Urban Life

Its funny ... last night as I rode the train back into London I had a strong sense of going home. The city lights, the press of the crowd, the cacaphony of sounds -- it all feels so reassuring to me. My sojourn to the countryside was wonderful, and I very much enjoyed the landscapes and the atmosphere, but I don't think I could ever live anywhere that wasn't abuzz with all kinds of man-made entertainment options. Call it a character flaw. This morning as I ran the perimeter of Battersea park south of the Thames, I drank in the rush of the morning commute with sympathetic eyes. It was oddly reassuring to see people lining up for buses, or entering office buildings, or getting their kids off to school. Once again, it felt like home. Of course, my hometown of San Francisco doesn't really hold a candle to a major city like London, and even seems kind of tame in comparison. But I actually do look forward to getting back to my daily bike ride to work, my workouts at the gym, and my other daily routines. And I most definitely, sincerely and longingly look forward to ... cooking and eating vegetables again. Lots and lots and lots of them.

A Walk, Unspoiled

As I walked past the cliffside golf course in Sheringham, overlooking the roaring North Sea, I had to laugh at the old saying about how golf can ruin a great day. I did see a few people chipping and cursing as I strolled past -- it might have been the raging wind that was wrecking their game. By contrast, I've had one of the most beautiful and stunning walks today of my entire life. Starting out in the gem of a coastal town called Blakeney, I strolled for mile after mile along the top of a dike that meandered through the marshes near the ocean. (Its weird to me, but the edge of solid land is generally at least a mile or so inland from the outer sand dunes of the ocean.) The amazing countryside to my right, complete with picturesque windmills and cows basking in the sun, marshland on either side of me with grass waving in the wind, and far off the sound of the waves on the beach -- magical. For miles and miles, I then walked along a massive coastal barrier (essentially a huge dike made of small stones) that the guidebook euphemistically described as 'hard going' (yeah, right!). Eventually I made it to the cliffs and scaled up some amazing hills that gave me a lookout over the whole scene. It was breathtaking! Its sad that today is the last walking day of my trip -- I never thought I'd feel this way. I figured by now I'd be so sore and tired that I'd be glad it was over. But in fact I feel better, stronger, healthier and far, far more relaxed than I ever would have imagined. The long walk has been metaphorical -- giving me time to journey through my thoughts and dreams, slowly plodding step by step. More than ever, I'm grateful for having planned and gone on this kind of a vacation -- one filled with equal measures of excitement and solitude, and chockablock with exercise and good food. True, I never made it to a gym as I'd thought I might, but my legs sure have had a great workout. And the best food I've had has all been the healthiest stuff. In fact, the times that I got into caloric excess were never the times that I was enjoying my eating. Its just goes to show that by being healthy and vibrant, I'm not 'missing out.' Last night on TV there was a show about a woman who goes around telling families to eat better and exercise. What's funny is that everything she said about food and all of the ideas she had about healthy living were EXACTLY what I like to do. (I loved it when she said 'This is about abundance, not deprivation. You're starving yourself by eating junk food!') It was a nice tag end to things. Fortunately, as I'm in the Sheringham library (oh thank you, citizens of England, for this amazing library system!!) I still have a few miles to go before my final stop. I'll savor these last few miles. A great walk, unspoiled, indeed.

Walking

Okay, so today I’m sending a place-holder.  There were so many things I wanted to do before I left on this trip, and setting up some blog messages was just one thing on that list.  Today I don’t have any inspiration to send along.   The good thing is that vacations are all about getting away from stressful schedules.

