March Microadventure: Thames Time Challenge

10 min read.

As an ode to my London Marathon training in 2016, I wanted to run around the Thames for one of my Manchester training runs. Back then I was living in Battersea and the river was my run track, with every bridge I added to my route being another step towards 42.2km.

I’d had this idea in October when I signed up to the marathon but wondered how I’d realistically fit it in. Then when I started OOO in January, promising myself one microadventure a month, it all came together.

The Plan

• Train: 07:46 Leeds > 10:14 London

• Run: 28km around the Thames

(London Bridge west to Wandsworth Bridge, then east to Tower Bridge).

• Train: 14:33 London > 16:52 Leeds

• Nursery pick-up: 17:30

Why 4 hours and 17 minutes in London? Because those were the cheapest trains when I booked in January (I got a return for a very reasonable £50). Why 28km? Because that was my long run distance for that week. It felt doable in the time but also possibly not, which was part of the fun.

The Kit

Wore:

• Altra Provision 6 road shoes

• Zarach run top (the charity I’m running Manchester for)

• Skins compression tights (not pictured)

• Mountain Warehouse merino base layer (not pictured)

• Rapha cycling rain jacket

• Garmin Forerunner 945 (not pictured)

Carried:

• Inov-8 RACEPAC 8 (everything fit in this)

• CamelBak water bladder

• Sea to Summit dry bag

• Strong Girls Club beanie

• Nike running gloves

• Buff

• Anker battery pack

• Anker headphones (for train)

• SHOKZ Bone Conductor headphones (for run)

• Change of clothes (not pictured)

• Veloforte energy chews

• TRIBE protein bar

• Zip-lock of nuts

• High-5 electrolytes (wrapped 2 in with nuts)

I made some minor changes at 6am the morning of. The dry bag was too chunky, so I swapped it for a plastic parcel bag that was lying around. And I didn’t take my beanie, which as you’ll see, I almost instantly regretted.

The Run: Every Minute Counts

05:15

My alarm goes off. Haptics no sound. I wake up with an unusual excitement for a Thursday before creeping downstairs so not to wake the house.

05:20

Pre-run ritual starts: coffee x2 and overnight oats filled with an embarrassing number of superfoods. BBC News is on in the background.

06:00

I make the kit changes mentioned above, scrape the oats I can’t finish into a takeaway tub and greet the sleepy-eyed two to my three.

06:47

My first train of the day: to Leeds, with a raft of early morning commuters. Everyone’s wrapped up. I feel underdressed in running tights, a light jacket and buff.

07:11

The cold hits me as we arrive in Leeds and I regret not packing my beanie. I pace around for 35 minutes trying to keep warm. Should I have chanced a 07:38 arrival?

07:46

A Grand Central train pulls up onto the platform. I was expecting LNER. There’s also a change in York – another unexpected journey detail.

08:15

York. I make an 8-minute dash to a faraway platform for my connecting train to The Big Smoke.

08:23

And we’re off! I settle in with the remainder of my oats and a list of podcasts I’ve wanted to listen to for a while.

10:12

I gain 2 minutes with an early arrival into King’s Cross and run to the Underground. Muscle memory kicks in and I hop on the Northern Line, my old line before I left London for distant lands (AKA New Zealand). It’s only five stops south to London Bridge. Yet we only manage one to Angel before the train terminates. I wait 3 minutes for the next and there’s no room. I wait another 4 and just about squeeze on. Now I remember why I cycled everywhere in London.

10:35

London Bridge. Tooley Street exit. I’m a little disorientated; I probably haven’t been to this part of London since 2017 – maybe even before then.

10:38

I start my Garmin and cross the road to London Bridge. Then, in some weird blast from the past, I remember that Tooley Street runs under the bridge. Backtracking, I get going.

10:42

Southwark Bridge: my first glimpse of the Thames, with St Paul’s poking his pointy head up in the background. Carrying on west I spot everyone: the Tate, who’s celebrating his 25th Birthday; Harry Potter’s pal Millennium Bridge; Blackfriars Bridge, wobbly on her legs; Miss Popular Southbank Centre; ABBA’s muse Waterloo Bridge; the all-seeing eye across from the suited and booted Westminster Bridge. This is where the party’s at. 9-5ers, schools, tourists, runners. There are so many runners for a workday. Has everyone taken the day off to run around the Thames?

11:00

Big Ben strikes the hour. I run past the Covid Memorial Wall to those famous bongs. It’s hard to picture 240,000 of anything let alone people. This is a poignant reminder. 

