Number 9... pony hacking in the New Forest

Sitting on a pony I have done. Sitting on a pony while it walks along a track I have done. Sitting on a pony while it is walking attached to a leading rein I have done. Sitting on a pony, controlling the pony myself and learning to do the up and down thing while the pony trots along I had not done until today.

This was an idea suggested and organised by my good horsey friend Jo Hatton who was very relieved to be included in my 40 New Things List doing something she loved and missed doing.

I had the old boy Billy who was a lovely plodder and didn't like having his bum sniffed by other horses and, weirdly, I found this activity far more daunting than the sky dive I did. Also, the risk of spooking the horses meant it was the quietest activity so far!

Halfway through, I began to relax and by the end I had a big grin on my face and was thoroughly enjoying it.

Big thanks to Jo for organising this as well as Paula and Sophie for their moral support and amusement at my nervous concentration!

Number 7 and number 8

Oh my, I've waited a while to have a go at my number 7 and number 8 for some time: a taster ski and snowboard session at our local ski centre. Just 20 mins for each session, but that was plenty of time for me to enjoy skiing, but totally LOVE snowboarding!

I ended up with a one-to-one ski session and learnt the obligatory plough as well as how uncomfortable ski boots are and that they make you walk like you've had a code brown accident in your pants.

In my snowboarding session I was in with a bunch of kids, but I made sure I was the first in the race to get my foot in the bindings and I made the best animal noise going down the slope... which I feel is important.

My ever-loving and patient family came along to support and laugh at me falling over (which did happen while attempting my first mini slope on a snowboard) and all came away with a bit of snowboarding envy... it may end up being a family obsession!

Big thanks to Dawn Allen for continually prodding me to have a go at snowboarding.

Number 6: 20km cycle ride

A scarily early start to number 6 on my list... up at 5.50am and leaving the house at 6.50! It was a 20km bike ride in Beaulieu organised by the fine folk at humanrace.co.uk http://humanrace.co.uk/events/cycletta/cycletta-new-forest

The early start was for my friends' kiddies to enter the scootathon organised and then it was the mummies' turn to go for glory.

We started right at the back of the pack and after an intial shock-to-the-system hill it was all jolly good fun!

We thought we'd get a time of 1hr 30mins, secretly hoped for a time of 1hr 20mins and unbelievably finished in 1hr 04mins and 57sec, joint 8th out of 95 in our category (novice!)

This was done on roads, on mountain bikes with a lot of roadbike-envy watching them going very fast downhill.

Big thanks to my racing partner Heather Olive and to our gorgeous hubbies and kiddies who cheered us on in the rain, although my Doubting Thomas husband decided we wouldn't finish as fast as we did and missed our triumphant finish due to having a wee and getting a cuppa!

Number 5... stand up paddle boarding in the sea!

So, I went along to my surf lesson (courtesy of the good guys down at Surf Steps in Boscombe: http://www.bournemouthsurfschool.co.uk/), but there was no surf to be seen.

However, we had the option of paddle boarding instead. This wasn't on my list as I have paddled boarded before... on a lake. Out at sea is a totally different experience and worthy of my list! http://www.bournemouthsurfschool.co.uk/sup.php

Lots of balance needed but, once standing up and relaxed, what an amazing experience. I'm looking forward to more surf (once I'm properly standing up it will be added to the 'done' section of my list), but if there is no surf I'm happy on a paddle board.

Number 4: The Kamikaze

I had the muddiest time ever achieving my fourth New Thing  For My 40th Year:

The Kamikaze is an 8-mile assault course run consisting of hills, more hills and yet more hills, all of an incline up which I've only ever walked (usually moaning and stopping to 'take in the view'). Not only that, on each lap of the course there were the following...

• Snake's Wedding: An entanglement of rope to navigate
• Kamikaze Slide: 10 meters of plastic and washing-up liquid in downhill fun!
• Bog Crossing: You will get muddy. Very muddy...
• Rope Climb: A hillside so steep it requires a rope to climb it
• River Run: You will get wet. Very wet...

