So now I have ‘a writing blog’

Yep, I’m one of those people now…desperate wannabe writers blogging for fruitless endeavors and little money.

Anyway, the blog is called Frank the Writer because I couldn’t think of a better name. How about that! I do love irony.

The plan is to write up to a few hundred words per day, ‘live’, so to speak, on the site, and every now and then gather up all the words into a chapter, then do another chapter, and on and on until I have a story.

I’ve never done anything like this so hopefully it becomes something like a completed work and then I can self-publish it as a Kindle book or something! Whoo!

So (cue very tired and lame attempt to get pity visits) if you’re bored and lonely and want a laugh, head on over to my writing blog and have a look.

Had a run on Saturday, then mountain biking last night

I started up mountain biking last night after a winter layover (my poor bike…the last time it was ridden was when I put it away before November sometime, and I didn’t even wash it!). Notice how it was cold and wet? Yeah…that was how it was on the trail – then toss in ankle-deep mud in inky blackness and it was VERY difficult to stay upright most of the time.

Surprisingly my legs aren’t as tired as they were on Sunday (I ran a few miles Saturday morning) so I guess I’m sorta used to it already, which is cool.

I’m going to use the biking as training for the marathon, so I’m counting it as my Monday run, then I’ll run Wednesday mornings or Thursday nights (I’m busy most Wednesday nights) and then run again on Saturdays.

Going to do a marathon

Yeah. A freakin’ marathon.

This is part of my Day Zero Project, which for me officially started last Thursday, January 13th.

I posted about this a couple of posts back, then didn’t make time to make a post on the ‘official’ start date, which is 1001 days before my 40th birthday. By then, I plan to have completed 101 goals that will hopefully have made me more confident, fun, outgoing, blah blah blah – basically it’s just a list of things I want to do, and 2.7 or so years is a reasonable enough time to do this kind of thing. So there it is.

The marathon is just one thing on the list. I should probably get going with some of the things that are, like, ‘do this thing for a week’ or whatever. I’d hoped to have finished The Count of Monte Cristo (the book, I’ve seen the movie a few times) so I could start ‘fresh’ with the 101 books I want to read in the next 994 days, but since I was less than halfway through it a week ago I think I can count that as one of the books I’ve read during this time. Next I’ll read some other, shorter, faster books to get on track because there’s still a way to go just on the book-reading list.

One of the things I was conscious of when making this list of 101 things to do is to not list too many things that will cost a lot of money. I’d love to have a track day in a Porsche, for example, but that would cost a few hundred quid, so I left things like that off. Same thing with jet boating across the Atlantic or learning to fly a real helicopter. Some things will cost money, like hiking across England on the Coast to Coast trail – that’s 2 weeks of walking and at least £600 in total just for food and B&B accomodation, but most of the things are simple and free. The marathon entry fees will be £37 and maybe the cost of a new pair of running shoes (£70-90), and that’s it – I’ve got running shorts, shirts and socks, plus GPS apps and music on my phone.

So here’s hoping I finish! I’ve got a £5 bet riding on this.

Day Zero Project

So here is something I thought would be cool to take part in: the Day Zero Project.

The idea is to skip short-term, easily done things or New Year’s resolutions and complete 101 goals in 1001 days. That’s roughly 10 days to complete every task, whether it’s climbing a mountain or sharpening all the knives in your kitchen.

So here’s the gist

The Challenge: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria: Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on your part).

Why 1001 Days? Many people have created lists in the past – frequently simple challenges such as New Year’s resolutions or a ‘Bucket List’. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips, study semesters, or outdoor activities.

The official web site for the Day Zero Project isn’t working as I type this, but their Tumbler blog is working OK and has a lot of great ideas to start with.

I added a new page to my website that will compile all the goals I have added, so they’re easier to find than spread out on a bunch of blog posts.