The Winter's Tale

Not running but ballet watching

To mis-quote Stevie Smith.

Would the huge narrative translate to ballet?

It was the last in the season of Royal Opera House, Covent Garden ballets live streamed into cinemas all around the world. I was so excited to be able to see this new production of an interpretation through ballet of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale.

There were several principal roles in this ballet by Christopher Wheeldon which meant the opportunity for some outstanding dancing by each. Wheeldon did not disappoint and I found myself unable to look away for a single moment throughout the whole ballet.

The dancing was incredibly beautiful and the sheer physicality of the performances took my breath away. I have to say that I am a great fan of modern ballet dance movement and some of the shaping and lines Wheeldon achieved here deserve much praise.

Not only did he manage to tell the story through dance but he described perfectly the deeply disturbing turbulence that the emotion of jealousy had unleashed in King Leontes. 

Then he changed the mood perfectly to create a Spring time pastoral feeling in  Act II for the Village Festival scene. The backdrop of a mossy rooted tree hung with jewellery was superb.

The final scene in which Leontes and Hermoine dance is extraordinarily powerful in its simplicity and pulls every last drop of emotion from the viewer. All of which is only made more sublime by Toby Jalbot's incredible musical scoring throughout this ballet. 

I would have liked to include some of the beautiful images but they are subject to copy right which I have not been able to obtain but you can click here to see some using the link. 

In terms of how the human body works the ballet movements are so extreme as to be unobtainable by most of us. That does not mean that the ability to think of ourselves in terms of getting the best from our bodies is not deepened by the inspiration of these wonderful dancers. It makes you want to work on your ability to stretch your limbs, to be able to balance and to maintain strength.

Running is not just about getting from start to finish as quickly as possible. In order to be the best you can, you need to think about cross training so that you build strength and stamina. In my case, after a recent fall, maintaining balance is a vital part of growing older and one that can be worked on. 

Watching these excellent ballets has been a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Inspiring in so many ways for my running and for the way in which ballet shows the extent to which the body can be trained and used.

SKYLINE 120 BRAINTREE 5

Sunday 27 April Race

Becci, my brilliant running buddy, and I set off in 'Matilda' for Braintree where we were going to run the Skyline 120 Braintree 5 mile fun run.

Race ready 'Matilda' with Maisie, the cat,
 living dangerously 

There was a bit of a queue for the car park but we were soon parked and ready to get our race chips. These were new to us and were worn round the ankle. Becci said that if we lost them they would charge us £50 - I hoped the Velcro was going to be sturdy enough.

Something that all runners talk about are the toilet facilities as it can prove to be one of the most traumatic of things before a race, especially if you are a female. There were some portapotties outside which did not appeal in the least but, thankfully, those indoors were fine. If you are wondering why I mention this it is because anyone looking for information about going to this run will want to know.

That being sorted we went out to say hello to our fellow 'Commando Runners' (a Facebook running community group) who were all in good form and looking forward to the run.

• The start
• The course
• The finish
• Thoughts on the race
• If I were in charge

The Start

The start reminded me of Parkrun where you just line up wherever you feel would suit you. There were not a lot of announcements beforehand which was good as I cannot always hear them anyway.

Garmins etc were activated and then we were off - well - almost as there was the inevitable bottleneck effect slowing everyone down. As soon as we were running it was quite a fast pace for me.

I decided to go with it but didn't want to overdo the speed at the start. We were immediately faced with a downhill which everyone noted would be an uphill at the end of the course. I quickly put that to the back of my mind.

The course

Braintree

We were soon running through villages past beautiful thatched cottages and the Spring foliage made everything look wonderful. There was the problem of pollen though and I found it quite difficult to get my breath for quite a distance. 

The course itself was undulating rather than hilly with some inclines that increased slowly rather than sharply which was an interesting experience as they seemed to go on for ever.

The marshals around the route were very good on the whole although we did think one of them had been telling us to keep right when he meant left. 

Mile One

At 9.41 this is a fast start for me. It took me a while to get my breathing and heart rate to a sustainable level but for once I pushed myself as I felt it would be ok.

Mile Two

A time to settle in and I knew that we were, very definitely, still working hard as we were not talking except for the occasional comment.

