“….following the strange custom of the times, considered himself at Paris as on a campaign” Three Musketeers, A. Dumas
Distance: 38.69kms Total Distance: 460.42kms Days to holiday: 298
The world is coming to an end, or so it feels like. I managed to get out to Battersea Park twice in the last few days. On Sunday the 22nd for 30.2kms and today – for a much larger 38.69. This is thus far my record for one session, but I cycled. I braved the dangerous new enemy out there, whilst I’m still allowed and cycled.
This diary is meant to be my little record of my training endeavours towards my holiday next year – as a way to mobilise me, help me prepare. However in the last few days, it has slowly began to turn into a diary about an invisible enemy called Covid-19 and how the world is changing (albeit temporarily) because of it.
Since the beginning of last week, the government has been issuing increasingly starker messages about the virus and what we as a country should do. Including the introduction of something called Social Distancing. Effectively – keep physical distance from people, so the virus can’t spread. Whatever.
Covid-19 has been circulating around the world and UK for a few weeks now, but in the last few days it is becoming a stark reality of our lives. We are not yet under a full lock-down – something that’s being bounded about in the new, and apparently something that’s being done in China, nevertheless our lives have been significantly disrupted and re-arranged. Including my cycling. How rude of some silly little virus to interrupt my travel plans. I’ve already had to cancel one holiday because of this invisible bug! Now it’s threatening my cycling holidays to Cambodia.
For the moment, as mentioned, we are not yet under full lock-down, and leaving the house for exercise is permissible – which is why I was out on the bike and scoring a 38kms.
We are told to practice Social Distancing – i.e. keep away from other people at least 2 metres away form them. As it is, I couldn’t be further away from people on a bike if I tried, especially when cycling through central London, which has been practically abandoned. Sticking around my local parks, they’re actually a bit busy, so it’s better from the Social Distancing perspective to head into West End. Providing of course, nobody else has the same idea. I think that’s what happened last weekend – parks were choka, because everyone thought we can’t go to the pub, we’ll go to the park, it probably won’t be that busy. Well it was. I took one look at Battersea Park on Sunday and decided to turn around and go somewhere else – like home.
I’m making the most of the freedom of London roads and thus had to make the most of cycling through the city. I arrived on Regent Street just after 7pm last night, when the sun was already fully set. As I cycled down the street towards Piccadilly circus, the road got quieter and quieter. I veered through Leicester square, where a single street performer – a mime – was showcasing his talents to an audience of 1, a passing photographer. I don’t normally like the street performers. There are simply too many of them and it’s not my kind of art to enjoy; but the whole scenario felt sad and somehow poignant, making me a touch teary. I may not enjoy that kind of art, but for all I know this was his only way of receiving an income. Now he was without an audience and possibly without any money, all because of something nobody could see or control. The whole scenario felt like something out of a book – perhaps something out of Phantom of the Opera. It will stick in my mind, like one of those exceptional moments one couldn’t write or imagine (like my memory of the Venice Jester).
Three things rattled around in my head as I made my way from Leicester square to a desolate Covent Garden.
1 – We all know, that if anybody told us even a few weeks ago, that one day we’ll see central London – especially West End completely devoid of people – they’d have been laughed at and ridiculed. Well it is – and I have pictures to prove it. On a Sunday morning, riding down Regent’s Street I was at one point the only person from one end to the other, before eventually a stray photographer turned up.
2 – In a weird way, it was a privilege to see London ‘naked’, without the people. Not many will have that opportunity, especially if they live outside the city. After all who wants to risk getting sick and worse, just to see empty streets of the capital. Besides if they do – the streets won’t be empty, social distancing won’t be respected and virus will get worse.
3 – Empty London is a scary place. As I made my way through Covent Garden, almost completely empty except for a handful of security guards; it was dark as many of the shops and restaurant lights have been turned off – I was actually afraid, even though it was barely after 7pm. I have never until that point, ever been scared in central London, and I’ve walked through Covent Garden plenty of times in the middle of a night, at 2 or 3am whilst completely wasted. This time I was afraid.
So that’s my story of last night’s cycle. I did it. Got quite some distance in it; and as far as the cycling goes, it was no longer a mental challenge – but it was a very different experience for so many other reasons.
Hate To Exercise 