​The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men,
Gang aft agley
 
This might be the first time I’ve quoted Robert Burns in the blog but with Burns night only a few days away, this line from To a Mouse is both timely and very appropriate.
 
In my New Year Resolutions, I spoke about getting good, regular training but I didn’t consider that Mother Nature could intervene.  As you will have noticed, we’ve had a lot of snow, ice and low temperatures over the last week which resulted in both of our classes being cancelled this week.  It absolutely was the right decision given the perils of driving in such conditions, but it did leave me climbing the walls, particularly on Tuesday night.  I resorted to practising kata around the kitchen which kept me moving but may not qualify as a quality training.   
 
As I write this on Saturday morning, it’s still a snowy landscape outside so my local Parkrun was also cancelled so the fitness drive will need to wait another few days to restart.  The good news is that the forecast for the coming week looks better, with temperatures rising again so without wanting to jinx things, we should be back in action next week.
 
Just don’t make any plans with mice just yet.

Two weeks into January and it’s about time I thought of some New Year training resolutions.
 
1. this year I'm going to avoid injury (hopefully!).  I’m sure I’ve made this resolution before, but it applies again for 2018.  The second half of 2017 was frustrating with knee, neck and back injuries, all of which were just serious enough to stop any momentum in my training, resulting in a considerable loss of fitness.  Everything seems to be back in working order again so I’m aiming for some good quality training.
 
2. I will visit other clubs this year, in addition to the two sessions each week at BMAC.  It’s always good to visit other clubs to train with different people but it is something I haven’t done much of in recent times.  
 
3. Similarly, I will attend more courses this year.  In 2017, between injuries, work and life in general, I only made it to two courses, Springburn in February and November’s National Course in Largs.  This year I’m already planning to attend the February Springburn course and the National in March, so I should match 2017’s course count by the end of the first quarter.
 
4.  Perhaps a bit of a stretch but I will visit our Finnish friends for one of their courses.  The next one is in April, but I think circumstances will stop me attending.  However, it’s on the radar and if not April, there is usually another course a bit later in the year.
 
5.  With my injuries behind me, I want to train well and develop my skills.  I’m not going to make any bold predictions of getting my Second Dan in 2018 but at the very least I want to make good progress towards it.
 
6.  Last, and probably least, I will keep the blog a up to date and, with at least half an eye on Second Dan, I will use it to keep you updated on my progress.
 
Happy new year everyone!