Beach Boy

I tried to plan for a variety of weather contingencies when I was preparing for my trip to England, but in general I figured it would be cool and wet. My first "walk week" was generally cool, but never truly wet, which turned out to be a nice surprise. The only time I had to use my 'rain pants' was walking through a 1/4 mile thicket of prickly brambles! This week on my second walk, however, I was taken by different kind of surprise. Because its been hot and ... SUNNY! Go figure! Fortunately I'm walking along the North Sea coast so there have been nice breezes. But I actually had to go buy some sunscreen, and have been drinking copious amounts of water. Fortunately, the walking path for this week is wonderfully well-marked and easy to follow. Whereas on my Cotswold's walk I literally gripped the map and instructions for the entire eight hours every day, this week I can just wander, lost in thought. I've even started in on my audio book. What's funny is that I find myself driven to MARCH straight ahead without stopping and have to keep reminding myself that its a vacation, not a marathon training session. In fact there are some side trips I might take during the day just to grab a few more cultural moments. Nevertheless, despite how wonderful this week has been, thinking back on the last couple of days, I'm not too pleased about my food choices. Its not so much the excess calories that I've been eating, and its not even the 'indulgences' I've had here and there. Its that in the evenings when I'm tired and bored, I find myself rummaging through my luggage and munching endlessly on anything I've got, just for entertainment's sake. And in the mornings, when I have the option to order just toast and coffee, I've been allowing them to bring me the full English breakfast (your arteries harden just looking at it). I always procure fruit and yogurt and other healthy breakfast stuff on my own, but there's something about 'being social' and/or 'getting my money's worth' that leads me to keep putting on the feedbag. The good news is that I'm actually enjoying the daily 'hunt' for healthy food. Last night I was even able to avoid a pub dinner and make myself an amazing dinner of chicken and vegetables in a tomato sauce (I practically KISSED the microwave oven). After a couple of week of 'other people's cooking' it was a real delight to make something on my own. Now, I realize that for some people this might seem a bit over the top, to worry about food while having such a vigorous vacation. But for me personally, I'm happy to be experiencing the challenge of learning how to (a) have an incredible time without (b) falling into a choco-vat. Because weight maintenance is such an important value in my life, I am devoted to figuring out how I can be as content and satisfied with my life as I can be, without using food as a palliative. So this week is a mixed bag, to be sure, but all in all, I'm building confidence. I'm really excited about walking so far (yesterday 17 miles) and I'm satisfied with the progress I'm making on the self-discovery about vacation eating. After all, my goal isn't perfection -- its to be relaxed and have a whale of a time. And boy oh boy am I !!

Leaving London

London is such an amazing city. I walk around almost in a daze, amazed by the people, the architecture, the events and just ...well... everything. My host is a typical warm-hearted Englishman (don't let that stereotype of the reserved stiff-upper-lip brit mislead you) and he's arranged walks, visits, shopping expeditions and meals. In fact, I'm exhausted!! Because my friend's place is in the heart of the city, my morning running routes are amazing. I've circled all the major downtown parks, run past the houses of parliament, jogged through posh neighborhoods, and basically have just seen it ALL. And I have to say, its a great way to cover a lot of ground and see the sights in a short period of time. Since my first visit to London 25 years ago, the food situation is unimaginably different. Where previously there was limited selection and limited hours for shopping, now its a 24/7 extravaganza and great food is to be had everywhere. I'm particularly grateful to a couple of chains that sell ready-made salads, sushi, and sandwiches that are out of this world (and very healthy). And the supermarkets in the city center, while expensive, are just plain mouth-watering. I've laid up provisions for my trip to the coast and am off to the 2nd part of my walking tour shortly. I plan to use the long subway-to train-to bus journey today, reading and relaxing. After all, I need to be fully rested before setting out on this amazing journey. Wish me fair weather and fine vistas!

In London

In the 1990s, it seems like every organization in the world was busy crafting a “mission statement.”  It was all about guiding purposes and knowing the true focus.  But while all of that is well and good, its important to know not just “what we do” but also “who we are.”   Its called, I believe, a “vision statement.”   I like that idea and it resonates with how I operate.  I know that one of the things I actively *do* is write and speak about healthy weight management.  But who am I?    I am a person who enjoys communicating, learning, sharing knowledge and laughing.  I’m also a person who believes in himself and knows that he is, and will continue to be, a long-term weight maintainer.