2011 Streak Day 299 (Saturday29th October): Going slow

2011 Streak Day 299 (Saturday29^th October):Run 2.53 miles, Time 27min 44sec, Weather - grey, overcast, slight breeze

Yesterday I ran with my heart rate monitor for the first time for ages and was horrified at the reading. I was about 10 beats above what I would have expected for every speed and it conclusively proved what I already suspected - I am far, far away from any decent level of running fitness.

It cannot be denied. Reality has to be accepted.  Plan have to be made from where I am, not where I want to be.

Patience, Patience, Patience! will have to be the three watchwords. It will take time to build back up. To do so I must accept a slow pace and run to my heart rate and build a base. It is difficult because part of my mind will not let go of a false pride that tells me “I should be better than this!”, or “ surely I am faster than them!”  (whoever them may be). Part of the training is learning to ignore that voice. A little humility never hurt anyone.

On today’s run I cut back on my speed, paid attention to keeping my heart rate down and started the process. When I got back I ignored the average speed (delicately averted my eyes, if you will) and concentrated on my average heart rate, which was 18 beats less than yesterday. Huzzah! there is always something to give satisfaction.

My French observation of the day concerns design, thinking through a workflow and cultural differences: 

We had to take some rubble to the tip. At my local tip, and every other English tip I know, there are big skips with steps you have to climb up. If your load is heavy or awkward then too bad, it something you just have to manage. This local French tip was much smarter because it was on two levels. The higher level was where you drove in. The lower level was where the lorries delivered and took away the skips. This has two advantages: the first is that skip lorries can go in and out of their own gate without obstructing the cars and causing the tip to temporarily close; the second is ease of use - as the skip is below you, all you have to do is drag the rubbish to the edge and let go. 

However I don’t know if it is an example of something being better thought-out or diferent design priorities. With the French design it would be much easier to topple over the edge when letting go of your load. It could be that in England we are more concerned with health and safety and aware that there will always bee the idiot user who must be protected from himself.

The picture of the day comes from Matha. I only went there to pick up the day’s bread (there is a particularly good bakers/choclatier in the town) but was fascinated by the towers of pallets piled up beside the distillery. 

2011 Streak 98/365: Simplicity of design

2011 Streak 98/365:Walk - 3.1 miles, Time - 1hr, Weather - sunny, hot with a very blue sky

A notice board might seem an odd subject for a photograph, even if it is a rather splendid, old fashioned, notice board that probably dates from somewhere around the middle of the last century. But it is not the reason for the photo - it is there to indicate that the building we can partially see, behind it, is the Quaker Meeting House

I chose to show this fragment because the building does not have much of a frontage. There are a few steps down to a gateway, behind which is a small courtyard leading to the main meeting room. The label will have to stand for the whole.

It is a hot day but when you approach the building seems somehow calm and cool. This is an amazing quality common to a number of religious buildings but Quaker building tend to have the extra qualities of simplicity and modesty.  They are not immediately dated by the flourishes of decoration but by simpler things such as the shape and types of window. This building dates from 1718.

When I look at it I also think of the design philosophy of the New Town, which was recently highlighted for me by a few incidental sentence in an excellent article about the architect James Stirling

(in the immediate post war years) The public sector, now a spent force in architecture, was dominant. Like almost everyone who had talent, even Stirling spent a short spell working for the London County Council. Architecture was meant to be about social service, producing the best housing and schools affordable in an age of austerity. It was a noble vision, democratic and modernist, but it was the vision of puritans.

The architects of the New Town took the ethos of simplicity and plainness of form (along with the reductionism of modernism) and extended it over 6,000 acres. The result was rather dull.

The Quaker Meeting House is not

Brompton Talk

This is the latest piece of public sculpture in Hemel beside it is my 8 year old Brompton. Of the two I know which gives me the most aesthetic pleasure.

One is brilliantly conceived with the form following its function. Every part is designed for purpose, with nothing redundant and no superfluous decoration to distract attention from the principles of the design. The other claims to be a point of reflection but is curiously random in its representation.

Bromptons please me in all sorts of ways so I was really pleased to meet their chief designer this weekend.

He was in his fifties, medium height, trim, white haired with bright blue eyes that were full of life. He talked with great enthusiasm about design and the ideas he was developing to improve the bike. Many of these are little things like a clip to attach the rear triangle to the bike so that it does not fold under when you lift it (his idea is to incorporate it into the rubber suspension bung, which can be be twisted to lock the back of the bike). Others are larger like a new hub-gear with a wider ratio. The underlying principle is to take the classic Andrew Ritchie design and gradually evolve it - incremental improvement that always looks at the weak points, like the cheap saddle, to see what can be done (apparently there will soon be a new Brompton saddle designed so it can be used to lift the bike). I can think of very few other products, designed in the mid 70s, that have remained essentially the same except for gradually getting better.

The conversation moved to the enthusiasm of owners and how most people use their bikes very frequently so that large mileages are built up. (I have done about 25,000 miles on mine just by making regular short journeys). Some people take them to extrodainary places, Simon Calder for example is famous for taking his all over the world. Talking about writers he said Will Self had visited the factory and written a lovely article. (It is true; it is well worth the click through).

The World Chamionship was a great success (as can be seen from WarriorWoman's rather wonderful account). Apparently it was tagged onto the Blenheim Palace Bike Event almost as an afterthought but generated so much interest it became the main event. There are however diplomatic problems. The race was invented by the Spanish distributor and they do not wish to usurp his role so it is possible there will be two events in the future: a World Championship and a European Championship. Honour will be preserved.

There is nothing better than talking to someone who really loves what they do, enthusiasm of any kind is infectious but it is even better if the infection is already shared. In that way it felt just like a running conversation.