GCMG09 - Bowdon, UK

Cache Description

Back at home for the Easter Weekend... We'd planned to try and find some caches along the Thames whilst we were down South for the Asthma UK 10K on Saturday, however we didn't have enough time before heading off back home.

Instead, Dad and I decided to look for a local cache, near the Bollin River, near the site of Watch Hill castle, a Motte and Bailey castle (or at least, the traces of one). Interesting, the things you can find a mile from home, if you only take the trouble to look. According to wikipedia, this is the most important archeological site in the Trafford borough, and yet we'd never heard of it.


The cache itself was in two stages - the first micro cache, giving the final co-ordinates to the cache itself. We found both without any difficulty, but unfortunately the cache itself had suffered damage, perhaps in the recent storms, and the contents were scattered over a couple of metres.

Asthma UK 10K - 1:06:54

As I've battled against the ever present winds on all my training runs alongside the canal, one thought has kept me going - the chance of fine, or at least, non-windy, weather for the race itself. Unfortunately, as the day approached, the weather forecasts were rather less optimistic, giving warnings of snow and blizzards.

On the day itself, therefore, I opted to wrap up warm with my running jacket, and the charity t-shirt (unisex, and therefore rather too large), over the top. It turned out to be a wise move, and I was still rather envious of those with the foresight to bring hats and gloves also!

The run up to the race was pretty nervewracking. My training the last couple weeks hasn't really gone according to plan, and neither had our trip down South, which we'd had to delay until Friday evening, only arriving in High Wycombe at 10pm. Still, finally the call came to assemble on the starting line, and I joined the group of similarly green t-shirt clad runners, ready (more or less) for the off.

The race was held at the Eton College's rowing lake, and from the starting line at the head of the lake, the route took us round the back of the boathouse, and then around the lake twice. Whilst I was very quickly overtaken by a large number of people who very quickly streamed out along the lakeside, I was relieved to see a reasonable number of people drop into a walk, shortly after starting... a sight which only heightened my determination to complete the course at a run, however slow.

The weather, which had started out cold and grey, very quickly turned into the full winter conditions promised - a biting wind, and alternate snow and rain, which quickly soaked through my clothes - no fear of overheating on this run! Still, we battled on, with the welcome encouragement of the wardens along the route and, after completing the first lap, I was greeted by Mum and Dad, waiting outside the boathouse to cheer me on. Halfway through, and my legs were tiring, but I'd managed to keep up a steady pace so far.

The return leg up the lake was miserable - the snow and wind hit in full force, and approaching the 7km mark I was reaching the furthest distance I'd covered in my training runs... now came the test, could I really keep going for another, as yet uncharted, 3km? As I neared the far end of the lake, I began to realise that I really could achieve this - a little further, and I'd be on the homeward stretch. Plodding onwards, still not slacking in pace, though lifting my sodden wet legs was beginning to feel like quite an effort, I continued.. pacing a girl in a purple top who was alternately walking and running. First I'd overtake her, then she'd overtake me again!

Finally, the 9km marker, and the boathouse was beginning to fill my sight. New strength in my legs as I could finally see the finishing line. Waving at Mum and Dad sapped nearly all my remaining strength. As I aproached the finish line, I heard the commentator call out "here comes number 192, Natasha Hadfield", spurring me on for the final stretch over the finishing mat, with the accompanying squeal of the timing machine as it registered the chip, fastened to my ankle.

My final time - 1:06:54 according to the chip, 1:07:17 from the starter's gun... not record-shattering by a long shot, but I was nonetheless pleased.

Keep on running... even in Copenhagen

Whilst I have to admit that this was not my most successful run ever, at least I have managed to stick to my training schedule by including a 5km run in Copenhagen, thanks to the useful tool Map My Run.

Whilst running in a strange city, clutching a map in your hand, is rather awkward, and does sometime necessitate map checking pauses, it does have the advantage that you cover different ground and see the city from a new angle.

Roskilde

Our second day in Denmark dawned rather cloudy after the beautiful blue skies of Friday. Our plan for today was to visit Roskilde, 30 minutes away by train, to see the Viking Ship museum.