Mile Three

Psychologically getting past the half way mark helps you maintain a reasonable pace and we began moving up the field. We were careful to slow the pace before  an incline so that we would have the stamina to climb without losing too much speed.

Mile Four

It felt like time to get home and there were a couple of difficult inclines and also the annoyance of some runners we had passed getting in front of us again. Nothing gets me frustrated quite like that as you will read later.

Mile Five

The dash for home. Well not quite up to a sprint standard but quite a slog to keep the pace going. 

The finish

Well as I said being overtaken by an older veteran who I had managed to pass earlier was not going to go down on the records. So I called out to Becci just before the line to go for it and dashed in front of this poor lady to get placed before her and finish at a sprint. Bad sportsmanship or all is fair in love and war? Who knows - something competitive came over me at the last minute.

Thoughts on the race

The results

Plenty to work on. That there were ten in my age category before me shows that I could be better. Then again 119th female at my age sounds good to me. It was not a PB which remains at 46.38 for a five mile run. If I had thought about that before this run and perhaps put the pacer for that run on my Garmin I think I could have gone just a little stronger to beat that time. I didn't. Overall though I thoroughly enjoyed the run on what was a perfect Spring day weather wise. The pollen was a nuisance but bearable. The company was good and the venue very pretty. We had a lovely quick ride home having earned ourselves a tee shirt, a bottle of water and a delicious helping of flapjack. 

If I were in charge

The winner's tee shirt and race number

I have to say that if I were in charge I would find a tee shirt designed for women. How hard can it be to indicate gender as well as size? These necklines are not flattering or run friendly and just need to be cut differently - anyone listening out there! They just need to be 'V' neck or cut on a lower curve. 

The Country Park, Braintree

Overall, I would definitely be happy to run this again and would recommend it for all levels of running ability.

Putting on a Brave Face

Thursday Night Training with 100% Fitness

A rather ironic title for a running club when you turn up with a huge bruise on your arm.

My poor arm after falling over at last week's training session

I had to dig deep to find the confidence to start the session as I was petrified I would trip again and hurt my injuries further. I put on a brave face and concentrated on chatting with Becci my running buddy whilst we jogged to the sports field.

• Warm up
• Intervals
• Warm down
• Thoughts and plans

My new Garmin Connect page

Warm up

We had our session explained and then we had to jog slowly to a sports field where we would be doing the interval training. 

The slow jog found me a little sore and my joints a bit stiff. I also found myself more breathless than usual'

We had to run round the field and by the time we had done that I was ready to train.

Intervals

The plan was to run to the fourth cone and recover back to start, then repeat to the third, second and first. This had to be done over a timed period for each cone. 

Then we had to get into teams of slow, fast and 'tabbers' (those who were training with weighted back packs and combat gear for a special race) and we had a relay for recovering the cones. Then we were sent out for a final sweep of the field for any missed cones.

Warm down

We had a slow jog back to our starting/meeting point with the usual laughter and chatting.

On the way back I had a quick look at the spot where I fell over and it was clear that I must have tripped on some large slabs of concrete that were sticking up out of the ground. 

Thoughts and plans

I was glad that we had been training on the grass as it gave me more confidence. I felt the need to keep myself in check and not run too hard and I also had to pace myself as I felt sore and a little achy.

I felt the training had gone really well for me and was pleased to get back to running.

Next is the Braintree Skyline 120 five mile run on Sunday which I am looking forward to. 

My race plan will be:

• A slower than usual start building pace over time.
• Think confidence (remembering I managed to run sub 10 min miles at last week's training)
• Remember to look up (fall has made me want to stare at ground and holding your head down affects breathing)
• Be gentle on myself if I have to adjust my running because of my injuries
• Enjoy the run!

The weather forecast is not too good but it will be interesting to run a new race and learn a new route.

Fingers crossed for the rain to keep off
during tomorrow's race

Running with my Daughter

We Own The Night

A ladies only 10k 'blaze' round
Victoria Park in London

My daughter and I have entered the Nike 'We Own The Night' 10k evening run around Victoria Park in London. On Saturday 10 May Nike and ELLE will host a 10k run. On their blog they say: "The route will be packed with light, music and women from the worlds of sport, TV, music and fashion. Quite simply, it’s set to be the ultimate after-hours run."

