I thought I should post an update on my progress so far against resolutions made in January. I encourage clients to prepare budgets and forecasts and track their performance against these throughout the year, at least at quarterly intervals. I'm clearly at least 6 weeks behind a quarter 1 updated; but still, here is how I am doing against my 7 resolutions for 2015.
1. WASTE LESS. SAVE MORE.
This goes in phases. I was appalling at it last week, and found myself buying lunch 4 out of 5 days. But on the whole, I am making more of an effort to bring lunch with me. Cooking is still so much easier when I am not cooking along; and so I think this goal will improve in the second part of the year, when I no longer live alone.
2. RUN.
Well, I completed the Leeds Half. I didn't do it well, but I learned a lot from it.
First: I didn't train as consistently as I intended to at the outset. I stuck to my 3-4 runs a week, of which one was a long run, for all of.... 3 weeks? For about 5 weeks I ran maybe 2 times a week, where one was along run. And in the last 4 weeks, I only ran 2 long runs. I didn't run at all in the 2 weeks leading up to it. That was not what I should have been doing. So, key learning point one: CONSISTENCY IS KEY.
Second: I didn't treat myself to the new running shoes I said I would (because it turns out car brakes are expensive, and I also chose to buy some flights and hire cars); and so I ran it on some cheap (£15!) ones I'd bought when I was on an away job for work, and realised I'd forgotten my running shoes. I'd only ever intended to run a maximum of 6 miles at a time on them, and for a short period of time - largely because they have very hard soles, and the impact on my knees was therefore not great. Key learning point two: INVEST IN A DECENT PAIR OF SQUISHY SHOES.
Third: I didn't look at the route until maybe 3 weeks before the race; at which point I realised the first 5 miles were up hill, and that I should probably have trained on hills as well as the canal path. Key learning point three: BE PREPARED.
Fourth: I didn't read the race guide, so failed to be prepare for the fact that there were no Lucozade/Powerade/Gatorade stops; just water. And I'd eaten a chocolate croissant for breakfast, because I'd had a craving; so by mile 9-10 my blood sugar was very low; I felt faint, sick, and must have looked pale because 2 different people checked to ask if I was okay (this is a link to my Don't-Pass-Out Face.)This meant that the last - FLAT! - 3 miles, which should have/would have normally been a 9:30 - 10 minute mile ended up being a 12 minute mile plod in which my main concern was not collapsing. Key learning point 4: BE PREPARED SOME MORE.
Considering those things - and the more crucial fact that this was meant to be my attempt at seeing how my back would cope with running again - I'm choosing to be happy with my 2:20 finish; but I'm disappointed that at least 7 minutes were added on in a flat stretch where all I would have needed was an energy drink.
3. TRAVEL MORE.
On track! We went to Brussels to see a school friend. I went to Spain with my mum and sister to clear out our house (more on that at some other point). We went to the Lake District with extended family and spent so much time outdoors, it was amazing. We went to Spain and hired a car and drove around. We've been away for weekends to see family and friends. I'm going to Amsterdam with an old friend in the summer. And we're going to Mexico in October. And those sentences all make me RIDICULOUSLY HAPPY.
4. OTHER.
a. Qualify: I'm on it. I've time-qualified, which means that the minute I pass the case study paper, I'll be an ACA. I can't wait; this feels like it is dragging on a bit now.
b. Read more: YES YES YES. I read 3 books in a week while in Spain, including 2 of Rachel Held Evans. I've also only bought 3 new books this year, because I have banned myself from buying any more until I read all the ones I have already.
c. Less screen time: This comes and goes. We've started watching (or rather, L is re-watching; I am discovering) Orange is the New Black, and I struggle to just watch one episode at a time. Yesterday evening, I wasted the evening on my phone. But then while in Spain, I didn't use screens much at all. This is a work in progress.
The bottom line? "Mistakes are going to be made. Minimise them. Fix them. Move on." Time to get cracking with the improvements where I can.
