RUN 232 - 1940s dress design sketches in South Ken.

Even in the city there are always beautiful interesting things to see, and you see so much more when running... there may not always be beautiful vistas, sun rises over impossibly large lakes or the banks of a powerful river, but make the effort to open your eyes and you'll see so much more.

[40's dress designs in a Knightsbridge shop window]

RUN 231 - London drizzle is a runners friend

I'm actually more of a 'poor weather' runner, i love the challenge that weather presents, snow, ice wind, rain... i love sunny day runs too, but its hard to keep cool... a drizzly day is fine by me too.



[Got to watch your step though]

RUN 230 - Post run Rooftop

Running A-B is always so much more satisfying; home to work or vice versa, every step is a step closer to your destination and is filled with a little more confidence.  It translates more directly to our life experiences, and reminds me that so long as we have a direction, a destination or a purpose, make every step a step towards that place and no matter how much you tire, you can draw strength from the knowledge that you're making progress.

[West London skyline from our roof]

RUN 229 - R&R along the Thames path to Battersea Park

Sometimes everything just works out perfectly, today was absolutely one of those days; a gentle breeze, cool air, slightly drizzly but not raining, just enough to keep the fair weather walkers and runners off the Thames path, but to top it all my wife decided to get out her bike and join me for an hour or two! running has always been a quite selfish indulgent pastime for me, one which is mine to enjoy and explore and reflect, to give me balance.  My running isn't about physical fitness; i'm not the fastest, or most efficient, and certainly don't follow a strict runners diet, but i enjoy every step i take, its never a chore, i allow myself to enjoy and experience the places it takes me, even the smallest details of perhaps the most seemingly mundane place.  Its a wonderful chance to observe the places we live and visit and be part of them.  But to share these beautiful places and moments of chance encounter with the woman i love are an even greater joy.

[Flowers blooming in Battersea Park]

RUN 228 - Capture the moment

I always run with my iphone, its useful if i get a little lost, or to call someone i'm meeting or who expects me, but mainly i carry it for the chance to capture a moment.  I have 5/6 main routes either to or from work or around our home, the route is repeated time after time, but the experience of it is entirely different on every occasion, with the weather, the season, time or day, the people who share the moment or the things taking place... the local authority trimmed the trees back along the south bank, felled a few too... this log obviously rolled down the bank of the river having been cut at low tide... this angle and composition screamed out to me as i ran by... the stump in the foreground, the log on the beach and the river beyond...when the tide returns to collect the log, this image will be gone forever.

[sometimes the images scream out to be captured]

RUN 227 - Every step is a history lesson

Every step is a history lesson in this city, relics of the past are everywhere, often re purposed, preserved or simply allowed to deteriorate.  This proud forgotten relic has served its useful purpose many years ago, and now stands to intrigue or be ignored.

[I have no idea of its purpose and almost prefer to keep it that way]

RUN 226 - Stop and look

RUN 225 - Chinatown

Its tough not to try and take this picture every time i pass through, its the glamorous celebration of the entrance to Chinatown, equally interesting are the side streets and back alleys which propel this machine

[the grand entrance serves as a distraction to what lies beyond]

RUN 224 - Take a break, stretch it out

A slower start to today run home, tight muscles from yesterday and still recovering from Angleseys marathon, not surprising really. Stretching when traffic holds me up really helps and reminds me that it's ok to stop when racing too, it's not all about pushing pushing relentlessly, stopping or walking doesn't not equal failure, it indicates awareness of an intelligent runner, to modify form, pace or to rest or stretch when necessary, all of which will in fact get you to the finish faster than simply plodding stubbornly on. Finished really strongly and confident to pick up pace [7m - 01:01:57]

[Stretch it out after running the first mile or so]

RUN 223 - Routine Commitment

After 5 coastal marathons in a little over a year I feel the need to find a new challenge, I love the rhythm of off road running, the variation in pace and the muscle control required to navigate undulating unsteady terrain is both challenging and satisfying. By comparison it makes road running almost monotonous, city street running still requires concentration and dodging pedestrians, which breaks up the rhythm, I'm not sure how I feel about returning to traditional marathoning. However I do want to work on my pace and finish time, my recent marathons and shorter road races indicate a 3-3.5hr finish time is possible, which I'd love to work towards... I

think I'm going to look for a autumn road marathon and in the meantime get back to my road roots and half marathon speed work  [7m - 1:01:34]

[The slow walk to stretch out at the end]

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