Motivational Quotes

 Hi guys,

Thank you again for visiting my blog. Hope you are all well and had a lovely weekend.

I always try to encourage positivity as I think positivity is a beautiful thing and I really think I can help and encourage people in a  good way. Recently I have been purchasing posters which have multiple positive comments on them and I would like to share them with you all. I hope these comments help bring some positivity and energy into the lives of my readers. I hope you like the quotes which I have listed below.

It's a good day to have a good day.
Laugh More
Worry less
Do more of what makes you happy.
Be the best version of you
Try and fail, don't fail to try
Stay positive
Regret nothing
Work hard, be humble
Everyday may not be good but there is something good in everyday.
Live, laugh love.
Follow your dreams.
Believe in yourself.
Don't forget to be awesome.

Thanks guys.

Running Man

Hi guys,

Thanks again for visiting my blog.

This is a poem that I wrote some time ago about the experience of running a marathon. I hope you guys like it.

Here I am on the race start line

Hoping to get an amazing time

Feelings of excitement, feelings of nerves

Hoping to get a medal I feel I richly deserve

As they blast off the starting gun

I am getting ready, getting ready to run.

As I start off this long trek.

At the end of the race I’ll probably feel like hitting the deck.

As I start and run the first mile.

I realise this is a gruesome trial.

Running mile after mile, putting one foot in front of the other.

I felt how much we were beginning to suffer.

At 13 miles we were nearly half way.

Oh come on is what you hear your voice say.

Legs are not shattering in a lot of pain.

But I couldn’t give up as there was a special achievement I wished to attain.

I am continuing, continuing to run hard.

Finding it hard to keep that strong mentality running guard.

Pain rippling through the body especially the calf.

I was thinking if only I had done a half.

But I was so eager, so eager to get that medal.

I knew I had to continue this difficult running pedal.

As I approached mile 20 the end was in sight.

Much to my imperious and infectious delight.

The end is near but yet so far.

Whoever finishes this race is a stubborn beautiful star.

The pain is still there, too much to take.

All I want is a scrumptious juicy big phat cake.

Here I am at the end of the race.

I can’t imagine looking at my bleary eyed tired looking face.

Thanks guys

Faisal

3 peaks challenge Part 1

Hi guys,

Thanks again for visiting my blog.

As some of you may be aware from previous blog posts I decided that I wanted to take part in the 36 hours National 3 peaks challenge with Michelle and a group of other participants through the company Challange Central. The date was set from between 15-18th September.

In the lead up to the trip I was really excited and was looking forward to it. As a runner I am already accustomed to tough challenges but I felt this would be the toughest not only because of the mountain climbing but the travelling along with the lack of sleep. This was a challenge that I had wanted to do for a long time and it was something that I had on my bucket list. I knew it was going to be hard but I was determined to try my best in the challenge and achieve another ambition.

I had previously arranged with Challenge Central that I would be picked up from Glasgow Airport whilst the trip started from Stevenage with 1 other pick up point along the way. I made my way to Glasgow but I still couldn't believe that we were now only a matter of hours away from starting the trek. It didn't seem that long ago that Michelle had asked me if I wanted to do this and signing up to the event.

I got to the Travelodge hotel and had food, got back to the hotel and then the fire alarm goes off. Thank God it is only 9:30pm I thought. First time I had ever experienced a fire alarm in a hotel and it turns out someone had an e cig in the room. Not the most ideal prep when you need to be awake for 3:15am.

I awoke at 3:15am on the Friday morning  as I had arranged to meet the rest of the group at the airport at 4:30am and there was cheap transport available from the hotel at 4am. Just as I was leaving the hotel I got a text to say the group will be roughly there for 5am. I was very excited. Today is the day the trek well and truly starts.

I made my way to the cafe in the airport where I sat and got my caffeine fix. Thought I would need that on that day and boy I was proved right. Eventually at 5:15am the group arrived to pick me up and the first person I was looking out for instinctively was Michelle. It was really nice to see her after not seeing her for so many years. I then looked at everyone else and lots of other people were sleeping or very tired.

The only available seat left was next to Paul but got to say i'm so glad I got to sit next to this man for the duration of the trip (minus the light snoring and the horrendously bad country joke puns sorry Paul haha). This guy turned out to be such a supportive guy and helped me though some difficulties on the mountains as did the rest of the group but I think Paul deserves a special mention.

The first leg of my journey had began and it was around a 3 hours drive to Ben Nevis in Fort William. I tired to get some sleep on the coach but that wasn't likely to happen as I can never normally sleep on public transport so I was awake and just trying to take it all the scenic views that were around me. We stopped off at Morrisons to get some refreshments and I bought the 1 thing that I had forgotten at home. A comb. Even though I might be on a mountain, a man still has to look smart haha.