And there's more. These items littered the finish straight:
• Japanese tunnels
• Barbed wire crawl
• 6-foot wall
• Electric box (owies on my arm)
• Grease wall

The most I'd ever run before was about 5 miles and, for the record, a 50-min jog around Bransgore the Friday before the race on Sunday really isn't anywhere near enough preparation.

However, with the emotional and sometimes physical support of my lovely friends Paula Holgate and Sophie Di Leo I got through it, completed the 2 laps, ran 8 miles for the first time and even found some of it hilarious!

The list... read to find out if your idea is in it and you are therefore playing the game! (Names can be added to any activities at any time!)

The list is done!

43 things on it, just in case stuff gets in the way of stuff.

I've put some names to some activities... nothing hard and fast, if you wanna join in any of the activities then the more the merrier!

In doing this blog I realised I'm already on number 3... not bad going for 6 months pre-birthday!

Brownsea Island

Red Squirrels

Drive tank

Watch new sport

Proms

Wimbledon

Campervan trip

Alton Towers hotel

Yurting

Blog

Finish book

Draw a cartoon

Make jewellery

Upcycle

Make booze

Forage and wild cook

Make bread

Grow and use herbs

Grow and use veg

Make choc/sweets

Drumming

Ukulele

Accordion

Skydive

3 Peaks

Longboard

Moonlight bra walk

Race for life as a smurf

Kamakaze

Hand planing

Pier to pier

Coasteering

Parkour

snowboard

Kayak around Studland

Army assault course

Wave board

Kite surfing

Unicycle

Slack line

Bush craft

Magic trick

Pole dancing

Number 2... Go to Brownsea Island

A letter came home from my son's Beaver group about a trip to Brownsea Island... aha, I thought, potential to achieve another thing on my list.

Having been a Brownie and Guide in my youth, Brownsea Island being the home of Scouting was always somewhere I wanted to go to. I've lived in the area for more than 10 years and never got round to it, so mummy volunteering hat on and off I went.

It could have been numbers 2 and 3 if we'd seen red squirrels, however, the 14 noisy Beavers kinda put paid to that. We did see a stag, a fawn, some peacocks and peahens and some peachicks, but I will go back again this year to add red squirrels to my done list.

Progress so far...

NUMBER 1... done

The last 3 weeks have been absolutely manic... 15 days to see family and friends in New Zealand is no time at all.

However, I did start my list in a massive, awesome and crazy way: 15,000ft skydive...1-minute freefall and then playing around with the parachute! The maddest thing I ever did do, with my Forever New Sis:

More than 40 new things

The ideas just keep coming!

I now have a list of 47 ideas, it is very exciting and now I guess I need to finalise my list and get researching and booking.

I love the fact I have such a wide range of activities to look forward too... some adrenaline, some music, some dance, some silly and some outrageous. It kinda sums me up!

I'll post my list soon, but keep the ideas coming!

Starting early...

It's amazing what can happen when you start making plans like my 40th and include lovely family and friends (you know who you are Forever New Sis!).

So, later this month I will be starting my 40 New Things For My 40th Year. A little early I agree, but 40 years ago I would have looked a little like this:


and had a heartbeat and everything, so by my reckoning I can start my 40th year celebrations in New Zealand with a skydive!

How very exciting!

Progress so far...

Up to 38 new things so far... some big, some small but all new stuff. As a serial list-maker, this is the best I've ever made!

I'm nearly 40, let the games begin...

Hi, I'm Sarah Hogg and I am close to turning 40... there I've said it and it didn't hurt too much either! 

I love my birthday and this seems to be quite a biggy so I'm making a year of it. 

I'm going to do 40 New Things For My 40th Year, with a little help from my very understanding husband and collection of fine friends.

I've got a list of 33 things so far and a whole heap of Google research ahead of me.

This blog will be my way of recording all my new things and hopefully entertain anyone who finds it and reads it.

My year doesn't start until February so I have a bit of time to plan, book and save.

All ideas are very welcome, feel free to list them below