On the Right Trek: Jog Routes
Getting tired of the fluorescent lights in your library? Time to get out, enjoy the sun and recharge yourself with some vitamin D to get straight A’s in your exams! :) While walking and jogging may not seem like the most time- and energy-worthy activity under the pressure of tight deadlines, it can significantly boost your productivity and simply help you stay tuned throughout the challenging assessment season. We compiled some of the most fun footpaths around the local area and spectacular London sites for you to de-stress after a long library shift.
1. All-Round Goldsmiths Jog
With this route, you will explore 5 of Goldsmiths’ local areas – New Cross, Peckham, Brockley, Greenwich, and Deptford – in one go. Throw on some sports gear, grab a water bottle and set off on your journey! This route welcomes all levels of speed and fitness, so feel free to walk it, run it, crawl it (there are some fun food and shopping spots along the way!) – just beware of the busy traffic around pedestrian crossings. This route also goes right around some of the most popular local sports destinations, such as Telegraph Hill Park and Greenwich Park, where you can picnic, play tennis and ball sports, and just jog around! Best enjoyed on a sunny day, just make sure to stay hydrated.
2. Along the Stream: Thames Jog
This route is quite a lengthy one, so make sure to plan ahead or jog at a lower speed to complete this ‘marathon’ with benefit to your health. This run will take you along the river Thames, all the way from Greenwich to Southbank, and you will get to enjoy some spectacular sites, such as Canary Wharf, the Shard and Bank from afar, and Tower and London bridges! Feel free to make some pit stops along the way to socialize with swans and ducks hanging around the riverbank and try to outrun the Thames Clippers (a.k.a. Uber Boats). Finally, reward yourself with a refreshment in Southbank, just before you reach the tourist crowds staggering around the London Eye. Again, be wary of narrow footpaths along the river and, of course, the really fun markets along the way (such as Borough and Old Billingsgate) that will definitely harass your wallets!
3. More Water! Canal Jogs
If after years of living and studying in London the river Thames just doesn’t excite you the same way, try a jog around smaller bodies of water – the famous London canals. Follow the mile-long Regent’s Canal all the way from King’s Cross to Bow (or better pick a segment to explore), peeping through the windows of riverboats, quacking along to ducks, and discovering hidden gems along the way, such as the Floating Bookshop. There are similar and more accessible spots around Goldsmiths, such as the docks in Surrey Quays and Deptford, which will be great for a quick taster run. While you might spot the latter on your Round-Goldsmiths jog, you will need to walk North-West for about 40 minutes from New Cross Gate to see the former.
4. Instagram Jog: Exercising like an Undercover Tourist
This route will take you round the most well-known Central London parks – Regent’s, Hyde, St James’ and Green Park. These tend to get pretty busy but are filled with spectacular sights, lakes, and treehouses for you to fill your Instagram profiles with (and convince your followers you are an avid runner). This jog requires a lot of travel, effort, and is probably the longest, but could also do you well in reminding yourself that you are, in fact, living in the capital! Make sure to take some water and snacks from home, as a recharge here will cost you a pretty penny. At the same time, there is nothing like the atmosphere of the buzzing Central, so plug in your earphones, put on a smug look and run past confused tourists with a satisfying feeling of local superiority. At the end of the day, who can tell you came all the way from New Cross for a fancy run?
5. Wandering Off: North London Run
Some options worth trying would be the more remote areas of Enfield and Hampstead, where parks are so massive they could qualify as forests. While spendy on time and money, this option could also be perfect for a major de-stress – just find a private space and shout with your heart from underneath a lonely oak tree (make sure to not disturb other innocent visitors)! If you enjoy more isolated sites to romanticize your Lana Del Rey lifestyle, Enfield Forest is definitely worth a visit. The Walthamstow reservoir trail, on the other hand, will take you around mysterious canal sites with a stunning atmosphere. Although, I would recommend testing this route with some friends first, especially if you don’t trust yourself with good GPS management and directions.