Nike have devised training plans to help runners of all abilities get ready but Léonie and I are making our own plan. Léonie has not run very much at all and I am not expecting her to aim at a time but to enjoy the atmosphere and complete the course.

Nike have made the whole event look very attractive

On Saturday we went up to the Nike store on Oxford Street to visit the Boutique on the third floor to collect our race packs and to get a preview of the Alex Munro necklace that is being given to all finishers.

The Alex Monroe finishers necklace in it's
 Lora Liberty print box

The necklace is a gorgeous alternative to a medal and I am looking forward to, hopefully, having one of my own. 

Such a lovely idea for commemorating a run

We picked up our race pack which was presented to us in a Holly Fulton race tote. The tee shirt is very pretty and colourful as are the tags for starting placing and guests.

Race tote and tee shirt designed by Holly Fulton

We had a great day out in Oxford Street. We enjoyed a lovely do-it-yourself lunch in Selfridges with a salt beef sandwich complete with pickled gherkin and a glass of Prosecco followed by a visit to Lola's Cupcakes for delicious mini cupcakes (I had oreo and peanut butter). Yum.

Lola's Easter Cupcakes

While I was there I bought two Elephant tins of Williams Tea in Duchess and Earl Grey flavour to decorate my Easter coffee bar in my kitchen.

All set for Easter Teatime

We also visited Jo Malone in Brook Street to choose a 'race perfume'. 

Jo Malone stores are such a treat to visit

Proving we are Mother and Daughter we were looking in different areas of the shop but managed to choose the same fragrance. 

Peony and Blush Suede cologne

Peony and Blush Suede fragrance is described on their website as: 

The essence of charm.  Peonies in voluptuous bloom, exquisitely fragile.  Flirtatious with the juicy bite of red apple and the opulence of jasmine, rose and gillyflower.  Mingling with the sensuality of soft, blush suede.  Luxurious and seductive. 

Perfect for our running evening I think.

I hope you all have an Easter as delicious as this Lola's Bunny Tea Party.

Broken and scratched but still working

Bruised and bleeding 

I felt just as damaged physically too!

Thursday evening training with 100% Fitness was tough but going well and we were almost home when disaster struck: I fell over. 

If anyone else had fallen I would immediately advise: 

• remain laying on ground and see if anything really hurts
• if all seems fine then get up
• go to A & E to get checked (older women especially can easily have broken bones without realising it) vital if heads have been knocked

What did I do? Well I got up as quickly as I fell down and then carried on running which fortunately wasn't too far to the finish of the session.  I did a quick assessment and found that I was bleeding from gashes and scratches on both hands and my right leg. I could feel that my right arm was throbbing but I didn't want to take my jacket off. 

Fortunately it pays to have a nurse as your best running buddy and Becci very kindly cleaned and covered the worst of my injuries. I was probably full of adrenaline from the six mile run and drove home without problems.

At home I was able to get a better look at my injuries and my arm had two large lumps one at the elbow and the other half way along the ulna. Thankfully none of the injuries felt serious enough to need professional attention but I knew I would probably be quite sore the next day. Look away now if you are squeamish.

Oh dear damage done

• Warm up
• Hill session
• Warm down
• Stretching
• Garmin and coat damage

Warm up

The group was split up into three:

1. The tag team preparing for the Para Ten endurance race
2. The faster runners
3. The beginners and those wanting a slower pace

Gemma suggested I went with the faster group (2) which was being led by her husband Graham.

I found it quite a push as I have not been running under 10 minute mile pace for a long while. I soon had to take off my jacket and popped myself at the back of the group moving forward again once I had finally found my rhythm.

These laps show I was working harder than usual

Hill Session

We then had to start hill work. We were to run at 90% effort up hill and round a turning circle and start back down hill at that effort level. Then once we had started downhill we could take a recovery pace back to the start. We where repeat for a total of five minutes. 

After that we ran back around Abbey Fields. This is a green area paved and lit the whole way round which makes it extremely popular for runners.

When we got back we had another hill session with as many repeats as we could manage in five minutes.

