Running grade

I completed a half marathon today at Tunbridge Wells, a royal city in Kent. My time was 1hr 38mins, two minutes short of smashing my previous personal best.

A few years ago, The World Association of Veteran Athletics published an Open Class Standards which grade runners' performance based on finishing time and age. The method it was developed and linked to age and finishing time is unknown, but it is an interesting way to gauge performance against our peers.

For example, the winner of today's race finished in 1hr 4mins. Rather impressive, one must admit. His performance grade was 92.84%.

Mine was 58.74%. With two minutes shaved to bring the time down to my PB, that would only improve the grade marginally to 61.8%. If a university grading system is applied here, that's a grade C.

Pendulum beauty

One of the wonders of Physics.

All Relative

In October last year I cursed the weather should decline to early teen temperatures. This signaled the end of swimming in the open water for 2011. What's even more miserable was that dark days were setting in.

I complained when I returned from KL end of January this year because the weather dropped to 2 deg C. I had to wear a beanie hat to stop my ears from falling off. I wished the temperature was at early teens.

Last week temperatures fell further to -6deg C. While running out to Hyde Park my butt almost fell off my body from frost bite. My 2xu tights made little difference to a cold like this. I wished the temperature was above freezing, 2 deg C would've been lovely!

This evening the temperature stayed at 6 deg C, I wished it will be this high for the next few weeks. Now I'll be so grateful if the weather can be in early teens again.

Big Freeze

A few status messages in FB have been going on about the weather.

In the UK, we're at -3 to -6 deg C now. In London, the temperature is milder at -2 deg C. The wind made it exceptionally cold! We call it the "big freeze".

In Paris, the temperature has plunged to below -8 degC. They call it "grand froid" which means intense cold.

In Hong Kong where many of my friends are doing the marathon this weekend, the weather is down to mid-teens. They said it's "very cold".

Regardless of how one perceives cold or where the grumbles come from, an unusual weather pattern is currently sweeping across Europe and East Asia, and making everyone in these continents feel colder than they would normally experience in a winter.

Since living in the UK, I have begun to relate more and more to the saying, "there's no bad weather, just bad clothing". At least it's made me more accepting of the weather and kept me from talking much about it.

(I just did!)