Challenge

I have set myself a challenge for when I am on holiday in a couple of weeks, its not a big challenge and should be fairly easily achievable. 

I intend to ride at least 100 miles on my bike.  I used to be able to do this easily, so why not now.  depending on the weather I may try to ride the Isle Of Wight in a day.  Its only 65 miles around apparantly, and you can get a return ferry for just over 15 quid. 

I reckon that I will park my car in the University car park and get an early morning ferry over, ride it and then get the first ferry back that I can.  I didnt realise that they went 24 hours a day, so I should be ok, as long as I can get back before dark.  If I get in trouble, then I can find somewhere to stay for the night. 

I will be on holiday after all.

Milage

This weekend had some lovely weather, perfect for cycling, nice and warm and no wind, so on Saturday I decided to get some more milage under my belt.  I ended up riding from my house to Bognor which is about 50 miles there and back.  Its a good ride, and fairly flat, but the best thing was that I didn’t feel tired and then had I not been going out on the Sunday, would have done some more miles. 

The reason that I am doing this is that I am going to ride John O’Groats to Lands End next year (JoGLE), but also because I need to get back to some form of Aerobic fitness.  I had a chest infection earlier in the year and still don’t feel quite right in the breathing department.  Still, this weekend tested them out ghood and proper.

Thinking about this I am getting quite excited now.

Wanderlust

I am beginning to get wanderlust again.  I am reading too many books about travelling, Batting on the Bosphorus being one of them and watching far too many documentaries about far flung corners of the world, I really enjoyed the new Charlie Boorman series on sunday, and the legend that is Bruce Parry is back next Monday night with his Amazon series.  Each one has a sense of adventure and appeals to me so much that I want to just get out there and leave everything behind for a few years. 

Sadly, money being what is needed is short, my change of job really didn’t help and come December the Mortgage lenders are going to be taking the shirt off my back.  Still it doesn’t stop me planning things. 

In the past few weeks I have been looking at holidays.  I have seen 2 that really appeal to me.  One is an overland tour of Jordan that is mostly cycling, and the Vodka train through Russia to Beijing.  Both would be really great but not sure if I will be able to afford either.  I might just settle for a long weekend in Helsinki…

Another Update Of An Old Blog

This first part was written on 16th of Feb 2007, so another 18 months have gone past.

1997

For some reason I was thinking what I was doing a decade ago:

I was at college studying English Language, P.E. and Law.

I had a part time job at Homebase

I was listening to Radiohead OK Computer, Blur by Blur, the Fat of the Land by the Prodigy.

I learnt to drive and had a brown Mini, with a tape player that I used to make tapes for

I rode my mountain bike, that summer I was doing 200 miles a week

I used to play roller hockey with my mates Lee and Nick

I first went to the pub

I got mugged

I  lived with my parents

 A Decade later

A decade has gone by now and what the hell has changed in my life.  I finished College with 2E’s and an N.  I lost all faith in the english legal system as a result.  I went to university and started studying forestry, which I then changed to get a 2:2 in Geography.

I work for a charity called the Tropical Forest Trust, having left Homebase after 8 years.

I have actually just listend to tracks off of all of those albums on my mp3 player

I still have no claims and now drive a Ford Fiesta, I long for the day that I can afford to buy a mini as a 2nd car

My mountain bike hasnt been out of the shed for 3 years

I had to get rid of my blades, and Lee and Nick are both married.  Lee lives in Chichester and Nick lives in Aberdeen.

I still enjoy going to the pub

Havnt been mugged since

Due to a series of unfortunate incedents I am back living with my parents

So have I developed as a person in 10 years, I really hope so.  Who knows!  Am I better off?  Yes, but i’m buying a flat, so thats going out of the window.  Im certainly more world wise, I know that.

So why am I thinking all of this?  I have no idea, it just seemed like a good idea at the time.  That and the fact that im sat at home on a friday night alone is also a kickback to 10 years ago.,

18 Months Later

After problems at work, and my role changing I have left the TFT, and am currently temping in a metal factory.  I have an interview today for a job that I don’t really want and am not that confident of getting anyway.

I havn’t bought any music since May, which is really sad, and its probably been that longsince I went to a gig too.

I still have no claims and now drive a Ford Fiesta, I long for the day that I can afford to buy a mini as a 2nd car.  My car is however gradually falling apart.

My mountain bike is on the landing, and I ride it regularly.  I am in the early stages of training to ride from Lands End to John O’Groats (or the other way around.

I had to get rid of my blades, and Lee and Nick are both married.  Lee lives in Chichester and has a Kid called Evelyn Louise, and Nick lives in Aberdeen.

I still enjoy going to the pub but havn’t been for a while.

I own my own flat with the housemate, although depending on finances in a few months I may have to move back in with the parents and rent out my room.

So there you go, just a quick update, not sure what will happen in another 18 months time.  I will keep you informed.

