Personal Best and Staying Fluid

It is very important to me to be at my personal best or to be striving to reach it. It is a good motivation to know that I can achieve more because I have done so in the past. In a lot of cases, this is a very real and reasonable goal for me. The feeling I get when I’m at my personal best is unparalleled. I am reluctant to take up rugby again because I am not willing to commit enough time to it to reach my personal best. In the case of rugby, I also feel less likely to get injured when at my personal best, so I can’t see myself playing it again in the near future. Reaching my personal best every time I play squash provides fresh excitement, as I am still in the early stages of learning. In climbing I always strive to be at my personal best, as well as competing to climb equally well or better than friends I’m climbing with.

Also, in climbing staying fluid is crucial. Dynamic, efficient motion demands fluidity. This is my key focus in skill improvement in climbing as I know that adding strength also means adding weight, resulting in a less efficient improvement process. Physical bulk is also a much more short-term gain. Staying fluid is very important in lots of sports.

Daily Rhythm with Lucozade Energy

I consider Lucozade Energy to be a soft drink comparable to coke or lemonade, but with a wide range of flavours. I enjoy drinking it at most times of day, but I would mainly consider it around lunchtime, especially as I can sometimes feel quite tired after lunch. It would boost my energy for the afternoon. The bottle can easily be put into a rucksack or pocket so it’s great when out and on the move. I wouldn’t drink it late in the evening in case the extra energy stopped me sleeping. Personally, I only drink juice at breakfast, so I wouldn’t have it then, but I can’t see why others wouldn’t if they wanted something to wake them up and get them going in the morning. Any time after breakfast is fine though.

Overall, my daily rhythm follows a rough trend of feeling awake until early afternoon, at which point I might require a Lucozade Energy, then picking up again in the evening until fairly late at night. I generally sleep well.

Following that pattern, if somebody told me Lucozade Energy could help me get more out of my day I would agree to the extent that it would help me stay sharp in the early afternoon. 

The Rhythm of Lucozade

Me climbing on Table Mountain, August 2007, trying to reach a Lucozade Sport mirage!

I originally became interested in Lucozade Sport when an advert said that it improved endurance by 33%, if I remember rightly. I had drunk Lucozade Energy before but I didn’t want to use a fizzy drink for sport, so this seemed like a good idea for me.

I drink Lucozade Sport most times I go climbing, which I alluded to in my ‘Climbing, Finally’ food diary. I do feel that it gives me a real energy boost. When I did the charity cycle my fatigue was mainly due to hunger but if I’d had Lucozade Sport with me I would have probably been able to sustain myself better until I actually stopped for food, which would have been helpful.

Fundamentally, when I fall out of my rhythm it’s due to a lack of physical and/or mental energy. I try to avoid the low, out of rhythm stage as it detriments performance and enjoyment. When I become physically tired I know my focus wanes too, which could be avoided with a sustained supply of energy, above and beyond what I would normally have. Lucozade Sport is definitely something that can fit this role and often has done for me in the cases of climbing, squash, cycling, running, and most other sports I’m involved in. 

I heard from my flatmate that energy shots are a good substitute for caffeinated drinks like coffee when revising for exams. I haven’t tried them but I've no doubt I will give them a try during the next exam session. This is more similar to the sporting example than it first seems, as both involve the need to stay mentally focused for prolonged periods of time, so I am hopeful that this will be a solution for exam revision, much like Lucozade Sport is for physical activities.

Lance Armstrong, multiple winner of the Tour de France, is a very good example of somebody able to keep their rhythm, sustaining high levels of performance and focus for hours on end. He is a very inspirational figure and very successful too. This is down to his ability to keep his natural rhythm, something which I do believe Lucozade can help with in many situations requiring physical and/or mental energy.

A Day of Writing

Today was writing, writing, and more writing. Thankfully I enjoy it!

Firstly, I wrote the answer to yesterday’s task, which I enjoyed doing as the question allowed for a fair amount of text on an interesting subject. I think writing is a good way of keeping the mind sharp, which is especially important at the ripe old age of 19.