11:13

I fall into a rhythm. Lambeth Bridge, Vauxhall Bridge, MI6, Battersea Power Station. They were restoring the power station when I lived here. Now it’s open and full of swanky apartments, restaurants and shops – or so I hear. I’m not dressed for the occasion. Plus – I’m on the clock.

11:31

A detour takes me away from the river temporarily. Then Prince of Wales Drive takes me to the edge of Battersea Park. I know I need to do 2 loops to make the kms up to 28. I go anticlockwise; it feels familiar. When I first moved to London I lived in Battersea. This park was my easy 5km, cycle commute and weekend escape.

11:49

I’m still in the park. I want to be on the river. Quick wee stop as I know there are no more public loos for miles. I’m ready to crack on upstream but have half a loop to go.

12:00

I reach the northeast corner, Chelsea Bridge. I run west along the river and finally exit the park at Albert Bridge, the prettiest bell of the ball. I scoot past Battersea Bridge, my old corner of London. I only ever lived south – Battersea and Tooting – it’s the only time in my life I’ve been a die-hard Southerner. Now I’m getting desperate to cross the Thames and head east.

12:21

16km (10mi) FINALLY, I cross Wandsworth Bridge and swing a right. I can see the BT Tower in the distance. Not exactly where I’m heading but a sign I’m at least moving in the direction of the finish line.

12:33

It starts raining. By the time I reach Chelsea Harbour it’s hailing. I find a sheltered corner to put my rain jacket on. It seems pointless as I’m wet through at this point but it’ll help me stay warm (I hope). Time to get my head down and get this thing done.

12:37

I start passing the bridges in reverse. First up: Battersea, then Albert and Chelsea. Every bridge feels like a long lost friend – is it 7km or 7 years apart? Through Pimlico. Past Vauxhall Bridge, Lambeth Bridge. Landmarks start appearing on the skyline: The Shard, St Paul’s, the London eye. The adrenaline builds as I wonder if I’ll make it.

13:08

Hello Big Ben! (Or Elizabeth Tower for you pdants). It’s glorious blue skies now. And warm. What’s going on with the weather today? I take a photo for proof that London does get blue skies. Nevertheless, my jacket’s staying on. I worry if I stop to faff I won’t start again.

13:10

Westminster Bridge. Embankment has a load of roadworks, which interrupts my flow. I turn my music up. ABBA Bridge, The Trembling Lady, Harry Potter Bridge, the bridge with a silent ‘w’, the one that was sold to an American who thought he was buying Tower Bridge (or so the story goes).

13:30

I spy the iconic Tower Bridge at 26km. I expected to be finished about now. But there are still a few kms to go. Last push. A thought crosses my mind: do I have time to carry on round to London Bridge to complete the loop? …

13:42

Tower Bridge. 28km. I snap a pic of arguably its worse angle – it could be any bridge – then I stop my Garmin. I’m done. I cross the road to Tower Hill Tube station and catch the Circle Line back to King’s Cross. This ride is thankfully more straightforward, just much colder in my wet kit.

14:10

Arriving back at King’s Cross, I’ve got a quick decision to make: Waitrose or warm clothes? I pick the latter and run to the loos, which are inconveniently at the opposite end of the station to where trains up north depart.

14:13

I peel my sweat-and-rain-soaked run kit off in a cramped toilet cubicle. Each item drops heavily to the floor confirming I made the right choice. Warm and dry, I stuff the wet in the parcel bag.

14:22

There’s still time. I chance a supermarket sweep around Waitrose. I grab two meal deals: chicken and avocado sarnie with salt n vinegar Walkers and an iced coffee + salt beef sarnie with Dairy Milk and a big water.

14:26

I check the departure board: platform 8. Go, go, go!

14:28

Taking my seat, I tuck into my chicken and avocado sarnie without missing a beat.

14:33

Train departs. I had optimistically thought I’d write this blog post on the 2 hour 19 minute journey back to Leeds. I don’t. I plug my headphones in and zone out.

16:52

Leeds. Nearly home. I somehow convince my legs to run for my connecting train home.

17:03

Last train of the day. I notice I’m at 35,600 steps: considerably more than normal.

17:20

Freezing now, I make a pit-stop at home for a coat that’ll actually keep me warm and set off for pick-up.

17:36

My toddler bursts out of nursery excited to tell me about the day she’s had.

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Every head deserves a bed. I’m running Manchester Marathon for the children’s bed charity, Zarach, next month. If you can, please donate here.