I wish... I finished planning my road trip (part 3)

It all happened so quickly.

I saw a tweet on 21st September by Danny Wallace, one of my favourite writers. He wrote Yes Man and Join Me and half of Are You Dave Gorman? (he was the half who wasn't Dave Gorman). His tweet said he'd be at the Bath Children's Literature Festival on Saturday 26th with his children's book illustrator, Jamie Littler.

Immediately I told my friend Morwhenna, who wanted to have a pint with Danny as part of her 40/40 Project; a year-long project to celebrate her 40th birthday by completing 40 challenges on her wish list.

In a matter of minutes Morwhenna had bought two tickets, I had agreed to go with her (a mere three-hour drive each way), and she had agreed to visit Cheddar Gorge with me for my road trip project.

Boom. Done. Organised.

A few days later I met Danny Wallace and Jamie Littler!

Me with Danny Wallace and his first book for children, Hamish and the Worldstoppers

Danny was superb. Friendly and funny and happy to meet us, even after an hour on stage and with his family there waiting. Top bloke. Danny was interested in Morwhenna's project and gave her some wise words of advice as well as taking home her painting of a pint of beer (a real pint might not have gone down well with the family audience).

Jamie was a star too. Despite admitting to feeling nervous beforehand, he drew some excellent cartoon characters based on ideas from younger members of the audience, which were projected onto a screen above the stage. On the spot. No preparation. Impressive! I'm only gutted that Morwhenna and I were moved on before we could get a photo with Jamie too.

And so onwards to Cheddar Gorge. My wish of the month for September was to finish planning my road trip, not embark on it. But when the opportunity arose, I took it.

Without an ounce of cheese or irony.

In Cheddar I bought a 1kg wedge of vintage cheddar cheese from the Cheddar Gorge Cheese Company. It was the least I could do after pestering the staff to go in the museum whilst they were cleaning it, posing for silly photographs with exhibits, and making a hash of the queue for the tills. 

Then Morwhenna and I drove up into Cheddar Gorge to marvel at the rocks, the rock climbers, the hyperventilating cyclists and the rear ends of mountain goats (they simply would not turn around).

I loved Cheddar Gorge; the cheesiness of it, in every meaning of the word. And the fact that Morwhenna came with me. She was great; fun, confident and eager to direct me into poses for silly photographs. A superb addition to the road trip crew.

Morwhenna and her car, Henry, guarding my cheese

Cheddar Gorge. Tick!

What's next?

Sandwich with Andy and Stephen in November. I wrote about organising that trip in my last blog post.

Then? Three places in and around Derbyshire with Paul, Nick and Laura. Prompted by Cillabella to pull my finger out this month, I contacted Paul yesterday about my idea for the trip. He and Nick agreed to help. Paul had heard of two of the place names, but not the third. "I will have to look up Bottoms," he replied, punctuated with a smiley face.

Paul and Nick at the Wellcome Collection

Laura at the Ashmolean Museum

Fantastic! Three new places and three new roadtrippers. Which means...

Only seven more trips to organise. Hmm. Can I, at least, and by the end of October, pencil in dates for them and invite some friends to join me?

What do you wish you could do for the sheer ridiculous fun of it? Let me know.

I wish... I finished planning my road trip (part 2)

Crikey, nine road trips. Where do I start?

I looked at the hand-scribbled list of forty-five place names. There was definitely a trip to Wales in there, and a huge tour of the North of England. I couldn't believe I needed to go back to Scotland again; I could have sworn I'd ticked off everything north of the border.

Choose a small trip to start with, I told myself. A small trip won't need as much notice as a big one, not if I want other people to come with me anyway.

My road trip crew consists of ten amazing friends (well, nine since the ex skedaddled): Steven, Vicky, Lucy H, Anthony, Lucy M, Andy, Stephen, Bronwyn and Livia. If I could convince one of them to come with me on the next road trip, that would be great. Because they know what's involved; mainly telling me which country lane to drive along and then standing in the rain, knee-deep in stinging nettles, to photograph me hugging a signpost. 

What's not appealing about that?

Andy and Stephen enjoying an evening's entertainment in Cardigan.

I sent a Facebook message to Andy and Stephen. They live in the Philippines at the moment, but I knew they'd be visiting the UK in November. If I was quick, they might sign up for another road trip.

