A week in Israel

The country of so many contrasts, conflicts, comparisons and colours! See pics from our recent trip to Israel. It was an absolute joy!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/rqVLyx64oChvdy5Y9
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Benjamin Button?

There‘s every chance my heart stopped in the accident and the person giving CPR got me back going.

If so, I was sort-of dead.

My recovering is therefore a bit of a Benjamin Button moment. Every day I get a little more like a person my current age. At the start I was dead. Then I was lying in bed with full care. Then I was recovering, just able to get out of bed. Eight weeks on, I still wake up sore and achey. I‘m told that what‘s getting old feels like.

I can‘t wait to get back to feeling my usual age, and then staying there as long as possible.
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The bigger the city

A business school friend of mine who grew up in a small town in Germany once told me, upon response that i was moving to London, that „the bigger the city, the lonlier you are“.

I‘ve been lucky that since moving to London 6+ years that has not been explicitly the case. I‘ve been fortunate to know a good number of people in London (it was one of the key reasons for leaving Frankfurt for London) and met many more along the way. My key issue in my social life is i‘m never in London - i’m constantly travelling for work. But that‘s a whole other story!

Since the accident and wearing a halo brace i‘ve been fascinated by the level of attention i have / have not received. I‘m far from inconspicuous. Yet - many people don‘t even look, drop eye contact once caught looking or simply don‘t ask what happened or i‘m ok or need help. Children are an exception - they will stare and usually ask their parents what happened. On the tube few people actively offer a seat.

This is a big city phenomenon. Interesting it is a phenomenon that attracts people to big cities. I have heard in my circle of friends the term „anonymity“ mentioned a few times. People choose to live in big cities to be anonymous - to walk down the street not being seen, to not be interrupted at a restaurant, to feel they are not judged and can do as they feel. Small fish in a big pond. We all know those people and we also know those who are the opposite - they like being the big fish in a small pond.

To be clear i‘m not seeking attention!

Outside of friends and family i‘ve only been asked 9-10 times if i‘m ok or „what happened?“. The last one, just moments ago out the front of a busy Farringdon Station on a beautiful autumn‘s day, was a retired nurse from Melbourne. Of all places, she‘d worked in the Women‘s and Children Hospital in Melbourne in the spinal care ward. A typical nosey nurse or someone just used to a small community of medicos or someone used smaller sized city? Who knows. But it was a lovely chat - to hear about her double bipass and mechanical heart valve implants, her victory over breast cancer and her recent fall smashing her wrists.

Stopping to say to every person you meet on your way to a meeting in any reasonably sized town let alone city would be highly inefficient. However, it is a gesture of human connection that adds to the rich tapestry of our lives that i argue here can happen in a big city or small one by simply learning when is appropriate and then actively asking people how they are or if they need help or what happened. Especially in a world when everyone i glued to their ~6.1 inch appendage that dominates day to day.

 Can our EQs develop to handle this human connection in big as well as small cities? With some awareness and a little less self centricity perhaps its possible and we‘ll all be better for it.
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To be or not to be

Someone said to me once „only boring people get bored“. That statement has been bouncing around in my head for the past few weeks as I put myself squarely in the slow lane to recover. See The Tumble

Of course, recovering from a C-spine injury needs to happen at its own pace and in the context of the person. In my case, I was very fit and active at the time. Life was moving fast - we were preparing for a wedding, I was commuting to Johannesburg for work almost every week, I was building a bank from scratch, I was doing bike tours each weekend and we were trying to spend time with our friends across Europe. It was busy. You could argue it was too much.

I have gone from that pace of life to sleeping 8-10 hours each night, a coffee walk to The Elgin, napping during the day, reading (Calypso and Harry Potter!), watching Netflix (Fauda has been great!) and enjoying the companionship of visitors (thank you for taking the time out to visit!). That is a full day for me, now. One I get to enjoy for the time being.

