Monthly Archives: June 2014

Kick into the bend

Many years ago, when I was training seriously for the Long Jump, I used to travel into London each Sunday for training sessions. During the winter these trips featured a Monthly Test designed to monitor our progress.

I was part of a large “jumps” group used to congregate from a number of different clubs. There were exponents of Long Jump, Triple Jump and High Jump; both Male and Female; representing a range Age Groups (of which I always felt I was at the bottom end).

Most weeks we met at the glamorous setting of Wormwood Scrubs (at what is now known as the Linford Christie Sports Centre) but on special occasions, we met at Crystal Palace, the centre of UK Athletics at the time.

Wormwood Scrubs… a great day out!

The monthly tests focused on strength and endurance. Each set of tests culminated with the dreaded 300 metre run: To be a good jumper you need to be able to run quickly and in a controlled fashion for about 30 metres. 300 metres was therefore way over distance, and a real test of stamina. It was quite different from a straight sprint both physically and mentally. If done properly, it hurt… a lot!

My strategy for the 300m tended to be to go out fast (down the back straight), to cruise around the bend, and then to use what I had left in the home straight. It was conservative, but guaranteed that I’d have strength to finish in one piece.

On one particularly memorable Sunday we had met at Crystal Palace for a technique session with a specialist Jumps Coach. After the technique session we prepared for a 300m test to round the afternoon off. I was in a small group of athletes from my home club which included a couple of junior internationals and my coach. We were highly competitive, but we all knew our place in the pecking order. I was comfortable being at the bottom end, the youngest and weakest.

The pain and exhaustion of a typical 300 metre race!

As we made our way to the starting line, my Coach had a quiet word in my ear:

Coach: “Lead them out fast and then kick into the bend.”

Me: “But…” (The idea was scary!)

Coach: “See what happens. Kick into the bend.”

So, that’s what I did. I led the group out, running hard down the back straight to hold my position, to stay ahead. As I hit the 200 metre mark I kicked again, accelerating as I entered the bend. I drove my arms hard to keep my legs turning over. As the bend unwound I remained in the lead, wondering when people would start to come past me.

As I approached the home straight I felt great. My confidence grew with every stride I stayed in the lead. As we straightened up I stood tall, feeling strong and relaxed, striding out smoothly. Rather than tying up and dropping back, I stretched my lead, crossing the line in first place.

***

We didn’t talk much afterwards. The usual banter was missing as we all tried to recover. From my perspective not much needed to be said. In the great scheme of things the race didn’t matter, it was just a monthly test, one of many, but for me it was significant. The time wasn’t important either, it was all about how I felt, and I felt like I’d arrived, I felt great!

I think it felt significant because I had put myself in the position to succeed through hard work (training up to 5 days a week) and because I had taken a risk that had paid off. The fact that I had performed well while in the spotlight was a bonus!

It’s a feeling I remember to this day, and one that has rarely been repeated since.

***

As we get older, it gets increasingly easy to “cruise around the bend”, to take things a little bit too easy and fall into bad habits. Unfortunately there are few people that will take us to one side and have a quiet word, to instil confidence in us, to encourage us to push ourselves, to “kick into the bend”.

Try it occasionally… you might just surprise yourself!

My London to Brighton experience

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After all the preparation we almost missed it. We had decided to take advantage of the option to “ride later than our allocated start time” to make the morning a little less frantic, to avoid the crowds at the start of the event and to ensure careful coordination of our arrival with lunch in Brighton. Our plans were flawed on several fronts!

Our London to Brighton experience started smoothly. We left the house at 09.06, just 6 minutes behind schedule. Not bad! We had even had time to capture the moment for prosperity…

Brothers – Before & After

A “thumbs up” from “@LDNtoBrighton” (The official Twitter account for the event) reinforced our level of comfort as we set off for Clapham. How were they to know where we were? After all, there was a lot going on!