A few days later, Andy replied: 'Sadly... we don't have time for a road trip. However if you wanted to tick Ham and Sandwich off your list we can try to arrange a date for you to come to Deal if you don't mind an overnight at my parents' house?'

Ham? Sandwich? Parents' house? Deal!

Do you have a wish of the month? Who could help you? Send them a message today.

I wish... I finished planning my road trip (part 1)

If your heart is set on doing something, do it just so. Don't compromise.

Some time in early 2004 I was sitting on a sofa with a road atlas on my lap. Perhaps I was planning a route to visit my family. I can't remember.

What I do remember is looking at the index, a vast list of place names printed in a tiny font. Have you ever done this? Hidden amongst the multitude of normal, sensible place names are weird and wonderful little gems: Pratt's Bottom, Stiffkey, Mousehole...

It reminded me of how I used to sit in the back of my Mum and Dad's car on long trips, finding us on a map and marvelling at unfamiliar names and coastlines.

I dreamed of a road trip; a journey across the UK to visit these silly place names. To see what's there. To have an adventure. 

Excited by my finds, I fetched a highlighter pen and began marking them. 

A few years later, the adventure began. Returning from a day trip to a chocolate factory, I made a detour to Bell End with my friends Lucy and Vicky.

We couldn't find Bell End. It was late, it was dark, and our blood sugar levels were dangerously high. But we found traces of another silly place name nearby...

Over the past 6 years I have visited 56 places with unusual names. I have travelled from the farthest nook on the Cornish coast to the lush green spaces of Ireland to the northernmost isles of Scotland.

It has been the most fun and difficult project of my life so far. Because I have done it with friends and I have done it without Sat Nav.

And it's not over yet...

My aim is to visit a total of 101 places with unusual names. Some well-meaning friends suggested that I stop at 50. No way! I can't move the goalposts now. My heart is set. Less than 101 places and some favourites get cut. More than 101 and the journey might never end!

So, this month I will plan the road trips I need to do to complete the journey. By my rough calculations that's 9 trips to visit the 45 remaining places.

What do you wish you could do? Have a go this month. I dare you.

I wish... I went to bed earlier (part 5)

I wish... I went to bed earlier (part 4)

Do you want:

• decreased dependence on coffee?
• increased memory?
• decreased inflammation?
• decreased fat?
• increased creativity?
• longer life?
• decreased risk of depression?
• lower stress?

Yeah, me too. 

Want to know how?

No, it's not dress up as Scooby Doo or pass out on the Tube.

It's sleep for 7 hours or more every night.

Today somebody very special to me sent me a link to this: A Report On Sleep by The Do Lectures. I read it and I loved it and I read it again. It reassured me in so many ways that my wish of the month is important.

Here's why...

According to the report, the average amount of sleep per night is 6 hours. With increasingly busy lives and more distractions online than ever before (ahem), sleep is being sacrificed.

Have you seen the Virgin Media advert, Introducing Night Owl? The owl sits in bed watching box sets on a laptop whilst her partner sleeps. Apparently that's OK and perfectly normal. 

Worrying, isn't it.

The report goes on to say that 72% of people don't sleep well after alcohol. I can testify to that! You'll know why if you read my last blog post. 

Furthermore, 88% of sleep problems are caused by stress and anxiety. Perhaps many of those people see their GP about it, because the report goes on to state that 24% of people in the UK were prescribed sleeping pills in 1 year alone. That's 15,300,000 people!

So, as a nation, we're either downing caffeine to stay awake, popping pills to go to sleep, or watching Game of Thrones until the early hours. No wonder we're all so bloody tired. 

And I haven't even mentioned children or neighbours or jetlag... Let's not go there.

So what's the answer?

The report lists 6 tips:

1. Take 3 deep breaths before you close your eyes (to reduce worry and stress).
2. Before you sleep, write down what you will do when you wake up (to ease your mind).
3. Invest in some top notch ear plugs (to block out disruptive sounds).
4. Exercise in the day (to get rid of restless energy).
5. Set a sleep schedule and stick to it (for consistency).
6. Set a timer before you nap for 15 minutes (to avoid long naps).

Do those 6 things, plus switch off your gadgets as much as possible, give alcohol and caffeine a miss, and go to bed a bit earlier... and you might get those magic 7 hours of sleep.

There are only a few more sleeps left this month. I intend to make them good ones.

