"So we all, are growing old, and it's getting old...
...Suddenly, we decompose, but we're not alone"
(Silversun Pickups - Growing Old Is Getting Old)
Depressing isn't it?
Not as depressing as finding out you turn 30 on Friday the 13th of December 2013. If there was a 13th month, it would've probably been then.
Today, there are precisely 19 months until my 30th Birthday. And dammit, I'm not just going to let it creep up on me.
You see, I don't feel that old, in fact I'm one of the most childish people I know. I binge drink like I'm still at uni, love my Xbox and still find Family Guy and South Park hilarious. On top of that, I'm probably not far off the fittest I've been (and a good couple of stone from the fattest) for a while - yesterday's Tough Mudder is at least some proof of that.
So, last Thursday. I signed up for a marathon. Actually, I signed up to 2 within 8 days next April (although I probably won't get into the London one). Having done that, I thought "why stop there?".
I spent a lonely Virgin Train journey back from Coventry to London googling "bucket lists" and coming up with load of my own to get to the magic "30 by 30" list.
I set myself a couple of rules. The first was obvious - if I've done it before, it can't be on the list. The second was that with the exception of the marathon (which I counted as #1 on the list) the list can't include anything I'm already planning to do. Not insignificant events such as getting married, going on honeymoon and the aforementioned Tough Mudder were too certain to make the cut - where's the challenge in that?
So, here's the list as it stands - I've divided it into a few sub-categories. I'm giving myself until the 13th June (18 months before the big day) to chop and change the list and then the fun starts.
A load of these will be more fun with friends - and a few won't be possible without! I've already had some interest from a few for a few, but please let me know!
Fitness
(1) Run a marathon <DONE>
(2) Do the 3 peaks challenge <DONE>
(3) Get a six-pack / get properly tonk
(4) Cycle home from work (approx 100 miles) - or another similarly long ride
(28) Do an Olympic distance triathlon
(28) Do an Olympic distance triathlon
Travel
(5) Take "the Spog" (our Mini Cooper S) on a Whisky tour to Scotland <DONE>
(6) Go on a West Coast USA road trip - Vegas is mandatory
(7) Stay in the Ice Hotel <DONE>
(8) Go on a French wine tour - Ideally on bikes
Skills
(9) Take a wine tasting course
(10) Learn to dance <DONE>
(11) Learn a full song on the guitar and sing along while playing it <DONE>
Challenges
(12) Dive off a 10m diving board - head first
(13) Have an ice bath
(14) Go without food for a day, only drinking water
(15) Go potholing / caving
(16) Do the bungee jump from the start of Goldeneye in Switzerland dressed as Bond
Experiences
(17) Eat at the Fat Duck <DONE>
(18) Take part in a flashmob <DONE>
(19) Go off-road motorbiking <DONE>
(20) Bet £250 or more on red or black in Roulette
(21) Go an a "Zombie Hunting" day with friends <DONE>
Do Something Good
(22) Volunteer for something (charitable!) <DONE>
(23) Give blood
Be An Idiot
(24) Adopt an accent for an entire day
(25) Attempt a backflip (hands or no hands - no need to land it!)
(26) Wear my pink suit with cowprint lapels, matching cowprint tie and bowling shoes out <DONE>
(27) Attempt to light a cigar with a £20 note
Party like a young person
(29) Do a row of at least 30 Jagerbombs (I don't have to drink them all myself...) <DONE>
(30) Throw a party for at least 200 people on my 30th Birthday - Friday 13/12/13
So that's the list as it stands - now for the why. Stop reading here if you don't care, otherwise here's some of the reasons behind the list:
Did my 1/2 marathon last year. Swore to myself I've never do a full one. Changed my mind. Now I'm booked into Brighton next April and waiting to hear about London the week after.
(2) Do the 3 peaks challenge
This just sounds like a good fun group thing to do. 24 hours, one car and a lot of driving and walking. Everyone I've spoken to that has done it loved it.
(3) Get a six-pack / get properly tonk
I've been meaning to do this for a while. Like, since I was 12. Now I've worked out how to shed fat fairly quickly (thank you Tim Ferris and your "Four Hour Body" book) I wonder how far I can push it?
Apparently they say "Chest is Best" so I'm keen to either cut fat until my abs are unleashed or pack on some serious beefcake until I can do the "Man 'O' Man" pec dance. Maybe I'll do both.
(4) Cycle home from office in Coventry (approx 100 miles) - or another similarly long ride
I've been commuting quite a bit to my job's sister office in Coventry. I've always talked about cycling to work (the London one that's a 10 min ride away). I decided to skip that step and just do a bit of a longer ride...
(5) Take "the Spog" (our Mini Cooper S) on a Whisky tour to Scotland
I like Whisky. I love my car. Scotland makes the best whisky and has excellent roads. No brainer really.
