Dress rehearsal and preparing for all eventualities

It's Thursday and finally a bit of time for an update!

Had a great time at 'dress rehearsal' at Somerset House on Sunday. It started with a drizzle, we were distributed ponchos, but luckily, when we were to practice entering the 'stage': the forecourt of Somerset House, it was rain free.
I love the feeling of being on stage and seeing our rehearsals leading to where we were that day. Had a great time entering the stage from 'behind the scenes' and pictured above, a section where we played 'backstage' before marching upstairs :)
I am now positioned in the centre next to two guys flown in from the smallest nations in Europe: Lichtenstein and San Marino - they will play the prelude and lead everyone in.
Also met a few others from all walks of life, as saxophonists, we all like to talk about our journey, and instruments (girlfriends!) but some just showed us what they can do all the time...to the extent we were told 'mouthpieces off!' and then what? New embouchures invented playing with the cork...
It's on in a month's time!
2nd picture: a sub-10 from the Lock to home! And a negative split it was...and also after a long day at work, a first day commuting in a civilized manner through London(Waterloo and black friars Roundabout! Not again!) - a mile each way...first thing I want after the train ride with miss B is...a run to let it all off. Warm day and felt light with the inov8s... And a lovely result chilling by the river and letting those legs run free, away from the restraints of a machine, the pedals...

3rd picture: I attempt to fly (argh! Involuntarily)
Consulted the Run Less Run Faster book for marathon training plan, for the first time I turned to the section 'preparing for Boston', (a prestigious race I would never qualify Unless I get onto a Corporate Team!) - found the one for my target time (60-65 year old man time limit-poor man!) and realized I missed 1/16 of the programme!
And so I declared to Hubby, let's do a long run...but it's a Wednesday evening, so did our route B and ran to old Windsor (as the Queen's Windsor is too far with available daylight hours).
Testing my blister giving shoes with my old orthotics and tho it's heavier, it works! Experimented thru discomfort on non- Tarmac, retied laces, and I picked up speed on the way back - after a steady jazz mix with the likes of Miles Davis' 'All Blues'.. Lovely river, willows and geese crossing

And as hubby was slowing down but still ahead..on the 6.5 mile, I picked up speed. A soft area of soil we ran through and then I tripped. He stopped. All he heard was 'ahhhh'
I had a singlet like a rugby player. Landed on all fours. Big scratch on right knee. A small one on left and some on my palm (no biking gloves!). I had to slow down steadily...and finished the last mile 'easy' pace as planned.
A night of resting and the knee is still not pretty. I'm on the bike for the next few days so need to heal. Long run in London tonight cancelled.
Heading to Boots now for some big bandages. :( note to self: avoid speaking to ppl with recent running injuries and getting too lost in music - attention is still needed.
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Braving the elements..

Rain was forecast for today, and I was prepared for it. Flourescent waterproof cover and jacket....
bring it on! I thought...I have to learn how to brave the elements on the Brompton Bike.
It didn't go as planned - it didn't rain on my ride in this morning, only slightly cooler, but I still needed a shower to start the working day in a civilised manner...
The longest day of the year has come and gone, and so has the last few days been for me, interwined with moments of learning, relationship building and growth:
I have had the chance to spend good quality time with a high school classmate, who is in London for a couple of months on a holiday from life as a general practitioner to be with her husband, who is here for a short course as part of his medical specialisation;
I was in the City attending the inaugural session of a programme to develop aspiring leaders in the profession, a self-funded investment amongst a sea of other young professionals (like-minded? or some not-so, being sent by their banking employer in bulk, pen-twirling, blackberry-tapping and being in the 'zone' in group discussions...) - to soak in the experiences shared by a finance business partner to the business, and to be coached by one who train aspiring athletes to perform at their best;
I was able to make time in my busy day to catch up with a senior member of my organisation, whom we shared training tips of long distance running (amongst other things) - refreshing compared those who would prefer to declare that they 'did not train (enough)' and did astonishingly well in the times that they have achieved!
and to make the best of my limited time in the office, interacting with those in the building, old teammates, remote ones, across the Atlantic, across the British Channel...
All of all brings together what last night's coach Jamie has brought together with training sportspeople:

• what is the 'quarter-shot' that you can do today to make a difference in your (working) life?


