2018 out; 2019 in.

It's the New Year! I do hope the New Year blows the socks off anyone reading my blog! May your year be filled with love and adventure!

Before I blog about the new year (2019), I figured it would be fun to reflect on the past year (2018). What better than to have a look at the plan I made way back in January? Well, my plans were as follows: (2019 comments in blue)

• Cycle frequently, both solo and with my pals. Cycle on tandem at least bi-monthly with my blind and oldest (age-wise) buddy Roger. Giving myself a tick for this one, maybe the odd ride short with Roger.
• Complete a RRtY this season. This will involve cycling a 200k audax each month up until September. Completed - my 4th RRtY to date.
• (Maybe) complete an SR Series this season. (The 3 Coasts 600 is unfinished business). Never happened, have no inclination for 2019.
• Cycle 10,000k before end of year. Shot past this mark, wahoo!
• Complete XDP17 - failed attempt last year. Did not happen, maybe 2019?
• Wild camp. Yeah baby!
• Learn to become a tortoise whisperer. Indeed, followed by becoming a tortoise shouter..
• Search the scriptures. I did but need to explore further and deeper.
• Attempt to complete a Park Run at least monthly. I think I only completed 2 Park Runs. One was on Xmas day!
• Attempt to hold a plank daily up until TAW. Let's move on shall we...
• Collect and post motivational quotes to this blog. Meh..
• Lose weight at least up until TAW. Pah..
• Lift weights. Groan. Meh again..
• Run a 5k in 20 mins something. (A dream rather than a plan). Lucky to run in sub 24 mins currently.
• Be the best husband, lover, father, that I can. Guess you better ask my better half and kiddy winks...

Whilst I'm in this reflective mode, let me look back to when my records began and update further. Indeed, presented below is a list of my annual cycling and running distances (km, followed by miles in brackets). I've also high-lighted my 'big events' for particular years in red.

2009 - 5,086 (3,160) LEJOG 2009
2010 - 8,509 (5,287) Paris to Geneva Cycle 2010/LEJOG 2010
2011 - 8,378 (5,207)   PBP 2011
2012 - 6,935 (4,309)
2013 - 12,498 (7,766) LEL 2013
2014 - 9,253 (5,750)
2015 - 5,531 (3,436) and Ran 1,170 (727)
2016 - 6,515 (4,048) and Ran 1,204 (748) Iron Man (Bolton) 2016/TNR 2016
2017 - 8,940 (5,555) and Ran 514 (319)
2018 - 10,958 (6,809) and Ran 417 (259) TransAtlantic Way (TAW) Race 2018

I started 2018 weighing 89.6 kg and ended weighing much heavier. Grr. Oh well, who cares, I cycled far more miles than previous few years. Maybe I need to run more as my running stats were quite poor. In my final month of 2018, I ran a few more k and managed a couple of runs with my wife which was nice. I think the Xmas day was my favourite run of 2018 (even if I had my slowest time).

Xmas day Park Run 2018

Will the real Santa please stand up

I now start 2019 weighing 96 kg. This is of little surprise considering how much food I have devoured and how much whisky I have drank over the festive period. Lot's of work to do to get this weight shifted. Shifting weight is not my only plan, see below (in no particular order, save the fact that it follows a review of previous year):

Plans, or rather goals for 2019:

• Cycle frequently. Cycle with buddies and solo. Commute by bicycle.
• Cycle 10,000k before end of year.
• Wild Camp. In fact, attempt to bivvy-a-month (BAM).
• Search the Scriptures more thoroughly than last year. Add interesting quotes/thoughts to my blog.
• Run more Park Runs. Try a Park Run I have never ran before. Run a Park Run with my wife.
• Run 500k before end of year.
• Complete the Fort William 1000 audax (my 'big' event for 2019).
• Eat less, drink less, adventure more.
• Be the best lover, husband, father that I can.

H A P P Y  N E W  Y E A R