(This blog post contains information interpreted by me from A Report On Sleep by The Do Lectures. I suggest that you read the original report for accuracy.)

Still awake? What do you wish you could do? Do it in July. It's only a few days away.

I wish... I went to bed earlier (part 3)

Every evening at 10pm my mobile phone has beeped at me. Turn off your gadgets! OK OK, hang on, let me just finish this comment on Facebook. 

Then, an hour later... BEEP BEEP BEEP! Lights out Richard! Come on, stop what you're doing. Go to sleep. OK, alright, chill, I'll just finish this chapter.

The alarms have worked because they remind me to switch off. A few minutes later, I begrudgingly do what they tell me. The result? An earlier bedtime. More sleep. Can't argue with that.

But my goodness, those alarms aren't half annoying. Nag nag nag!

It's like being told to go to bed by your Mum. No! Why should I? I'm an adult, I'll go to bed when I feel like it! Every time the alarm goes off, I have to remind myself that I set the alarm. The only person telling me to go to bed is me. 

So I lose the Kevin & Perry attitude quicksmart and get on with it.

It's only gone wrong twice this week:

The first time, somebody else that I live with (who shall not be named) woke me up at midnight by shouting, and then at 3:30am by moving around the house and operating machinery. Needless to say I was a bit tired and irritable in the morning. 

However, instead of staying silent on the matter and stewing with unresolved anger (like I normally would), I confronted the person about it. To my surprise it wasn't awkward at all, and I felt better for saying something. Result!

The second time, I had some fizzy alcoholic drinks and a large meal just before bedtime. I felt so stuffed that I had to prop myself up on pillows like the fattest man in the world so I didn't suffocate on undigested hamburgers.

Not my finest hour.

Then I woke up several times during the night with tummy aches and sweats. Nice. At least I can add another thing to my list of things not to do before bedtime.

I checked out a couple of websites about sleep this week. One was The Sleep Council. New tips I picked up from them included:

• 16-18 degrees celsius is an ideal temperature for a bedroom.
• Write down any worries you have in a diary before you go to bed.
• Practise breathing exercises and visualise the muscles in your body relaxing.

The Sleep Council also stressed the importance of buying a comfortable bed. Not surprising when you realise it's funded by the National Bed Federation, the trade association for British bed manufacturers!

The other website was goodlife*sleep, which aims to join up the dots between sleep, health and personal development. It's a new venture co-founded by a friend I met recently, Mag Secretario, who doesn't sell beds, so I signed up for the newsletter.

Crikey, is that the time? Night night.

What do you do to unwind before bed? And what do you definitely not do?

I wish... I went to bed earlier (part 2)

One week into my new wish, am I going to bed earlier?

During the week (AKA school nights), yes. Lights out by 11:15pm on average.

At the weekend? Awful! Awfully late, I mean (the weekend was brilliant). Saturday and Sunday bedtimes were respectable; midnight or just after. But Friday... I didn't sleep until 4am!

Oh well, it was a fancy dress party; it would have been rude not to.

I don't mind staying up late at the weekend, as long as I don't have big plans for the next day (i.e. a shift at work, a wedding, or another late-night social occasion) and as long as I feel OK (i.e. not desperately tired, ill or tormented by a thumping headache). 

Fortunately, that was the case this weekend. Despite going to bed five hours later than planned, I slept deeply and felt fine on Saturday. 

Sure, I felt tired by the early evening. But I stayed awake. I didn't nap. I got back into a relatively normal sleeping pattern as soon as possible.

This week, if all goes to plan (yeah right), I'll go to bed at 11pm on six consecutive nights. I've got a new trick up my sleeve: An alarm on my mobile phone to remind me to switch off gadgets so I can properly unwind before bed. My friend Jo Robinson suggested it, and I reckon it's worth a shot.

After all, lots of us set an alarm to wake up. Why not set an alarm to go to sleep?

Do you wish you went to bed earlier? What time would be ideal for you?

I wish... I went to bed earlier (part 1)

On the whole, I sleep well. I feel tired when I go to bed, I fall asleep fairly quickly and I usually don't wake up again until my alarm goes off in the morning. 

I'm lucky, I know. Some people struggle to sleep every night of their life (hopefully they're bankers).

Sometimes I don't sleep well. I'll lie awake, rolling from my left side to my right and back again, and flipping my pillows over to find the sweet spot. Normally wedged between my knees!

