Two Weeks and One New Mascot In
Two weeks into training and I think I'm still struggling to get my head round what's about to happen. Partly because there's so much still to do - visa, medical certificate, vaccinations, not to mention starting to collect everything I'm going to need, along with the nagging feeling I'm forgetting something. But also because the entire idea is still preposterous...the fact I can do it now (like NOW) even more so.
It sort of feels like I've been building up to it for so long, these 12 weeks (10 now!) should run perfectly. After all, I've been practising for 2 years. But there's not a hope in hell of that happening! Stick to my diet and training plan perfectly? Please, that would be far too grown up and organised for me to manage. And as for staying uninjured.... hahahaha... if I get to the end of these few weeks in good shape it'll be a bloody miracle. But I'm going to try (really really try!) to remember everything I've learned about training and my body over the last two years and make it work for the next few weeks. And at the end of that I'll run this ridiculous (who even thought of it?!) marathon at the base camp of Mount Everest for HorseBack UK.
See the thing is, when I first learned about PTSD it touched on something. Of all the things to happen to a person, something affecting the mind has to be one of the worst. To have no control over your own mind is to have no control over your world. And I know PTSD can affect anyone who suffers a trauma but when it is a result of your work, the thing you've chosen to put your all into because you feel it's honorable, or its your duty, that's when it becomes really unjust. But to then have little to no support from the very establishment that put you in this situation in the first place is more than a kick in the teeth. It's why people like Jock and Emma Hutchison are so important. People who take an idea to help these men and women suffering PTSD form service in the military and turn it into a working program. The number of people their horses and team have helped is probably countless; each with a story to tell, and each as grateful as the next for the endless efforts to keep the organisation running.
Now, if I can even go a small way to helping in this effort by running a marathon in -20 temperatures with little oxygen and trails with drops to make your head spin then I will. But, of course, it's all a little pointless if it doesn't catch your attention and make you put your hand in your pocket! In fact, you don't even have to exert the energy of putting your hand in your pocket - just text HBUK55 £1 to 70070 ... and that's it! You'll barely notice another £1 on your phone bill and it's totally safe to do. And - most importantly to me! - it'll keep me going in my training, and eventually in this marathon, to know people out there are generous enough to care as much as I do about our guys and girls still suffering from combat.
At this stage it's all about raising awareness about my actual campaign linking to HorseBack which is, of course, #RUNWatsonRUN. Drift and I headed to Aberfeldy to the Highland Perthshire Marathon and Cycle to sell a hell of a lot of cakes under the Run Watson Run banner - all cakes made and donated by my amazing friends, family and colleagues. While not selling as many as we would have hoped for on the Saturday, Drift and I were not disheartened and did a cake selling tour of Arbroath and Dundee on Sunday and finished by selling the last of our goodies at a construction site today. With today's profits added to the weekend's, we made £294. Not too shabby!
It sort of feels like I've been building up to it for so long, these 12 weeks (10 now!) should run perfectly. After all, I've been practising for 2 years. But there's not a hope in hell of that happening! Stick to my diet and training plan perfectly? Please, that would be far too grown up and organised for me to manage. And as for staying uninjured.... hahahaha... if I get to the end of these few weeks in good shape it'll be a bloody miracle. But I'm going to try (really really try!) to remember everything I've learned about training and my body over the last two years and make it work for the next few weeks. And at the end of that I'll run this ridiculous (who even thought of it?!) marathon at the base camp of Mount Everest for HorseBack UK.
See the thing is, when I first learned about PTSD it touched on something. Of all the things to happen to a person, something affecting the mind has to be one of the worst. To have no control over your own mind is to have no control over your world. And I know PTSD can affect anyone who suffers a trauma but when it is a result of your work, the thing you've chosen to put your all into because you feel it's honorable, or its your duty, that's when it becomes really unjust. But to then have little to no support from the very establishment that put you in this situation in the first place is more than a kick in the teeth. It's why people like Jock and Emma Hutchison are so important. People who take an idea to help these men and women suffering PTSD form service in the military and turn it into a working program. The number of people their horses and team have helped is probably countless; each with a story to tell, and each as grateful as the next for the endless efforts to keep the organisation running.
Now, if I can even go a small way to helping in this effort by running a marathon in -20 temperatures with little oxygen and trails with drops to make your head spin then I will. But, of course, it's all a little pointless if it doesn't catch your attention and make you put your hand in your pocket! In fact, you don't even have to exert the energy of putting your hand in your pocket - just text HBUK55 £1 to 70070 ... and that's it! You'll barely notice another £1 on your phone bill and it's totally safe to do. And - most importantly to me! - it'll keep me going in my training, and eventually in this marathon, to know people out there are generous enough to care as much as I do about our guys and girls still suffering from combat.
Drift (my new marathon mascot)
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