So enough of all this World Domination rubbish....

So what's been happening in the rest of my world?

Yes how am I getting on with the Sixty by Sixty?

You can see if you check down the right hand side of the screen, except of course if you are viewing on the mobile version of the blog, when you won't see anything! You need to scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “View Web Version” to see it.

Those in red are yet to be done, those in amber have been booked and those in green have been done; yes not that many are there?

The first to be completed was No. 26 Taking part in the Ride to the Wall back in October:

No 46 Going on a Spa day was ticked off soon afterwards, with a visit to the Y Spa at Wyboston

Then we had a short break in Paris and did No. 8 A visit to the fascinating Pere Lachaise Cemetery.

And No 51, Visit the Sacre-Coeur (something I had somehow managed to miss on all my previous visits). 

We had planned to do the original No.7 too, a visit to the Klimt exhibition at the Attelier Lumiere but unfortunately it was fully booked. There could have been a lot more in Paris but I’m reluctant to add ideas that just happen and to be honest a lot of the things we did were not my first time

A day out in London saw us taking a trip on the London Eye complete with Champagne reception (No.1) 

And then an Interactive experience on the Golden Hinde, which was of course drinking Rum Cocktails whilst dressed as a Pirate! (No. 50).

Another (admittedly last minute) trip to London saw us at the O2 to see Michael MacIntyre, No 49 done and dusted!

In January I ticked of the replacement No. 7, compete in a Long Distance Trial when I entered the Clee Hill Trial and then backed this up with an entry in the Launceston Classic Trial in February.

The last one to be completed was No 25. Learn to Snowboard, when I took part in a day long course at the Snozone in Milton Keynes, still some work to be done there but I’ve made a start. This was part of a long standing deal with Grainne, I agreed to learn to Snowboard if she got her motorbike licence, as she passed her test in September 2017, I was lagging behind a bit but I got there eventually.

I had my second lesson the other day and whilst I made some progress I think I need at least one more before hitting the slopes. Three hours of fairly intensive training was extremely fatiguing and my myasthenia kicked in big time! At least when we go away I can choose to take a break whenever I want to!

That leads us into those that are booked, the snowboarding training is of course in preparation for our holiday in Bormio, Italy in March (No 45).

No 2, A Hot Air Balloon has been paid for as I bought a pair of tickets for Grainne’s birthday last year, we just need to decide when and where and make the booking.

And finally riding the UK leg of the Trans Europe Trail (No. 47), If I go back over my 40 years of trail riding in the UK, it turns out that I have ridden a large proportion of the route at various times, just not necessarily in the right order! So I've definitely started, the challenge will be to fill in the gaps.

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Of course my 60 by 60 list was created before either my diagnosis with Myasthenia Gravis or my Heart Attack, so I am in the process of reviewing some of the list to see if they are still possible.

The ones involving climbing mountains will be challenging but not impossible, although Snaefell on the Isle of Man will be OK as it has a railway to the top (I never said I had to walk).

The Lands End Trial may be a challenge because the ACU (Auto Cycle Union) are putting some pretty onerous requirements on me before they will renew my race licence. These will involve having to take a medical and successfully complete a stress echocardiogram, which will cost me over £500 with no guarantee that I’ll be able to reach the required level of fitness. 

At the moment the trials events I’m entering are organised under the auspices of the AMCA (Amateur Moto Cross Association) who have no licence requirement and merely require me to sign to declare I am medically fit to compete on the individual entry forms. The Lands' End however is an ACU sanctioned event, I have decided that the cost is not worth the effort for a few UK Rallies so have asked if the same requirements apply if I only take out a "trials registration" rather than an enduro licence.... watch this space!

The Hellas Rally is not affected as I don’t need a race licence for the class i'd enter but to be honest, whether I am fit enough to compete in a seven day rally again remains to be seen.

And the Lands’ End to John O’Groats combined with the four points of the compass by motorcycle may have to be reconsidered as to do it in one trip is a 2,250 mile ride. It might have to be broken down into three separate trips: 

1. Ardnurmurchan Point, Dunnets Head and John O’Groats. 

2. Lowestoft Ness and 

3. Lands’ End and The Lizard (although I have previously visited the Lizard by motorbike).

And finally a parachute jump might be problematic too as the BPA (British Parachute Association) medical declaration form asks you to confirm amongst a variety of conditions:

1. I am not receiving any regular, repeat medication (I am) 

2. I have never received prolonged courses of steroids or high dose steroid treatment (I do)
3. I have never had fractured or broken bones (I have) 
4. I have not had torn tendons, ligaments or cartilages (yes again) 
5. I do not have any form of heart disease (well clearly I do)
6. I have never had a heart attack (of course I have)
7. I do not have raised blood pressure or hypertension (I do, although it is controlled - see 1 above)

So that’s me potentially buggered on seven separate counts! Whilst it says that many of these conditions may be allowed following a medical assessment, it states that "Ischemic Heart Disease is an unacceptable risk factor". It seems this is not because of the parachute jump itself but the potential effects of flying at up to 15,000 feet without oxygen. Oh well back to the drawing board!