became my running partner for the next 3 hours. He’d completed a few Ultras before and would probably have been faster than me but was suffering badly from stomach problems. He put it down to using the free carb gels they were giving out at each checkpoint rather than the ones he’d trained with. Whatever the reason, I was glad to have someone running at the same pace. I’m always concerned about running with someone either too fast or too slow, both not wanting to hold anyone back or feeling compelled to go faster than my own pace.

The final 10 miles was all about finishing, as a fast time at this stage was neither possible or wanted. We had slowed down to 16 minute miles of fast walking, finding a pace that was comfortable as long as we didn’t stop. At the last 2 Checkpoints we stayed only for a few minutes to get more food and water, fearful that if we stopped for longer we wouldn’t start again.

As the end got closer the route become darker and surroundings more industrial. I love cycling and running the canals as you get a diverse mix of country and industry. This part of London had little in the way of pleasant scenery, so the lack of light was mostly a blessing. The head-torch was now the essential kit, keeping us on the path and out of the canal.

Eventually the tall buildings of the new development at Paddington came into sight and the end was near. Checkpoint 6, the Finish at Little Venice finally came after just under 10 hours since the start. A massage and an ice-bath would probably have been the right thing but a warm-bath and a long sleep was really the only thing that I wanted.

One week on and things are mostly back to normal with only an ache in my left knee as a physical reminder. The 2 days following the race were tricky with a point on the following day I thought I had permanently damaged myself. By the 3rd day I was able walk upright again and able to tackle stairs without sitting on them.

A lot of friends asked why I did it and other events like these. The normal answers of the “challenge” and “achievement” are true but its not really that. The simple truth is that I just love the outdoors. The routes these adventures take me on are amazing and there’s no better way to experience them than to travel under your own power. I also love the organised events as there’s always a buzz from so many people with the same goal, often doing so for good causes. In a society where inactivity and obesity are rising I find it highly motivating to spend a day with people on the other end of the health spectrum.

The 2 bits of advice from the runner at the start-line both turned out to be true: stick to your game plan and expect it to be addictive. I may need a few weeks off but this won’t be my last Ultra.

Thanks you very much to everyone who supported me, from Mat who gave me the idea, to the “likers” and “commenters” on Facebook, those who sponsored me for the Growlerthon course and especially to Timi and my Mum as my amazing support crew for the day.

elevation_profile.jpg
Richard gowerRun, Ultramarathon, Chilterns, Colne Valley, Canal, London, Buckinghamshire, England, MiddlesexComment
Cliveden 10k Cross Country Race

When: January 4th 2015
Where: Cliveden National Trust, Cliveden Road, Taplow, Maidenhead, SL1 8NS
Course: One small and one big loop of the National Trust estate.
Other routes touched (walk): Cliveden Green Walking Route
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Finish time: 58m

The Cliveden Cross Country 10k was a chilly and hilly start to the new year. The race, at the National Trust estate near Maidenhead, is an annual fixture yet I've always manged to miss it up to now. This year was particularly cold and foggy, something I only realised half way into the cycle ride there from home. I arrived with frosted-over gloves and numb hands. I soon warmed up on the course though as the climbs and mud got the pulse going pretty quickly.

The course is 2 roughly similar laps of the estate with a longer 2nd half including a nice run by the Thames. Both laps had a very steep climb up the steps back to the main house which no-one I saw managed to tackle faster than a walk.

First race of the year done and a warm-up for the 45-mile Ultra in mid-Jan.