(6) Go on a West Coast USA road trip - Vegas is mandatory
Sticking corporate expenses on my Amex has earned me enough airmiles for a 2-4-1 flight to the USA. We did the East Coast last summer (and it was awesome). Now it's time for the West. Maybe then the rest of the Hardcore 4 (my bestest buddies) will stop banging on about how awesome Vegas is...
(7) Stay in the Ice Hotel
This looks cool.
(8) Go on a French wine tour - Ideally on bikes
What better way to put our new found wine tasting skills (see number 9) to the test that a vineyard cycle through Bordeaux?
(9) Take a wine tasting course
We're going to need something to fill our time after the wedding - wine seems like a good option.
(10) Learn to dance
My dance moves are all gardening themed: The lawnmower, the sprinkler, the worm.
It's time to expand this into the kitchen (salsa or Tango) or the park (swing)
(11) Learn a full song on the guitar and sing along while playing it
I have a guitar. Two in fact. I can only play More Than a Feeling by Boston (which is a tune mind you). I would like to learn another song - one I can sing along to.
(12) Dive off a 10m diving board - head first
I've back-flipped off a 1m board, done 1 1/2 somersaults of the 3m, and done a handstand into a dive of the 5m board. Apparently there's only 3 10m boards in England - I must dive off one.
(13) Have an ice bath
(14) Go without food for a day, only drinking water
Why not?
(15) Go potholing / caving
This is one of my biggest fears - and I couldn't find anything good to do with spiders. Getting stuck while crawling through a small tunnel, even worse if it's filled with water, scares the bejesus out of me. I said I'd never do it. I think I probably should.
(16) Do the bungee jump from the start of Goldeneye in Switzerland dressed as Bond
The most iconic moment of any film of my youth - I watched Goldeneye in the cinema for my 12th Birthday. A drive to Switzerland to plummet 220m from the top of a damn sounds like a good way to spend a weekend.
EDIT: This simply has to be done whilst dressed as Bond - ideally black tie, with martini in hand
(17) Eat at the Fat Duck
I like food. More importantly I like weird food and this is as famous as weird food gets.
(18) Take part in a flashmob
I love the whole concept of flashmobbing - random organised chaos. But flashmobs are for the yoof - over 30s taking part is just embarrassing.
(19) Go off-road motorbiking
Whilst zipping to school aged 16 at a top speed of 30mph on my little red moped, I often dreamed it was an off-road dirtbike. I have to give this one a go!
(20) Bet £250 or more on red or black in Roulette
Just imagine how good the night out would be afterwards if I won!
(21) Go an a "Zombie Hunting" day with friends
Living an Xbox game? Yes please!
(22) Volunteer for something (charitable!)
Anyone who knows me (or has read my thoughts on chuggers) would think I am un-charitable, un-caring capitalist bar-steward. Most days, you'd be right. But I occasionally text £5 to Comic Relief you know! I reckon it's about time I did something good.
(23) Give blood
Being good is easy - and I quite fancy trying the light headed feeling after giving blood.
(24) Adopt an accent for an entire day
I do an awesome brummy accent. May not do this on a day I'm working in Cov
(25) Attempt a backflip (hands or no hands - no need to land it!)
Backflips are cool.
(26) Wear my pink suit with cowprint lapels, matching cowprint tie and bowling shoes out
In Vietnam, I got myself a tailor made pink suit with cowprint lapels, matching cowprint tie and some tailor made bowling shoes. This cost me $50 and I have never worn these items outside of the comfort of my own home - it's time for that to change!
(27) Attempt to light a cigar with a £20 note
Apparently illegal - but totally gangsta
[OLD] (28) Have a comedy professional photo shoot (possibly a couples shoot with friend(s))
This is the one I'm least sure of. I think a romantic couples photo shoot (I'm visualising fields with daisies and hay bails) could be quite funny with a mate. Not sure though - any better ideas please shout!
[NEW] (28) Do an Olympic distance Triathlon
I just couldn't get past the fact that my previous 28 was a bit rubbish. Instead, I have signed up to the Virgin Triathlon in July 2013!
(29) Do a row of at least 30 Jagerbombs (I don't have to drink them all myself...)
I seem to remember doing a big row of these at a former employer's offer dinner, but I don't think it was quite 30 of them. The prospect of 30+ shots of Jager falling into Redbull at the same time is a good one.
(30) Throw a party for at least 200 people on my 30th Birthday - Friday 13/12/13
What better way to finish off the list than with a huge party on my 30th birthday. Yes, I know this is technically after I am 30 but the opportunity seems to good to miss.
This will be quite a challenge - I definitely don't have 200 friends so organising this will be tough. So please come along - bring your friends, get them to bring their friends and it could have a chance.
So that's it - 30 things, 18 months. It won't be easy but I'll give it a damn good go!
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