Tone up

Right, this is my fifth attempt at writing this particular blog post.

For some reason, the ability to write about my toning challenge has completely evaded me over the last couple of weeks.

Maybe the part of my brain that is linked to writing witty and verbose copy has turned to muscle....

Anyway, let's see how I go writing this tonight (I'm missing the Walking Dead for this #FFS!)

I'm going to write using the medium of bullet points.

Imagine all these bullet points set to The Eye of the Tiger (here's the link so you can listen at the same time)

There, now picture me in lyric doing some lunges......

* Possibly the vainest challenge on my #40before40 list
* Never about a six pack (yeah, yeah - it was really)
* Improving overall fitness
* Strengthen core
* Improve posture (he says slouched over his laptop)
* Never had an issue with legs (running and football)
* Upper body strength a bit rubbish
* Always carried weight around my tummy
* Spent most of September to December 2013 with a football-related groin injury
* Mrs P got me personal training sessions for my 39th birthday with Felicia Sheingold (visit her website and get down and give me 10 burpees now!)
* Did lots of squats, reverse lunges, press ups, crunches, weight work and burpees (I love burpees!) from January to May
* Attempted to eat more protein and less carbs and sugar
* Carried on doing reps at home (often with one of my daughters acting as a makeshift weight)
* Groin injury sorted
* More defintion (thumbs up from Mrs P)
* Still got more work to do (I blame cake)
* Better core strength
* Finished 277th out of 1880 in the Rock Solid Race in Exeter
* Played six football games in 18 days at the end of the 2013/14 season
* Knocked 11 minutes 56 seconds off my Classic Quarter time
* Finished 18th out of 200+ runners in the Rok 5k
* Did my first fell run
* Got down to under 13st (12st 13lbs) for the first time in 15, possibly 20, years.

There, great work people. Take a drink of water, and check out some of the action shots below!

Rock Solid Race, Exeter

About to start my leg of the Classic Quarter

Grrr fell running

Post fell run mince pie

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Rebuilding momentum

So, I'm only three months into the #40before40 challenge, but I feel like I need to start building the momentum again in order to a) get 40 things on my list, and b) start to do them.

I'm a bit of a lists persons and like to tick things off. I often let myself be ruled by my to do list at work and sometimes it's more of a case of crossing things off rather than actually focusing on one task at a time and enjoying it.

Rock Solid was a brilliant experience, but I feel like I ran out of energy after it, so perhaps having a little break has been good.

I also feel like I need to build momentum in the #40before40 blogging. I tend to have more time in the evenings when the girls have gone to bed, but after a day of work or Daddy Day Care, it's easy to put it off.

There's also been the distraction of some good TV lately, like True Detective, that has kept me otherwise engaged.

There had also been a couple of things that seemed like they might not happen, which have played a part in the lack of momentum.

Firstly, it seemed like I'd be unable to do the Classic Quarter again, and hopefully beat last year's time.

For those that don't know The Classic Quarter is a 44 mile ultra marathon that goes along the coast path from Lizard Point to Land's End.

You can either do it on your own, as a pair, or in a team of four. Last year I ran in a team of four and tackled the second leg - just over 13 miles - from Gunwalloe Church Cove to Perranuthanoe.

It took me around 2 hours 30 minutes to complete the route that had lots of steep climbs, two beach sections and lots of mud after pre-race torrential rain and lightening.

My plans to beat last year's time for the leg seemed to have come to an end after our team leader, Richard Wadman (who took on the whole race in 2013), went to register and found the race was full.

Gutted was not the word.

The second thing to make a dent was down to some good fortune for one of clients - the Driftwood Spars in St Agnes.

I'd meet the Driftwood's head brewer, Pete Martin, a few weeks ago and started to plan out a brew day.

We're currently refreshing MPAD's brand and having a party at the Driftwood on 8th May to unveil the new look.

As part of this event, as well as a #40before40 challenge, I was going to brew our own special beer.

Initial dates were set and I was about to undertake some serious research to work out what I wanted to create.

In the meantime the Driftwood had been successful in a plan to expand their brewery. In order to do the work they've had to temporarily close the brewery, right in the window of opportunity for creating the MPAD beer.

So it seemed like no run and no beer.

But just when I thought I might have to cross these two activities off my list without completing them, things picked up.

I received an email from Classic Quarter organisers, Endurance Life, to say that extra spaces had been made available on the Classic Quarter and Richard had booked us on.

Then a couple of days later Pete emailed to say that he'd arranged for us to set up a temporary home at Granite Rock Brewery in Penryn.

I went from gutted to excited, and feel like I'm getting some momentum back in the challenge.

Now, what do I do first - beer or running training?.......

Take part in a Tough Guy / Tough Mudder event

Number 8 on my 40 before 40 list is to 'Take part in a Tough Guy / Tough Mudder event'.

It was during a catch up meeting with one of our clients, the charity CHICKS (Country Holidays for Inner City Kids), that I noticed the Rock Solid obstacle race in Exeter on the charity's new event planner.

I had thought I would have a few months, to get in some training and prepare mentally for the event. 

Instead, I decided there and then to sign up and make sure I have no excuses for not doing an event like this over the next 12 months. 

So rather than a few months, I've now got just 13 days before I head to Escot Park just outside Exeter to tackle 10km of mud, barbed wire, mud, hay bale mountains, mud, fire, mud and running around with a sand bag. 

The running bit is fine, but I feel slightly nervous about the obstacles (my personal trainer has recommended that I head to my nearest DIY shop, buy a sandbag and walk / run with it for a few days to help with training!). 

It's good to know that there will be other CHICKS' runners on the day, so I'll look out for the yellow vests so we can support each other on the way round. 

Here's a video of the event, as well as some pics of my CHICKS' running best and some shots from today's off-road run.

Rock Solid obstacle race film