 
Richard gowerRun, 10k, National Trust, Buckinghamshire, EnglandComment
Craig y Llyn: Glamorganshire County Top
View from the path to Craig y Llyn

View from the path to Craig y Llyn

Significance: Highest peak in Glamorganshire (Historic CT), High Point of South Glamorgan Preserved County, High Point of Neath Port Talbot Principal Area
Member of: Marilyn
Parent Peak: Fan Nedd
Elevation: 150m
Date climbed: 30th December 2014
Coordinates: 51°42′57″N 3°35′06″W 
Route Start / End: Rhigos Viewpoint, Rhigos Road, Rhigos, CF42 5RY
Route Distance: 5.2 km (3.2 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 126m
Subsidiary tops on route: Craig y Llyn East Slope (590): High Point of Mid Glamorgan Preserved County and Rhondda Cynon Taff Principal Area
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 47
Map: OS Explorer Map (166) Rhondda and Merthyr Tydfil
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir)
Links: Wikipedia, Peakbagger, Trigpointing

OTHER HIGH POINTS IN Glamorganshire

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Mountain, Trig Pillar, Glamorganshire, WalesComment
Milton Keynes Winter Half Marathon

When: December 14th 2014
Where: Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, UK
Course: 1 big loop of Milton Keynes & surrounding villages including Grand Union Canal towpath.
Other routes touched (walk): Grand Union Canal Towpath
Other routes touched (cycle): Hanslope Circular Ride, NCN 6, 51
Finish time: 1:57

When I signed up for the Milton Keynes Half I wasn't expecting much. The town has a reputation for not being very interesting and I assumed that its Half may be similar. I usually go for more local events and I signed up for this one mainly because there was nothing else interesting happening in December. October and November is peak running event season with a winter break before it picks up again in March and April.

The MK Winter Half turned out to be a really interesting route through the countryside surrounding the town. Its a relatively flat, single anticlockwise loop made up of mostly cycle paths and parks. It starts and ends next to the Grand Union canal in a small and (at the time) muddy field. I loved the route, especially the canal tow-paths and disused railway tracks. The Grand Union will be a familiar sight in my Growlerthon year as I'll be returing to it in January for the Ultra-Marathon then again in April to cycle the length of it.

Despite the flat course and run-friendly temprature, I was 10 minutes off my PB at the London Royal Parks 2 months earlier. The sleigh-ful of wine and a late night at the office Christmas Party 2 days before probably didn't help.

 
Richard gowerRun, Half Marathon, Buckinghamshire, England, CanalComment
Rugged Radnage 10K

When: November 16th 2014
Where: Radnage Village Hall, Green Ln Radnage, High Wycombe, HP14 4DN
Course: Single-lap bow-tie shaped double loops.
Other routes touched (walk): Chiltern Way
Other routes touched (cycle): Chilterns Cycleway
Finish time: 56 mins

For event #3 in Growlerthon, I went to Radnage in South Oxfordshire for their annual Rugged Radnage 10K cross-country race. It had been a while since I'd done a proper muddy run and this one gave me what I needed. Radnage is a small village set in some beautiful countryside. The mid-November timing gave an amazing autumnal backdrop to a fun, challenging run across local farms and woods. The killer final 1K uphill to the finishing point gave a satisfying ending to the run.

Thanks to my friend Sara and the other local volunteers for a friendly, well organised event.

trip-54441919-map-full - Rugged Radnage.png
 
Richard gowerRun, 10k, Buckinghamshire, Chilterns, EnglandComment
London Bridges Half Marathon

For a few years I imagined a half marathon that follows the Thames Path in London crossing every bridge along the way. On a chilly day in November, with only minor route planning on Google Maps, I gave it a go.

The route starts at Westminster Bridge, heading east towards Tower Bridge. The rules are that every accessible bridge must be crossed and each side of the river covered. This means a zig-zagging route up to Tower Bridge, then the opposite zig-zag back to Westminster and onwards to Chelsea Bridge. This marks the final turn back eastwards, finishing at County Hall on the South side of Westminster Bridge.

My Garmin read 14.1 miles at the end, 1 mile over a true half. Staying tighter to the river would have carved off most of that extra mile. I made this first attempt on a busy Saturday afternoon, and the crowds around Tower Hill and County Hall meant that a diversion was needed at times. My run took nearly 3 hours, mostly due to lack of carbs the day before and a very crowded route that became a slow walk in some parts. An early-morning crowdless route would be do-able in under 2hrs.

