Beard Blog

Number 21 on my list was growing a beard.

Last time I grew a full beard was in January 2008. I did it to keep my face warm when I went snowboarding for my stag do before I married Mrs P. 

Since then I've been pretty much clean shaven every day, especially since Olivia was born nearly four years ago. That includes weekends. 

I just got into a habit of shaving daily. 

I hadn't really planned when I was going to grow my beard, but naming my beer Beardstoker gave me the imputus to be slight more hirsute for the launch at MPAD's refreshed brand / 15th birthday party. 

I decided to start growing the beard on 15th April, which gave me 23 days to grow for the bash.

Day 1 without shaving

The one thing I noticed as my beard grew was that whiskers that had previously been ginger had now turned grey. 

Olivia even asked me if I was going to be Father Christmas. 

I was quite pleased with the beard at our party. It went down well with our clients and associates, as did Beardstroker. 

Day 23

The Beardstroker label

After five weeks the beard started to get slightly messy and uncomfortable, despite shampooing, conditioning and moisturising on a daily basis. 

Day 35

I now had a choice: to invest in a beard trimmer or to go clean shaven again. 

I decided to go for the beard trimmer.

Beard trimmer

Day 36 and a trimmed beard

Seven weeks and half weeks and counting and the beard is still here. 

Trimming every two or three days and continued moisturising is helping. 

Now I just need to decide when and if it goes....

In the meantime, here's a short time lapse film made up of five weeks of beard growth photos.

40 before 40 - The List

In no particular order, here is the list.

There are 21 things on there so far, so suggestions for the other 19 are welcome.

1. Sort finances so we can have a road trip to the USA (east coast) in 2016, as well as buy a bigger home
2. Tone up*
3. Complete second leg of the Classic Quarter quicker that 2013
4. Run 850 miles in 2014
5. Define my role within MPAD
6. MPAD to grow by 10% in 2013/14
7. MPAD to grow by 20% in 2014/15 (the financial year will end after I hit 40, but most of the work will be in place)
8. Take part in a Tough Guy / Tough Mudder event
9. Clear garage
10. Sell old toys on eBay
11. MPAD to achieve ISO14001
12. To win more national contracts
13. Take Liv to watch her first West Brom game (preferably at the Hawthorns)
14. Have a coffee (it's been over 10 years since I drank my last cup)
15. Try a new sport (I'm thinking squash)
16. Christmas Day swim
17. Brew my own beer
18. Go vegan (for a period of time - week or month perhaps)
19. Back, sack and crack wax (suggestion courtesy of Kelly Rowe!)
20. Learn to play Liv's ukulele properly
21. Grow a beard
22. Drive a tank
23. Swim around the Cribbar in Newquay (via Richard Wadman)
24. Sign up for a Donor Card
25. Give blood
26. To score a goal in a competitive football match
27. Be teetotal for a month (depending on how hectic life and work is)
28. List and document the things I've achieved while in my 30s
29. Write a short story (and get it published, if that is possible in the timescale left)
30. Use email less at work and other means of communication more e.g. phone calls.
31. Have a great big party to celebrate being 40
32. Take part in a fell run in Yorkshire
33. Watch The Wire

* Pink = work in progress and not a finished task.