We abandoned the car (Thanks Michelle!) at the first sight of cyclists, just south of Tooting (09:46). Crossing the torrent of participants to make our way to the start line on Clapham Common spirits were high. The bubble was almost burst when we arrived at a rather deserted start area.

A few Marshalls were rounding up the stragglers, encouraging them to “Start ASAP!” It turns out the final start time was 09:30. A minor detail that had passed us by. A schoolboy error!

Fortunately it didn’t take us long to catch up with the first tail-backs, perhaps not coincidentally in Tooting.

30,000 cyclists + London traffic + major junctions = Frustration!

It didn’t take us long to see the first of what turned out to be several accidents either… within a mile of the start, a chap (who, it turns out, wasn’t even participating in the London to Brighton event) managed to cycle into a stationary car at speed. The result of the collision was a cut chin and, I suspect, concussion, as well as badly damaged wing mirror (on the car). It was relief that we discovered that the carbon frame of his bike had also been broken as he was insisting that he was OK to ride on. He clearly wasn’t! We left him in the capable hands of a Marshall with Medics on the way.

Travelling through South London was a stop / start affair. The Police were doing a fantastic job of clearing the roads of cyclists by sweeping up the rear to stop traffic, maintaining momentum one junction at a time. It wasn’t until we hit the first hill however that our expectations for the rest of the day were properly set:

With so many cyclists even the smallest bottleneck can impact the flow. Bottlenecks included narrowing roads, hills, accidents, traffic controls and confusion caused by refreshment stops (“Should we or shouldn’t we?”). A combination of a narrowing road and a “steep” slope was enough to bring everything to a grinding halt. It was annoying the first time, but became less so as we relaxed into the day.

As we headed south, out of the hustle of London and into the countryside, the atmosphere changed. Communities turned out in force to “make a day of it”. Quiet villages took on a carnival atmosphere as brass bands played us on our way.

Refreshment stops were frequent and well stocked. Even private dwellings offered “a free sit down”, sweets and showers from Water Pistols, People generously came out of their houses to cheer us on our way; each cheer being greeted with a “Ping” on Philip’s bell.

It felt like we were part of something meaningful and positive. A feel-good factor was capped by the way people ascended the final climb of the day;

Ditchling Beacon had been billed as the big challenge. The most significant hill on the ride. It was all downhill to Brighton from the top, but getting to the top would take some effort. If it went the same way as the other substantial hills we’d encountered there would be no way of us cycling up it because of people walking.

Fortunately people seemed to decide to walk at an early stage of the Ditchling Beacon ascent, and then considerately moved to the left-hand side of the road. As a result, despite arriving at what was probably the busiest time of the day, we were still able to cycle all the way up.

It wasn’t without it’s hairy moments, but we both managed to stay on our bikes. For a few minutes, the other participants became vocal onlookers, like an over-enthusiastic Mountain-Top crowd in the Tour de France. It was a special feeling to get to the top!

The thousands of people at the finish on the front in Brighton were the cherry on the cake!

So, a HUGE thank you to all the people involved in organising and supporting the event, the Marshalls, the Medical Staff, the Caterers, the Mechanics, the Supporters, etc. etc. Thank you all for making it such a fantastic event!

A great way of celebrating life!

Father’s Day (Approx. 00:30)

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What a difference a year makes… exactly fifty-two weeks ago I was having a Heart Attack.

Tonight I’m enjoying the early stages of England’s World Cup adventure*. In a few hours I’ll be setting off to cycle from London to Brighton as part of the British Heart Foundation’s annual flagship event.

It seems an awfully long time ago that I was whisked into hospital to undergo an emergency angioplasty. It was surreal at the time, and doesn’t seem any less bizarre an experience now.

The intervening twelve months have introduced many changes in my life; some were sudden and immediate, the aftermath of the event itself, others have occurred a little more gradually, new habits and behaviours that have fallen into place over time.