After my brother proofed my application for an American freelance company who write ‘how to’ guides for websites such as eHow, and after I was accepted for the job, I was able to get cracking on writing my first couple of articles. One criterion specifies roughly 500 words for the average article, but this obviously varies with requirements. My first three articles get sent to senior editors to ensure my content and style is correct. These requirements are obviously different to that of a freelance company writing for British websites, so I’ve set my word spellchecker to accept ‘color’ and ‘canceled’ and reject ‘colour’ and ‘cancelled’, etc.

Interestingly, to me at least, I just discovered a sentence ending with ‘etc.’, or something else with a full stop, only needs one full stop. It ends the word or acronym, and the sentence.

I’ve also got to describe situations as having a ‘wrench thrown in the works’ as opposed to a ‘spanner thrown in the works’, for example, or to say to ‘knock on wood’ for superstitious reasons. All this can be a bit overwhelming, so I glad of the editors – we’re ‘on’ an effective team, rather than ‘in’.

Today I’ve been thinking about the onset of (fall/autumn) and how my (apartment/flat) will get a lot cooler, meaning I’ll need a nice, thick (sweater/jumper) to keep me warm. Although, with no (elevator/lift) to get me to the top floor, I definitely won’t be cold. I can’t wait to move up there, but I will have to pay my mum for the (gas/petrol) used. I do hope there’s enough room in the (trunk/boot) for all my stuff, too.

Not all of that is necessarily true, but it shows the scale my challenge.

This evening I’m going to a friend’s surprise 20^th birthday party. That should be fun.

Today’s Food and Drink

Cereal and orange juice

Ham and cheese toastie (My lazy lunch)

Fruit salad

Milk

Mushroom quiche with salad

Rhubarb yoghurt

“When you’re performing at your best everything seems to go right – there’s a natural rhythm to your life"

I think this can be said of my life but not for any prolonged period, i.e. not long enough to necessarily feel there’s a natural rhythm to my life. I can think of cases where this has happened briefly. For example, in past exams I have often done well, and with scientific subjects such as what I took at A-level and my Physics degree, it is quite easy to tell how well you have done. For this reason I have gone through a period of multiple exams feeling like everything is going right, but at that time it is incredibly dangerous to assume that it will continue, as complacency in exams can easily lead to failure.

A case where this natural rhythm can be an aid rather than a hindrance is in sport, where confidence is a crucial aid to success. Adrenaline for short periods of time, motivation, and confidence are three of the main contributing factors to success in sport or similar activities, supposing the skill is there. As I mentioned in my ‘My New and Exciting Activity’ blog post, I had a big adrenaline boost at the end of my charity cycle, which I was really surprised about, considering how tired I was. My most memorable cases of adrenaline boosts were when I used to play rugby. This used to happen a lot, but the most extreme case I can remember is when I was running as 3^rd man in our 400m relay team during sports day. When I was passed the baton I ran much faster than I could ever have done without adrenaline. I felt on top of the world at that point.

For this to be felt in life over a sustained period of time, the likely cause is a successful career and family life. I am not in a position to comment on this, being only 19 years of age, but I can see how this would influence a person’s life. They could feel that there’s a natural rhythm to their life and that nothing could go wrong, however foolish the latter part of that statement may seem to an unbiased observer.

That is not to say that this feeling is unjustified, just that things, however potentially insignificant, will go wrong in the long run. So, back to considering the short-term case, I cannot think of a way that I get myself into that rhythm beyond being excited about something before it happens, but when I am in that rhythm I definitely enjoy it.

Climbing, Finally

This morning I had a lie-in to regain some much needed energy after yesterday’s cycle. When I did get up I decided a bit of Xbox was a good morning pass-time. This was good fun as I haven’t used the console in a long time. It is definitely worth an occasional play.

I made a couple of birthday cards using my computer today. They should be quite funny for the receivers.

Once my brother was up and active we decided to go climbing at Craggy Island, a local climbing wall. Finally! This was really good as recently I have done a lot of bouldering (low wall climbing with no ropes) and not much actual climbing. My brother and I, both with our own harnesses, were able to get a lot of climbing done. It is always worth staying at the wall for a good few hours when climbing to get your money’s worth.

My brother left for his house in London after this. He will be back in a week or so.

When I got home I played my keyboard again for a few hours. That was definitely time well spent and I always wish I played more once I start playing.

In the afternoon my mum and I played table tennis for quite a while, but our game was cut short by heavy rain.

On the bright side, this rain hit much more severely today than yesterday. Our ride would have been pretty miserable in heavy rain.