But even then it is too easy to spend 1-2 hours mindlessly scrolling Facebook, Instragram and the news for some little dopamine hit. Sometimes I crave a little more of a hit and sneak a look at my work emails, heaven forbid. We have tuned our brains for constant stimulation. I think that divides us into two groups - one that creates and one that consumes. I am sad that I feel I‘ve largely fallen on the ‚wrong‘ side of that. I say ‚wrong‘ because I aspire to be more of a creator using consumption as inspiration. Today I feel I consume far to much.

One activity I‘ve not mentioned so far is taking (long overdue) French lessons. As I write it occurs to me that language is of course the medium that facilitates the creation and consumption. Spoken language is one medium vs art or otherwise. I‘m very much enjoying studying the French language at the moment. Être ou ne pas être.

I think you have a choice whether to keep your self suitably busy when in recovery or not. That may need outside stimulus or training ahead of time. I see it important - just as important as the physical/physiological recovery is the mental/psychological recovery. I‘m testing whether creation is a better way to recover than consumption! So, I choose to be / être, at least for the moment.








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The tumble

Having a fall and then realising you can’t feel your legs or your hands is terrifying. Truly terrifying. Short of knowing you are going to die, there can’t be many more terrifying situations.

In my case it was momentary. Lying on my back on the bitumen, seeing my arms and legs in the air and not being able to feel them, I promptly passed out. The ambulance records say a GP doctor who happened to be walking along Travistock Road in Fitzrovia, London, quickly came to my aid and began CPR until the ambulance arrived. The ambulance took four minutes to arrive, get me on a stretcher and whisk me away to St Mary‘s hospital in Paddington. Given how sore and compressed my chest was I felt all four minutes of CPR; from a person I don’t know nor likely ever will. He (I think) will forever be an unknown hero to me.

I’m getting told to slow down and take it easy as I get discharged from hospital today (17th August). After 10 days in hospital and 8 days in a halo I have many months of recovery ahead of me. But it’s hard to not to search for that little rush of dopamine after completing a task the physio or doctors set quicker or more strongly than expected. After all, I spend most of my „normal“ days seeking some sort of positive reinforcement for my actions. At work I solve problems for my clients and seek to define the impact we create. In the consulting firm I work for I seek to get good reviews from my colleagues for that work. This all feeds into my end of year assessment, bonus structure and therefore the luxuries we can afford. For sport each targeted session results in increased fitness which allows me to ride faster for longer. At home, each good deed and contribution to the household results in increased happiness as a couple. Action and reaction. But resting doesn’t feel like an input. And that’s where the big reminder lies.

I am repairing four vertebrae: C2 that is split in two, C3 that is split in three and C4 + C5 that are mush with multiple hairline fractures. I am repairing the bruising on the spinal cord through immobilisation as well as a fractured clavicle. Ideally, also, the second of my two vertebral arteries that supply the brain with oxygen, that closed under the swelling, will open up. That I‘m even writing to you today shows how extraordinarily lucky I‘ve been given the huge trauma on my neck. I escaped major spinal surgery so now there is only one thing to do: let the body heal itself.

The NHS Paramedics, Doctors, Nurses, Physios, Occupational Therapists and support staff have been incredible. I called some of the equipment they had to work with „optional“ because it was optional that they worked. The taps sometimes worked, there were blackouts, the heating/cooling was binary: either Saharan hot or Alaskan cold, and all the while they maintained a dedicated focus on care. The first question was always: „are you in pain“? And we worked each day from there. Their support for Peggy was always very considered. If we needed more time together they would give it. If we wanted more information, they would seek to provide it. Often all that was needed was a friendly hello in the corridors to make the place feel a little more human. And that‘s what counts.

I had been intensely working for the last two months with a client in South Africa to build a greenfield Corporate Bank. While lying in A&E immediately after the accident it was a relief to know that they would understand the situation. I let go of that worry like a helium balloon. I am very grate from the support from the team and the client for that compassion.

