Lethal running shoes

On the way home to Santa Barbara I bought some new running shoes that I intend to kill Jeremy with. I ran 3 miles on Monday, down to the pier and back, and he hated it. Its a nice route - as I get fitter I'd like to make it to the end of the pier.
Anyway, I also measured the tubby one so that I can compare him now with his shrivelled corpse at th eend of the year. Subtracting off what I consider to be my own weight, Jeremy is weighing in at 7 pounds. The weight of a newborn child - coincidence? Its interesting to imagine not have to carry him round on a 3 mile run - I expect it will feel liberating.

Jeremy seems to be distributed round three sides of my waist: sucking him in reduces my girth by 3 inches to 34 inches. Since I aim not to go up a trouser size, he'd better not spread any lower as he feels the effects of my gastrocidal attacks. Watch this space - I'm taking him to play tennis on Sunday!

Jack's Resolutions for 2007

I appear to be running a year behind, so a resolution about timeliness might have been appropriate, instead I have:

1. Do it or don't worry about it which I hope isn't as naff as it sounds: it was an alternative to anti-procrastination in that I would simple strike off some tasks, not postpone them and worry about them in the process.

2. As last year, I will try to Fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run.

3. With a judo club within five minutes walk of my house, I should be able to get my judo brown belt this year with regular practice.

4. A 6 minute 40 second 2000m erg score is ambitious, and may coincide with some college rowing: even if it doesn't, it's a great measure of fitness.

5. I only have one long summer holiday while studying medicine, so I want to make the most of it by doing Valuable summer work. Possibly something in West Africa...

6. Spend two hours a week studying French could be accomplished by a one-to-one conversation exchange with some new French lawyer friends in Oxford.

7. The same two hours a week of Arabic will be of a considerably lower standard, but attainable in part by listening to my arabic language CDs while running.

8. I want to Write daily. This could be a letter to a friend or newspaper, an article, a diary entry; anything which isn't work.

9. Start with the end in mind.

10. Play the piano at least weekly was inspired by staying at my parents' house and rediscovering some Mozart piano sonatas.

11. Finally (for now) I want to Go to more exhibitions.

Phil's Resolutions for 2007

Right then, I'm back from darkest Senegal and sitting in Jack's new rooms in Oxford. Very nice. Having thought a little over Christmas I've come up with a somewhat shorter list for this year - partly to be a bit more focused but also to reduce the quantity of failure...

1. There was discussion of my Californian spare tire over the holiday, and I think its time it went. Thanks to my mum for providing the succinctly-worded resolution "Kill Jeremy." I am planning a multi-pronged assault on my gut, involving eating sensibly at sensible times and exercising sensibly. I'll make some initial measurements soon.

2. Earn Your Beers - it's too good to leave off the list.

3. Connected to no. 2, but a more quantitative version: write 4 papers by September. Basically, if I don't do this I'm going to struggle to get the next job. Do please help out with this one!

4. Prompted by conversations with Aziz about the Senegalese attitude to grandparents I resolve to Take Care of My Elders. I can start by phoning Grandad and Auntie Jean a bit more often...

Some of last year's resolutions have, I think, become just part of my lifestyle (the only real success I can claim from last year) - for example, I get reminded automatically about everyone's birthdays now. So, hopefully I can concentrate on just these four this year. And stay in employment...