Its a great route for views of London and never boring. Its unlikely to be practical to be run as a large organised event due to the many road crossings and narrow alleys, but it works well for small groups.

Here's the details... (N) and (S) indicate North or South direction of travel across the bridge.

Map - London Bridges Half Marathon 1.png

Section 1

  • Start at Westminster Bridge North side by the Houses of Parliament

  • Head east along the Embankment towards Tower Bridge

  • Cross Hungerford Footbridge (S), head east

  • Cross Waterloo Bridge (N), head east

  • Cross Blackfriars Bridge (S), head east

  • Cross the Millennium Footbridge (N), head east

  • Cross Southwark Bridge (S), head east

  • Cross London Bridge (N), head east

  • Cross Tower Bridge (S), now start heading back towards Westminster

Section 2

elevation_profile - London Bridges Half Marathon 1.jpg

  • Cross London Bridge (N), head west

  • Cross Southwark Bridge (S), head west

  • Cross the Millennium Footbridge (N), head west

  • Cross Blackfriars Bridge (S), head west

  • Cross Waterloo Bridge (N), head west

  • Cross Hungerford Footbridge (S), head west

  • Cross Westminster Bridge (N), head west

  • Cross Lambeth Bridge (S), head west

  • Cross Vauxhall Bridge (N), head west

  • Cross Chelsea Bridge (S), now start heading east back towards Westminster

Section 3

  • Cross Vauxhall Bridge (N), head east

  • Cross Lambeth Bridge (S), head east

  • Finish at Westminster Bridge, south side by County Hall

Richard gowerRun, Half Marathon, London, Middlesex, EnglandComment
Cycling London's Capital Ring
View to the city on the northern section

View to the city on the northern section

Start & Finish: Old Deer Park Car Park, Park Lane, Richmond, TW9 2RA
Distance: 127 km / 79 miles
Elevation Change: + / - 1,017m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Walk): Thames Path, Wandle Trail, Green Chain Walk, King John’s Walk, Explore Charlton Trail, Jubilee Greenway, The Greenway, Lea Canal Towpath, Lea Valley Walk, New River Path, Grand Union Canal Towpath
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): NCN 1, 13, 20, 21, 4 / CS 1, 2, 3
Guidebook: The Capital Ring by Colin Saunders. Arum Press.
Maps:
- OS Explorer Map (161) London South, Westminster, Greenwich, Croydon, Esher & Twickenham
- OS Explorer Map (173) London North, The City, West End, Enfield, Ealing, Harrow & Watford

The Capital Ring is a 78 mile walking route circling inner and central London. It was established in 2005 as a continuous signposted route that takes in many of London’s parks and green spaces. Whilst there are many books and articles detailing how to walk it, there’s very little in the way of advice for cyclists. That’s probably intentional as some parts, particularly Richmond Park and Wimbledon Common, specifically prohibit cycling along the route.

My first attempt at cycling the Capital Ring was in 2013, 6 months after a successful 2-day adventure on its big sister, the 150 mile London Loop. Having found the Loop relatively straightforward I considered the Ring to be easy. My first attempt with 2 friends failed spectacularly with a combination of my ineffective navigation, Brian’s broken bike and Ray’s broken body. A broken chain en-route to the start and some confusion over the meet-up point meant an 11 am start, far too late for a 70+ miler on an autumn day. We decided to see how far we could get and less than 20 miles in we realised it wasn’t going to happen. We ended up with a smaller 45 mile trip. A nice day but we hadn’t conquered the Capital Ring.