Today’s Food and Drink

Cereal and orange juice

Fresh potato and leek soup with brown bread

Blueberry yoghurt

Two bourbon biscuits (I was still hungry after lunch)

Lucozade (Drunk to energize me whilst climbing)

Sausage rolls, rosemary covered roast potatoes, carrots, and peas

Apple

My New and Exciting Activity – British Heart Foundation Ride: Richmond to Windsor

This bike ride was a new experience for me because I have never cycled in a group of more than 8-or-so people, whereas today we rode en masse in a long trail of a few thousand; I have never ridden in aid of a charity; and I have never done more than a 20-mile cycle in my life, so was slightly unprepared for this 37-mile undertaking.

With carbs loaded and rucksack packed I was just about ready to head to up to London by 9 o’clock this morning. By the time my three friends had joined me it was time for us to leave, ensuring we didn’t miss our 10:30 start time. We set off with the last wave of cyclists but soon caught up with others resting or enjoying the view. The first few miles of our ride were beside the Thames past Hampton Court Palace, which made for a gentle introduction to what was an, at times, fairly challenging ride. Further on we took B-roads through heavily forested areas and also skirted major A-roads.

About 20 miles into the ride my crank started to come loose so we had to stop at a bike mechanic's van to tighten it, stopping my pedal falling off. This took 30 minutes overall, so I was a bit stiff when we had to get going again. From this point on I was also beginning to get very hungry, which made the end of the ride particularly tough. I should have packed more food.

Luckily the last 3 miles of the journey were mainly downhill, which served as a bit of light relief. By the home stretch the adrenaline had kicked in and we managed a sprint finish.

Today was a fantastic experience and we’ve already agreed that we will do something similar again.

Today’s Food and Drink

Cereal and orange juice

Cereal bar

Banana

Cereal bar

Burger and chips (The first and only food we found in the finish area)

Pint of beer (By the river in Windsor)

Chicken curry with rice, naan bread, and an onion bhaji (I was glad of a large meal today)

Rhubarb yoghurt

A Relaxed Saturday

Today was a very laid-back day, as weekends should be.

At about 11 o’clock we drove to Hascombe for a circular walk ending at a pub known as The White Horse, which was no coincidence as it meant we could stop for a quick (and refreshing) pint at the end of our stroll. The walk itself was quite nice as the view from the top of the hill is worth seeing.

I wanted to go rock climbing today but my brother wasn’t feeling up to it so I will have to persuade him to go some time next week.

This evening I managed to buy a rear wheel on Ebay for my road bike, not in time for tomorrow’s charity ride though. I’ll be borrowing my friend’s bike. I am interested to see how I fare against experienced cyclists on a ride longer than I’ve ever done before.

I really hope the weather holds out for the ride too!

Today’s Food and Drink

Cereal and orange juice

Pint of beer

Cheese and marmite on brown toast (A quick lunch today)
Fruit salad

Fresh spaghetti with tomato sauce containing bacon and yellow peppers (A good carbohydrate boost before my big cycle tomorrow)

Gooseberry yoghurt

Apples and Squash

My brother had surprisingly few stories to tell involving rain after his tour around Ireland. More involved camping in interesting places with quite varied experiences.

The bonfire got reignited briefly to clear away the last of the cuttings. It was much less hassle this time as the wood was drier.

The highlight of my day was playing squash at Farncombe sports centre with my friend and actually being able to beat him on a few points. No mean feat considering how much more experienced he is than me. I’ll have him by the end of my next term at uni if I play as much as I intend to.

I found a practical use for my rock climbing pass-time by energetically climbing to the top of our apple tree to pick apples for a crumble! It also felt like I had done a more complete job once I’d made the crumble. It tasted all the better for it.

Everything apple-related seems very exciting at the moment as our annual cider making weekend approaches. It's 9-10^th October this year. We pick apples, crush them, and then leave the juice to ferment and mature for several months, provided the temptation to sample the drink prematurely has not overcome us. 75 large sacks’ worth of apples are picked, which makes around 700 pints! Luckily, this is shared between many people, all with their own kegs to take away and ferment. The taste comparison between brews is very enjoyable too!

A barbeque in the afternoon sun was a great way to end the day.

