Commuting to Staines part 2

Well the summer (that there was) has been and gone ..... The easy drive to Staines has vanished in a puff as schools went back and road works popped up. Rainy days clearly don't help either..... However  there is a rainbow..... I've pretty much sussed out what I think is quite a good balance of days commuting by train, more occasionally by car and then some work from home time.

I've been able to do this more or less to coincide with the triathlon training I want to do... Which is a must for my sanity and all with still trying to have a semblance of home time with the family. It's working a bit like this;

1 day per week... Up early for turbo session indoors.... But before warm down hop on to previously prepared and packed commute bike for a ride to the station. Takes less then 15 mins so I can get there having done a good workout in time to grab a coffee and train ride in. Yes I'm in bike gear, but it's not too sweaty as I do at least change my top between turbo and departing! Getting the 7:26 means arriving at Staines at 8 just in time for the 8am shuttle to work. So I can get to work by 8:15 for shower, change and breakfast. I find these days pretty productive. Home in reverse so shuttle bus to train station and an easy bonus ride home. Trying to get the 17:11 or 17:23 if I can so door to door is hopefully as 11hour day....

1 day per week run to the station.... Means a lighter bag with bare minimals in... I can either go down the main road (which has footpath) or cross country a bit (which is pretty but has a hill in it!) but either way it's an easy 30mins form session and again into the 7:26 train with coffee. Way home either jog the 2k to Staines or take the shuttle... And always so far asked for a pick up from the train (too knackered to contemplate another run!!)... Same time train as above.

I've had one occasion the last few weeks the train was late in the morning. - this is a bit of a pain as it means I'm hanging about at Staines for 20+ mins for the next shuttle, if it happens on a run day I can run in the 2k but not an option with bike shoes on (mtb I may add!) ... So packing a warmer layer to put on will become significant I think in the coming months

1-2 days I'm driving ... For these I'm either trying to leave very very early (ie 6:50ish) so I can get to work by 7:30 and got for a run when I get there.... Or leaving late (after the rush hour) so go for a run or swim before starting the journey.

Leaving anytime between 7:30 and 8:30 has proved to be the worse time of day to drive in.... Today I left home at 7:35 and didn't get the measly 25k down the road until 9am.... Indeed yes I could have cycled it quicker (were I to value my life less I may attempt that, but the roundabout at the bottom of the eg ham bypass appears to be an accident waiting to happen in a car so probably a death trap on a bike)

The journey is certainly not and would never be as good as working in Frimley. Of course the offices are much nicer, modern (new), the showering facilities are getting there (the shower is good and I have a locker with towel and shower stuff in). I'm keeping two suits and two shirts on a coat stand by my desk (we don't have anywhere else to store them but at least I can use the coat stand). There's a canteen and we get breakfast so that does help.

I have found out I hate HATE being stuck in traffic.. I certainly wouldn't want to do this as a drive every day..... It would suck the life out of me. The train is expensive (which I can't fathom ... It's hardly encouraging anyone to get off the road but it certainly must be making someone some money).... Anyway at £15.20 per day it's I think at least 3 times that of the car (even when you include diesel, depreciation and wear and tear etc).... But I find the train whilst a longer door to door time both less stressful and more productive (fitness and brain time)... And that's why I guess I'm trying to do 2*train journeys a week, despite it costing at least £20 per week extra to me and my pocket.

So I'm still hopeful this will work, winter will be telling and certainly if the trains become less reliable that wouldn't be great! But we will see!

The accidental race report

Completely unplanned (by me) I went along to the Earth Trust 10k race last Sunday. Alison who had been planning to race it found such a lovely race and venue I couldn't resist given my plan was for 60mins build anyway!

So, along with some 10s of other fair weather racers I entered on the day for a bargain price. It was such a beautiful morning, lazy start at 11 and nothing but blue skies and the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside to gawp at so why the hell not!

The race profile showed a fast first k likely as we ran down hill towards the Thames, a mildly (very mild) lumpy 2-8k... A ridiculous (as in 30% gradient) few hundred metre climb and a mainly down hill 1k to the end. Perfect (ok perhaps apart from that hill but that was a different kind of fun!)

My training plan had 60min run build so my plan was to nose breath the first 3k, partly puff 3-6k then try really hard... Despite this my 1k splits were in fact a little over the place but at least my HR did build ... It was a pretty rough path in places (mainly looked like somehow had gone down a grassy field with a strimer the day before)... The most impressive runner I saw was definitely the guy who passed me at about 2.5k running with a double buggy. He was amazing! I passed him again just before 5K I don't know how he managed to get that buggy around the course and particularly up that Hill at 8 to 9K amazing!

