One of the big things I’ve noticed as I get older, in addition to the aches, is that no matter the intention, there’s always less and less free time to do things. I genuinely think it’s a result of having too much to deal with in life, where you end up sacrificing the good bits to try to maintain some control.

What is the solution to this ongoing issue? No idea. But rather than the kind of midlife crisis that has people buying sports cars and motorbikes, I’m having a midlife clear-up. I’m selling the fast car and the motorbike to reduce the number of “things” people buy at my age, and I’m starting to do the things I should never have stopped years ago… like riding my bike and looking for adventure.

As a follow-up to the targets I set in my last post, I ran the 10K 🙌 and, using the proceeds from selling all my toys, I invested in a new bike. That means I’m actually on track with those plans.

Now to make another one, I’ve signed up for an Ultra ride this coming April. It’s 360 miles long, and you have 36 hours to complete it all. To be clear, I can’t ride 360 miles, and I can’t see how I’ll develop that ability in just a few months, but I figured it’s best to start somewhere and get ready for the next item on the list. At least I’ll have tried and started something.

My running training has taken a hit after I tripped up and gave myself a shin splint. Yes, just one leg. It needs rest, so I’ve been focused on the bike again. With the 10K rapidly approaching, I can feel time slipping away, and I’m not making any progress on my distance running. That 10K is going to be a real challenge if I can even manage to get started.

On the bright side, riding the bike was lovely at this time of year. The weather is just cool enough to keep you going, but still warm enough for shorts.

1. Run a 10K race 👀

2. Invest in Treat myself to a new bike and “get out there”

I’ll focus on idea number one today and try to explain why I’m going to sign up to run a race, even though I don't run.

Rather than start with something I know I could do, I figured I might as well kick this off with something that will either fail miserably or give me enough feeling of self-achievement to carry on with something new after. I’ve always wanted to be a runner, and I can’t help but think that if I can get started, I might just carry on.

It isn’t totally out of the blue. I’ve had a few test runs over the last few weeks to see if I can get myself moving, and so far, I’ve managed a whole 5K with no walking. This gave me a significant boost in confidence; maybe I can do a bit more. To balance the confidence, I have to admit that it was hard work. It was 30 minutes of trying to ignore just how hard it felt. And do you know what? I managed to keep going and do it. I’m hoping that sensation becomes more “normal” with practice. When I watch people running, some seem to be enjoying it; with luck, I can get somewhat closer to that end of the spectrum.

The run I’m aiming for will take place on 2nd November (yes, this year), so I’m going to see if the Garmin coach can get me there and then over the finish line in a reasonably un-embarrassing time. I’ll find a way to log my progress here, as it would be handy for me to look back on in the future.

I’ll cover my second idea/target soon, as I’m hoping to have some progress to report.

This is an(other) attempt to start; to do something. Achieve something. Feel like life isn’t just slipping away while you get on with everything else. I know that “everything else” is, in fact, life. It’s family, it’s business, it’s the house, and it’s the time commitments that we need to keep things moving forward, but it sometimes feels like that's all there is. When I stop and take a breath, I see life rushing past like a train that you just want to jump on, but it’s already moving too fast.

I remember the days when there was time to spare. It seemed like there was more than enough time to do things every day. Spend time creating, writing, and experiencing.

This is my attempt to catch that train and get back on board. Being upfront, you won't get deep considerations of life-altering wisdom. It will be the small things that happen in breaking out of the “normal” mould. The things that will add up over time and show that more happened than the day-to-day chores. This will serve as evidence that I accomplished something and had fun doing it (hopefully). Maybe you’ll find it interesting too.

To sum up, as long as you expect weird ramblings and little consistency, you shouldn’t be too disappointed. There will be updates from the road, as well as some from my garage. Some from the sea and some in the woods. Some will be images, some will be words, some will make no sense at all, I’m sure of that.