20. 2021 End of Year Awards

Originally, around about this exact minute, I was due to be in the Gatwick Airport 'Spoons, uploading a pic of my passport and pint, and flying back home to Luxembourg for Christmas.

However, in a classic 2020s style turn of events, that’s not turned out to be the case. Instead, I’m lying in my flat, self-isolating, riddled with Covid.

Though fear not, this isn’t a plea for pity (well, it is a little bit), nope, in a bid to give myself something to do other than watch Peep Show for the 47th time, I thought why the bloody hell don’t we get a blog post out there!?

So, what to write about?

Well, given my current emotional fragility, I didn’t think that writing about anything too intense was a particularly good shout. Also, let's be honest, at this time of year, the most serious thing we want to consider is whether we go for the Mulled Wine or the Champers to wash down yet another box of Celebrations.

Hang on, Celebrations... there's a good idea (well, an idea at least)... why don't we look back over 2021 and celebrate some of the positives?

10 categories, 10 winners? Yeah, that'll do (slash keep me off Netflix for a little longer).

So here we go. Ladies, gentlemen, non-binary peeps; I introduce the annual Blogs and Dogs End of Year Awards...

1. Quote: “A Black Belt is just a White Belt who never quit”

If we’ve spoken in the last month or so, then considering it’s basically my only topic of conversation at the moment, you’ll know that I’ve recently started Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. And I came across this quote when I was looking into it (slash trying to psych myself up not to be a massive wimp and actually give it a go).

As someone who’s historically been very prone to giving up on things at the slightest sign of adversity, I really like this quote. Generally speaking, achieving anything in this world often just seems to be a case of sticking at it long enough to see the results. I think this quote encapsulates that idea perfectly, and is a bit of a wider analogy for life. There’s a Russian proverb that has a similar message (Christmas bonus coming up!): Patience and perseverance in work will overcome all obstacles. Nice, and a good one to bear in mind when it comes to trying to see off our 9th mince pie on Christmas Day…

2. Podcast: The Joe Rogan Experience #1691 - Yeonmi Park

I’m a Rogan fan boy. And found one episode this year to be head and shoulders above the rest; his interview with Yeonmi Park. It’s impossible to accurately describe this podcast, let alone do it justice. In short, Yeonmi, along with her mother, escaped North Korea, and she goes into detail about the absolute horrors of living in and fleeing the country. It’s as intense, gripping, harrowing and emotionally moving a three hours that you could listen to.

Possibly not one for the festive period, but what a sense of perspective and gratitude it can provide. An incredible woman, an incredible story, and an incredible podcast.

3. Book: The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick McKeown

Two words: Game. Changer. This book does lean slightly towards optimising sports performance, though whether you're into exercise or not, it’s packed full of information that I believe can be of huge benefit to anyone. If we think of health, what usually comes to mind are things like diet, exercise, sleep and stress. We don’t tend to immediately think of breathing; it’s something we just do, and often take for granted.

It may sound ridiculous, but I’m naturally a terrible breather. My short, shallow and chesty breaths are definitely a large contributor to feeling tense, anxious and generally a bit shit. I found the info and exercises in this book - notably nose breathing from the stomach and various breath holds - had an immediately calming and all round positive effect. I can’t recommend this book enough. Breathtaking stuff (sorry).

4. Purchase: RENPHO Massage Gun

My Cristiano Ronaldo “All I Want for Christmas is SIUUUU” Christmas jumper is up there, though in terms of longevity and repeated use, just loses out to the RENPHO massage gun. There’s a load of these available, though I bought a cheaper one not just cos I’m a tight arse, but because I was initially sceptical about the benefits. But bloody hell it’s good. Whether feeling sore from working out, being sat in an office chair all day, or from almost two years in lockdown, I've found it to be a perfect supplement to stretching for ironing out niggles. Even though the last time I flew home I almost got the whole of Stansted Airport evacuated as security thought it was an actual gun, it’s something I use religiously. And similar to the above, have found it to be a game changer.

5. New Exercise: The Pigeon Pose Stretch

Jiu-Jitsu (beepity beep beep) is the obvious choice here, I love it.

However, we’re going with something else. The exercise that I’ve started doing this year that has had the most notable difference on my overall health is the pigeon pose stretch. It may not be the most glamorous, but as someone who’s hip flexors are tighter than their wallet, the positive impact this exercise has had on my flexibility, mobility, and generally feeling less sore has been massive. For me, it's now a regular must-do (a must-coo?)

6. Influencer: Knees Over Toes Guy

OK, appreciate we've got a clear winner for the wankiest sounding category, but I didn't really know what else to call this one haha.

As we're on a bit of a roll with injury prevention, we need to give a shout out to the Knees Over Toes guy. A couple of months ago, I ran the London Marathon (alright, why don’t you write a blog about it!? Oh don't worry, I did, here you go) and getting through it without my achilles, shins, calves and life in general going to shit was basically down to the exercises I stole from this bloke. He’s an absolute legend. Anyway, appreciate this is starting to sound like an injury rehab blog, so we’ll move on…

7. Moment: England at Euro 2020

Come on guys, admit it, England’s Euros run was absolutely bloody glorious! (alright, why don’t you write a blog about it!? Oh don't worry, I did, here you go). I mean, seeing my family for the first time in about a year after lockdown should possibly be up there, but I’m sure Elaine and Rupes would understand.

And in 2022... It's Coming Home!

8. Learn: 80% of our immune system is in our gut

Whether this is my biggest learn of 2021 is admittedly debatable, but it did spring to mind when pulling this list together. Apparently, around 80% of our immune system is in our gut, and therefore (to state the obvious), our tum tums are fairly important to our overall health. I appreciate that someone currently isolating with Covid possibly isn’t the person to be dishing out health tips, but I’ve found that taking probiotics and prebiotics have massively helped my fairly fragile and overly-prone-to-IBS gut.

9. Word: Nuance

Nuance, not nuisance (which, if you’ve managed to get this far, is what you’re probably thinking). Not only does using the word nuance make you sound clever, but in an increasingly polarised and clickbaity world, is something that as a society, our media outlets, social channels and conversations in general possibly need more of. Nuance, great word.

10. Christmas song: Merry Christmas Everyone, Shakin’ Stevens

Having said that, there’s no nuance here. Sorry Mariah, sorry George, sorry Elton, sorry bloke who sang Feliz Navidad, but ooooooh oooh ooh oh ooh ooh ooooh snow is falling, it’s Shakin’ Stevens all day for me!

And on that, time to crack open a Coro and put on the big man!

Thank you very much for keeping me company over the last few minutes, and as we wrap up 2021, all that’s left from Blogs and Dogs is to wish you the Merriest of Christmases and all the bloody best for 2022!

Lots of love, Howie xxx