21. Learn to fire a gun - COMPLETE

For 256 Zloty (that's about £50) in Poland you can fire a gun. Well not just one gun, 4 guns to be precise. A Glock, a Smith & Western, a Shotgun and an AK47 Kalahnikov Rifle.

On a recent trip to Poland with a couple of friends, I found a company on the internet http://www.krakowshooting.com/ and inquired. We signed up and then waited for the plane to land.

At the airport we were picked up by Paul, our driver. A pleasant chap with a taste for Polish rap music and obviously shooting. He put us in his people carrier and off we went.

Now I can't lie to you, I've seen the film hostel. There was a constant thought that this may not end up how we planned. As he drove us deep into the countryside this fear did not subside.

As we turned a corner though we saw a sign for a country club and shooting range. Phew, this looked  more official.

At the range, we signed a book and then we were free to shoot.

I'd played Goldeneye throughout my childhood. I had even shot my mate with a water pistol. This however was different. Holding an unloaded gun was fine, but as soon as the ammunition went it, it got real. The adrenaline kicked in I felt my hand shake.

I guess it's the power you suddenly possess. The feeling that you are now in the possession of a tool that could end a life with a simple squeeze of a trigger. On one hand firing those weapons was an amazing feeling, but on the other hand the feeling of that much power scared the sh*t out of me.

I can't say whether I'll ever fire a gun again, and if I do, I hope it's for recreation, but it's another thing ticked off the list.

68. Go 40 days and 40 nights without any "self lovin'" - COMPLETE

During lent in 2012 I attempted to give up all things sex completely. That lasted 10 days. What I did achieve is to go without an self sexual fulfillment for the full forty days.

I blogged about the entire event. You can read about it here, although you'll have to ask my permission, as the blog got me in a little trouble with some of the people mentioned in it...

http://simplyben40daysandnights.blogspot.com/

5. Get a tattoo (possibly) - COMPLETE

I did it, quite a while ago to be honest, on the 11th February 2012 to give the exact date.

This was my third attempt at getting a tattoo.

Attempt 1 - May 2010
I wanted a Latin phrase on my chest. I walked into a tattoo studio, and he said he's called me once it was designed. In short, he never called so I took it as a sign

Attempt 2 - December 2011
After find the perfect phrase for me, which can be seen tattooed on my body and translates to add a little to a little and it will become a great heap (my surname is Heap), I decided I wanted this tattooed on my wrist. I found a new tattoo studio in town, but they said it was too big a phrase to go on the wrist. Back to the drawing board

Attempt 3 - February 2012
After admiring Megan Fox's tattoo on her side I thought I could get it there. In I walked on the 11th February and got the script tattooed down my side.

Did it hurt? Yes and no. At the top where it vibrated my ribs, it was uncomfortable, but down the bottom, it was actually quite relaxing. At one point it almost sent me to sleep.

So there you have it, another thing ticked off, and in case you don't believe me, here's the proof

42. Have a professional massage - COMPLETE

Oops I nearly forgot to upload this one. On Friday 8th July 2011 I had my first professional massage at the New Orchid in Leeds. Although very scared at first, by the end I was on another planet.

I got the massage through purchasing a lovely voucher on Groupon and before you ask...no there was no happy ending just another thing crossed off my to do list!

38. Run a Marathon in under 4 hours - COMPLETE

Ladies and gentlemen, on the 11th September, 2 days before I turned the grand old age of 27 I completed the Nottingham Marathon in the time of 3 hours 51 minutes and 25 seconds thus completing my challenge of running a marathon in under 4 hours.

Especially for the ladies, here is a link to pictures of me running the marathon and video of my impressive sprint finish - Ben's Marathon Photos.

What I think you'll find most impressive is that in the year 2011, before this race the maximum I had run was only 13 miles, so after the half way point, I was pretty much entering the unknown.

I would also like to say thanks to (and apologise to) my super handsome housemate Michael Addington for running with me for the first 20 miles, before I sped off - you see Mike, I told you all that training you were doing was unnecessary. I would also like to thank the beautiful and uber enthusiastic Laura Stubbs for forcing me to run the 10 mile journey back from work multiple times before the race and demanding that I went sub 4 hours. That little bit of training we did paid dividends.

Another one ticked off the list :)

8. Give Blood - COMPLETE

Ok, it's been a while since I've updated this blog...and also a while since I gave blood, but I have done and here is my donor card to prove it :)

60. Go a whole month (30 days) without drinking - COMPLETE

Actually, I managed to go 31 days without drinking.

Starting on the 3rd January 2011 until the 2nd February 2011, not one drink of alcohol passed my lips. It was an interesting month. I had attempted numerous times before but the longest I been before was 18 days. After a first weekend of torture, it got a lot easier and I learnt the following from not drinking for a month:

• I spend too much money on alcohol
• I feel much healthier when I don't drink
• I'm more productive and less tired when I don't drink.
• The occasional drink can be good for stress levels
• Not drinking can show someone special a different side to you
• There are not enough places in the evening that encourage non drinking

So in future, I will be drinking more sensibly, as I'm loving the extra money I have :)