This is the blog post I have been dying to write for two years.
This is the blog post I have been dying to write for two years. No, seriously, you cannot imagine how much I thought this was never going to happen, and just how excited I am to be typing these words!
This year, I (actually me!) will be flying out to Nepal to complete the Everest Marathon 2017 in aid of the military charity, HorseBack UK.
THIS YEAR!!
As it turns out, the ultra-marathon races I did over the course of last year, and the seriously tough ultra I did this summer have been enough to grant me a place on this year's Everest Marathon rather than having to wait till the next one in 2019.
Despite how excited I am by it all now, it was a big decision to change my mind from the 2019 race to this year's. My initial thought was: "I'm not good enough. I'll be good enough in 2019, but I'm not good enough just now."
It then occurred to me, after a few words from a certain loved one, how incredibly well I undermine myself at every given opportunity. (No, don't click the close button and go back to Facebook - it gets less Dr Phil in a second).
She told me I should really have a read over my previous blog posts as they seem to make out I do very little to train for these races I foolishly sign up for and it's a miracle I complete any of them.
"Well, this is true!" I thought to myself, "I really don't do nearly enough!"
The same person helpfully reminded me of the hundreds of hours I've accumulated on the road and hills over the past two years, the stupid o'clock starts I've had just to fit in a marathon length run before work, the pain and frustration of being injured and having to start it all again, not to mention the tedious cross-training thrown in between.
I started thinking about this a little more - I read over my previous blog posts - and found she was right, I undermine my efforts at every turn better than any abusive trainer ever could!
Just got back from a 20 mile run before breakfast? All very well, but I had to walk one hill! Had to take a week off? Laziness! Never mind the miles I'd done the previous week! Completed a race I believed impossible? Fantastic - but how on earth will I manage it again?!
So... I gave myself a slap, told myself to stop being such a stupid cow, I've trained successfully for the impossible before and hardly anything is going to be different between now and 2019 (I may have done more races but chances are I'll have the same level of fitness and less money because of it!).
"Suck it up, buttercup, you can do it this year, so you're doing it THIS YEAR," I told myself.
It's time to practice what I preach, have a little faith in myself and hope some of you readers can follow my example and gain a little more faith in yourselves, whatever you're planning to do.
We can do this.
It also made me think back to this article which was written before I'd even done my first ultra, and only about 3 months after I'd come up with the whole "Everest idea".
There is a lot to do before the race, though. Like...a lot. The main priority, of course, is to raise awareness and money for HorseBack UK so it's time to get my thinking cap on and raise donations from £626 to £2000 by November!
You can make a donation (and keep up to date) on my JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/run-watson-run
You can also donate by text (which is soooo quick - and safe too!) by texting: HBUK55 £1 (or however much you want to donate) to 70070
And you can follow my progress (and post any fundraising ideas you have) on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/HBUK55/
Information about the amazing work HorseBack UK does with ex-servicemen and women can be found here: http://www.horseback.org.uk/
This year, I (actually me!) will be flying out to Nepal to complete the Everest Marathon 2017 in aid of the military charity, HorseBack UK.
THIS YEAR!!
As it turns out, the ultra-marathon races I did over the course of last year, and the seriously tough ultra I did this summer have been enough to grant me a place on this year's Everest Marathon rather than having to wait till the next one in 2019.
Despite how excited I am by it all now, it was a big decision to change my mind from the 2019 race to this year's. My initial thought was: "I'm not good enough. I'll be good enough in 2019, but I'm not good enough just now."
It then occurred to me, after a few words from a certain loved one, how incredibly well I undermine myself at every given opportunity. (No, don't click the close button and go back to Facebook - it gets less Dr Phil in a second).
She told me I should really have a read over my previous blog posts as they seem to make out I do very little to train for these races I foolishly sign up for and it's a miracle I complete any of them.
"Well, this is true!" I thought to myself, "I really don't do nearly enough!"
The same person helpfully reminded me of the hundreds of hours I've accumulated on the road and hills over the past two years, the stupid o'clock starts I've had just to fit in a marathon length run before work, the pain and frustration of being injured and having to start it all again, not to mention the tedious cross-training thrown in between.
I started thinking about this a little more - I read over my previous blog posts - and found she was right, I undermine my efforts at every turn better than any abusive trainer ever could!
Just got back from a 20 mile run before breakfast? All very well, but I had to walk one hill! Had to take a week off? Laziness! Never mind the miles I'd done the previous week! Completed a race I believed impossible? Fantastic - but how on earth will I manage it again?!
So... I gave myself a slap, told myself to stop being such a stupid cow, I've trained successfully for the impossible before and hardly anything is going to be different between now and 2019 (I may have done more races but chances are I'll have the same level of fitness and less money because of it!).
"Suck it up, buttercup, you can do it this year, so you're doing it THIS YEAR," I told myself.
It's time to practice what I preach, have a little faith in myself and hope some of you readers can follow my example and gain a little more faith in yourselves, whatever you're planning to do.
We can do this.
It also made me think back to this article which was written before I'd even done my first ultra, and only about 3 months after I'd come up with the whole "Everest idea".
I remember going into the newsagents to pick up the newspaper - expecting to have to flick to the back pages to find my story - and being shocked to find my face on the front page. I suddenly realised how major this was and how real I had just made it. I felt sick for days. At that point this really was impossible. I'd done one marathon. That was it. I was so far off being capable of a marathon over serious trail on Mount Everest! And now, almost two years on from that article - a full two years since I first came up with the idea - I'm setting up travel insurance and looking at flights because I've been accepted into one of the toughest marathons in the world.
Don't ever doubt yourself in anything you do. Really, don't.
There is a lot to do before the race, though. Like...a lot. The main priority, of course, is to raise awareness and money for HorseBack UK so it's time to get my thinking cap on and raise donations from £626 to £2000 by November!
You can make a donation (and keep up to date) on my JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/run-watson-run
You can also donate by text (which is soooo quick - and safe too!) by texting: HBUK55 £1 (or however much you want to donate) to 70070
And you can follow my progress (and post any fundraising ideas you have) on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/HBUK55/
Information about the amazing work HorseBack UK does with ex-servicemen and women can be found here: http://www.horseback.org.uk/
Brilliant Shauney, Go Watson Go xx
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