But I forgot...

... to mention the most exciting thing about my training run last night. I saw an owl and a bat along the way! Also a police dog being trained.

Training

It's only 3 weeks now until the 16K run from Amsterdam to Zaandam, and I must admit that I'm feeling a little dubious whether I'm going to make it. After a month with no running, thanks to travelling and general exhaustion, I've managed to get going again, but my pace has pretty much ground to a halt.



Despite legs which felt like lead from the very first step this evening, though, I did manage to go out for an 11K run - auspicious for two reasons - the first, this is the longest distance I have ever run (by 1 km!) . Ever, in my whole life, that is. The second, is that thanks to the embarrassingly low speed I managed to sustain, it took me the grand total of 1h 30 mins. Which is a full 25 minutes longer than I have ever run before. Unfortunately, if I don't manage to speed up at least a little bit before the Damloop, they will pull me off the course before I ever manage to complete the 16km.

Shelves

Almost a year to the day since I moved into the house, and I finally got round to putting up some shelves in the attic this weekend. The biggest challenge was getting the shelves home from the Gamma - not to be recommended without a car, on a hot sunny afternoon. For the rest, the job went smoothly, apart from some difficulties with a small bulge in the wall, right where I wanted to screw in the bottom of one of the rails. After a couple calls to Dad for reassurance, it all worked out in the end.

Choral Evensong - 30th August 2009

Back with many of my ECS friends today, this time supplying an extra voice for Choral Evensong at the Anglican church in Haarlem. It was also a second chance for me to sing the alto solo in the Daniel Purcell Mag & Nunc, which I'm glad to say went better than my previous attempt at York.

• Introit: Alleluia, Boyce
• Reponses: Tomkins
• Psalm: 15
• Canticles: Daniel Purcell in E minor
• Anthem: Ave Maria, Parsons

Playing with Lightroom

I've had a little fun playing with the adjustments brush in Lightroom (when I should have been writing an essay about aphasias, but never mind).

Choral Evensong - 23rd August 2009 - Bavokerk

Together with members of the Anglican Singers, we sang evensong today at the Bavokerk in Haarlem. I've only sung there once before, in June 2007, on the day I arrived back home from a visit to Canada and the USA, and the jetlag meant that I didn't really take much in.

This time I was equipped with camera and tripod, and managed to find a bit of time between the rehearsal and the service to take some photos of the church.

• Introit: Give almes of thy goods, Tye
• Responses: Rose
• Psalms: 114 & 115
• Canticles: Noble in B minor
• Anthem: And I saw a new heaven, Bainton
• Anthem: Litany to the Holy Spirit, Hurford
  

Choral Evensong - 22nd August 2009

Less than a week back from York, and I have yet another busy weekend singing. Today was our first service of the new season at the Nicolaaskerk, and tomorrow I'm singing again with the ECS in the Bavokerk in Haarlem.

• Introit: O for a closer walk with God, Stanford
• Responses: Oxley
• Office Hymn: Lucis Creator
• Psalm: 27
• Canticles: Wood in Eb, number 2
• Anthem: Evening Hymn, Balfour Gardiner