Warm down

For our warm down we set off in our groups. Becci and I were running along very nicely still at a faster pace than I would usually take for a warm down but it was comfortable. We were just turning off the path to cross the road and get on the footpath to the finish when I fell. I remember seeing a sandy surface with stones protruding and it is possible I tripped on one of these but it all happened so quickly. I was up very quickly and Graham ran alongside me to the finish and was keeping my mind occupied by explaining how to ice effectively.

Stretching

I tried a little stretching but couldn't really concentrate. We waited for the whole group to get back together and Gemma, our trainer, said she would put the fall in her accident book. I checked my broken watch and it was showing that we had run for just over six miles.

Garmin and coat damage

 When we had finished the hill sessions and were going to take a recovery run back I decided to put on my jacket. This covered my Garmin but in the fall I threw out my hands to help break the fall and unfortunately my watch was ripped off my wrist. The strap was torn beyond repair and the face was scratched and chipped and my jacket was torn. The watch still works thankfully but it doesn't look very pretty. A new watch strap has been ordered but I'm not sure what I can do about the damage to the face.

My poor damaged Garmin 610

Now a couple of days later my shoulder joint is quite sore and I am probably going to have some nice bruises but a few days rest will hopefully help. So plenty of time reading and sipping tea follow.

Time for tea
and a good detective story

Making A Hash Of It

My Virgin Lay

What would you say if the message below arrived on your Facebook page? 

My running pal, Becci, is always full of surprises

The words 'instead of our normal run' ought to have given me an inkling but, no, I thought - great an off road run, I'll do that.

What followed was definitely what makes people think Great Britain is a country made up of eccentrics.

• What are Hash House Harriers
• A brief history of H3
• What are they saying?
• What happened
• Would I do it again?

What are Hash House Harriers

Steal what you want from our site just say where you stole it from 
done

I had to look this one up and the first thing I read was that they were "drinkers with a running problem". Secondly, they like to give each other nicknames and run wild through the countryside ending up in a pub to quench their thirsts.

Hashing is a good way to turn your ankle or fall over but also to keep fit and have fun. It is non-competitive for runners of all levels. You keep together because the trail has been laid so that anyone fast in the front may be on a false trail, a dead-end or have gone three sides round a square and you can run across to catch them up.

The sawdust trail is set by the Hare and runs through all sorts of terrain including over fallen trees and ditches and across streams. You do not want to be wearing posh running gear with bare lower legs (as I was!) - think nettles, briars and nasty bits of wood to snag you. You run through mud, leaves and grass as well as tracks and no tracks (hence the expression "Wheredafugarwee?" - I'll leave you to work that one out).

The sort of symbols that might be left in sawdust on the trail

A brief history of H3

Apparently it started in Kuala Lumpur in Malaya in 1938 when some ex-pats decided to get fit for fun and have a sociable drink in the Sengalor Club afterwards. They also had nicknames for each other and that tradition is still followed. It was, unfortunately, interrupted by the war but soon re-established once hostilities had ceased.

A Hash House was slang for a cheap eating place and a Harrier was the British word for a cross country runner. That takes me on to:

What are they saying?

The first thing you are surprised by is the shouting and speaking in gibberish. For a more complete list have a look here where Drake Hash House Harriers have an excellent 'Hashipedia'. Thanks to their dictionary I was able to work out the meaning of the words I heard on Monday evening:

Are You? – Called out to ask if someone has found the trail. The normal response is “On one, On two” etc depending on the number of piles of sawdust the hound has found. However, if you ask a front runner the silence is often deafening because they are unable to count.

Check – A point at which the trail stops and has to be searched for. Circles of sawdust are the symbol used.

False Trail – Laid in the area around a check point with the aim of slowing down the run to keep the hash together.

Hare – A hasher  responsible for laying the trail and taking the blame for it.

Hash – Used to refer to a hash club, or the hash run. Many people think hashers have something to do with drug running, but less excitingly, the term comes from the slang expression for a cheap meal.

Hound – The name for a runner who sets out to follow a hash trail.

On Back – Called out when a false trail has been found or if the hounds are heading off in the wrong direction. Frequently heard. if you have just ploughed off downhill for a quarter mile.

On Home – Indicated by the letters ‘OH’ laid in sawdust accompanied by an arrow. It means the finish of the run is relatively near or the hare has run out of sawdust.