I know what causes me to sleep badly:

• staying up late the night before and sleeping in too long
• working late into the evening, especially on my computer
• watching TV before bedtime (just one more episode of Peep Show!)
• worrying about something that's going to happen in the next few days
• a strenuous cycle late in the evening (combined with high sugar energy foods)
• being too hot or too cold
• sharing a bed with someone who snores or fidgets (I'm a total hypocrite, of course)
• too much noise outside my bedroom (I said form an orderly queue...)
• an uncomfortable mattress or bedding.

Knowing these things means that I'm quite good at avoiding them. Except for one...

I stay up too late.

I am a total sucker for squeezing in a little bit more work or a bit more tidying up or more TV whilst I make a sandwich for tomorrow (and, while I'm at it, a late night snack).

Even when I do go to bed at a reasonable hour, I can't resist picking up a book and reading to the end of the chapter. And then peeking at the start of the next chapter. And then reading half of that until my eyes can't stay open any longer.

It's not unusual for me to go to sleep well after midnight.

Every time that happens, I know what will happen the next day. I'll struggle to wake up, press the snooze button too many times, and I'll be grumpy because my head aches and everything feels like an effort. Heaven forbid there's a quiet spell during the day. That's when the eyes start to droop...

Commence the most boring battle in the world; the battle to stay awake.

I don't always win. Occasionally I'll have a 'little lie down' after dinner, which accidentally turns into a two- or three-hour slumber. I'll wake up feeling wobbly and woozy and then, a few hours later, when it's time to go to bed again, PING! - I'm wide awake.

So, this month, I will go to bed by 11pm as often as I can. And when I say 'bed' I mean lights out for sleepy time, not sexy time, or reading-in-bed time. Sleepy time.

How will a regular early-to-bed sleeping pattern affect me? Hopefully I'll feel more awake during the day and have more energy. Fingers crossed I'll get more quality work done. You never know, I might even feel happier. Anything is possible. :-)

Do you have a regular sleeping pattern? What tips can you give me for a good night's sleep?

I wish... I had a healthier relationship with money (part 4)

Hang on, that was my wish for March, wasn't it?

Yep. And April too. Wish of the month has become wish of the months, which isn't what I had in mind. Or wish of the quarterly. At least that sounds financial.

The good news is, I have fulfilled this wish. I have a healthier relationship with money. 

This is how I did it:

I submitted a claim for travelling expenses to my employer. It was a big one. Months and months of claims that I should have submitted last year. Just finding the receipts took hours, let alone matching them to specific journeys. 

My manager was very understanding and most of the claim was approved. But some of it wasn't; either it was too old or I didn't have a relevant receipt. 

It was my own fault. Lesson learned. 

What else?

I created a Personal Expenses spreadsheet for the financial year 2014-15. That sounds incredibly dweeby, I'm sure, but I learnt more about my spending habits from that spreadsheet than anything a bank or building society has ever sent me. I actually felt angry when I typed in yet another entry for petrol or chocolate or alcoholic drinks. I couldn't believe how much money I had frittered away.

Me at Cadbury World, 18th July 2014

What shocked me most was how much I had spent by Direct Debit. Accumulatively. So I tackled that next.

I cancelled several Direct Debits. For example, a payment to Specsavers for monthly contact lenses and bottles of solution. I have so many in stock now that I could make a Telescope that rivals the Hubble.

Some of the Direct Debits were to charities. I don't feel good about cancelling them, but I've been paying out for years. I think I'll be forgiven for pausing this once. Besides, no doubt I'll be sponsoring a cousin to run 5k through a swamp or a friend to skip up the Inca Trail before the year is out.

What else?

I moved money. Little bits of money that were doing nothing in one account (such as PayPal) but were desperately needed in another (such as my bank account). A barely noticeable speck of dust in the money markets of the world, but gargantuan in my world.

The end result? 

I have a healthier bank balance and a much healthier relationship with money. I don't ignore bank statements and credit card bills anymore. Well, not for as long. I check my bank account online more regularly. And when I earn money, it goes into my bank account as quickly as possible.

I am facing up to the reality of my situation. I need to spend less than I earn (somehow I forgot this), and that needs to happen for many, many months. I can do that by cutting my spending further, moving more money (I haven't yet explored pensions from previous jobs), and by making more money.

Just like that.

I wish I had a healthier relationship with making money.

What is your wish of the month? Join me in June and make it happen.

