This morning "Warming Up" received its 500,000th hit, which isn't bad given that this site has only been up for about 14 months. I know that it is just five of you repeatedly pressing refresh, but even so your dedication makes me happy. You know how much numerical progress pleases me.
Speaking of which, I have found myself without a direct challenge in March (The Marathon being a whole 36 days away) and so I have decided to set myself another difficult task, to get me through this, the hare-iest of months.
Predictably it involves CNPS.
I have become much better at this game this year, having piled on 100 plus numbers in a little over two months. My Marathon training has certainly helped with this, as I am running passed a lot of cars and sometimes, for variety's sake, I do a day of CNPS orienteering as my actual exercise (see Warming Up from last year some time).
So I have decided that for the rest of the month I am to become a CNPS professional (though how I will make any money from it I'm not sure: perhaps by getting other CNPS players to pay me to tell them where the number they require is). In any case I am going to be properly dedicated to the game, in the hope that I can reach 500 before the month is over. As I started today on 448 that leaves me with a mountain to climb - Over 50 numbers in only 18 days. But I've been carefully noting the location of numberplates between 450 and 500 for a few days now and there are less and less gaps in my "Shepherd's Bush numberplates between 450 and 500" knowledge. If I get three numberplates a day I should be able to do this and I predict there will be a few days where I will be able to get significantly more than that.
I did a seven mile run today and my limbs felt fresh and strong. At one point another runner was at my shoulder so I picked up my pace and was able to see him off. The difficulty with running alone is keeping your motivation going. It requires a strength of will, and also a knowing that there is a 449 parked in a street just half a mile away.
I saw three numbers on my run. I am in with a shot at this. Maybe with dedication I will be able to finish this infernal game by the end of the year.
Or maybe I'll get a girlfriend and then suddenly it won't seem so important.
Watch out for my progress in the counter on the home page. And all will me on with my pointless endeavour.
If I can just think of another nine impossible tasks then I'll be up there with Hercules.
