31 tasks

The List Grows

Before fully committing myself to this project I added some further provisional tasks to get more of an idea of what I would be taking on.  Physically, I’d already faced a number of challenges over the previous two years, culminating in the London Marathon this year.  As I was adding to the list I heard that I’d failed to gain a place in the 2009 race, so it seemed logical (can running 26.2 miles ever be logical?) to include Run – complete a second marathon before I turn 31, but in a different location, perhaps radically different, and in a faster time than the 3 hours 47 minutes I achieved in London.

Running: Wet, cold, achy. Committing myself to this task is a no-brainer. Literally.

From the sublime to the ridiculous.  When I was younger I was in the school choir and could warble pretty accurately.  Anyone who has lived with me since then may or may not agree with that, depending on the lateness of the hour, my choice of music and the emptiness of the wine bottle.  Despite my earlier experience (or maybe due to it) I have always shied away from the curious phenomenon of karaoke, so let’s push the comfort zone boundaries and include Sing – simply to get on stage and make a passable attempt at a well-known tune.  I’ll leave the meaning of ’passable’ to whomever happens to be there on that historic occasion.

On the subject of wine, I have been known to enjoy a drink now and then.  To be honest I’m enjoying one right now.  So I decided to include a task exemplifying the sacrificial nature of some of these challenges, and that task is Abstain - no alcohol for one month.  Using it to cook with will be ok as long as the alcohol has burned off.

Following abstinence comes Charity.  I try to make charitable donations when I can, I have a couple of direct debits set up and of course events such as the marathon lead to fund-raising efforts for very worthy causes.  But I can’t help feeling that there is more to it, so I have made it a task to actually give my time and energy to a charity and try to help where it matters for a day.  The details will need further consideration, but the concept is now listed.