I wish... I had a healthier relationship with money (part 3)

So the month of March came and went. Did I have a healthier relationship with money at the end of it?

Yes. I'd say so. Slightly.

Doesn't sound very convincing, does it. That's because it's not.

What did I actually do to develop a healthier relationship with money in March?

I paid the rent for my home and the rent for my studio on the 1st April. The recipients were gobsmacked and I had to reassure them it wasn't an April Fool's joke.  But did I set up a Direct Debit to automate the process and avoid delays in future? No.

I made a note of how much money was in my bank account and ISA. Plus how much money I owed on my credit card and student loan. But did I move any money around to reduce unnecessary charges? Nope.

I emptied my Bertie Bassett piggy bank and cash tin from craft fairs last year, then created piles of coins and notes like Scrooge McDuck. But did I add it all up and bank it? No I did not.

I visited MoneySavingExpert.com and wrote a list of all the things I could do to save money or make more money. But did I do any of them? Not one.

Did I, instead, buy expensive ink cartridges for my printer, leave one online course only to join another one that costs more, and buy Easter eggs at the last minute that I could have bought earlier for less? Yes, I absolutely did.

*slaps forehead*

I still have a long way to go to develop a healthier relationship with money. It's too important and urgent in my life for me to fail at this wish. So I'm not finished with it yet. 

This month I will list the most important actions I can take to save money and make money, and I will do them by Thursday 30th April. So help me Bertie.

What do you wish you could do? What are the most important actions you could take to make it happen?

I wish... I had a healthier relationship with money (part 2)

Why do we spend money that's not ours to spend?

Last weekend I went to Ireland with my mate Steve. It was fun. We drove around, visited the beautiful town of Westport, and watched some plays in Claremorris. One of them was Steve's.

We flew out there with Aer Lingus, then hired a car for the weekend. We stayed in B&Bs and ate mostly in pubs. It didn't feel like a particularly luxurious holiday. But, as I stared at the last twenty Euro note in my wallet, it dawned on me how much I had spent in three days...

Ouch. That's all I'm saying.

Why did I spend so much money that I don't have? Because it was an opportunity. An opportunity for a few days of fun with an old friend. An opportunity to be a good friend. An opportunity to go to a country I've never been to before.

(That's not strictly true. I did visit Dublin once for about an hour. The ferry from Wales was delayed by bad weather and I barely had time to get off before I had to get back on again.)

Do I regret going to Ireland? No. Not as an experience. It was beautiful and the people were lovely. But as an expense? Yes. Yes I do. 

When I got home, I found a note from a loved one. It reminded me, in the nicest way possible, that I owed people money. Namely my family.

Welcome home.

I was tempted to sit on it. But then I remembered my wish of the month:

I wish I had a better relationship with money.

So I paid them back. Straight away. Because settling debts feels better than having them. It was a step in the right direction anyway. And it felt good.

Until I renewed my car insurance the next day.

Double ouch.

This week I will work out exactly how much money I have. A snapshot of my finances. A starting point for what comes next.

What is your wish of the month? Care to share?

I wish... I had a healthier relationship with money

Imagine having enough money to do all of the things that you wish you could do.

I don't have a bad relationship with money. I earn some, I spend some, I earn some more. I don't gamble (no hope of a Lottery win then). And I don't buy the latest gadgets. Anyone who has seen my mobile phone can attest to that.

I've always had a little bit of money in my bank account. Enough for a meal with friends. Presents for the family. An occasional holiday. 

But I don't have a good relationship with money either. I don't know how much money I have in total (or don't have, more to the point). There are debts. Not huge ones, but debts all the same. And I've lost track of all the little things I'm paying for; Direct Debits, charges, subscription to Woman's Weekly, that kind of thing.

...

To be honest, this paragraph that you're reading - this one, right now - has taken over half an hour to write. I wrote it and rewrote it and then deleted it and wrote this instead. Why? Because talking about money is hard. It's personal. It's emotional. It touches on my insecurities, my fears, my sense of worth.

...

I have a weird relationship with money. I need money to pay for essentials and a few things that I like doing. But apart from that, I don't care much about money. I hardly ever think about savings or interest rates or pensions. I never pause in front of estate agent windows. 

Perhaps I should but, frankly, I think it's boring.

