30 before 30: #15 Get a mani pedi

One of those things that's only really a luxury if you've been a student roughly for forever, but I've never been quite able to justify the expense on something I could do alright myself.  While I have had manicures done in the past they were for the application of those horrendous fake nails that afflict every girl from Essex at some point or another.  A far cry from the relaxing and classy treat I promised myself now. 

Cue Bali and my beloved little sister to the rescue.  For the pirce of about 15 pounds I was washed and massaged, moisturised and polished all while reclining on a gorgeous cream sofa in a beautifully decorated spa - natural wooden beams, sparkly light installations, cream everything else.  It was so very lovely I felt like apologising for the state of my travel and running weary appendages. After weeks of slumming it, it's very nice to feel shiny again.  I could most definitely get used to this and I think I shall. 

30 before 30: Run a half marathon

Well I did it! I can't say I ran it all, but then I don't think very many of the 300 or so people who took part can say so either.  The Speight's West Coaster is one of the toughest marathons in New Zealand, the half course traverses the middle and end of the full one.  With well over a thousand feet of vertical ascent, the first 6 miles is one of the absolute hardest physical things I've ever done.

The race begins on a stretch of Bethell's Beach, over firm black sand and through a shallow river meeting the sea before beginning the brutal climb up the dunes and into the hills.  Any pretensions I had of running the ascent were soon put to bed.  I fell back on my I'm-horribly-under-trained-for-this race plan of 'run what you can and walk what you can't', heeding the advice of my much more race experienced friend Tally, to always start slower than you intend to finish.

The course climbed and climbed over various terrain - scrubby brush, wider parts of grass, extremely narrow sandy cliffs and, just before the midway point, a cruel set of near vertical stairs.  I got splinters in my hands from gorse bushes and sank to my ankles in boggy mud.  I had one small moment of thinking I probably couldn't do this, but realised there was no easy way home and pressed on.

After the aid station, at which I drank more Sunny Delight orange 'juice' in one go than ever in my whole life, the going got a little easier and I picked up the pace.  Not entirely, but mostly downhill, the cliffs were less terrifying on the way down and I was sure the worst was behind me.

Ha! In mile 11, just as I was beginning to think it had to be nearly over, after all, I could see the beach where we'd started oh so long ago, the course turned upwards again through a forest path and along an open field.  Clambering over yet another stye, I looked in mild confusion at the course pointer set in the middle of a small, fast flowing river.  There was another arrow pointing the same way thirty feet downstream.   In case finishing a race with very wet feet wasn't quite harsh enough the final mile of the course took us over a quarter mile of sand dunes that pretty much felt like the Sahara.  If there's anything worse than running on deep, dry sand, it's running on deep, dry sand in wet trainers.

But I did it! It took 4 hours and 25 minutes, though before you judge me the world's worst runner I should point out that the fastest man finished in 2 hours 11 minutes and woman 2 hours 50 minutes, roughly double what you'd normally expect.

Can't wait to chop that in half (at least) on a flat course, but neither can I wait to try more trail running.  Just might wait for the bruises and bumps and scratches and scrapes to heal first. I'm not that tough.

30 before 30: #2 Visit a postcard perfect desert island

You know the sort - white sand, turquoise waters, swaying palm trees and blue, blue skies.  I'd never been anywhere like that before, always tried, but never been able to afford it at all.  It became that mythical place I escaped to in my mind on a miserable, wet and stressful day in an English January (or July tbh), but not somewhere I thought to get to for a while.

Then I somehow found myself in the Whitsundays.  Now I realise this is extremely ignorant of me, but I had no idea the North of Australia was so tropical.  I was expecting red dust, not white sands!  Tropical it is and extremely beautiful.

I took a day cruise out to Whitehaven beach, lay down on the soft sand, watched the crystal clear waves gently brushing up on the shore and thought, 'Check.'  Granted it's not a glass bottomed 5* hut in the Maldives, but for this year and stage in my life, this'll do just fine.  Better than fine.  Perfect.

30 before 30 #17: Get my nose pierced

This has been one of those 'go on do it's' hanging around the back of my head for a while now.  I felt like if I didn't do it now, I never would and it would always be a silly thing I wish I'd done when I was younger.  Why such a big deal for so little a thing? Well, one, my lovely bf asked me not to and, two, I'm petrified of needles.

As far as 'one' goes, he's not seen it yet (yay for terrible Skype video quality!) but I hope once he realises it's very small and pretty he'll like it as much as I do. Also, it's my nose.  As for 'two', I dithered and dithered until I woke up one day and just thought, 'Yes! Let's do it!' and got all excited.  I was nervous, but once I'd set foot in the piercer's I only had to let events take their course and it was over before I'd even thought about it.

Any other nervous peeps out there, it barely hurt.  Your eyes water, but it was honestly nothing.  It didn't swell at all and it's healing nicely.  Best of all, everytime I catch sight of it in the mirror I can't not smile.  I flipping love it!

Lawyers can have piercings, right? No? Oh well...

A little red just after.

30 before 30: The list

It's been about a month since my 29th and the big 3-0 is looming in my head.  I don't want to go back to work and feel like I did when I was teaching - that my whole life was just about my job and everything I loved slid by the wayside.

I love lists and achieving things, so when I saw this idea doing the rounds I couldn't resist getting in on the action.  I think it'll keep some focus on the old work-life balance.  I may be being as over-ambitious as ever, but I'll give it my best shot!

1 - Run a half-marathon
2 - Visit a postcard perfect desert island
3 - Learn three more songs on my guitar
4 - Take the sleeper train to Edinburgh
5 - [to be revealed soon, shhhh....]
6 - Go to Secret Garden Party 2013
7 - Brush up on my German
8 - Cycle more often on my shiny new bike
9 - Replant the garden
10 - Take at least one Brazilian JuJitsu class a month
11 - Bake a three-layer cake that actually looks pretty
12 - Finish repainting the house
13 - Clear out my wardrobe of anything I don't love anymore.
14 - Revisit Lille with my Dad
15 - Get a mani-pedi
16 - Start using my Filofax
17 - Get my nose pierced
18 - Make a real home for my records and track down my top three 'must haves'
19 - Get a mini-skateboard and have fun falling off it
20 - Take a horse-riding lesson with my best friend
21 - Get my driving licence
22 - Take 'The Historian' world tour (even in installments)
23 - Finish that short story
24 - See a West End show
25 - Visit the London museums with my mum
26 - Make icecream/sorbet at home
27 - Go to Bath and bathe
28 - Clear my student overdraft
29 - Get a full health MOT
30 - Do yoga everyday for 21 days

If you decide to join the fun, leave a link in the comments.  I'm curious what would be on your wish list!