Welcome

Welcome to my new blog.  With the beginning of 2012, I thought it a prudent time for it – it should be a big year for me, assuming the world doesn’t end.  And an even bigger one, if it does.  This will be part blog and part training diary with maybe some other thoughts thrown in.  

I have some big, and some would say conflicting, goals for this year (ordered by deadline, not importance):

Diet – My diet is based mainly on sugar and cake.  I recently quit sugar for a couple of months, and even started the world’s dullest blog, using it as a food diary.  But I didn’t stick at it.  So more veg, more fruit, more low GI stuff, less sugar crashing.  I swear I will have diabetes soon if I don’t sort it out.  Achievability: 8/10

Norway 20102 – At the end of February I am returning to the far north of Norway for three weeks of ice climbing.  The main aims are to climb some new routes, and to get myself up a WI6 graded route (think super sustained, possibly thin, vertical ice).  I have started training and my endurance is looking good at the moment.  Achievability: 7/10

Complete the Grand Union Canal Race – in October I turned 30, and then read ‘Born to Run’ and then entered the longest non-stop run in the UK.  Its 145 miles from Birmingham to London to be done within 45 hours, in June.  Lunacy.  Having said that, just before Xmas I managed my first 50-mile-week, which is good going – so provided I can avoid injury (an accomplishment in itself, given the mileage I am going to have to clock up) then I think it’s possible. Possibly.  Achievability: 5/10

Climb Left Wall (E2 5c) – I seemed to be on a good run of climbing last year, but still only managed two soft E2s.  Left Wall, a famous route on Dinas Cromlech in North Wales, could be a somewhat sterner test. Achievability: 7/10

Redpoint a 7c – I had a week of being coached in Spain in October, and by some miracle, redpointed (practiced, practiced and finally led the route cleanly) a 7b over three days.  The route was Muscleman and I think must be soft for the grade, but unfortunately it means the next obvious goal is the next grade up.  I actually don't think its a very realistic goal, but the good thing with climbing is the journey will be as good as the end result.  Achievability: 4/10

Save money - somehow in amongst the above, i need to stop spending and start saving, which will lead too...  Achievability: 8.5/10

Move out – yes, yes, I am 30 and live at home, big whoop.  I refuse to poor money down the drain in rent, so have been saving (what hasn’t been spent on climbing).  Holly, my beloved fiancée has just got a permanent job after some years temping so we finally have a combined salary that should allow us to buy a pokey hole somewhere nice or a nicer place somewhere shite.  The reason for not having a higher achievability rating is redundancy risk (see below). Achievability: 7.5/10

New job - I work for a public sector organisation, mainly on the Olympics (probably the last time I will mention work on here), and I have a distinct feeling that there will be a post-Games cull of the work force, so I need to get a new job soonish.  Besides I have been in my current job for four-ish years and need more money!  Achievability: 8/10

I also want a dog or two (a Springer Spaniel called Roger Federer and a miniature Schnauzer called Stormageddon) and then, of course, kids (human ones).  But I think we can leave those for the following year.

This blog will chart my attempt at balancing these lofty ambitions in my desperate quest to not be mediocre.

So there we have it, best I get on with it...