When an opportunity arises for me to quickly make or save money, I squander it. For some reason that I don't understand, if a little bit of effort is required, such as filling in a simple expenses form or cancelling a subscription, I don't do it. 

Oh well, I think to myself, I'll just earn some more money.

In some ways, that's a positive attitude to losing money; trusting that more will come my way. Believing in abundance. But when the money being lost is money that is within my control, then losing it is foolish. Irresponsible.

I self-sabotage my ability to make money and use it wisely. That has got to stop.

Why now?

Recently I couldn't do something that I wish I could: go to the Burning Man Festival in Nevada. I simply could not afford it; the tickets, the flight, the lot. Neither could my friend. That frustrated us. A lot! So we have promised each other that we will save up and go next year.

It's not my only motivation. I wish I lived in my own place again. I wish I didn't have any debts at all. I wish I could invest more in my business. I wish I could buy a GoPro camera. I wish I could visit my friends in Australia and The Phillipines. I wish I didn't worry about money so much. I wish I wish I wish...

I wish I could do all of these things and more while I'm young(ish) and healthy enough to do them, and also put a little aside for my twilight years.

Not asking for much am I... ;-)

By the end of this month I will have developed a healthier relationship with money.

Do you have a healthy relationship with money? What's your number one tip?

I wish... I was a cross country runner (part 5)

Don't miss out on nature's beauty because you're squeamish about mud.

At the beginning of the month I set myself a goal of ten cross country runs. I picked ten out of the air because it's a nice round number. Five seemed too few, and twenty too many. There are only twenty-eight days in February after all (this year anyway).

With one week of February left, I had seven more runs to do. It wasn't impossible, but it wasn't realistic either.

Run number four was a Sunday afternoon jog through Hempstead Woods. It was good, but I decided I would try a morning run next time, and I would go somewhere different.

So I chose Views Wood for run number five on Tuesday morning. It was brilliant! Relatively big with a variety of paths. I dropped down onto one beside a stream and leapt over smaller streams feeding into it. It was so much fun that I forgot to take any photos.

The downside of running in the morning was that my legs felt stiff and achy. I wondered whether I was doing myself an injury. Also, it was a considerable chunk of time out of my morning, which meant I started work much later than I would have liked.

I did the opposite on Wednesday for run number six; a late evening jog around Hempstead park and a secondary school playing field. My legs felt OK but I was worried about breaking them by tripping over tree roots, molehills or teenagers snogging in the dark.

So for run number seven I stepped out in the morning light for a jaunt through Buxted Park.

There wasn't much morning light. A low heavy cloud hung over the countryside, and a steady drizzle soaked me to the skin. It had been raining all night and the muddy paths had become quagmires in which my running trainers were completely enveloped.

I had high hopes of fitting in three more runs to reach my target of ten. But it didn't happen. I went to Brighton yesterday, had a late night, and couldn't face another rain-drenched boggy run today. 

I'm not disappointed though. Seven cross country runs is respectable. Four runs in one week is astounding - for me. That would have been unheard of at the beginning of the month.

More importantly, I have got back into the habit of going for a run. I've moved my running shorts and shirts to the top of the pile, and my trainers are by the front door. More than that though, I have decided to build a cross country run into my weekly routine...

Every Thursday afternoon I will go for a cross country run. Before dinner. When my legs are warmed up and the day's work is done.

I'll leave you with 3 things that I have learnt from cross country running this month:

1. It's OK to get muddy. Mud is natural. Being muddy makes you feel closer to nature.
2. Running through woods feels primal. It's what our ancestors did to hunt wild animals, or avoid getting eaten by one.
3. The more time you spend in the countryside, the more beauty you see in it. And during the winter you have these special places to yourself. Don't miss out because you're squeamish about mud.

Tomorrow is the start of a brand new month. What do you wish you could do in March?

I wish... I was a cross country runner (part 4)

Keep going. Whatever the weather.

Last Sunday I said I would put an appointment in my diary to go for another run. Monday was out; work and then a social event. Tuesday too; work and then Dad-sitting. So it would have to be Wednesday.

I got home from work on Wednesday and resisted the urge to make a cup of tea and eat a biscuit and have a sit down.

No! I shall not sit down and get comfortable! I shall change into a tiny pair of shorts and a T-shirt and get distinctly uncomfortable.

The first five minutes were the hardest. I ran up and out of the estate, down a lane towards the old mill, and ran alongside the River Uck. The path was deliciously muddy.