Today’s Food and Drink

Cereal and orange juice

Small dish of pasta bake (Yesterday’s leftovers)

Fresh ‘Country Vegetable’ soup with brown bread

Raspberry and lime smoothie

Fruit salad (I’m definitely getting my ‘5 A Day’ at the moment)

Barbequed beef burger in a bun, chicken satay, new potatoes, and salad (A good way to enjoy the last of the summer with what might be our final barbeque)

Apple crumble with custard (Made by me with home-grown bramley apples, and Demerara sugar for extra crunch)

Letter to Future Self (5 years on)

Hi Jack... of the Future,

Does it still annoy you when people use awful puns like hi-jack... a plane? I can’t see why that would have changed! So, you’re 24 now? According to the plan you should have successfully passed your Physics masters and have some sort of career by now. You didn’t succumb to the lure of the financial sector, did you? Anything fruitful for you in energy research or work? That’s a very competitive field at the moment, so I’m going to wish you good luck on that one, if that’s what you’re pursuing.

So, just to remind you, five years ago you were / i was / i am, er... also wondering about whether you fancied doing a PhD abroad if there was good sponsorship, or just working abroad for a while as something interesting to do. That would be a brave step. How did that work out? If you didn’t go, do you have any plans to do so in later life? I suppose that depends on how it would suit your future family. Are you seeing anybody at the moment? If so, what’s she like?

I’d imagine a few of our lot will be hitched by now. Are you still in contact with everyone? How on Earth is Charlie doing? I hope you’re still in contact with all of ‘Kitchen 2’ from halls, supposing you didn’t have to kill any of them after living in a flat with them for 3 years!

You’d better still be as fit and healthy as your 19-year-old self! Cycling, climbing, squash, jogging, gym, etc.? Something new, maybe? Are the Specialized and Carlton still running smoothly? Look after them.

Right, back to your career or lack of, there’s a small possibility you’re doing pretty well by now. Here’s to hoping, anyway! So was it the McLaren or the Bugatti? No, I’m sure there’s something much faster and more dangerous out there to suit your needs these days :)

Realistically, I think you’ve got enough questions there to last you the next 5 years, so get cracking on a reply!

 

Yours / Mine sincerely,

Jack of the Present

P.S. If you find it easier, you can just Future-Present Skype me. I assume that technology exists as I’m about to send some Future-Present snail mail, which seems logistically a lot more challenging.

P.P.S. Look what I found browsing the internet. It seems I was right. Speak soon!

Bonfire, Bushes, and Biking

I made a few quid in the poker game last night, so I can’t complain. For convenience, these days I host every game, as I no longer have a car. This also means I can have a few beers whilst playing!

I was up earlier than I needed to be for the bonfire this morning, as it was quite dewy, which made it very hard to get the fire going. It started then stopped many times but eventually got going just as I’d nearly had enough. Whilst the fire was going I decided more bush and tree trimming was probably a good way to keep me occupied. This time I employed a saw for some of the grittier tasks.

After showering off a hard day’s worth of grime I jumped on my bike and headed off to Hydon’s Ball, a local hill to cycle up, over, around, or whatever else. Apart from undoing my efforts to make myself clean, I didn’t last long because I was exhausted. Better luck next time...

I booked my train and ferry ticket to the Isle of Wight for the music festival ‘Bestival’ today. It’s good to have that out the way.

This evening I’m just waiting for my brother to return from his month-long cycling tour around the coast of Ireland. I’m interested to know just how wet he got!

Today’s Food and Drink

Cereal and grapefruit juice

Baked beans with chilli powder, and tuna on brown toast (Yet, another uni staple. Jacket potato can be used instead of toast)

Fruit salad

Tomato, bacon, and onion penne pasta bake

Milk (I would like to drink more milk day-to-day)

Rhubarb Yogurt

If someone told you that young people today are more positive and optimistic about the future than young people a few years ago how would you feel?

Due to the availability of the internet and other technologies, the current generation of young people is more connected with each other than any previous generation. Therefore, a young person is also exposed to many more people who are similar to themselves. This could mean that it is easier to be optimistic about the future, because they know they are not alone. Although, this could also mean that a young person feels massive pressure, like nothing seen before, in terms of competition when seeking a career or when striving to stand out in areas of interest to them. Furthermore, a young person today can expect to have to prove themselves in what is increasingly becoming a true ‘world market’.