• relationship building is paramount - ditch that email...make the time to have coffee/lunch/dinner with people, and not just with your peers (the future superstars) but also with your seniors (like in the old days)


• it is always easiest in the beginning, but with every sport, every game, or in most movies, it is the final section that is the most exciting

....and that's what you prepare for, and one cannot skim on technique.

• just like medical school, it is a process of elimination, hard work is involved to get there


• humans are creatures of habit, one needs to be comfortable with the unknown.


• and of course there are setbacks, you will just have to learn to DEAL WITH IT

The day grew longer and longer, and it was getting later than I expected. The day's drizzles has come and gone, with it now....the slighter sun in the longest day of the year...and a strong breeze.
I loaded up my Brompton with the essentials to allow me to work remotely with enough room for a visit to the supermarket ...I braved the stronger winds with a heavier load, as it was in the sunnier start of the week. Traffic was still not slowing, although the number of cyclists have slowed at this time of the day...on the road, on the shared footpath, across the Thames, once, and twice, and on descending the second bridge - the little zig zag barricades on the footpath that i have learned to wind around gracefully....
on this windy afternoon, I lost control and fell to the left, off the kerb, with my gloved palms on the road, my wheels making their mark on my legs...and two scratches, one on my knee and one in between the gaps of my sandals.
I righted myself quickly, and had to keep going. Glad it was not on the side of the road with fast-moving traffic! A small setback, but one just had to deal with it to get home. One rewinds to the days as a kid, falling off the bicycle. But I must not be discouraged.
As the days get shorter again, Mother Nature may not always be as kind as it is on a sunny summer's day. There will be a few lovely journeys ahead of me, both on foot or on the bicycle, and I need to get stronger, to be able to enjoy it at the glorious finish.

Picture of the day: recovery food- veggie stir fry and cheese carried home after the bike fall - with the pizza base made by my hubby - along with homemade tomato paste with home grown basil and oregano!

Retracing my daily route..

With two feet! Ran the 4.3mile instead of biking it this morning...took almost twice as long and maybe the effort (and sweat), twice as much too!

I still admire brompton commuters that can ride in 20 degree 'heat' in proper office attire and not expecting to sweat....perhaps 60% of their post train commute is spent assembling the bike?

So used to thinking with the eyes and lenses of a biker, my same commute seems lots slower, but not terribly slow. Lucky no sign of blister reappearance yet...but I'm rotating my shoes.

The Gold Rush is getting to be a good read. Especially the bit when MJ talks about his own running. Minimizing difference between stride length and frequency in the last 100/400 metres. Importance of arm movement as your fatigued legs will follow the actions of those less worked limbs. Upper body workout and keeping body straight.

My left legs are feeling the fatigue today and had to remind my arms to behave! The pavement which I rode on to avert a traffic jam yesterday felt very lopsided...as it did before plantar fasciitis hit during Prague.

Picture of the day: remember the Pied Piper? http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pied_Piper_of_Hamelin#section_3 some pics have been posted online about our first rehearsal and it's the time we've been led outdoors to play over 'c-section' ..a riff that goes as long as Andy sheppard wants ...





Haven't played outdoors in a long time...it's great to be able to on a sunny Sunday!

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Sports vs Music - preparing for London 2012

Life has been non-stop ever since returning from france, in 3 weekend's time its Milton Keynes Half  - and I've been planning all sorts of activities around, during and after the Olympics.
Managed to get Saturday's long run in halfway through watching the Queen's Official birthday celebrations on TV - and did the same distance as last week, except watching the blistering feet (adorned with new plasters) and the only thing to gauge was - if I returned home faster than last week , I would've improved.
Same old. Got overtaken by hubby on around 3/4 of the way home (despite not stopping for a drink (Thanks to fresh, full strength lucozade!) and adjusting shoelaces....however I'm a mere 2 minutes faster than last week!
Not something to celebrate success as success is not there yet. (This is in line with keying in with the Runner's world race predictor that a recent 55 min 10k will reap a 2:00:09 half marathon result...which is too close for comfort!!)
2 blisters now on the left inner arch is a bit of a worry, they must not crack and make a nuisance.
Stopped by the library and picked up some books, one of them has been rather inspirational...



