Changing sides

I live in an imaginary world sometimes. A world in which I am a “bloke” or “fella”. That world also includes watching ball-games like Rugby or NFL football, the rules of which, I dare admit, I'm not entirely acquainted with. But I just love to pop open a can of beer, lean back, and enjoy an evening of “Monday Night Football”. There are also “Thursday Night Football” and “Sunday Night Football”, and probably many more. Maybe there is NFL football every day of the week?

Because I don't entirely understand the rules and strategies in rugby and American football, I do get distracted and sometimes begin cooking vegetables while a game is on. But the game carries on in the background and I'm still tuned in to the TV commentators exclaiming things like “now we'll have a scrummage”, or “2nd and 9” or “1st down”. What does that mean? I'll understand it eventually I'm sure.

A common criticism of the game of American football is that it lacks fluidity. And it does. But I've got used to it, it's a strategic game, and it's physical. I prefer the rawness and nakedness of Rugby over American football though. I do wonder how the Rugby players manage without the helmets and pads they use im American football?

But they're all equally tough I'm sure. In rugby and NFL, the players don't throw themselves to the ground and fake injuries like the phony Italian soccer players. If they get tackled hard, they just get up and play on. The players' individuality is made up less of vanity, good looks and standing out alone in the team than manliness and sportsmanship. One is spared many of the antics in these sports that have become so famous in soccer. Neither do Rugby players, for instance, cuss at the referee. They say that rugby is a game for barbarians played by gentlemen. Football is a game for gentlemen played by barbarians.

I do still enjoy watching soccer/European football too, but I don't follow any league in particular. And in spite of the splendid World Cup performance by the German team, I don't feel so attached to soccer anymore.

Because of the BBC broadcasts and their endless tirades in sports hour about what Rooney said, and Sir Alex Ferguson replied, and what have you, I'm still familiar with the current items in Premier League football. When I did my short stint in Ethiopia, that was strongly recommended. I found, it was a good way to start a conversation there. Everyone in Ethiopia seemed really tuned into Premier League football and followed one of the top 4 English teams closely. The Premier League has really successfully marketed themselves around the world. But not so much here in Indonesia, at least not in Lombok. There's no craze for it here. I find that Indonesians are moderate in most things in life, so too in their appreciation of soccer.

Bought Nick Hornby's “Fever Pitch” - hear it's a good read and am looking forward to it, even in a year without a major summer football event..

PS I occasionally watch NHL icehockey games, when I want to be a Canadian chap, but NHL is harder to catch down here. And somehow I've had my chance at being a Canadian chap, and I didn't fare well in the rink.

Wuhu!

Somebody said that if we're 70% water then only 30% of us is going to have to swim.

A good three months after I'd hoped for, and a series of bouts of ear infection later, I've finally completed my 10k swim. It took me 3:20 h on last Sunday. That's not a very good time, but that doesn't matter too much at the moment. I committed to it when I entered the water that day, I felt healthy and mildly enthusiastic about the swim. I still felt good for most of the swim. I had a short slump around 8 or 9k but it wasn't too bad. I had my waterproof mp3 player with me and got through the whole playlist from Neko Case, David Bowie to Coeur de pirate.

My longest swim up to then had been 2 hours. That had got me up to around the 7k mark. I had done that swim multiple times, but have usually had get out of the water because my tummy hurt and I'd felt sick. To get further than 7k this time, I planned my swimming session out a little different. On the swimming technique side, I emphasized my hip roll a lot more to ease the effort my arms and shoulders put into the stroke. I swallowed a lot less water that way, which was good, because there was a bit of surf and spray going around, so not perfect conditions. Not swallowing sea water meant my tummy didn't get upset.

I refueled with some water, juice and a Granola bar after 4k and again after 8k. I think that's what did the trick for me this time. I've never refueled during my swims before. I don't think the Granola bar helped much because it takes the body longer than 2 hours to break something solid down into energy but the water and juice were good.

Last Sunday's swim was a surprising result, in some ways at least. I haven't really been training much over the past weeks. Over Christmas and New Year's break, I only swam twice in the Berlin Velodrom pool. It was nice, but very crowded compared to my ocean swims here. Kept bumping into people in my lane there. Some guy doing a sloppy English backstroke even slapped my face.

One positive change in my life is better eating. I finally bought myself a stove, and so I've begun cooking for myself and been buying some more expensive foods. Enough cheap Nasi Gorengs.

I remember swimming around the little island of "Gilli Air" for the first time many months ago. It was a shorter swim, maybe 5k. But I wasn't ready for it then, and I really pushed myself hard to complete it. I didn't enjoy the experience. I didn't feel elated or have a sense of accomplishment afterwards. The 10k swim was so different. Most of all, my swim was enjoyable, it's really true. And afterwards I felt good, not exhilirated but not knackered either. I didn't have muscle ache, nor head ache, nor fatigue, just some sunburn.

I don't know what's next. I know I can still improve a lot but I don't know if i want to put the time and energy into it. We'll see. I'm taking some time off from swimming right now.

Many thoughts

It's been a while since I blogged. There are reasons for that.
Don't think anybody really noticed. So, I have new stories from Lombok. Coming soon.