Things To Do Before I Die (Updated)

I wrote this about 2 years ago one night when I had just come back from the pub. This was on my myspace page, but I thought that I would update this and repost it here.

Things to do before I die

Walk the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

Climb to Everest Base Camp

Go to Tibet

climb Kilimanjiro

Go to Easter Island

Drive the Nurberg Ring

Go to the Galapogos Islands

See The Scream by Munch

Drive Italy in a Ferrari

The Trans Mongolian Railway from Moscow to Shanghai

Visit the Great Wall Of China

See Red Square (Moscow)

See Victoria Falls

Learn to Fly

Become Fluent in another Language

Learn an Instrument

Go to New Zealand

have a tea ceremony in a Japanese Teagarden in Tokyo

See the Terracotta Warriors

party at the Rio Carnival

Either drive or cycle from Lands End to John o Groats

Visit every Country in Europe

Visit every Continent

Build my own house

Get a Masters

Live for a Year in Paris

Cycle to the mediterranean

Go to Ankor Wat

See the Northern Lights

Stay in an Ice Hotel

Party at an Embassy

Be evacuated from a warzone

Go to the Vatican and see the Sistine chapel

So far in my life ive done some cool things, here are my favourites:

Seen the sun come up over the rain forest from the top of a Mayan Temple

Eaten a Conch as soon as it had been caught

Been amazed at the sound of a Hummingbird

Had a bizzarre experience on a ferry in Fiji

Driven round Europe in a Campervan

Seen Michalangelos David

Been to Monets Garden at Giverney

Whatched the sun set over the pacific

Seen a Tornado form and Hit land

Walked on a glacier

Showered under a waterfall

Been on a hot air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings

Taken part in the Pamplona Bull Run

Ok, I know that most of my choices involve travelling (Infact all of them do as my house is boring), and some people would probably criticse me for not putting have a family or get married on the things to do list. This may happen, it may not, Im 28, and its not happened so far, its not even on the cards so im not overly expectant in the next few years of having a sprog. Anyway im digressing, on the list of things to do, nothing is unachievable, expensive yes, but not entirely unrealistic. I dont see the point in not wanting to travel in my humble (drunk) opinion, a global sense of place is much more of a desirable trait in people than never having been out of the country but having a sprog. I like the fact that I have more in common with an Australian than I do with my niece who has never had a job, but has 3 kids.

To be fair, im not entirely sure of the point that im trying to make, im sure there is one. I like my life and I like the fact that I can go anywhere, any when and not answer to anyone. However I wouldnt change the fact that I know how a hummingbird sounds for anything, even if someone may find this dull.

A Spot of Contemplation

For those of you that don’t know me, and I am sure that is a lot, I am currently on gardening leave from work.  This means that I have given in my notice but have been sent home on full pay for the remainder of my notice period.

I have been doing a lot of thinking over the last week and still have no clue about what sort of job I am looking for.  The idea of teaching keeps going through my mind as does the fact that I want to walk the South Downs Way (A short term goal, but a goal none the less).

I have also been thinking about a lot of other life stuff and that really doesn’t seem to make that much sense either so what the hey…

A couple of weeks ago myself and the housemate watched a programe about exercise and the fact that you should walk 10000 steps a day.  As I havn’t done any walking for the last few days I am a little under this target, but the housemate walked 12.1km at work on bank holiday monday.  He is in the lead for now.

Resolute

Its a new year so I like many millions of people have started with a new set of resolutions.  Ive not gone for anything major like a job change, or moving house.  I have just gone for making the most of my time on earth, by doing things to get a bit of adrenaline pumping through the veins. 

So comes the Year of Living Dangerously.

Pamplona is booked, so I now need to get fit, I’ll be off out on the bike soon enough to get the lungs working again.

Apart from that I may take a night class just to get out of the house.  The other big change in my life is going to be that I won’t be going up to Worcester as much.  It costs far too much money, and as I need to start clearing the overdraft, its a good place to start.  Plus it may give me a chance to start meeting people down this neck of the woods.

So we will see where this takes me.

2008: The year of living dangerously

Plans are afoot to make next year an adrenaline filled fun fest.  I have decided that I need to get out and do a few little things to get the blood pumping.   Needless to say I will need to get in training, so the bike will be coming out a bit more often, but I have been saying that for quite a while.  The first reason is that I have said that I will do the great south run which is in October.

However, somthing I have wanted to do for years and have finally decided to do it.  The Pamplona Bull Run.   This has always fascinated me, and ever since I saw City Slickers when I was 12 I have wanted to do it.  So I me the housemate and Dev are going.  Possibly Fat Bob too.  Should be a good giggle.

 Also I am going to do a Bungee jump, again somthing that I have always thought about.  The one I have my eye on is in Switzerland, its 722 feet high and is off of a Dam.  Its the one used at the start of Goldeneye.  So when  I am in Geneva for work I will take a few days and head down to Locarno for that.

My holiday next year as I have already said is looking likely to be Libya, so will try that.  As things develop I am sure that I will keep you all informed.