I stopped on a small wooden bridge and stretched my legs. I always stretch once I've warmed up. I don't want to pull a muscle. Injury sets you back so much, in terms of time and enthusiasm.

I set off again and entered Buxted Park, one of my favourite places in the world. I have been going there since I was a child. Exploring. Thinking. Escaping. 

I ran around one of the lakes, crossed the river again (using a bridge, not wading through it like The Eliminator - although I am tempted now) and strode towards my tree.

My tree.

OK, it's not really my tree. Not legally. It probably belongs to Buxted Park Hotel, which stands on the hill overlooking it. But it feels like mine. I always deviate from the path to say hello to the tree and touch its bark. We hang out for a bit. Have a chat. Admire the view. Then I say goodbye and continue on my way. Until next time.

The sun had dipped beyond the horizon so I headed for home and picked up the pace. It got hard. It was the first time I'd really pushed myself since The Eliminator, and I felt a bit dizzy after finishing with a sprint. I sat on the step outside my front door to get my breath back.

Sitting outside the front of my house is not something I usually do. But I quite like it. Watching the world go by. Saying hello to neighbours. It's a shame we don't have a front porch culture in this country.

Anyway. I digress. 

I didn't fit in any more runs last week.  I mostly worked at Barnardo's (full-time during half term). Then the rains came.

Excuses? Perhaps. But this coming week will be different...

This week I will go for 7 cross country runs in 6 days! Whatever the weather.

It will be March soon. Start thinking about what you wish you could do next month.

I wish... I was a cross country runner (part 3)

Put an appointment in your calendar to do the thing you wish you could do.

"I can't wait to go running again" were my exact words after The Eliminator Race last weekend. I envisioned pulling on my running trainers on Monday evening and leaping into the woods near my house.

On Monday my trainers were still drying out (I had washed them on Sunday).

On Tuesday they were nearly dry.

On Wednesday there were dry at last (hooray) but didn't have laces in them (boo). I tried to thread the laces back into the trainers but the ends were frayed and I couldn't do it, so I threw the laces away. I borrowed some from an old pair of shoes. The new laces were fat and brown and horrible but they were going to get muddy anyway. By the time I had done all this, of course, I couldn't go for a run because it was time to drive to work.

On Thursday I forgot to run in the morning and I couldn't be bothered to get sweaty and muddy again after my shower.

On Friday I started work late and finished work late and decided it was too late to go for a run.

Then it was the weekend again.

Six days. No cross country runs. Poor. Very poor. At that rate I wouldn't achieve my goal of running ten times in February.

So on Saturday I went for a run. Straight after work. I put on my clean white running trainers with the pooey brown laces and I ran into the woods. And I slipped around in the woods. And I stopped running in the woods because I couldn't breathe properly. And I ran nervously past spiky slivers of tree trunk in the woods in case I fell and impaled myself on them.

It wasn't as much fun as The Eliminator Race. There was less screaming and laughing for a start. Nobody made appreciative noises when I nearly slipped over but recovered my footing. And nobody wrapped tin foil around me and fed me cupcakes when I finished. 

I know. Unbelievable.

But it was fun in a different way. The countryside looked beautiful in the winter sunshine, a huge wild rabbit barely moved as I ran past it, and I got the same buzz from skipping over puddles and rocks as I did last weekend. Overcoming obstacles. Dashing between the trees. Breathing in the fresh air. It felt good.

It would feel even better if cross country running was a regular habit in my life; something that I do a few times a week without hesitation. 

What do you wish you could do that you keep putting off? Put an appointment in your calendar to do it.

I wish... I was a cross country runner (part 2)

We heard the screams before we saw the horror.

"Why are they screaming?" asked Jen.

"Somebody's throwing chocolate at them," I joked.

We were in the first mile of The Eliminator Race, a cross-country run designed to test entrants with thick mud, deep water and gruelling uphill scrambles. It didn't disappoint.

The screaming was from dozens of runners wading chest-high through a pond of dirty brown water with logs floating in it. It was excruciatingly cold, and I overtook a few runners to get to the other side as quickly as I could. It was so deep that Fran and Lizzi swam.

Up until that point we had been tiptoeing our way through the mud. Not any more. The gloves were off. I was wringing water out of mine and cursing that the tissues I had stuffed inside them were sodden. 

