Hendo is Racing to the Stones

What am I doing?

On the 8th July, I’m racing to the stones (thresholdtrailseries.com/events/race-to-the-stones/) I’ll be attempting, to run/plod 100km, in one day, along the Ridgeway, one of Britain’s oldest paths.

Why am I doing it?

Reason 1

Having been inspired by James Toogood’s marathon effort last May, initially my hope was to find a challenge to really push myself physically and mentally and, hopefully, raise some money for the Devizes opportunity centre (devizesopportunitycentre.co.uk/). The Devizes opportunity centre was established in September 1978 by a small group of parents of children with special needs who got together to provide a pre-school playgroup which would cater for their children’s particular health and learning needs and also provide opportunities for themselves to meet together for mutual support and to get help and information from health professionals. The centre now has more than 34 years experience of working with children who have moderate to severe health and learning difficulties. The centre is only particially-funded by local government and they have to raise more than £80k a year just to keep the lights on. My Godson Finlay was born profoundly deaf and severely visually impaired. A year into his life he was given cochlear implants, which are amazing. However, communication was still difficult for Finlay and it was clear that he could get frustrated. When Finlay and his family moved from Tring to Potterne, he was able to go to the Devizes opportunity centre, where they knew how to appropriately challenge and support Finlay, which has been amazing for his development and it also provided some respite for Cat and James, his wonderful parents. Living so far away, I usually only get to see Finlay and his family once or twice a year. The difference I could see Finlay’s development and happiness between visits was unbelievable. It clearly made the world of difference to him and his parents. He started developing his own way to communicate, interact with other children and adults, and gained so much confidence to explore the world around him – even taking his first steps in his walker. Finlay has moved on from the opportunities centre as he now attends a local school. I would like to try and raise some money for the Devizes Opportunity Centre so that other young people and their families can continue to benefit in the supportive, positive and life changing way that Finlay and his family have.

One of the main reasons for picking this event is because the Ridgeway starts near Tring, Finlay's first home, and finishes near Devizes, where he lives now. Although, this event doesn't run the entire length of the way. I'll be proud to have covered a good chunk of it!

Reason 2

I have been preparing for this run since August last year, gradually increasing my mileage each week until it was consistently between 35-50km a week, before I started the 16 week training program. At the end of October last year, having completed scrolling through the whole of Instagram, I moved onto Facebook. I was stunned and devastated to learn that a friend of my mine from school Alex, had taken her own life after suffering from Acute Post Partum Psychosis, after giving birth to her second child. Truth be told, I was ignorant to the condition. There hasn’t been a long run I have been on since where I haven’t thought of Alex and her family. I would like to use this opportunity to raise awareness of the condition and to help raise money for Action against Postpartum Psychosis (app-network.org/). Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP) is the national charity for women and families affected by postpartum psychosis (PP). PP is a severe mental illness which begins suddenly following childbirth. Symptoms include hallucinations and delusions, often with mania, depression or confusion. Over 1400 women experience PP each year in the UK (1 to 2 in every 1000 mothers). An episode of PP can be very frightening for women and their families. Most women go on to make a full recovery, however the journey to full recovery can be long and difficult. For women who experience postpartum psychosis, their partners, friends and family, it can be hard to find high quality information about the symptoms, causes and treatment. Urgent care is needed to protect the safety of the mother and baby: suicide is the leading cause of maternal death in the UK.

APP works to increase awareness and understanding of PP, its symptoms, management and impact among health professionals and the general public. They work in partnership with universities to facilitate research into all aspects of PP; provide high quality training and specialist information for healthcare professionals; campaign for improved services; and work to raise awareness and break down the stigma that can surround a PP diagnosis.

Alex was the loveliest person; I know her friends and family are keen to make sure that no one suffers in the way that she did. Raising awareness is a big part of that.

How have I been preparing?

It has been a time-consuming process that has required quite a bit of planning and discipline. Strava tells me that I have averaged 64km a week this year… As I mentioned earlier, I have been gradually increasing my distance run each week before following the plan for ‘intermediate runners’ provided by the race organisers. Touch wood, I have managed to avoid any significant injuries, which is a major concern when upping the mileage. The past two weeks have been my heaviest, running 85 and 88km. The 88km week included a 60km run at the end of a busy half term. Interestingly, I felt pretty good after 50km, but bleak and nauseous after 60km! So, it was a good/terrifying insight into what I’m getting myself into.

How can you help?

Anything you can donate would make a significant difference to these two charities and my morale!

If you’re unable to contribute, thank you for reading and I would appreciate it if you talked about the two charities.

Devizes opportunity centre (devizesopportunitycentre.co.uk/).

Action against Postpartum Psychosis (app-network.org/)

Weighing 90kg, running the furthest I ever have and probably ever will, on what is likely to be the hottest day of the year… what could possibly go wrong… thank you for any support.