Toddler-tantrums... still okay to have them at 23, right?
Where to start, where to start, where to start..? Well, you could say the past couple of months have tested how much I want the end goal of this project; perhaps that's the sentence to start on.
There have been blips, hiccups, melt downs and, in my usual style, tears at the side of the road at 4 o'clock in the morning whilst throwing bits of gravel at the ground in a full on toddler-tantrum (I was completely on my own you'll be relieved to note; any passer-by would have had me sectioned at first sight).
From having an idea, more than a year ago, that it might be possible to gather up a team of veterans to head out to the Amazon for the annual BTU Amazon Jungle Stage Race to highlight the importance of addressing veterans' mental health issues... it became clear I'd have to re-evaluate the plan... Bear with me, I rather think the point of this blog is to get things straight in my own head half the time!
It was firstly pointed out to me that this journey I'm embarking on is vitally important for highlighting the power of adventure and inspiration in everyone, not just veterans. Okay, we can work with that.
It also became apparent pulling a team together is near-on impossible when you're just one girl with a crazy idea and not much support in place. Rather like trying to get a foot on the property ladder or chasing jobs that require experience in the field of work you're trying to get into. Who's going to take a chance? Well, shit.
So, after dozens of emails, phone calls, meetings, re-planning, re-planning and more re-planning, I still didn't seem to be stepping forward more than an inch at a time. But I couldn't bring myself to slam the lid, declare everything hopeless and turn my attention to "realistic" life plans. I knew this idea could work, but my approach needed to change.
It was time to think about what I could do. Not a team, not a support crew, just me. And that really just brings us to a grand total of three things: I can run, I can write and I can dream (quite obsessively at times!).
Cue the F**k It moment whereby the "Enter" button was clicked, the Oh F**k moment at realising I had managed to accidentally enter the 2019 Jungle Ultra instead of the 2020 race, and the Thank F**k moment when I received an email to say it had been corrected.
I created a new Facebook page and look for the project: "Watson's Project X", and thoroughly set my mind to creating a journey for people to follow, gain inspiration from and take solace in. I will encourage every person from every walk of life to take up their own Project X, whatever that may be, and hopefully show the power of adventure in healing, restoring and strengthening the mind, through my own joyful, painful, near-insane journey.
At the moment, training has hit a speed bump in the form of my back deciding it would really rather not accompany me on these runs any more, and putting up a hell of a protest.
The next step in my plan to get myself ready for 5 days of racing in the Jungle is to complete the West Highland Way Ultra...exactly 10 weeks from today. But training always hits a speed bump in one form or another - that's the point of ultra running, right? Learn your body, learn your mind, the hard way!
I've thrown my tantrum at the side of the road, picked myself back up and re-jigged the plan, because that's just what you do...
Await the next post for the run down of this revitalised super-sonic plan of mine. I know, you're on the edge of your seat.
Signing out, the 23 going on 3 year old runner...
There have been blips, hiccups, melt downs and, in my usual style, tears at the side of the road at 4 o'clock in the morning whilst throwing bits of gravel at the ground in a full on toddler-tantrum (I was completely on my own you'll be relieved to note; any passer-by would have had me sectioned at first sight).
From having an idea, more than a year ago, that it might be possible to gather up a team of veterans to head out to the Amazon for the annual BTU Amazon Jungle Stage Race to highlight the importance of addressing veterans' mental health issues... it became clear I'd have to re-evaluate the plan... Bear with me, I rather think the point of this blog is to get things straight in my own head half the time!
It was firstly pointed out to me that this journey I'm embarking on is vitally important for highlighting the power of adventure and inspiration in everyone, not just veterans. Okay, we can work with that.
It also became apparent pulling a team together is near-on impossible when you're just one girl with a crazy idea and not much support in place. Rather like trying to get a foot on the property ladder or chasing jobs that require experience in the field of work you're trying to get into. Who's going to take a chance? Well, shit.
So, after dozens of emails, phone calls, meetings, re-planning, re-planning and more re-planning, I still didn't seem to be stepping forward more than an inch at a time. But I couldn't bring myself to slam the lid, declare everything hopeless and turn my attention to "realistic" life plans. I knew this idea could work, but my approach needed to change.
It was time to think about what I could do. Not a team, not a support crew, just me. And that really just brings us to a grand total of three things: I can run, I can write and I can dream (quite obsessively at times!).
Cue the F**k It moment whereby the "Enter" button was clicked, the Oh F**k moment at realising I had managed to accidentally enter the 2019 Jungle Ultra instead of the 2020 race, and the Thank F**k moment when I received an email to say it had been corrected.
I created a new Facebook page and look for the project: "Watson's Project X", and thoroughly set my mind to creating a journey for people to follow, gain inspiration from and take solace in. I will encourage every person from every walk of life to take up their own Project X, whatever that may be, and hopefully show the power of adventure in healing, restoring and strengthening the mind, through my own joyful, painful, near-insane journey.
At the moment, training has hit a speed bump in the form of my back deciding it would really rather not accompany me on these runs any more, and putting up a hell of a protest.
The next step in my plan to get myself ready for 5 days of racing in the Jungle is to complete the West Highland Way Ultra...exactly 10 weeks from today. But training always hits a speed bump in one form or another - that's the point of ultra running, right? Learn your body, learn your mind, the hard way!
I've thrown my tantrum at the side of the road, picked myself back up and re-jigged the plan, because that's just what you do...
Await the next post for the run down of this revitalised super-sonic plan of mine. I know, you're on the edge of your seat.
Signing out, the 23 going on 3 year old runner...
Comments
Post a Comment