After a short 5 minutes journey we had arrived at Ben Nevis and we were ready to start the trek. Once we got there everyone got off the coach and was ready to start the trek. We were lead to the start by one of our guides called Phil who showed us a map at the bottom and talked about which routes we were going to take. After that our challenge had well and truly got underway. The views from the bottom were truly breath-taking and stunning.

Now the trek had started and I was wondering what I had let myself in for. I enjoyed the first part of climbing up Ben Nevis as it gave me the opportunity to socialise and get to know each of my other team-mates a little bit more and find out a little bit more about them. It was amazing to see that so many different people who come from so many different walks of life can come together at an event like this.

For around the few hours I felt like I was doing it at a really good pace but then my muscles started to ache slightly so I took it a bit slower. One of the things that I really enjoyed about Ben Nevis is the view as we were climbing the mountain. Some of them were stunning and picteresque with lots of natural beauty.

We took a few regular breaks but the team overall were doing really well including Paul who had decided to carry a massive suitcase like bag with him. Proper soldiered it.

I was proper excited whilst walking towards the top. I think partly because it would the first part towards an epic achievement and the other part is because the muscles were aching and I thought they could do with the rest. Below are a few pics from the top of Ben Nevis.

As I was coming down Ben Nevis I felt like I was on a mission to get to the bottom. I used to think that climibing up a mountain would be harder then walking down a mountain. I guess I was proved wrong and it was just as hard because you use have to use your leg muscles, just different parts. Some people tend to think it sometimes takes longer coming down then going up and in some instances that is correct and on Ben Nevis I definitely kept thinking when is this going to end and for us to be at the bottom. It seemed to go on on and on.

Finally after 7 long hours we got to the bottom and there was a restaurant there. A vote was taken earlier and everyone wanted to stop and have some food first before heading back on the road down towards Scarfell Pike. I felt a bit sick so only wanted something light. I ended up having the Avacado soup. When I told my mum and dad they had a shock as I never have anything like that at home.

After food the group were ready for the next trip down to Scarfell Pike.

I think I should leave it here now and discuss Scarfell Pike in Part 2.

Thanks for reading.

World Mental Health Day

Hi guys,

Thank you again for visiting my blog.

Today is World Mental Health Day. Some of you may have read from my previous posts about some of the struggles that I had previously had with mental health issues but thankfully I feel a lot better now but sometimes I still remember the times when I was in a darker place.

For me World Mental Health Day is about 2 things:

1) Raising awareness
2) Education

Today has been such a good opportunity to raise awareness about a mental health issues as a lot of people already know that it is world mental health day and I think it has been trending on Twitter most of day. It is days like today that we should talk about mental health more because this is the opportunity to portray what living with a mental health condition can be really like and also to help challenge stigma and other peoples perceptions.

To start off with during the day I went to university to help support my fellow runner Emma who is an amazing mental health advocate. I could only make it for 4pm due to work in which Emma gave an introduction before a number of speakers spoke of the event. I know Emma and the rest of her team have put a lot of hard work into this event and it was nice to see people coming to learn about mental health. 1 of the speeches was from the CEO of Lancashire Mind and I like the fact that he emphasised that mental health is just as important as physical health as because some people can think this is not the case because a mental health issue tends to be hidden.

This evening I also took part in a Twitter chat in which the challenges around mental health were discussed. The chat was hosted by @sassyblogchat and we used #sassybloggers. Before I took part in this chat I already knew of the importance for mental health to be taught in schools because young people need to be taught that it is ok not be ok. I think many valuable lessons could be learnt such as the services that GP's and hospitals may be able to provide so young people know where to go to get the help and support they need. Also they can learn about the importance of talking and seeking support.

One thing I always like to emphasise is the importance of talking and offering support and encouragement to others. I tend to think the more people talk truly about how they feel the more the listener can support them. People deserve the help and support but sometimes they have to help themselves first in order to get that support. This helps them to realise they are not alone and that there is someone out there who is willing to take them seriously and wants them to share their worries and concerns with you. This can give them comfort especially to someone who has self esteem issues because it can help to make them feel cared about and well supported. I saw amazing video that Lauren and her friends made and put on Youtube that emphasise this point. Please click on this link for the Youtube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-_mJP-AUVs.

I think all is all today has been a great day to help educate people but we need to talk about mental health on a more frequent basis and not just days like today.

1 final point that I would like to make which I also mentioned in my previous post is that for anyone who wants to learn about mental health please join #talkmh which takes place on Thursdays from 8:30pm - 9:30pm. The reason I emphasise this chat in particular is that the people are so supportive of one another and I believe it is a really strong community that would welcome anyone who also doesn't have a mental health issue but just genuinely wants to learn.

Keep talking and keep supporting guys.

Thanks for reading.

Faisal

Made With Hope

Hi guys,

Thank you again for taking the time to visit my blog and to read it.