For example, at Imperial College London, where I currently study Physics, a large proportion of undergraduates are overseas students who are either capable of paying exorbitant annual tuition fees themselves, or their government is, through sponsorship. This inevitably leaves fewer places for young people today, when specifically talking about UK citizens. This, however, is not necessarily an argument against the optimism of young people today, at least for those in my position. By getting into Imperial I, or anybody in a situation similar to me, can feel a great sense of achievement before even embarking on a degree programme, let alone finding a job at the end of it all. This is certainly a case for the optimism of youth, whether warranted or otherwise.

By contrast, the news has recently been full of stories regarding record numbers of students entering clearing and some not getting places when they do reach that stage. Graduates finishing degrees, even from reputable universities, are really struggling to find employment. Young people are discovering that the only way to compensate for this is by getting lots of relevant work experience and possibly even staying on to get further qualifications.

In conclusion, young people today may be more optimistic about their futures but this does not necessarily equate to an easier or better future, at least in the short term.

Hearty Horticulture (Again)

Yet another hot day gave my mum yet another chance to get me outside and working. Fortunately, with her birthday fast approaching, I'm feeling generous. The order of the day was log cutting, in anticipation of colder times; and bush and tree trimming, to maintain the perfect balance between a natural and a cultivated garden, i.e. a garden based on how much effort you’re actually willing to put into it. Today that’s quite a lot, seemingly. One problem I have with hedge cutting is that I invariably get lots of scratches and splinters all up my arms. Today was no exception to that rule.

Luckily, tomorrow is the fun part – the bonfire! I’ve always enjoyed bonfires since I was very young, probably because our local Guy Fawkes night is home to one of the largest (and therefore very impressive as a child) bonfires around, as well as a massively over-zealous fireworks display which sends the village budget sky-rocketing in much the same way as the fireworks.

Increasing the déjà vu-factor between today and yesterday, I played another couple of games of table tennis. I’m finding my ability is progressing faster than my ambition to win at this sport – it just makes me want to play squash.

Mixing it up a bit, this evening is my last poker game before the end of the summer holidays, something which is long overdue. I’m really looking forward to it, although tonight I’m a little apprehensive about playing against some of the less experienced players. They have a knack for winning, a universal paradox of poker.

Hopefully tomorrow I will find time to get out on my Specialized cross-country bike, as it must be feeling a little bit neglected lately.

Today’s Food and Drink

Cereal and orange juice (As usual)
Fresh ‘Summer Vegetable’ soup with brown bread (Since going to uni I’ve decided I much prefer brown to white bread and it’s better for you)
Fruit salad
More orange juice (Another habit I picked up at university is drinking loads of orange juice)
Bacon, gruyere, and onion quiche with salad and new potatoes (Eaten outside on the patio)
Gooseberry yoghurt (I’m the only person in the family who enjoys them)

Hearty Horticulture

Today my mum decided I was going to be her gardening lackey! So I mowed the lawn, which wasn't too much of a chore. It also meant I got to enjoy the best of the midday sun. After mowing I moved onto strimming where the mower couldn’t reach, and repositioning pots and plants around the patio in a Feng Shui-esque manner. Personally, I couldn’t tell the difference, but luckily it wasn’t up to me to do so!

Later on I found time to play my keyboard for the first time in a long while. It’s safe to say I’m more than a little bit rusty, but I did enjoy it.

This evening I finally got round to booking my place on a British Heart Foundation charity ride from London to Windsor on the 5^th, which I’m doing with a few of my uni mates. They also broke the news to me that we’d be cycling home again afterwards, hopefully at a more leisurely pace, at least. This means we'll cycle a rewarding total of nearly 80km.

Keeping with the bike-related theme, I also searched Ebay for the every-illusive rear wheel for my antiquated (1972) road bike, but to no avail.

I managed to fit in a couple of table tennis games too.

Rounding up the day, I had dinner outside to catch the last of the evening sun, so a good day, all in all.

Today’s Food and Drink:

Cereal and orange juice

Strawberry and raspberry smoothie

Cheese and ham toastie with some spicy chicken slices on the side (I had to save those from passing their use-by date)

Lemon yoghurt

Bacon and mushroom risotto, with tomatoes, cucumber, and basil (Vegetables all home grown)

Fruit salad (Enjoying lots of fruit at the moment)