Sunday 4th March 2018 No 4
Richard 02:07:31 Jackie 02:12:32
We were lucky to make this as "Beast from the East " had arrived bringing high winds , freezing temperatures and snow snow and more snow .
This is what it was like on Thursday 1st March , the M62 was shut due to drifting and high winds. As our train left at 8.30am Friday morning we decided to load the bikes on the car and stay overnight at a Hotel close to the station. Cycling was out of the question . Originally we had planned to cycle London to Paris but as we only arrived back from the Malta Half on Monday 29th February we switched plans . Lucky we did as I very much doubt we would have had any chance against the "beast".
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| Jackie at Piccadilly Station |
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| At St. Pancras International , bikes checked in . |
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The journey went better than expected , the stations were very busy and many trains had been cancelled . We had to make a diversion because of icicles in a tunnel and reduced speed meant we were delayed by an hour . It was hectic but we made the Paris train and arrived at our snow free Hotel in plenty of time for a beer . We loved the French beer particularly a large Affligem (never heard of before ) but it kept us sane on what was a demanding trip .
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| Mike Richard Jackie cycle and run Gill cycle only |
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| Joining us for the run Chris and Emma |
Paris Half Marathon is an annual half marathon held every year since 1993. It currently holds IAAF Bronze Label status. Kenya's Stanley Biwott is the men's course record holder, with his winning time of 59:44 from the 2012 race. Its a big event that attracts 45000.00 runners but with staggered start times and wide roads the race easily accommodates that large a number without much fuss. Registration was easy , getting to the start problem free, and it seemed fairly flat , all the running was on a good surface and traffic free . I liked the last 5km which was through a park on a tarmac surface , could it be it reminded me of Parkrun ? I tried to take in the sights as we ran along The Seine as much as I could but found looking for the km signs more interesting at times .
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| All 45000.00 names on a large banner at registration |
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Rochdale Harriers at the start . Mike Jackie and Richard
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Jackie enjoyed this race the most , unfortunately Mike had to retire due to a recurring injury and though I enjoyed it my chip didn't work and whilst Jackie , Chris and Emma were enjoying the very detailed results which were up very quickly after the race on an excellent website I had to endure the usual ribbing of whether I had completed it or not . I have contacted the organizers who admit to a problem with some runners results and are sorting it out . I was left feeling a bit flat we are now getting used to drooling over stats and photos within hours of a race finishing .
Another thing worth mentioning is that a medical certificate by a Doctor is required for races in France . I got one at a cost of £30.00 but some Doctors in the UK are refusing to sign them .
After a days sightseeing in Paris we set off on Tuesday to cycle back to London . The route is the "Route Verte " which follows country lanes cycle paths and old railway lines to link the 2 cities in a bike friendly way .
It took us 4 days crossing the Chanel from Dieppe to Newhaven . It is a popular route with and generally well signposted . We struggled with certain sections , ended up on A roads a few times and found the journey demanding but very rewarding . The sun came out occasionally but we had plenty of rain and an unwelcome headwind at times .The ride through central London was easier than expected due to the bus lanes .
Every picture tells a story .
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| Happy Days |
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| Good traffic free cycle path |
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| 123 smile |
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Finish at Euston .
I had never been to Paris before and the small amount I saw I liked ,it was a happening city with loads to do, Notre Dame blew me away and only a 2hr train ride from London . Like London Paris isn't France but it brought home to me what a big risk the UK is taking with leaving the EU .
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