Okay, I don’t put myself in the same league as a Hoy (there matey!....sorry; set that joke up for myself, just could not resist), an
Ovett or a Coe. Nevertheless I wondered; if I was lucky enough to see it all through, would my reaction be the same? After all
the effort, the quite literal blood, sweat and tears, the running, the blisters,
the doubt, the blogging; would it all be made worthwhile or would I – like
those Olympic chumps before me – be left empty. If I managed to do it would I now have a clue why on earth I
did it? It was a worry.
And now, getting on for a year later……the answer??
Don’t be so blummin’ daft…………IT’S BRILLIANT!!!!
We have one life, and in that life we have to find meaning, we have to find worth, we have to find purpose, we have to find happiness. How that meaning, worth, purpose and happiness manifests itself is different for us all; and no one person can judge another by these unique definitions. That said; I can highly HIGHLY recommend doing something. Something challenging, something 'out there', something you are just not sure you will be able to do. If you fail, you tried; but if you succeed you, like many before can say 'I was there; I DID THAT!!'. You take it with you, and nothing nor nobody can take it away.
I'm honestly not sure if it has changed my life - I'll never know what I would be doing or where I would be doing it had I not taken on the challenge (kinda like that feeling of taking another route if you're stuck in a traffic jam!) - but I feel the better for it. I am fitter, I am slimmer, I am sharper; and what's more; when life is difficult - as we all know it can be, often - the memories of the last two years are a limitless reservoir of positivity I can dip into whenever I please, telling me to push on and push through.
Hang on, just going to take a dip now..............oooooooh YES!!
So.......what now?? Does it all end here? Do I leave all you gentle readers with a gaping hole in your lives without being able to read the latest exploits of the man who is now more fit than fat? Well; yes and no.....
Yes this blog will soon be drawing to a close - just one more post and it will then stand as a monument to endeavour and possibility. As for the future, I have plans. As you know, there is a relatively new job in front of me; in a new location. Exciting though this is; time and energy will be required in order to make a go of it. Early indications are extremely positive, extremely extremely; but this is all the more reason to keep that momentum going.
What else? Well, I'm sick of renting, so am saving like crazy to buy a place of my own. This won't be easy in the current economic climate but hey; I laugh in the face of 'not easy' before tweaking it's nose and giving it a slap. I also have a slightly crazy idea of getting this blog published. I know I know; so many bloggers have hoped the same and come a cropper, but I think what I have done is a good story worthy of the telling; and it's a fun read. What the hell do I know eh? But what I am sure of is that if I don't try I will always wonder, and that is not unacceptable. Who knows? If I do get into proper bookey-type print, it could make a contribution towards the new digs fund!
On an even more personal note, I haven't yet resigned myself to the single life. It's not something which I am afraid of, but as beings on this earth we are designed to be in a pair (animals went in two-by-two hurrah and all that). Okay, I'm not walking around the streets of Stevenage with a sandwich board saying 'PLEEEEEEEEASE LOVE MEEEEEE!!!'; but I still believe in romance, and I would love to date again, fall in love again, and this time stay fallen. Here's hoping!
There are other things. Learning how to play guitar, joining a badminton club, taking up salsa classes again, doing a bit of amateur dramatics; but the big question is, whether I accomplish any or all of these things, is there room in my life for another challenge?
......pause for dramatic effect........
Of course there is! And God help me it could be even more challengeyer than the London Marathon. For those of you not in the know; an Olympic distance triathlon comprises of a 1500m open water swim, a 40km bike ride, and a 10km run. Now this is a tough ask for the average person; but for me I have a bad feeling I have set my sights too high.
I know what you're thinking; 'he can run a marathon, what's so difficult about a bit of a swim, bike ride and a wee jog?!' Well it's like this; I can swim, although possibly in need of some practice. I think it's safe to say that I can run, but riding a bike is a problem; the problem being that I.....can't. Never learned.
After much research, I can confirm that I have a real problem with modes of transportation which, when you let go of them, fall over. Two wheels are just wrong. Unfortunately official triathlons doe not accept tricycles (ironic), so if I am going to do one I have to learn to ride. Following on from that, I have to learn to ride with confidence, then I have to learn to ride with confidence in amongst a bunch of other bikes, then I have to learn to ride with confidence in amongst a bunch of other bikes for 40km, after swimming 1500m....followed by running 10km!!!