Now likely due to my build plan this was I think one of the first ever races where I've overtaken people fairly consistently during the second half. It was a whole new (and secretly nice) feeling. Now for that hill I basically didn't even bother trying as soon as on the lower slopes in walked up.. Using my hands to push my thighs into action..... Having got to the summit though I was determined to let rip (as much as I was able!) for the remainder... So I flew down hill, bounded up steps to the next hill top, ran fast down hill again... Didn't realise I'd have to run up another (small) incline... Tried to power on (thinking bloody hell I've over cooked it), got to the top ... Steep stones run (out of control) downhill to round the final edge of the grassy knoll to the finish line! I was knackered by then but the skies were blue, not a cloud, and someone handed me a brown bag with a bottle of water and banana in....at some point I decided to stop my Garmin ... But never fear as it was chipped time so my time was... 1:01:46 ..  I didn't have to wait long to see Alison come galloping in behind me... Which was a great sight mainly because it meant a well earned bacon butty and coffee was imminent!

Thank you Alison for finding this race 😍

Photo free from EarthTrust donated by official photographer Barry Cornelius

Commuting to Staines

With my work office moving an extra 12 miles down the road you would think that that isn't much further to warrant any issues. Until you realise those 12 miles takes the office inside the M25 and towards Heathrow... Commuter belt from hell....  Given the last 15+ years all my roles in all the companies I've worked at have meant an 8 mile commute in various directions you can imagine the prospect of a drive towards London of about 20miles not too exciting in my book. But I love my job and the company I work for so nothing more to it then to give it a try.

Week 1 Day 1: 

I tried the public transport option. Now whilst I only live 3 miles outside a large town the bus service is 1 an hour except at 723 when there is another 20mins later (this must be for the rush hour). So I got the 7:23 which arrived at the station just as the 7:33 train pulled away (which I expected given the timetable)... Got myself a coffee and waited for the next train which was nicely on time. The 7:56 gets in to Staines at 8:28 and by the time I had walked down the platform and over the bridge to the exit the shuttle bus had left (promptly at 08:30) so I waited for the next which basically got me into work just after 9am... Having left my house at 7:15 this meant a 1hr45min journey - not the best and even being stuck in traffic it would be quicker (although likely to be more stressful). In order to make the bus journey on the way home I needed to get the 16:53 train (a very short day in the office) so getting the 16;40 shuttle thought it would be ok.... Except I got to the station as the train pulled away. The next train at 17:11 was slightly late so there was no hope of connecting with any bus the other end. A text home to confirm pick up required from Wokingham. I finally got home (with a lift not a bus) by about 18:00... So return journey was 1hr20mins which was better but involved no bus (the next bus was 50mins later.... I could have walked in that time had I been wearing the right shoes!)

Total cost £20, total time 3hr05min

Old journey total time 1hr and cost a couple of quid (we have a very fuel efficient car!)

Cost to the company as well.... Given the proximity of the last office my working hours tended to stretch out to 9hours a day.... Not so on day one .... 

Week 1 Day 2:

The drive.... Having spoken to various people it definitely is worth either coming in very early and leaving early or late late. For day 2 I decided to go for a morning swim before the commute so left after the rush hour (note the traffic is very light at the moment due to school holidays). I left Wokingham at 9am and using the Waze App on my phone was told the drive was clear and would be approx 40mins. So coffee in cup off I set. The drive was indeed a breeze and I got to work around 9:40 as predicted. I worked until 18:45 and Wazed my way home in 35mins (no traffic at all)

Total cost in diesel and wear/tear approx £5. Total time return journey 1hr 20mins. Working hours also extended to 8+

I would love to use public transport for the journey but clearly given the above two days evidence this is not the most efficient use of my time and resources. Thankfully we do have a very energy efficient and environmentally friendly car (as environmentally friendly a car can be). 

The remainder of last week I drove after the rush hour (ie late late days) which enabled me to get my exercise in in the morning before work, have a productive day at work and not a stressful, traffic engulfed journey.

Week 2 Day 1:

Still keen to asses public transport I decided that the bottle neck of last week was the bus service (lack of and timing) so I decided to get on my commute bike (including pannier!). Left home around 7:10 and could have made the 7:26 train had I not decided to get a coffee... In fact I could have made it even then but given there was another at 7:33 which would be emptier I decided to get that.... And then that train was late... But still I was at Staines by around 8:15 so plenty of time to make the 8:30 shuttle and so in to work by about 8:45. Journey time of 1hr35mins.... I think had I made the 7:26 I would have been on the work shuttle at 8 so in work by 8:15... This will be the quickest mode of public transport I think.

On the way back I still decided to again get the 1640 shuttle which was at the station in time for the 16:53!! In to Wokingham by 17:30 and by the time I lugged myself and pannier (now heavier with my laptop in) it was just before 18:00.... So home journey was  around 1hr15mins with good connections/ timings

Total time today 2hrs50mins cost £15:20 but with the added benefit of extra fitness and total of 30mins of heavy cycling!

Today I'm working from home, everyone is a winner except I like working in an office connecting with my colleagues in sales and operations is something not only do I need to do for my job but which gives me a sense of family at work!

Still to test out on my Staines adventure is; run commute (!! That is very keen).... Early early drive... And then I will test it all again once the schools are back.... The commute whilst kind of epic in time is fairly straightforward and not too stressful... The drive is not as bad as I feared so I'm hopeful this can work!