On On – Shouted by hounds when they have found the correct trail or whilst they are following it. Hounds should keep shouting “On On”as it helps to keep the pack together and assists hashers who may have missed the trail to find it again.  Often mistaken for a series of strange croaking noises. However, inevitably, it doesn’t always work (which is probably why “On On” is also used as a farewell greeting amongst hashers).

“On-One” (”On-Two,” etc) shouted by FRBs to indicate the number of marks they’ve seen on an unexplored trail, usually after a check.

Virgin Lay - a virgin hare’s first trail.

What happened

It looks like a trail in the middle of nowhere!

The Mersea Hash House Harriers met on Monday evening at 7pm at Friday Woods Car Park. It was quite cold and windy and I was glad I had my jacket on. A rather, sorry to say this, scruffy lot of runners started to arrive which I now know is the most sensible way to dress. We were greeted and it was quickly explained that we would start by trying to find a dot of sawdust anywhere about 100 yards in front of us. Once they were found we split up and just followed whichever one we thought might be the actual trail. Then people started shouting things like "On one" then "On two" until someone bellowed "False Trail" and those on that turned back and someone yelled "On, on" and we all trekked off in that direction.

Down into the woods, over fallen trees, through the nettles and brambles until we caught up with the front runners who were waiting for us and then sweets were handed out and then we were off again trying to find the right way. 

We ran for about three miles and at times it was quite fast whilst at others you had to walk because there was thick mud or you were going through undergrowth. There were hills and sometimes you seemed to be repeating some parts of the trail but couldn't be quite sure.

Then someone shouted that we were heading for home and we all congregated in the carpark again and everyone was invited to go the the Layer Fox pub for refreshments.  Becci and I joined them and got to know a bit more about them and we left about nine in the evening.

The Layer Fox Pub

Would I do it again?

Becci and I both loved it and I have no doubt we will do it again. It was a completely different running experience and everyone was so friendly. 

One of the nicest aspects was the way everyone, no matter their age, gender, running ability etc, were socially adept enough to approach us and say 'hello' and make us feel welcome. That is so refreshing as groups sometimes, I hope without realising it, have an 'inner life' which they are not willing to share. That can make you feel frozen out especially when you have to always say hello or speak to them first. Not so here which is a credit to them.

If you are thinking about going along to a Hash House meeting I would definitely recommend it.

Thursday Evening Training Recap

Interval training with 100% Fitness

On Thursday evenings I join a running group called 100% Fitness which is run by a lovely lady called Gemma. Gemma was recently training for a body building event and despite it being her first ever event she was placed and then found herself invited to compete in Greece. She is totally dedicated to both her fitness and healthy eating lifestyle and is such an inspiration to those who train with her.

My Thursday evening running trainer
has earned a place on Team Hercules UK

Last week we had interval training.

• warm up
• training session
• warm down
• recap

Warm up

Gemma made us almost shuffle along to the rugby field where we were to start but first we had spent a few minutes stretching whilst the training that evening was explained. Once we were at the field we were to run around its perimeter at about 70% effort.

A new venue for training

Training session

Our interval training was also pyramid training and we had to form a team of two and run to first of four markers and back. Then the next runner would do the same whilst runner one did star jumps or jogging on the sport. Then runner one would run to the second marker and back. The second runner would do the same and so on until all four markers had been run. Then we had to do the same starting with a run to the fourth marker working back down to one. We had to do this at 70% effort and the last at 90%. 

Once a team had finished then we would would do the same on a smaller grid on our own (not as a team) whilst we waited for everyone to finish the pyramids.

Warm down

Our warm down was another very slow jog back to our meeting point and there we did some stretching.

Another very warm evening
I must remember insect repellant next time!

Recap

I usually have one or two friends with me on these sessions and it was very tempting to stay at home as they were not going. However, I am working on consistency and am not going to let excuses get in the way. I was glad I did this as I really enjoyed the session and had these things in mind:

• I tried to be realistic and look for small improvements and try not to go mad and over do things.
• I tried to focus on the exercises as we did them and not on an outcome.
• I listened to Gemma's advice and tried to do as she asked.
• I looked for what worked for me and improved on that.