2 or 3 chapters into it and I'm tapping into the competitive spirit, how some athletes are naturally 'introverts' as they are focused, and don't celebrate success too early ...and perhaps fall into the sports that they achieve so well by finding their calling.
Whether best in your school is good enough, and if to aim for a gold and retire or break world records - all strategic :)
Its a good book to get myself into that mindset when fulfilling my Games Maker duties in a month's time - yes you must perform your Personal Best so that athletes can achieve their PB too....after all, it's been months of training and an opportunity that comes once or twice in a lifetime for most! (for me, the second time I'm living in a host Olympic city within 12 years!)
and then of course there's my 2nd rehearsal for the BT River of Music Saxophone Massive(the Cultural Olympiad) - this will be the 2nd one in Bethnal Green and the last one before  the dress rehearsal next week in Somerset House! met a few people who played in bands after work and am tempted...however as I can start to see, to excel in music is not quite the same as excelling in sports or achieving a fastest time physically (to echo my beliefs as a student to have higher respects for musicians, than sportspeople, than art).
The level of investment in perfecting a piece for a concert (esp if you will be on stage for 30minutes + ) is a lot higher...the 'woodshedding' hours getting the right unique sound, knowing when to come in, knowing the chords, timing....so many elements than just putting one foot in front of the other, timing , and knowing when to drink and eat to boost power.
Although in both areas, practise makes perfect, there is no doubt about it.
And there is the one opportunity to perform. Most wouldn't even think of the hours you put in- its you that will know, that's what got you there today. :)
Really looking forward to the next weeks now...when some of the time spent behind the scenes will come to fruition...when the results have been released, then one can truly relax (and celebrate)!

Weightlifting and Bandages

Back from France on saturday and have been in a whirl on a few appointments in London, and catching up with life in this fast-paced city and organization that I work and live in...hence a quick update as I'd never find the time...
What more to say that I enjoyed the rest of my trip away, relaxing and too much food! Managed 3 runs in total and around 2 x >45mins in poppy laden country roads like this.

Extremely picturesque. I did have enough time to try recreating these images I captured in my head with my watercolor pens.
It has been therapeutic , back in the UK and even running near home I'm starting to see scenes like this with the eyes of a painter/artist!




The Sunday morning run was alright in the summer sun, was going strong til the meadow (approx 30 mins+ into the run) and then these new mizunos tried to bite me - yes. And I felt a blister coming on :(

My hubby caught up with my running, said I was fast, I told home what was up and then and then, as usual, he overtook me for the final 30% of the run.

blister plasters on each inner arch! :(

That was the end of the sunny British weekend.

My focus then went onto lifting saxophone boxes and music stands into London for my first #btrom rehearsal.. (moi on the left v easy to spot!) - 100-400 calories burnt playing rigorous jazz apparently!




The rain picked up on Monday...and had been wet and cold for 2 days, which meant minimal bike activity (especially after slipping on a footpath that's got wet mud and gaining a black and blue patch on my inner calf!) and running. More weights at the gym then. Mustve looked a idiot when doing half Turkish stand up and farmers walk in the ladies section! Oh well.

After tonight's team away day and a few alco's...on this rare sunny day...turning in now...tomorrow am, a detox run on the cards..before it could rain again and it's too hard to walk to the station ....

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Running around in Paris!

A short overnight trip as transit to our 'home away from home' Paris for the first time this year- enroute to the Vendée , south of the Loire Valley.

(hi from la Rochelle on a day off..few days of wifi drought is hurting! ;) )
The customary morning run on every visit to the French capital, based in montparnasse this time, we headed north with an aim to hit our fave local patisseries. To do that we didn't stop at victor Hugo, Eric kayser and Pierre herme...
Did a wrong turn thinking that the louvre is further than where it is. Earned some bonus miles by diverting thru notre dame and crossing the seine a few times. Didn't mind that. Went back to jardin tuileries again and finally said goodbye to the right bank...

An hour had passed. It was a warm day and feeling light in those inov8 and shorts..we can go on. Time is so short!
Jardin Luxembourg... Ahh we think we can smell it....and around the bend, we saw...our boulangerie's closed on a Saturday!
Consolation: the hotel was nearby and so is a marché near montparnasse ...so a maron creme crepe and a few autre pastries instead. As wells viewing fresh veggies, salads, fruits, meat and seafood sold outdoors on a Saturday am.
Latest collage here.
C'est tout for now. Need to spend time in the sunshine. Au revoir!
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