A few posts ago I wrote about a beautiful charity that I like to help out with called Made With Hope which was founded by the lovely Eleanor. I just wanted to give you guys a bit of an update with their progress since my last post and help spread the work about the wonderful work that they do.

I mentioned in my previous post that Made With Hope were now looking for funds to help build a school along with the orphanage that they have already built. I'm really pleased to say that building work on the school has now started and the locals are working really hard on building the school. Of course none of this is possible without people donating generously towards the cause and the hard work that goes on behind the scenes from Eleanor as well as her volunteers who have worked amazingly hard to make the charity as successful as it is today.

Below are some of the pictures of the locals who are helping helping to build the school at the moment:





I have to say I think this is a really special achievement by Made With Hope because it takes a lot of hard work, dedication, time effort and commitment to try and make a dream a reality. But I guess you could say these pictures are showing that dreams can become realities. First of all it was Eleanor's dream that she could help to provide the facilities that these young children need in order to try and establish a fulfilling life for themselves and to give them opportunities they probably never thought they could have. Secondly it is the dream of the children themselves to be given those opportunities because a school and an education can help a child better themselves in the long run. Education is very important and I really like the fact the Made With Hope are striving so hard to help provide this!

Another thing that Made With Hope has introduced since my last blog post is an orphan sponsor scheme which has worked really well so far. Made With Hope have managed to secure 24 donors to help sponsor all the children they have in their care. This includes helping to provide for their food, accommodation and education. The sponsorship scheme has also created the chance to get to know the orphans that we have sponsored and this can be done by sending letters to them as well as presents. Eleanor is planning to visit the orphanage within the next month or 2 and lots of the donor have given presents and letters to the children they sponsor. Below is picture of Eleanor and the team who have packaged all the lovely gifts together.



This project is another aspect of Made With Hope that I know Eleanor and the team have put a lot of effort into and it is fantastic to know that all the orphans have been sponsored. From this picture I think that is also very nice to see other children involved too!

Another project that Made With Hope have undertaken since my last article was working with a class full of 8 year olds at Hudsfield Primary School in which they did a project. The class did a sponsored walk for Made With Hope's Water is Life project. The children of Y3/4 at Hurdsfield Primary school in Macclesfield, Cheshire did a sponsored walk carrying a 2 litre bottle of water to represent the struggles some children have ...collecting and carrying water each day in Africa. Their amazing efforts raised £150 to buy a water filter to provide clean safe drinking water for children in the rural village of Nadasoito, Tanzania, Africa. Not only have these children done something amazing and raised £150 for Made With Hope, I really like this project because of what it can teach our children here in the UK. It teaches us love, compassion, empathy, not to take things we have for granted and to always look after those who are less fortunate then ourselves. If we can teach these qualities to our children then I hope the world will become a more prosperous, peaceful and better place. For more information on this project please click here http://www.madewithhope.org/hurdsfield-primary-school-raise-money-for-safe-water/

Another project they have done is about Sanitation which can be a huge problem as they can cause fatal diseases such as Diarrohea and for small children whose bodies are not strong enough to fight them this can make it even harder. To try and prevent them from contacting these diseases Made With Hope have built a washroom containing 4 toilets and 4 showers which gives the children a safe and private place to use. For more information on this project please click here http://www.madewithhope.org/sanitation/

I didn't mention this on my previous post but one of the things the I really like about Made With Hope is the name of the charity itself but in particular the word hope. Lots of people need hope at one point or other in their lives and hope is what a beautiful charity like Made With Hope is continuously offering. Through the hard work of Eleanor, the volunteers and staff in Tanzania and importantly our supporters. hope is what they are all helping to give the children. Hope for a better life for them in future, hope they will achieve their dreams and hope for an education. I believe every good action undertaken by the charity. I believe that hope is at the forefront of every action this charity carries out.

Below I have listed the contact details for Made With Hope if you guys have any questions or want any further information. Donations can be made via the Made With Hope website or via the Facebook page. Even if you can't donate then please help support Made With Hope by liking them on Facebook, following them on Twitter and Instagram and helping to spread the word about this wonderful charity.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadeWithHope/?fref=ts
Twitter: @MadeWithHopeUK
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madewithhope/
Website: http://www.madewithhope.org/

Thanks for reading guys.

Faisal

#justgoforawalk

Hi guys,

Thank you again for visiting my blog.

A few of you may know from my first few blog posts on this blog that I have suffered from mental health issues before. Mental health is a subject that I feel very passionate about mainly because of what I have been through in the past and it has made me have an understanding of what it can be like living with a mental health issue as the struggles that can come with it.

