The Last Eight Miles

Wednesday 21 May

And so I ran the last eight miles before the marathon. In my new "woven shorts" from Nike and the RNLI vest that I'll be wearing on the day. I didn't want to go crazy so I stuck to the normal route, from the house, along the river to the park, three laps of the park then back along the river past my house for about half a mile then turned back on myself.

Battersea Park is a 200 acre park in south west London. It's London's only park to border the Thames and is very popular as a consequence. Opened in 1858, the park was once a popular spot for duelling.

The park was designed by architect Sir James Pennethorne, who was also responsible for another of my favourite running spots, Victoria Park in East London.

One of my favourite things to do in the park is to stroll along the river edge, with the water on one side and the green on the other. That route measures just over half a mile and takes you past the enormous London Peace Pagoda - a Buddhist tower which aims to provide a peaceful focus for everyone.

The first Peace Pagodas were built after World War II - to symbolise peace in two Japanese cities that were devastated by atomic bombs. They quickly became an international symbol of peace and by 2000, there were 80 in different global locations.

Ran: 8.11 miles

Time: 1 hour 18 mins 35 seconds

Pace per mile: 9 mins 40 seconds

Calories: 853