Aims for 2019

After a rocky ending to 2018, my first goal of 2019 is to make sure the 5 hour distance between me and home does not mean I do not get to get back or catch up with my family as much as I am used to when I was in Birmingham. Family is most important and I will be making sure there are plenty of opportunities to get together face to face.

After successfully hitting my target of 5 new countries are year for many years now, I am giving myself the same target which would take me to the 50 mark. I already have a trip to Sofia and Prague in the diary which would tick off two new countries so I have 3 to target then. I intend to do Croatia (A) for Wales and hopefully a Europa League (A) takes me to another new country too.

Running is undoubtedly going to be a massive part of my 2019 (hoping for an injury free year). I have 3 x half marathons booked, the Snowdonia one in May, Conwy in October and Bangor in November and I would like to beat the previous time on each. These 3 form the Three Castles Half Marathon Challenge and it would be a great way for me to get my first taste of Half Marathon distance, in my own country and running in 3 special places. I do love a castle so that partnered with my new hobby and being in my home nation, it could be a great year. Obviously I want to also ensure I hit my £1000 target for Save The Rhino International too.

I have plenty other running related goals. I have many 10km races in the diary already but I want to do a whole host more and I am getting my first taste of a 10 miler in January also. In addition to this I want to race at Run Norwich which looks like an amazing event.

I want to rack up at least 20 other GoodGym deeds this year and clock up another 20 Parkruns. On the days I am running races on the Sunday I intend to volunteer and would like to volunteer another 15 times which would take my total to 18.

With all the running I am still hunting the final stretch of ‘Operation Don’t Be A Fat Bastard in Norwich’. I have lost 2st 1lb but I want another 1/2 stone by the half marathon in May and an additional 1 inch around the waist (belly button) after losing 4.5 inches since I moved back. I also intend to get to the gym in February to start doing some chest/back/arms work which I have no done since going hardcore cardio when I moved back.

Time wise I want to crack sub 20 minutes for my 5km and sub 42 minutes for my 10km this year if at all possible. I feel like I have it in me, so I am gunning for those times.

Unfortunately, I still think The Arsenal Away and the goals above are incompatible so I will largely continue my break from The Arsenal until the end of the season, apart from Euro Aways and the odd game. I miss all the absolute wrongun’s though but I will be back on the Away Trail and Jager soon don’t worry about that 🙂

Being back in Norwich over 6 months now, being part of Goodgym and Norwich Road Runners, I need to crack on meeting new people and re-building social base. The first 6/7 months have flown by and am over the moon to be back so at some point I need to not obsess so much about the running/operation DBAFBIN and get out and about!

I am buzzing to go to New York yet again in March, it is normally January so it’s weird not going this month but moved the trip because the row of home games in the Nassau Coliseum rather than the Barclays Center. I cannot wait to go back to the Barn to watch the games where it all started with me and my beloved New York Islanders!

All my focus in 2018 was multiple countries and small trips (many football) but I think in 2019 I also need to have a decent stretch holiday where I get a little bit of sustained time of work. I have booked that 18 days for the price of 9 so I can currently working out what to do and where to go in that big lump of annual leave.

In terms of Job and finances, I have had a great first 6 months in this new job back in full time permanent work. Everything is going great but would like to progress now settled and valued there. Come March I also want to ramp up saving again to start having a view of when I may want to look at my 2nd property, although being completely honest… I am coming around to the idea of not bothering and renting here forever having that flexibility to move about whenever.

I have the Manic Street Preachers booked for May which should be epic because despite not being a gig person I did say last year I need to see the Manics live before they pack it in (if they ever do).

I need to finish Read Dead Redemption 2 and re-play Shenmue 1 & 2 before shenmue 3 comes out. I am not a big gamer though and hardly ever on the thing so must force myself to get through them. I need to be quick because when Shenmue 3 comes out it is Ps4 only so I need to ditch the Xbox One and get a PS4.

The read a book a month goal is back with a vengeance, let’s hope I can stick to it better this time and list the 12 books I have polished off in 2019!

The last 2 things I want to do is book a marathon for 2020 and book a mega trip for 2020 which I will unfortunately be missing this year due to readjustment to full time employment. I am pretty close to sorting that already with having a place reserved on a 21 day Africa Trip for May 2020. I really want to end the year fundraising for Save The Rhino by looking forward to a trip to try and see these amazing creatures in the wild. The trip I have provisionally booked covers Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and includes multiple safaris and a Gorilla Trek.

I hope everybody has an epic 2019, do not wait for thing to happen, get out and make them!