The terrain was incredible. We trudged along tracks shin-high in gloopy mud. We slid into rivers and hauled ourselves out the other side. At one point we scrambled up a muddy bank so slippery that I used tree roots like rock-climbing handholds and another runner pulled me up using a fallen branch.

It was a proper adventure. I loved it.

Photograph courtesy of Michaela Coatsworth

My teammates were awesome. Lizzi, who hates mud and stepped tentatively through it at the start, grew in confidence with every mile and got faster and faster. Stuart, whose chest was tight with asthma, showed real grit and determination by pushing on without complaint. I marvelled at Fran who gashed her leg in a water obstacle but chirped, "I'm fine", and carried on running. And Jen steadily picked up the pace and stormed up a hill. It was great to see.

Despite the intense cold and effort, we had fun. We joked around, sang songs and bundled each other into the mud. I felt closer to them as friends. It was, at the risk of sounding cheesy, a quality bonding experience. I recommend it to anyone.

In the final few hundred metres I splashed mud in my eye and blinked furiously through the last two ponds.

Photograph courtesy of Michaela Coatsworth

After which we regrouped and ran across the finishing line together. Team Sunrise!

Photograph courtesy of Michaela Coatsworth

We made it!

Our support crew - Andrew, Michaela, Fergus and Fran's Mum - congratulated us and took photos. Then we collected our medals and T-shirts, wrapped ourselves in foil like marathon runners, and munched on Michaela's delicious chocolate orange cupcakes. I could have eaten the whole tub.

It was over. We could relax. If only we weren't so wet and cold!

We dispersed to get changed. I stood on one side of Fran's car and pulled on boxer shorts under a towel with hands so cold they barely worked. It was awful. How I didn't drop the towel and cause more screaming, I don't know. 

Dry once more, Fran and I bundled into the car with Stu and Lizzi and we turned the heaters up to max. The thaw began...

Our next challenge is to collect the sponsorship money that has been pledged by friends and family, and pass it on to the Barnardo's Sunrise Centre. If you sponsored us, thank you! On behalf of the children and young people and their families who use Sunrise projects, thank you thank you thank you!

Do you wish you were a cross country runner? Or even a hard surface runner? What's stopping you?

I wish... I was a cross country runner.

I need to get back in the habit of going for a run.

I don't run very often. Occasionally to catch a train. Sometimes to catch a young person with special needs when we're playing chase. Now and then, after a few beers, I'll do a Usain Bolt and sprint home from the pub.

Last April I started going to Park Run at Clair Park in Haywards Heath with my best friend Anthony and his Dad, Steve. I went twice. Here's a photo of me overtaking a Dutchman.

It was fantastic. But I haven't been back. Not entirely my fault; I have a job that requires me to work most Saturdays.

I got into cycling instead. Which is great, and it kept me fit (until winter set in), but there's something about running that I miss: the freedom of going wherever I like, and being able to switch between the street and off-road. So much more interesting to leap over puddles and dodge rocks than pound tarmac.

I used to be a cross country runner. It started in secondary school when cross country meant four laps of the school fields. Anthony and I would train on the school grounds at the weekend. Talk about competitive! He would always finish in the top 10 and I'd finish in the top 20. 

I carried on running, or jogging at least, into my early twenties. Then adult life got in the way and I had less time and I moved to a city and excuses excuses excuses... The usual.

Fast forward twenty years (crikey) and this month I wish... I was a cross country runner.

I must confess though - I have ulterior motives...

Number 1: I am taking part in The Eliminator race on Saturday to raise money for the Barnardo's Sunrise Project in Kent, so I'm going to be a cross country runner whether I like it or not. Probably not. Not only is it off-road, it's also off-the-scale in terms of mud, water and freezing temperatures.

Number 2: I want to be fitter. I've hardly done any exercise over the winter, except walking a bit and lifting pies to my face, so I feel out of shape.

Number 3: I already love walking in the countryside, so why not run in it too. I get a boost from fresh air and views and the rawness of nature.

Number 4: I'm in good company. Virtually all of Anthony's family run. So does my sister Rachel and brother-in-law Terry. And my friend Michi has just resumed marathon running after years away from the sport. It would be nice to occasionally run with people I care about.

By the end of February I will go on 10 cross country runs. It doesn't matter whether they are long or short or muddy or dry - as long as I get back in the habit of going out for a run.

What do you wish you could do this month? Tell me, and get started today.