This one may well be beyond me. I have weight to lose - again! - and a long way to go; but as always I am going to enjoy the journey and......well......I might just amaze myself.......again!
So watch this space. Well, not this particular space as that's where this writing is, and not much is going to happen once you've read it. What I mean is look out for blog number two, because what's the point of a challenge if I can't waffle on about it eh?!!
We have one life, and in that life we have to find meaning, we have to find worth, we have to find purpose, we have to find happiness. How that meaning, worth, purpose and happiness manifests itself is different for us all; and no one person can judge another by these unique definitions. That said; I can highly HIGHLY recommend doing something. Something challenging, something 'out there', something you are just not sure you will be able to do. If you fail, you tried; but if you succeed you, like many before can say 'I was there; I DID THAT!!'. You take it with you, and nothing nor nobody can take it away.
I'm honestly not sure if it has changed my life - I'll never know what I would be doing or where I would be doing it had I not taken on the challenge (kinda like that feeling of taking another route if you're stuck in a traffic jam!) - but I feel the better for it. I am fitter, I am slimmer, I am sharper; and what's more; when life is difficult - as we all know it can be, often - the memories of the last two years are a limitless reservoir of positivity I can dip into whenever I please, telling me to push on and push through.
Hang on, just going to take a dip now..............oooooooh YES!!
So.......what now?? Does it all end here? Do I leave all you gentle readers with a gaping hole in your lives without being able to read the latest exploits of the man who is now more fit than fat? Well; yes and no.....
Yes this blog will soon be drawing to a close - just one more post and it will then stand as a monument to endeavour and possibility. As for the future, I have plans. As you know, there is a relatively new job in front of me; in a new location. Exciting though this is; time and energy will be required in order to make a go of it. Early indications are extremely positive, extremely extremely; but this is all the more reason to keep that momentum going.
What else? Well, I'm sick of renting, so am saving like crazy to buy a place of my own. This won't be easy in the current economic climate but hey; I laugh in the face of 'not easy' before tweaking it's nose and giving it a slap. I also have a slightly crazy idea of getting this blog published. I know I know; so many bloggers have hoped the same and come a cropper, but I think what I have done is a good story worthy of the telling; and it's a fun read. What the hell do I know eh? But what I am sure of is that if I don't try I will always wonder, and that is not unacceptable. Who knows? If I do get into proper bookey-type print, it could make a contribution towards the new digs fund!
On an even more personal note, I haven't yet resigned myself to the single life. It's not something which I am afraid of, but as beings on this earth we are designed to be in a pair (animals went in two-by-two hurrah and all that). Okay, I'm not walking around the streets of Stevenage with a sandwich board saying 'PLEEEEEEEEASE LOVE MEEEEEE!!!'; but I still believe in romance, and I would love to date again, fall in love again, and this time stay fallen. Here's hoping!
There are other things. Learning how to play guitar, joining a badminton club, taking up salsa classes again, doing a bit of amateur dramatics; but the big question is, whether I accomplish any or all of these things, is there room in my life for another challenge?
......pause for dramatic effect........
Of course there is! And God help me it could be even more challengeyer than the London Marathon. For those of you not in the know; an Olympic distance triathlon comprises of a 1500m open water swim, a 40km bike ride, and a 10km run. Now this is a tough ask for the average person; but for me I have a bad feeling I have set my sights too high.
I know what you're thinking; 'he can run a marathon, what's so difficult about a bit of a swim, bike ride and a wee jog?!' Well it's like this; I can swim, although possibly in need of some practice. I think it's safe to say that I can run, but riding a bike is a problem; the problem being that I.....can't. Never learned.
After much research, I can confirm that I have a real problem with modes of transportation which, when you let go of them, fall over. Two wheels are just wrong. Unfortunately official triathlons doe not accept tricycles (ironic), so if I am going to do one I have to learn to ride. Following on from that, I have to learn to ride with confidence, then I have to learn to ride with confidence in amongst a bunch of other bikes, then I have to learn to ride with confidence in amongst a bunch of other bikes for 40km, after swimming 1500m....followed by running 10km!!!
This one may well be beyond me. I have weight to lose - again! - and a long way to go; but as always I am going to enjoy the journey and......well......I might just amaze myself.......again!
So watch this space. Well, not this particular space as that's where this writing is, and not much is going to happen once you've read it. What I mean is look out for blog number two, because what's the point of a challenge if I can't waffle on about it eh?!!
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