I can‘t wait to get on my bike again. We have requested the CCTV footage from the camera in the street to determine how I came off the bike. Accidentally hitting the street furniture divider between the bike lane and the main road is just plain odd (albeit not impossible!). That there were no other cars around is lucky. When Peggy inspected my clothing after it was cut off me in the Ambulance there were no signs of a fall. My Kask Protone helmet was split in multiple pieces and the foam heavily compressed (there is no doubt it saved my brain). I was otherwise unscathed. Crazy. But there‘s no need to cry over spilt milk. That time has passed. For me the form of transport that fills me with the most joy is cycling. It always has and always will. Do wear your helmet people, all times! Please!

 To Peggy, my sister who flew over and close friends in London that visited especially Phil, Kat and Hanne: thank you. In times of need we all need strong people around us. You were amazing. And also amazing for the support you gave Peggy who rose to the challenge of this adversity in such a strong and loving way. I love you.

 For now the priority is keeping clean, rest and managing the pain medication. I will keep you posted!
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My faves in London


Classic boozers

Food

Places to go for one thing:

A bit different:
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Some favourite UK rides


Long Hertfordshire - Westmill ride
https://www.strava.com/activities/329916372

Long Henley Ride
https://www.strava.com/activities/1583949213

Long Surrey hills loop
https://www.strava.com/activities/975039062
​​​​​
Long Essex Blue Egg ride
https://www.strava.com/activities/872808109

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Marathon thoughts

Some notes I wrote for work colleagues in prep for the 2016 Edinburgh Marathon

-

Runners!

I hope everyone is excited about the weekend. Someone has done their sun-dance and it’s looking like perfect running weather.

I promised Matthew some race tips but am sharing with the wider group. These are focused on the full marathon but these apply pro rata to the half and relay too.

Three topics below:
  1. Race strategy
  2. Pacing the race
  3. Fuel management

1. Race strategy – how will you approach the race?
As I was thinking about what to write I came across this site: https://runnersconnect.net/coach-corner/marathon-race-strategy/

It covers the points I wanted to raise. I also share the views presented…so, I suggest you read this! It also has a handy splits calculator…

This is how I will approach the race:
0 – 10km: as relaxed as possible, as steady as possible, run just behind the pacers, run my own race, find my own space, begin eating and drinking early, enjoy the sun and the sounds and the people spectating
10 – 25km: find a rhythm, think about running upright and efficiently, be relaxed in the shoulders, neck and face, keep focused on a steady pace and maintain steady intake of food and water
25 – 35km: reflect on the training sessions done to get confidence I’ve done the work, keep good posture and foot placement, remind myself to enjoy the race, prepare myself mentally that the ‘hard bit’ is coming, prepare myself physically by being hydrated / fed and relaxed
35 km + : begin to push away from the pacer and the edge up the splits (aiming for consistent negative splitting), think positive (never: “must not stop”, but always: “this is great, keep going”), begin to visualise the finishing line and get excited about the finishing time. If I’m in trouble, ease off and look for rhythm and consistency in order to recompose myself.

2. What’s your race pace – how fast can I run?
There are lots of calculators around. I find them to be bullish. As good consultants, I’d add a buffer of ~5% to the times to be prudent. That being said here is one you could use that does add an amount to factor in fade.  http://www.runnersworld.com/pace-calculators/race-times-predictor

I’d focus on setting a pace that:
  1. Feels ‘too comfortable’ and ‘slow at the start’ – it’s a long run and you will get tired later so keep your powder dry
  2. Don’t fall into the trap of flying and dying – there is a lot of excitement and adrenaline floating around at the start of the race, enjoy it but don’t let it distract you
  3. You feel that sets a good base to be able to ‘negative split’ ie your splits at the end of the race are faster than at the start (not always possible but should be your goal for a consistent race)
  4. Aligns to your training. The calculators help you calibrate expectations

3. Fuel management – what is your eating and drinking plan?
It’s useful to remind yourself how much energy you will be using vs what you can store comfortably. http://www.runnersworld.com/fitness-calculators/calories-burned-calculator

My goal is to not be hungry or thirsty at the end of the run.

