Kept the members active in the winter months (144Cong.Rec.E2029)

Britain's reputation as being cold and grey is a tad overstated, as so far this winter, it hasn't seemed any more cloudy and rainy than Ohio. But nonetheless, it is always tempting to hibernate. Luckily, London has lots to offer to get you outside. Even better, active events are often free or really cheap. I paid only 2 pounds to participate in the Putney Street-O, an orienteering competition that involved navigating and running the streets of my own neighborhood. A month later, I did the Wimbledon Night-O, a similar race, but through some muddy woods nearby. I managed to hit more than half of the control markers before I got completely lost and bailed back to the starting point, so the organizers wouldn't send out a search party.

Less than a week later, I was back racing through Wimbledon Park for the Dash for the Splash, which was worth getting down and dirty for the opportunity to see the spectacular surroundings in the daylight (left, with credit to Thames Hare & Hounds running club). Another fitness happening held around every corner is Parkrun, weekly free timed 5K's in communities throughout the country (and beyond: They're starting to catch on in the States). I set my "personal best" by doing my first run at Fulham Palace. I didn't break any records at the Trick or Treat Run at Richmond Park, but I had lots of fun putting on my "fancy dress" and sprinting through the "scary obstacles." But by far, the best treat was spotting some of the park's famous deer camouflaged by fog and vegetation (right).

 

Other weekends, I participate in individually planned pursuits. One time, I got the bike out for a loop ride connecting two breweries. I stopped for a White Out! white session IPA at Clarkshaws' pop-up at The Platform (top left), then cycled on to the Beer Hall Bash at By the Horns Brewing Co., where I had a Lambeth Walk porter before heading home. A few weekends later, I did an out-and-back ride, so I could sample some on-tap offerings from Weird Beard Brew Co. at its monthly Open Day. From the menu, I chose A Lemon Tree My Dear Watson, a lemon meringue pie beer collaboration with Bexar County Brewery, and the Safe Word chokeberry IPA, a previous collaboration with BrewDog rebooted by demand (top right). It's too bad the brewery isn't open more often because I really enjoyed watching people play board games and listening to Pantera tunes amid the vats (bottom).

I like to see the town on my rides, but to really survey the scenery, I need to slow down, so I decided to join a tour with Walk London. On the walk I took, the first bit of history explained by our guide was that the design of the Hammersmith Bridge was based on the Chain Bridge in Budapest (top). From there we proceeded west along the Thames Path, a trail along which I frequently run and bike (bottom left). Recently, storm surges have created extra-high tides, leading the river to overrun its banks (bottom right).

The theme of the walk was the arts, and for some time, the north bank of the river was a nexus of the Arts & Crafts Movement, partially because designer William Morris, founder the philosophy, lived at 7 Hammersmith Terrace (left). A decade earlier, the works of painter William Hogarth, who is buried at St. Nicholas church (right), were more likely to be found on the walls of family homes.

 

Artist James Whistler, a contemporary of Morris's, chose London as his home later in life, and his tomb can be found at Chiswick Old Cemetery next to the church (top). As we stopped for our guide to discuss the history of the church, named after the patron sailors and fisherman (bottom left), it was difficult not to ditch the group for a detour to Fuller's Griffin Brewery, which could be seen just beyond the church's stained glass (bottom right). 

Instead, I chose to follow the crowd to Chiswick House and Gardens, whose landscaping, including a well-pruned Camellia Collection (top left), has inspired parks around the world, such as Central Park. At the time, its grounds were being groomed with silk flower sculptures to prepare for the upcoming Magical Lantern Festival (top right). The house, designed as an homage to Italian architect Palladio by British architect William Kent, was once a party palace for the Earl of Burlington (bottom). 

Our last stop relating to the arts was St. Michael's church, where Dylan Thomas once stayed. The church's parish house next door played a role in more modern aesthetics: It was used for exterior house shots in the Stephen Hawking biopic The Theory of Everything. The tour ended near Strand on the Green, whose string of stacked river pubs look like a movie set. Sadly, I didn't have time for a pint, as I had to get home for my most frequent exercise activity: walking the dog.