A runner’s thoughts on a 40km bike ride…

Posted on October 25, 2012 by Bo

So I managed to complete my very first cycle road race last week! *whoop* Having survived my first puncture as well as being shoved into a starting pack of almost 2 000 cyclists, I walked away feeling pretty chuffed with myself.

40kms is not that far. It took me 2h18 mins to complete the route on my new bike, knobblies and all. But let me tell you, being new to the sport of cycling, a lot went through my mind during those 2 hours. Here are some of those thoughts…

When I run, I am able to switch off and allow my mind to go into a different space. Not with cycling. There is no chance to switch off as you manoeuvre through other riders, constantly keeping a watch for traffic passing you and always analysing which gear to go choose for the best ride. It is quite draining, both physically and mentally.

Running is quick and we are done by 10am. Not with cycling. Even though we had all completed our races by 12h30, we still only got home after 2pm. It’s a much longer day which requires much more of an investment in time.

I slip my shoes on, strap on my running watch and off I go. Oh boy, with cycling, there’s a million and one things to remember to carry with: puncture repair kits, spare tubes, tools. The all in one cycling outfit makes it very difficult to go for a quick toilet break before the race. My apologies to those who might have caught a glimpse of my white bum and belly as I had no option but to strip down in order to do the job right.

I cannot change a flat tyre to save my life but what I did find is that cyclists all stop to assist one another. If I happened to stop, a cyclist passing me would ask if I was okay. I liked that.

The same goes for accidents. Two accidents happened right in front of me on my race. All cyclists stopped and some got off their bikes to assist the fallen. This is something you don’t see very often with running. I’m ashamed to say that on the odd occasion that a runner has fallen, very few will stop and assist.

Most runners complain of running injuries and niggles. But ask cyclists and they come with war stories of broken collar bones and broken wrists from accidents. Especially those wearing cleats. Injuries are high and the injuries are serious.

The race was timed mat to mat. I will repeat that in case Two Oceans Half Marathon officials read this. Mat to mat!

One last point: There is something to be said for being ‘bum fit’. I must confess that by the time I got to the 36km mark, I kept jumping up off the saddle as if I was doing show jumping on a horse, just to relieve the pain that I felt in areas of my lower body I never knew existed! Ouch!

I am looking forward to my next race and will definitely apply suncream! Check out my legs. This was sore jong!

The burning platforms of my life

Posted on October 21, 2012 by Bo

If you’ve worked in a corporate environment, you’ve most probably come across the term “Burning Platform”. For those not familiar with its origin, the story goes like this:

It was change management guru, Daryl Conor, who was watching the news broadcast of the disaster when he realised that Andy’s account could be used as a metaphor which many people could relate to as a symbol for change commitment. Conor does not see it as a story of disaster but a tale of courage and tenacity that illustrates the commitment necessary to face the risk and uncertainty required when departing from the current state of affairs.

Lately this term has been stuck in my head as it feels as if I am the one standing at the edge of the oil rig platform. There are issues in my life which I have ignored for way too long. Issues that are making me miserable. There are things happening which are beyond my control. There are certain things which I know I have been careless with for way too long. My ~~world~~ oil rig is in a comfort zone of sorts but is going up in flames.

The stress, the unknown, the uncontrollable. It’s everything on top of one another. So yes, I am jumping.

I can’t just wait around for things to miraculously “be better”. I can’t expect problems to be sorted out on their own. I need to take ownership. I need to start doing something differently. I read somewhere: If you want something to work, work on it.

So, that’s what I’m doing…

Ref: http://www.reply-mc.com/2012/09/10/the-four-kinds-of-burning-platforms/

Is what I see, what you get?

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Bo

I happened to attend a breakfast recently where 2010 Australian Masterchef runner-up, Callum Hann, was the guest.

Over cups of coffee and way too much chocolate, Callum did a cooking presentation to the crowd, wowing us with his knowledge of desserts and quirky local jokes.

His presentation focussed on a brief overview of what life has been like since the competition and his travels around the world. But it was his introduction that really made an impact on me.

Callum described how it was only after the competition when he watched re-runs of the show that he noticed that he had a lisp. I was gobsmacked! For those who may or may not remember Callum, the guy has a serious lisp! He went on to add that he also realised that he made weird and funny facial expressions when he got nervous. Seriously? How could he not know this? His face jumps all over the place!

But it left me wondering. Is there something about myself or something that I did that I was not aware of? Did I have a funny twitch? Did I make weird facial expressions? Or worse, a lisp! What if I have a lisp and cannot hear myself? Are there things I just don’t want to see?

I’ve sometimes watched my shadow when I run. I don’t have a graceful, relaxed look about my pace. I have caught myself slouching way too much during the day at my desk. My posture is terrible. And since primary school, I’ve also hated my knees. *knock knees will never be cool, unless I appear in an episode of Glee*.

Schucks, these are just things at the top of my head. What about the things I don’t see?

Wait… Maybe it’s a good thing I don’t have an idea what else is quirky/weird/silly about myself. I already tend to give all the negative aspects of my life way too much attention. It’s better if I didn’t have anything more to stress about.

But for now, if I do lisp, please let me know!

(Google Images: Morgan deBoer)

What you don’t get from books

Posted on September 18, 2012 by Bo

I always chuckle when I see the looks on people’s faces when I tell them I studied librarianship. I can even imagine the thoughts running through your head as to why the hell anyone would study librarianship (or Information Sciences as I like to point out). I can confirm that there’s a hell of a lot more to the Dewey Decimal system or ensuring the bookshelves are neat and tidy.

More than my love for books and reading is my huge passion for research and non-fiction books. I absolutely love to research topics about history and documentaries. And don’t get me started on biographies! *love, love*

Even when it comes to running, I have immersed myself in some of the best known books on the topic and studied all the articles and research on foot injuries, running techniques, you name it.

But what I have discovered lately is that as I grow older, I am relying a lot more on people around me to get the answers I need. I’ve been ‘consulting’ those close to me every day for their opinion and advice on a range of issues that are bugging me. This is so out of character for me.

What I have found has been an amazing, eclectic mix of opinion, thoughts, advise and stories from so many angles, so many perspectives. What it has done is made me realise that with every problem in life, there are so many directions one can take. So many choices to choose from and so many different ways of looking at situations.

The books present facts. But the beauty in speaking to people is that they come with wonderful life experiences. Some of it good. Some bad. I am loving their stories and fascinated by their own experiences. I am not alone in some of the problems I am grappling with. It’s comforting to know this.

Their advice to me has also revealed a lot of how they ‘see’ me and what they think is the best for me. I like that.