From what I’ve read, it sounds like many people who experience Heart Attacks, or are given stents as preventative treatment, do not make much of an effort to change their lifestyle. They abdicate all responsibility for their long term health to their Doctors. This is one of the main arguments against extending the use of statins. This definitely hasn’t been the case for me!

One of the things with Coronary Heart Disease is that it doesn’t get better; it stays the same or deteriorates. Modern medication is fantastic in reducing the risks of living with it by lightening the load on the Heart and thinning the blood, however they don’t treat the underlying condition. Stents also treat the symptoms, not the disease.

Despite increased awareness and medical advancements, Coronary Heart Disease is still the UK’s biggest killer. (www.bhf.org.uk)

Personally, changes to my diet and regular exercise have resulted in dramatic changes. I am fit and, although I wouldn’t describe myself as healthy, my life expectancy has increased significantly (to be fair, it wasn’t looking that hot a year ago!).

For me the London to Brighton Bike Ride will be a celebration and, hopefully, a fun day out. For others who have been touched by Heart Disease, it may involve an act of remembrance or gratitude. Good luck to each and every one of them!

Hopefully it will also serve as a reminder or a prompt for others… just think about the thousands of people that will be impacted by Heart Disease before the next Father’s Day, Each and every one of us can make a difference!

***

*Actually I’m sleeping as I was too tired to stay awake any longer, big day tomorrow, etc. Burning the candle at both ends is a thing of the past! 🙂

A heart attack waiting to happen?

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The driver who collected me from the airport this morning was concerned about his health:

As I got into the car he was connected to someone at his Doctor’s Surgery who informed him that there weren’t any appointments available today. Apparently he had been waiting in a queue for 30 minutes. He seemed slightly disappointed but not surprised.

I don’t know what his symptoms were. Fortunately he didn’t volunteer any details and I didn’t ask. Even I have learned that’s not a question to ask close relatives let alone complete strangers. Given I was in his hands for the duration of my trip to the office, and that we were breathing the same air, I hoped it wasn’t anything too serious!

As he drove however I was treated to a monologue on his general state of health and associated concerns. One of the major factors seemed to be his father having a Heart Attack last year, something I could obviously relate to…

Driving a taxi isn’t the most physically active of jobs. Since he started driving about 18 months ago he has put on a lot of weight. In fact, he said he’s put on over 20 kilos. This seems an awful lot of weight to put on in such a short period; it just goes to show what a combination of negative factors can do for you.

Doritos are his major weakness. He eats two family bags a day; one to pass time while waiting on his car, and one at home as a pre-bedtime snack. He felt that he was “unable to give them up”.

There are plenty of more healthy snacks available!

Eating healthily is a challenge for him. He doesn’t like vegetables. Apparently he’s scared of them. To be more accurate, he’s scared of the idea of the taste of vegetables and therefore doesn’t eat them. As he continued to talk about his fear of vegetables, it transpired that due to this fear, he has only ever tried two types.

To his surprise, he actually liked both of the vegetables he has tried; grilled tomatoes and okra. I would therefore put him in the “likes every vegetable he’s ever tried, but hasn’t tried many” camp.

Over the weekend he had been required to help push a friend’s car. He struggled; feeling generally weak, he tired quickly and it wiped him out for the day. An ex-smoker, he doesn’t do very much exercise. He’s often exhausted after a hard day at work, and tends to relax in front of the TV to unwind.

It is recommended that we do a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week.

As our journey went on the number of risk factors increased. On one level I felt sorry for him as he was obviously worried and is stuck in a rut. Many aspects of his lifestyle are not that different to how mine used to be pre-Heart Attack.

On another level I wanted to shout at him; he seems fully aware of what he’s doing, not doing and the potential risks, but is seemingly unable to do anything about them.

I sincerely hope he does get an appointment with his Doctor, and I hope his Doctor is able to help him get back on track.

For me it served as a reminder of how easy it could be to slip back into bad habits. Any thoughts of skipping a trip to the hotel gym this evening due to fatigue were quickly erased.

