You're running Ware today?
Time for some more Rannual Leave. I took the day off and joined Matt for an ultra run through London and across the M25. Yes, we were breaking out of London on foot.
Our plan was to follow the Lea Valley north to Ware. Where? Yes Ware. Oh the hilarity. Let's just say the joke lasted the whole 30 miles.
We left Lewisham at 5am as we both needed to be back for the school run. It was dark and cold. We encountered the only elevation of the entire route on the way through Blackheath towards Greenwich Park. An easy downhill to the Cutty Sark brought us to the Greenwich foot tunnel which took us beneath the Thames and onto the north bank.
The illuminated towers of Canary Wharf shone above us and thousands of Christmas fairy lights lit our path across the Isle of Dogs and onto the Limehouse Cut. We decided to take the direct route through Hackney and explored some parts of the city I have never seen before and likely never will again. A mixture of gentrification and 1960's social housing side by side.
Eventually we joined the River Lea just north of Hackney Marshes. The sun was starting to come up as we took a short break by a rowing club to use the facilities. Onward past Walthamstow Wetlands and past Tottenham Marshes. The birds were serenading the new day and countless herons watched us pass by.
I was now in new territory as I had never run north of Tottenham. We ran beside three large reservoirs before arriving at Enfield Lock. After miles of narrow boats and canal path it felt strange being back in a built up area. Parents were taking their children to school and we had already clocked up around 16 miles.
We reached Rammey Marsh Lock, within sight of the M25. We had heard the roar of the passing traffic approaching for a while. We were longing for a coffee but hadn't spotted anywhere to stop. Until now. The Narrowboat cafe beckoned us like a desert mirage. Was it real? There were two child sized ice cream whips with faces, a ten foot astronaut, an American Indian sculpture and over the gate an array of hideous masks. Slightly weirded out we allowed our appetites to overrule our emotions and entered.
We found ourselves in an American diner with a large soft play area. It was empty. Eventually someone came to the counter and we ordered two coffees and two treacle tarts. About 20 minutes later the coffees arrived. I hate to think how long you have to wait when they are busy.
Our thirst now sated, we ran beneath the M25 flyover and found ourselves up north. I hadn't thought to change my money or bring my passport but we thought we'd just try and wing it. We followed the river through the middle of River Lee Country Park with water on both sides of us. It was relaxing to be surrounded by water. We passed Holyfield Lake and arrived in Broxbourne.
We searched in vain for Broxbourne Castle, which Matt thought he remembered*, and weaved through the streets to Hoddesdon and then Hailey. Amwell Hill took us by surprise and we walked to the top despite it being no more than a slight slope. We had been running on such flat paths that we had become unaccustomed to any sort of - I can't say elevation - rise maybe best describes it.
*There is no such place.
Eventually we spotted a sign which hilariously said Ware 2. Two miles later we arrived at Ware station. While Matt waited patiently at the pedestrian crossing I ran up and down the pavement to ensure my Strava recording was rounded up to 30 miles. Yes, we did establish that I have a serious problem that needs addressing.
The train back took just 45 minutes. Our run had taken six hours with coffee and treacle tart. There's no doubt in my mind though that the six hour journey was the most enjoyable and certainly must be in contention for a Guinness world record for the most Ware related jokes in six hours (while running).