I’d learnt my navigation lesson by the 2nd attempt 1 year later. Previously I’d been relying only on Colin Saunders’ excellent guide to the route. It's appropriately detailed and, whilst great for walkers, it's not something that you can read whilst cycling at speed. Although the route is well signposted it'seasy to miss the signs every now and then. The solution for attempt 2 was a handlebar mounted iPhone case and a cycling app with a GPX file of the route. This was the single most important reason that we were able to complete the route in a day.

The route itself is a well thought-out mix of some well-known and unfamiliar parts of London. Although the official start is the Woolwich tunnel on the eastern side, you can pick it up wherever you want. We started on the far west at Richmond Bridge going anti-clockwise. This gave us some amazing early-morning views across Richmond Park and some great photo opportunities with the deer. The official Capital Ring route through the park prohibits cycling so its important to take a detour here to avoid annoying the early morning walkers and the potential £50 fine for cycling on the wrong paths.

The rest of the south side is fairly scenic taking in Wimbledon Common, Streatham and on to Eltham. The route crosses the river at the Woolwich Foot Tunnel before the less than scenic parts around London City Airport and Barking. The route gets interesting again when it joins a long stretch of converted railway called the Greenway taking you to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The North London section is mostly a nice combination of canals and parks with some busy sections around the A1/A406 road links near Brent Cross. This section reaches its literal peak at Harrow On The Hill which, based on our chosen start point, came just as the sun went down and tiredness set in. From Harrow it's down-hill all the way back to Richmond Bridge. The official route takes advantage of canal and stream towpaths although we took an alternative road-based route trying to avoid falling into the Grand Union in the dark.

Our experience proved that cycling the Capital Ring is both practical and rewarding. There’s no detailed guide to cycling the Ring yet, so I recommend some careful planning and being prepared for some spontaneous detours. I would say that ~90% of the route is cycle friendly with easy alternatives for the rest. A good GPS device will help you get back on track when you get lost or need to make a detour to avoid a muddy hill. For enjoyment go for 2 days and take a slow pace. This will give you time to read the guide book as you go and learn about the interesting places along the way. The 1 day version we did becomes a very different experience altogether as it's more of a physical and navigational challenge. Either way it's an incredibly rewarding route and a unique way to see the Capital.

route-26640052-map-full.png
Capital Ring Elevation Profile

Capital Ring Elevation Profile

The Capital Ring and The London Loop

London Loop in Blue, Capital Ring in Red. Base map from OpenStreetMap

London Loop in Blue, Capital Ring in Red. Base map from OpenStreetMap

More London posts

Richard gowerCycle, NCN, Thames, London, Middlesex, England Comments
Normanby Top: Lincolnshire County Top

Radar tower near the summit

Normanby Top

Also Known As: Wolds Top, Normanby Hill, The Wolds
Significance: Highest peak in Lincolnshire (Historic County Top), Parts of Lindsey (Administrative County Top), Lincolnshire Wolds National Landscape
Member of: Marilyn
Parent Peak: Walton Hill.
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Bishop Wilton Wold
Elevation: 168m
Date climbed: October 14th 2014
Coordinates: 53°27′09″N 0°18′48″W

 
Route Start / End: Near radio station tower (massive golf ball) on east-west road between Normanby Road and B1225
Route Distance: 1.1 km (0.7 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 5m
Subsidiary tops on route: None
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched: None
OS Trig Pillar: TP0753 - Acre
Map: OS Explorer 282: Lincolnshire Wolds North
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir), Walking the County High Points of England (David Bathurst)
Links: Wikipedia (Lincolnshire), Wikipedia (Parts of Lindsey), Wikipedia (Normanby Top), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

OTHER HIGH POINTS IN Lincolnshire

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Lincolnshire, EnglandComment
Royal Parks Half Marathon

When: October 12th 2014
Where: London, UK
Course: Start and end in Hyde Park via Green Park, St James', Westminster Bridge and The Embankment
Other routes touched (walk): Thames Path, Jubilee Walkway, Jubilee Greenway, Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Finish time: 1:47

The London Royal Parks may have been my 17th Half Marathon, but it was by far my most important. This year I was running for Cancer Research UK as the first event in Growlerthon2015, my year of fundraising. I’d been trying to get into this race for years but always missed out via the public ballot. Running for a charity is great way to guarantee a place, and it comes with the responsibility of raising enough money for them.

