London, Hyde Park laps - Tue. Jan. 16 [UK]

[Backpost]
From Tim's flat nearby, headed out to the park after a long day for my last run of the UK trip. Found my way there okay, and negotiated very confusing underpasses under Marble Arch to surface at Speaker's Corner, then set off around the perimeter inside the park, on a nice sandy road used by horses and some parts of the bike trail or regular roads: Broad Walk, Lovers's Walk, round the Achilles statue and back into to Serpentine road, next to a dark and duck-floating Serpentine that looked quite expansive and *chilly.*

A bit alarming that the low light-pollution lamps were barely bright enough to let me see prospective muggers, but I ran with hairs prickling and eyes sweeping the path's edges. The presence of a few other runners and cyclists reassured me that I wasn't totally nuts. I turned away from the water at the North Ride and followed that all the way back to the start point, then did the same again. Then back into the underpasses and out into the streets towards Edgeware. Realized I needed to think about how to get back, so stopped the clock, for the first set of readings, then ran on a bit more before giving up and phoning home to get directions! Made it back after lots of toing and froing; while waiting for one traffic light a chap asked if I was training and I said yes, sort of, and he said, "Well, see you in 2012 then!" Riiiight.

Time: 46:30 and another 7-8 minutes
Speed: 7.7 mph and slow
Distance: 6.01 miles and another 0.8 miles

Comments: hit a puddle or two so got clean gear muddy again (in London, even!) but it was a comfortable run and soothing given stress factors about the trip and the heap of work awaiting me. Tim's certainly got room to train there, though, for sure.