One of “those” people

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I never used to be one of “those” people. As far as travelling was concerned, as long as I had my Passport and a Credit Card life was good, I was prepared for anything. Over the past year things have changed dramatically.

I wouldn’t describe myself as being “high maintenance”, but my needs have evolved. In order to be comfortable in travel crisis, I now also require an abundant supply of medication and a source of de-caffeinated Tea-Bags.

Essential provisions; severely depleted after a week in the “wilderness”

Following the volcano disruption of 2010, when the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull throwing volcanic ash into the atmosphere and the world’s travel plans into disarray, I think most people are more sensitive to the vagaries of international travel. Irrespective of the length of my trip, I now work on the basis that I’ll be away twice as long as I’m expecting, and for a minimum of a week.

As far as clothes and food are concerned the Credit Card solution still applies. However this doesn’t work quite so conveniently for medication, and I’ve found life is better generally if you have an ample supply of Tea.

Last night my emergency plans were put into action as the last flight from London to Aberdeen, my carriage home, was cancelled. Inevitably it resulted in several hours of chaos and frustration as everyone had to be booked onto new flights and dispatched to a near-by hotel for the night.

The only way to spend an unexpected evening in London!

This was a situation that would have wound me up in the past, particularly given that I am no longer such a valued member of the British Airways Executive Club. The wait was long and tedious but fortunately not life threatening.

This is even more incredible given the airline staff performance was shambolic. You would have thought it was the first time a flight had ever been cancelled. In the past, re-allocation of staff away from dealing with the lengthy and agitated queue may well have been enough to tip me over the edge. As it was I remained calm (although high spirits were a little bit too much to ask for!).

The really good news was that I had a lovely cup of tea waiting for me in my hotel room when I finally got there!

Countdown to L2B

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Two weeks today, June 15^th, Father’s Day, I will be participating in the British Heart Foundation’s Flagship charity event of the year; the London to Brighton (L2B) bike ride. It’ll be a mere 54 mile jaunt from Clapham Common to the Beach in Brighton, and I’m expecting a quiet affair; just me, my little brother and about twenty-five thousand other people.

Last year’s starting line… while I was enjoying my first day in hospital post Heart Attack.

One of the main reasons for participating is that it will mark the anniversary of my Heart Attack; one year to the day when our lives were momentarily turned upside-down. The fact that I’m not concerned about the physical aspects of the cycle shows how much things have changed since last Father’s Day. It’s amazing what you can achieve with the right motivation and a little hard work (not forgetting the drugs of course!).

I’m so glad that I decided to take up cycling as the mainstay of my fitness regime. I don’t remember there being much conscious thought in it at the time… it just seemed like the right thing to do. As well as getting me in shape, it’s opened up a whole new social dimension, and has re-introduced me to competition without needing to be in competition with anyone but myself.

I am personally aware of several other people that are participating in the event having been impacted in one way or another by Heart Disease. Many people will be there for a fun day out, but there will be a lot of others for whom the journey will be much more significant. I’m sure it’ll be a special day!

Coincidentally, I lived just off Clapham Common (the starting point for the ride) for about five years when I first left University. It always used to play host lots of community and charity events. Generally I’d watch them from afar with a combination of curiosity and (occasionally) a little envy. It’s not without irony that it’s taken 20 years, a move to Aberdeen and a Heart Attack for me to participate in one.

I’m really looking forward to enjoying the occasion with my brother. It’s been years since we did anything like this (if we ever have). I’m also looking forward to participating in a sporting event with him in which we’re on a fairly level playing field… it’s definitely been a long time since that’s been the case! (Not that it’s a race, of course! Don’t worry Mum!)

Philip & I circa 1978. The awesome power in our legs was evident even then!

For those of you who are participating, I’ve included a photo of the 2 of us so you can spot us in the crowd. People say that I’ve got cuter over the years, but I don’t think either of us have changed a bit. You won’t be able to miss us!