Review of 2008

These were the personal goals I set for this year that's almost through now. How did I do, not as well as had planned but with mitigating circumstances I like to think!

Goals for 2008

• Be a better person. I’m rubbish at being. Need to be better.

>>> Think have made some progress in being a better person, work to be done!

• Stop drinking full stop or learn how to moderate it which I don’t think I can so am going to stop drinking. Should help with the above.

>>> Achieved - although am capable of going on a bit of a bender I've also been on a hundred day abstinence and another shorter one at the tail end of summer so can turn it on/turn it off when I want. There's going to be another hundred dayer starting in January as part of preps for London Marathon.

• Run a half marathon – am thinking about the Great North Run which is Sunday October 5th and gives me plenty of time to do proper training. Most of the other Great Runs are 10k which is easily doable for me right now so while I might do one of those instead I think it’d be a copout.

>>> Yes done the distance on half a dozen occasions in 2008, also found a good route that takes in Clough Wood near Darley Dale that was great fun see post here from June

• Do a sixty plus mile bike ride. Have been asked by one of our neighbours Jenny to do a sponsored bike ride for Charity – am kind of wondering how much ground I could cover in a weekend? Perhaps get on a train to somewhere and cycle back?

>>> After breaking wrist in January (see disaster day post) I could cut myself some slack here but fact is that I ought to have achieved it. I did some 20 to 30-milers but could have done so much more particularly with a bike as good as the Giant FCR1, there's no excuse really.

• Get weight to under 14 stone.

>>> Spectacular failure here 2009 is going to see a big march back to where weight should be. Am disappointed with myself on this one.

• Continue not smoking.

>>> Wahey, who'd have thunk it - not a single ciggy since July 2007, still miss em but it's getting less over time. Well Pleased.

• Learn how to play golf properly instead of putting up with a crap swing and a good short game.

>>> Well, swing is more upright I suppose but results haven't been as good as I'd have hoped. On positive side I came third in a Honda Corporate thing (details here) and more recently my golfing buddy John and myself came second in the Fur and Feather comp at Ashbourne Golf Club winning a Turkey for the Xmas table - which made a bit change from the usual pork pie or packet of shortbread!!!

• Read more - get at least a book every other month read!

>>> More to be done here, can't remember reading a lot of books this year - I enjoyed Ian Rankin's 'Open Doors' but somehow don't make time for reading which is a shame as I used to always have my head in a book!

So for 2009 there's a ton of work to be done. One things for sure, the major goals for the short terms will be simple and geared around the Marathon in April.