The race is hugely popular as goes through some great London scenery. There’s 3 of the Royal Parks: Hyde, Green and St James, plus Buckingham Palace, Parliament Square, Westminster Bridge, the Embankment and Admiralty Arch.

October 12th was a beautiful Autumn day with excellent running conditions. I’m not fond of running in the heat and that day was nicely chilly. The flat course, the buzz of the crowds and Timi and her parents there to support all contributed to a great race and a Personal Best of 1:47.

A very large glass of wine helped to finish the day and was the decider to return in 2015 for the 42 mile Royal Parks Ultra.

 
Richard gowerRun, Half Marathon, London, EnglandComment
One Year On

I've been dreading writing this. It's not the usual procrastination and not the fear of having to do something I don’t want to. It's the need to do it mixed with the knowing that it will bring up things I've been happy not to think about for a while.

I've not spoken much about my Dad's death. I didn't feel the need to but I always knew there would be a time to reflect on it properly and, one year on, that time is here. Funerals are the time to mark the passing, to grieve together and say goodbye. I don't understand them and they don't work for me. Dad's funeral was small, 8 of us, although there would have been many more if Mum, my sister and I had invited them. Dad was popular and there could have been many more there but he would have wanted it to be small and private. Or maybe that’s what we wanted.

It started in March. Mum and Dad had returned to the UK a few months earlier, after 4 years of living in France. Christmas was nice as my in-laws were visiting from Hungary and we were all together. By March, Dad was out in the garden again where he spent a lot of time working. For 70 he was in good shape and very active, so climbing trees to cut down branches wasn’t unusual. Having pains in his chest afterwards was odd but easy to put it down to just over-doing it. The pains didn’t go away tho and then the coughing came. Like most men, Dad wasn’t one for going to the doctors, so only went there after the pain didn’t go away and Mum made him go. Then came the scan and the shadow on the lung. Not good. Things progressed fairly quickly or at least that’s how I remember it now.

By April, Dad was in hospital to have fluid drained from his lungs. It was meant to be a week but it became a month. The hospital was a few miles from where my wife, Timi and I lived and I cycled there to see him most nights. We were all fully in denial, conscious that there could be something very bad but trying not to think about it. Dad wasn’t a big talker, so pretending that all was well came easily. Whilst there, Dad had a biopsy to find out what the shadow was.

During the May Bank Holiday Timi and I were in Hungary for my birthday. We were in an odd limbo time of not wanting to make new plans in case we needed to be close to home but not cancelling anything either. I kept in contact with Mum while we were away and “all was well”. The day after we got back Mum emailed to ask if she could meet me at home after work. That was the point that I knew that we couldn’t be in denial anymore.

Mum couldn’t look at me when she told me. Dad had lung cancer. It was Mesothelioma, a rare type caused by contact with asbestos. Dad was an engineer and would have had a lot of contact with it, long before it was known to be dangerous. Mesothelioma lays dormant, often for 30 years and then suddenly becomes a problem very quickly. There’s no cure and not much in the way of effective treatment.

Dad was allowed to go home soon after and there were plans for chemotherapy to delay the effects. He was upbeat and positive as usual, not wanting to worry anyone. We all got on with it by pretending it wasn’t happening. The most consistent advice that I got from friends was “don’t leave anything left unsaid”. I understood that but at the same time I didn’t know what there was that was unsaid. I was lucky to have a great childhood and the best parents I could wish for. I didn’t feel that there was anything unsaid but the advice made me think that maybe there should be.