To do that:
  • Pre-run: I’ll eat early in the morning (6ish) to give myself some time to digest and get comfortable with the food
  • During the run: I will aim to drink a mouthful of water every 5mins and every 15mins have a small bit of energy bar. In aggregate I should drink ~1L and 800 calories.

This doesn’t sound like a lot but…
  1. It does close the gap between input and output
  2. It’s not too much to upset my stomach
  3. My brain will subconsciously release more energy with small bites as it thinks it will get more energy (ie not feel it is getting stressed and hold off energy).

There are other plans out there. It’s important to have a plan! I’ll tell you my Berlin marathon experience during the weekend (spoiler: eating too late, getting hypoglycaemia, collapsing, being unconscious for 20mins and spending a few hours in hospital! I don’t recommend it)
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Two weeks in Iran

Peggy and I had a truly incredible trip to Iran over the European Easter 2018. It cooincided with Nowruz, the Iranian New Year.

Check out our photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/bSVCvC603tXDAWV92

Some thoughts on our trip below...

Theocracy
  • Every country has their trade-offs and hypocrisies, Iran is no different
    • we've seen plenty of crack users in the street yet open shoes are forbidden in some parts
    • modesty is a virtue but at the same time the culture has moved to an #instagramculture. We saw layers of make up, love of fake brands, fake booty pants and nose jobs (men too needed to cover their legs but almost anything goes
    • Then there is the usual rich vs poor and corruption


Friendliness
  • Overwhlemingly friendly, offering food, rugs, hospitality
    • key question: „Iran is good?“
    • key phrase: „welcome to Iran“
    • only told to „suckmydick“ once by a guy who was pissed about the British and assumed I was a decedent of the British...
  • Many people went out of their way in the street to welcome us or help
  • A few tried to rip us off but quickly saw their ways
  • You can try cleaning up after yourself, but no that‘s done by someone else


Geography
  • Deserts vs oases
  • Mountains vs plains
  • Tehran vs Mesr
  • Huge long open highways vs narrow bazaar alleyways
  • Incredible mosques and Islamic achitecture vs slum housing


Food
  • Fereni was my vice
  • Eggplant (hallim bedamjan, mirza gazemi)
  • Dizi
  • OMG the bread
  • Drinks: Sekanjabin (Cucumber drink)
  • No alcohol: you don‘t miss the upside of booze only notice the absence of the downside


Daily life
  • Spent in parks
  • Restaurant always in bigger groups
  • up early, up late
  • Money is tricky due to inflation adding a zero...sometimes if they couldn‘t speak english they would take money caefully from your hand, give you the change and wave you on
  • Anything big in the 90s: volleyball, ceasar salad, mullets,
  • Nomadic life
    • Thermos, kebab skewers, gas bottle, rugs and blanckies
    • Young girl doing her homework early morning
    • Stay with family unit throughout the day
    • Side if highway, under a tractor / truck etc, in city parks


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Travel tips to Patagonia

El Chalten
There are two main walks and a handful of smaller ones. For the day trips take plenty of food and water!
·         Laguna Torre: http://www.elchalten.com/eng/actividades/lagunatorre.php a very nice hike up the valley out of El Chalten
·         Laguna de los Tres: http://www.elchalten.com/eng/actividades/lagunadelostres.php quite a tough hike at the middle up to the lake. But an amazing view of Mt Fitz Roy
The smaller ones you can find here: http://www.elchalten.com/eng/actividades/caminatas.php

Pretty good steaks at La Tapera https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g316035-d1738600-Reviews-La_Tapera-El_Chalten_Province_of_Santa_Cruz_Patagonia.html

Good beers after a long hike at La Cerveceria: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g316035-d1544667-Reviews-La_Cerveceria-El_Chalten_Province_of_Santa_Cruz_Patagonia.html


El Calafate​​
We did the mini-trekking on Perito Moreno. It’s a long day of tourist buses and transfers for only a few hours on the ice. Though, it was pretty cool. Rug up! The Balconies, where you get an amazing view over the glacier, was arguably the best thing to appreciate the scale and power of the glacier.

