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!
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