The museum is based around 5 viking ships which were found in the Roskilde Fjord in the 1950s and were excavated and, as far as possible, reconstructed in the 1960s. In addition to these original ships, the museum also houses a number of replica ships which are built using traditional Viking methods, and used for historical research. Given the cold weather, we didn't hang around outside to explore the replica ships in great depth!



After visiting the museum, we had some lunch and then headed back up towards town, via the old part of town, which featured some attractive half-timbered houses). We were lead that way, in part, by the lure of a geocache, which we found, in a wooded area near an old church (see the log and a couple photos).


I had hoped to visit the cathedral, but by the time we got back up the hill, it had already closed for the day. A pity, as I also missed it on my last visit! In fact, at 5.00 on a Saturday afternoon, it was amazing how quiet the town centre was, with the main shopping street all but deserted.


We headed back to Copenhagen, and after a refreshing gin and tonic at the Hotel Angleterre, visited what claims to be the oldest restaurant in Copenhagen for dinner. Det Lille Apothek was originally a pharmacy, and has a very cosy atmosphere. We were lucky enough to have a triangular corner table, giving us rather more space than many others in the restaurant...

GCKVA3 - Roskilde, Denmark

Cache Description

There's been quite a break in geocaching activity, so Mum, Dad and I decided to try and hunt a few out on a weekend break to Copenhagen.

We found this one after a visit to the Viking Ship museum in Roskilde. The cache is in a nice spot near some old half-timbered houses, and worth a visit. Given the cold and chilly weather, it was a good incentive to keep us outside a little longer.


Dad spotted the cache location, but we sent Mum on the scramble to collect it!

(Unfortunately the rest of geocaching activities on the weekend were less successful. On Sunday we tried for a couple Swedish caches, but failed to find either, hampered by building works and locked gates. Back in Denmark we had the final option of a cache at Kronberg Slot, in Helsingør, but running out of time to catch the train we only got within a frustrating 300ft of it.)

Velkommen til København

Since Dad had a business meeting in Copenhagen, it seemed a good excuse for Mum and I to join him for a weekend away.



Mum and I spent a relaxing Friday morning - getting up late, and then strolling down to the Nyhavn, a very picturesque street with colourful houses and a canal running down through the middle. As we happened to see a canal boat tour about to leave, we decided to jump on for the 1 hour ride around the canals and harbour. The trip itself was quite fun, taking us past the new theatre and opera house up the canal to the Little Mermaid (who is rather disappointing in the "flesh") and then back down through Christianshavn - an area which is known as Little Amsterdam, for its canals, and is also the setting for the book "Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow".


At the end of the canal tour we headed up into the centre of Copenhagen to meet Dad and two of his business associates for lunch at the Schønnemann restaurant, which opens at lunchtime only, and serves traditional Danish smørrebrød (open-faced sandwiches). The food and atmosphere in the restaurant were both excellent, and we were all very taken with the convenient ordering system - simply tick the box on the menu next to your choice of sandwich. A very nice easy option when you don't speak the language!


After lunch we visited the Rundetårn, a 17th Century tower that was (and still is) used as an observatory. The tower has a wonderful circular passageway leading up it, which were used by a horse and carriage to bring books to & from the library which was accessed by the tower. The top of the tower gives a fantastic view over the city - something I didn't fully appreciate on my previous visit to Copenhagen, as the weather had been very cloudy.


After leaving the Rundetårn, we headed slowly back to the hotel through the shopping streets and back along the Nyhavn, trying some toasted almonds, which were available from numerous street stalls, along the way.

Asthma UK 10K

In a moment of insanity at the start of this year, I signed up to run a 10km race, in aid of, and organized by, Asthma UK. No, I'm not kidding... the girl who could barely run the 200m at school, is really planning on running 10km (if my P.E. teachers could see me now, they'd hardly believe it!)

After a cold thwarted my initial training attempts, I'm now back running in earnest with the help of a training plan that a friend has put together for me, and I hope that in the remaining 6 weeks before the event (on Easter Saturday) I can improve my level enough to finish respectably. Or come to think of it... just to finish! Between now and then, however, I have a few challenges to my schedule, including trips to Copenhagen and Munich.