Mi Rancho was really good https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g312851-d2542219-Reviews-Mi_Rancho-El_Calafate_Province_of_Santa_Cruz_Patagonia.html as was La Zaina https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g312851-d3538514-Reviews-La_Zaina_Restaurante_y_Wine_Bar-El_Calafate_Province_of_Santa_Cruz_Patagonia.html

The main street has all the car hire shops, hiking and tour shops etc.

We got empenadas most days from Panaderìa Y Confiterìa DON LUIS.

As mentioned we got stuck due to bus connections meaning we had to spend an extra night to get from El Chalten to Puerto Natales. The buses are few and far between. So, worth checking that you have enough time. They are quite reliable.


Buenos Aires:

We stayed in Palermo. It’s the only place to stay. There are plenty of cool shops and cafes amongst the leafy streets. La Boca, Barracas and Puerto Madero are ok to wander / bike around, but nothing special. San Telmo is very touristy but nice to wander the San Telmo market. We ate at Don Julio one night – sensational steak.

The highlight for me was the street art tour: https://graffitimundo.com/ as much as I don’t like guided tours, this was very well done.

Puerto Natales and the W Trail
If you get the chance to go to Torres del Paine there are some great days trips. Similarly, in Puerto Natales the highlight was champagne and dinner at The Singular. Very cool building and restaurant.

We stayed in the huts starting at Grey and had full board. The kayaking at Refugio Grey was fun. Book early to get a bed at the refugios! Follow your nose for the rest....


Have a great trip! You can find my pics here
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Transalp Cycling Tour in August 2015


Some tid-bits from the ride for you...

https://picasaweb.google.com/108868047429968253232/Transalp2015

The route we took also on my strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/1441177

A few notes:
We set off from Tegernsee having taken the train from Munich. Our first night was in Kramsach after a pretty wet afternoon. The climbing kept the legs warm! The second day we rode down into and along the Zillertal, through Mayrhofen and up to Dominikushütte. A stunning valley. At Dominikushüüte, the view over the Schlegeisspeicher is very nice, with a few glaciers as back drops. The next morning in thick fog and teaming rain we did a big up and over the Pfitscher Joch into Süd Tirol and down into Sterzing. As that leg was relatively short we took off for the afternoon having dumped our packs and did a big climb from Mauls over the pass to Rio di Pusteria / Mühlbach via Masl. Sterzing is very pretty - the hotel: Steindls was a highlight. Then the next day out of Sterzing was a long climb up Val di Racines (lots of carrying bikes up goat tracks) and then down into Walten then along the Passirio river into Merrano. We had a rest day in Merrano - cracking little town with a great public spa and plenty of beers gardens with Süd Tirol flair! Following the rest day again a lot of climbing and single trails past Masi di Sopra, past Saint Panraz through Ultimo, more climbing through tunnels to Tregiovo, past the beautiful Lago di Santa Giustino and down into Male. The last day up the Folgarida pass through to Madonna di Campiglio was very enjoyable. It was basically all fire trails in the National Park. The last afternoon was a stinker - a big dirty headwind, I snapped a chain and generally lots of climbing. We go through to Lake Garda in the late afternoon ready to smash some prosecco and nail some pasta!

For info:
Grand Canyon CF SL 6.9
35L backpack
2 x cycling kit
Shorts
2 x t-shirt
1 x long sleeve icebreaker thermal
1 x gore-tex jacket
1 x arm warmers
3 x socks
3 x jocks
1 x running shoes
1 x tube / small pump / allen key set / tyre lever
1 x Leica X
1 x rucksack cover
1 x cycling cap
1 x phone charger
1 x wallet
1 x bike lights
1 x toiletries
6 x cliff bars


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Fintech 2.0

I'm pleased to have been involved in the production of the report. I am grateful for the numerous people I interviewed for their input to this report and those who helped shape the story.

http://www.oliverwyman.com/content/dam/oliver-wyman/global/en/2015/jun/The_Fintech_2_0_Paper_Final_PV.pdf
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