I could not run as fast as some which was fine. My effort had to be at a lower level, about 70%, because I recognised it would be a long and hard session and I know from experience I need to pace myself. I did push when we were told to and I was happy with the effort I was able to achieve.

I found the jog to and from the training very hard as it is difficult to go slowly and it needs much more effort but it made sense given how much work we were to get through that evening.

A tough evening's work

The aim of the training was to help increase our speed which would also help us when racing. 

An excellent evenings work thanks to Gemma and her patient training.

Running - away!

To Chichester

We decided on a few days away to visit our son who is studying to become a teacher. He is living in Chichester and we were last there when I was expecting my daughter some thirty odd years ago and we thought it was a lovely area to visit again.

The Ship Hotel, Chichester

We booked into a boutique hotel in the centre of Chichester called 'The Ship Hotel'. It was a "grade II listed building blending a wealth of original Georgian features with modern day opulence". 

The writing was, literally, on the wall in our 'Uncle Vanya' room - apologies for the terrible puns. And despite being in town it was very quiet with surprisingly little traffic. 

A strange choice given the subject matter in Uncle Vanya by Chekov
 but the wall was papered with pages from a book of the play

Behind the hotel there was a small, but historically important, Priory Park which was enclosed on two sides by the City Wall.

The City Wall in Priory Park

Priory Park organises a 10k run and their next one is on Sunday 8 February 2015 - you can go here for details if you fancy timing a visit to Chichester to coincide with a race.

We spent the afternoon of our first day visiting the Cathedral and saw the famous Piper tapestry, the remains of a Roman pavement and the Arundel Tomb about which Larkin wrote his famous poem. The Cathedral has many other beautiful treasures and is well worth a visit.

The Arundel Tomb, Piper Tapestry
 and polyphony stone and beaten copper font by John Skelton 

We had a delicious meal that evening in a French Bistro called Côte and then went for a drink in the George and Dragon and I would them recommend both.

Côte restaurant (top) where we were given a delicious pear digestíf after our meal
The George & Dragon (bottom) which has a great ambiance

The rain had stopped on the morning of our second day and I decided to get out for a run. However, the cold which had returned over the last couple of days was persisting and I found I really needed to push myself to get out. 

I went into the little Priory Park and up by a ramp onto the City Wall. I followed it round the park then out across the road and up a flight of steps to rejoin it. I doubled back through the park again and then out and across the road. I followed the wall for a while until I felt it was time to turn back and ran along the path beneath the wall until I met some more steps and went back up to the wall again and returned to the hotel by the same route. I had warmed up and thoroughly enjoyed my outing.

I had a touch of sports watch withdrawal as I had forgotten to pack my Garmin but was wearing my new Vívofit so I was able to record my mileage.

We drove into Portsmouth and walked down to the seawall and saw lots of runners of all varieties! We looked at the War Memorial and had a short walk before returning to the car and going into Old Portsmouth to visit The Royal Navy National Museum. We took a tour of the harbour on a boat and learned all sorts of interesting things about the various vessels along the waterside. There we saw the latest Naval frigates looking very intimidating.

Some of the fun things to see on our trip

After the boat trip we went to visit The Victory and I cannot tell you just how much I admire Vice-Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson as a tactician,  a sailor and hero. It was very moving to find myself walking on the vessel on which he fought for this Country and was sadly killed. 

The Victory

We then went to see the remains of the Mary Rose and the many objects rescued from the seabed.

The remains of The Mary Rose and some of the items found on the sea bed

This museum was well organised and gave a real sense of life on board during the sixteenth century.

We had time for a quick bit of retail therapy at the Gunwhales outlet shopping centre (really good discounts on things you would actually find useful!) just by the Museums and then made our way back to the hotel for a well earned cup of tea in the lounge.

Later we had an excellent meal in Raymond Blanc's Brasserie Blanc in Chichester which, like the restaurant last night, had a very good ambiance.

Raymond Blanc's in Chichester

The next morning we met Toby for a coffee in Raymond Blanc's Tea Rooms where we all had delicious cakes and we left for home having had the perfect few days away.

An Easter Cupcake - oops it is Lent and not even a Sunday

If you are wondering about visiting Chichester or surrounding area then I hope this post has given you a hint of how very enjoyable a few days here would be.