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Welcome to Midlife On Earth, a blog of musings and nonsense for dads and middle-aged men everywhere. Covering everything from technology, parenting and food, to topical events, music and sport. Please comment, take part, send in suggestions and share in the struggle. Enjoy.
Latest Posts
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- The Brave Front Episode 6 – Coping with a life-changing health diagnosis and Asperger’s – Dr Nicholas Peat
After receiving a life-altering diagnosis of severe Crohn’s disease, Dr. Nicholas Peat found himself plunged into a new reality that tested his mental resilience like never before. Juggling the complexities of Asperger Syndrome alongside his role as a seasoned GP and a father of two, he encountered challenges that seemed insurmountable both professionally and personally. Straddling the precipice of despair, it required tapping into untouched reservoirs of inner strength and seeking assistance from dedicated professionals to reshape the course of his life. Today, having embraced audacious lifestyle adjustments and fortified by unwavering support from his family, Dr. Peat extends a supportive hand to those grappling with the intricate intersections of physical and mental health challenges. Listen to the show - The Brave Front Episode 5 – Living with autism and making it in the music industry
Music Producer Andrew Kingslow joins us to discuss his journey with autism and how he hopes to change the music industry for other neurodivergent musicians. - The Brave Front Episode 4 – How Sleep Affects Mental Health
How well do you sleep? Discover how sleep affects our mental health, both positively and negatively, with Professor of Neuroscience Matt Jones in the latest episode of The Brave Front. - The Brave Front Episode 3 – Wim Hof, breathing and the cold
Is there a link between breathing, extreme cold and positive mental health? Wim Hof instructor Chris Ashworth believes there is and explains more in Episode 3, including how you can try it for yourself.. - The Brave Front – Bonus – Andy’s Man Club
All you need to know about this bonus episode of The Brave Front with Darren Edwards, from Andy’s Man Club. Includes a full show transcript and information on what to do if you are at a point of crisis. - The Brave Front Episode 2 – Francis Benali MBE
Southampton FC legend Francis Benali MBE gives us an insight into the mental strength needed to achieve the seemingly impossible. From a 20-year career in football to ultra endurance challenges, Franny shares why we should all step outside of our comfort zones. - The Brave Front Episode 1 – Alex Staniforth
The Brave Front Episode 1 is out now on all the usual podcast platforms, featuring an interview with the inspirational Alex Staniforth. Read the full show transcript here. - The death defying Strava segment
Regular runners will know that no run really counts, unless it’s on Strava. Furthermore, it usually has to have one or two segment records and a smattering of kudos from your fellow runners to make it feel worthwhile. I have been a Strava user for as long as I can remember and, I admit, I am fairly addicted to it. So much so, that it is one of only a tiny number of apps on my phone that I actually pay the premium rate for. One of the benefits of Strava Premium also happens to be its route planner which, when you’re away from home, can help you to find well trodden running routes around the places you are visiting. I have used this feature numerous times, either with a recommended route, or plotting my own on Strava’s excellent interactive map. Every time, once sent to my watch, I have been faultlessly guided around my new locale, courtesy of the occasional vibration on my wrist telling me to turn left or right. However, on holiday in Mallorca this week, I used the feature to plot a route from our hotel, along the coast and home again. I could see that the route ran beside the sea and fully expected a scenic trot along a well trodden coastal path. The purple lines on the map showed me that other runners had taken the route, so I had no reason to expect it to be anything other than a safe, seaside 5K. A short while later, however, I found myself on what can only be described as an utterly terrifying, one-wrong-step-to-death, scrabbly, cliff edge. ‘On route’ – my watch confirmed, which meant that I had to go on. Slowing to a walk, I gingerly made my way along the precarious path, thinking how this wouldn’t be allowed in the UK and imagining the ‘holidaying Brit plunges to death’ headlines, followed by the forensic analysis of my ‘Strava over common sense’ foolishness. At one point, the path narrowed to no wider than a paving slab, with certain death on one side and a couple enjoying the view from their private garden on the other. Taking the sensible option, I therefore asked the Mallorcans, in my best ‘stupid Englishman’ non-Spanish, whether I could get back to the road through their house. With a wry grin that suggested I wasn’t the first errant runner to ask, the husband waved me into the garden and guided me through his beautiful house and back to the safety of the pavement. I have never felt so grateful to be back beside a road and, over the remaining few kilometres, I thought back over how close I had been to death and felt an almost overwhelming guilt. How could I have been so stupid to have risked it all? I am so lucky to have such a wonderful family and to think that a Strava segment could have taken me from them, was almost too much to bear. So, I ran home quicker than I otherwise would have done, in order to see and be with my family, relaxing by the pool. Once home and showered, and having relayed the story to my wife and children, I then did the only sensible thing I could do under the circumstances. I uploaded the run to Strava, complete with photos! - The Brave Front – New podcast launching soon
All you need to know about The Brave Front – our new men’s mental health podcast, launching soon on your usual podcast platform. Sign up for the newsletter and listen to our trailer. - Brits in the sun – a climate change conundrum
Climate change is having a strange impact on Britons and their love of the weather. Will it ever be the same again? Or are we going to have to change the way we talk about the weather forever?
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