Summer was somewhat surreal. The first round of chemo came and went and was fairly straightforward. Timi and I would visit as often as we could and we spent time in the garden, enjoying the summer evenings with Mum and Dad. I had an odd mix of enjoying the time spent together and a greater appreciation of the value of the time left with a dread of what would come next.

Chemo round 2 had more of an impact. Dad slept for most of the 3 weeks that followed. He decided not to carry on with round 3. That was the point where there were really no more options. By September, not even 6 months on from the first pains in the chest, we knew that there was nothing left to be done. Dad was happy to stay in denial and did not want to talk about his illness. This meant that we could not ask how long he had left. Mum read that, with Mesothelioma, it's often 1 year from the first diagnosis. In the end we had half of that.

The final 2 weeks were a rapid decline. I had moved in with my parents to do whatever was needed. Dad couldn’t do much for himself anymore and retreated even further into himself. The hardest thing for me was watching Mum spoon-feeding him with baby food when he couldn’t do it for himself. After a life well lived that’s not something you want to end up doing whichever side of the spoon you’re on.

During the last week we had a hospital bed downstairs. Dad wasn’t able to talk or carry himself any more and Mum and I were not able to carry him upstairs. We had regular visits from carers who would wash and feed him. They were amazing and are so professional at a job that I can’t imagine doing at all. Through that week Mum and I would take it in turns to be with him and make sure he was OK. I would talk to him and he talked back. I had no idea if he understood what I was saying and I certainly didn’t understand what he was trying to say. Either way, there was nothing left unsaid.

October 11th was an otherwise normal, sunny autumn day. The carers came to wash, feed and shave Dad. I was on the sofa, working and keeping an eye out for him. By now his breathing had slowed down and there were longer gaps between breaths. Around 10 I noticed that it had been an especially long gap...

For a very long time I considered that the death of one of my parents would be the worst thing that could happen. At the time it was, but it was also not how I expected. 6 months is an odd combination of enough time to get used to something happening but too quick to get any real perspective. By the point that he had stopped breathing I was just running a process that I had rehearsed in my mind for several months. The final day was surreal. There was the calling the doctor and waiting for morning appointments to end before the doctor could come out. Then there was the Police who had to come out in cases of an industrial-related illness but didn’t know what to do when they arrived. I had to call the doctor to get him to explain to the police what they should be doing. It was a full 8 hours before the undertakers came for him. Then came the unexpected relief. Relief that he wasn’t going to be in that pain anymore and that part of the nightmare was over.

The hardest thing was calling Lisa, my sister. Lisa lives a very long way away in Zambia with all of the difficulties of not being able to be home regularly. Lisa had come back to visit Dad in July, the last time he was well enough to appreciate it. Having lived abroad myself for several years I knew the fear of something bad happening at home and having to deal with something remotely. The auto-pilot process of dealing with the death only worked until I called Lisa and then I fell apart.

So, it's one year on and a lot had happened. Timi and I bought and refurbished a house. Mum visited Lisa in Zambia and their relationship is the best I’ve seen it in as long as I can remember. We’ve all had our fair share of ups and downs. Dad is still with us all and in different ways for each of us. For me it's deep in who I am. He was a good man and I hope I am too.

Richard gowerComment
Kékes: Hungary High Point

Significance: Highest Point in Hungary
Parent Peak: TBC, possibly Javorie, Slovakia
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Javorie, Slovakia
Elevation: 1,104m
Date climbed: August 17th, 2014
Coordinates: 47° 52' 21'' N, 20° 0' 31'' E
Guidebook: Europe’s High Points (Cicerone)
Links: Wikipedia (Hungary / Kékes), Peakbagger

The highest point in Hungary is very easy to tick off as you can drive to the top. There’s a lot of hiking options around but Timea and I were on a driving tour of the north and east of the country and decided to do it as a drive-by. The summit is marked by a stone painted in the colours of the Hungarian flag.

Richard gowerTrek, Country High Points, HungaryComment