I often post tweets on Twitter relating to mental health and take part in mental health chats to try and see if I can offer support and compassion to those who need it. One of the chats that I have been involved in on the last couple of weeks is #TalkMH . The chat was going relatively well until one person commented that "just go for a walk". For a person who has mental health issues a comment like that can be incredibly insulting because mental health is real and it exists and it doesn't get cured by just going for a walk.

The fact of the matter is that going for a walk can help in the short term as it may help clear your head but in the long term it doesn't because the mental health issues are still there when you get back. I guess however before I had my issues regarding mental health I could have thought exactly the same thing but that would have been due to my own ignorance and lack of understanding. Since I have experienced mental health myself I have understood it a lot better. It just goes to show that stigma still exists but I was very proud of the way the mental health community reacted and the support they showed. It was incredible to see the response and the way everyone came together to let this person know that mental health doesn't get cured by just going for a walk. Not only that the way mental health community supported each other was fantastic. I'm very proud to be part of the mental health community on Twitter.

One thing I feel that it does emphasise though is the need for education. I feel the mental health community need to educate others what it is like to live with a mental health condition. Not only that I think other people who don't have mental health conditions can educate themselves and I have listed below a few tips of how they can do this:

1. Read established books about mental health
2. Read blogs about mental health
3. Ask relevant and informative questions and engage in discussion anyone you know who suffers from a mental health condition so that you can gain understanding. Some people with mental health issues are so friendly so please don't be afraid to ask!
4. Take part in the #TalkMH or #Mhchat chat on Twitter just as long as you are sensitive and go in there with an open mind and do be hurtful or insulting. #Mhchat takes place on Wednesdays at 8pm and #Talkmh takes place on Thursdays 8:30pm

If any of you want to know anything more about mental health you guys are more then welcome to leave comments here or contact me on Twitter @falidude

Finally I just want to leave you with this link to an awesome Youtube video that Rich put on in response to #justgoforawalk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsjQfnGM34Y. If any of you guys would like to follow Rich you can do on Twitter @RichBiscuit21. The link also takes you to his Google + page.

Thanks for reading guys and I hope you found this post useful and have a good weekend.

Faisal

Bolton half marathon

Hi guys,

Thank you again for visiting my page and I hope you are all well.

Yesterday was a pretty tiring and eventful day. It started off by me waking around 7:30am in order to get the taxi to the train station at 8:15 in preparation for the Bolton half marathon that was meant to start at 10am. I was quite eager for the race.

I got to Bolton around 9:20 and I made the short trip from the train station to the starting point which was only a few minutes away. The first thing that struck me was that it was fairly quiet for a half marathon but I guess that was either because it was Bolton's first in around 30 years or that there were loads of other races going on over that weekend such as the Wigan 10k.

I also met my fellow Red Rose Road Runner Sarah who was also at the race and it was nice to see a familiar face there and we wished each other well. The standard runner does a pre-race trip to the loo and the queues are normally ages and it was no different here. Met a guy called Steve and he told me about how amazing the Soleus GPS watches are. Might need to invest in one of these bad boys.

The race started bang on 10am and we crossed the starting line. The long race had began and it was time to get going. I had not had a look at the route beforehand but there was a slight hill even on the first mile. Most of my fellow runners including myself tend to hate running up hills and I thought put the hills at the end.

My body was already beginning to hurt but I don't think it was because of the hill because it hurted before that but I carried on through the pain and I eventually found a good rhythm and my pace was good too. As we turned the corner and ran towards river there was 2 huge downward hills and I thought yes love downward hills. I tried to run a bit faster on these parts to pick up the speed and that was one of the best parts of the race. I didn't know at that point that we would have to run back up them on the 11th mile.

Running by the river was amazing. Some of you may know that I also love nature and the outdoors so the view to me was scenic and beautiful which made that part of the race quite enjoyable for me. We had passed the 3rd mile and just a few hundred yards down I saw a sign saying 10 miles so I knew they had planned the route to come back along the same way.

The race carried on and we had a few more small hills. For a runner a small hill can however seem like a mountain but I guess it can make you realise how mentally tough you can be. We got to the 6th mile and I was looking forward to getting at least half way through and we were only half a mile away. At the point I was still running at a good rhythm and good pace but was unsure whether or not I would be able to carry this on over the second half of the race.

From somewhere I managed to keep the same pace and as we approached the 9th mile I checked the time and it was 11:37 and I could really beat my personal best here (pb). My previous pb was 2 hours 30 mins so I had 53 mins to run 4.1 miles. I was confident but I also know how races can take unexpected turns and sometimes your body can totally run out of energy. I was determined to get the pb. I was determined to get one at the start of the race but now I believed I could do it.

Along we went by the river again past the 10 miles sign that I previously saw and the woman behind me commented it's just a parkrun now. For anyone who doesn't know parkrun is a 3 mile run that takes place on a Saturday morning up and down the country. Mentally this helped me and gave me some encouragement that the end was near.

Now my legs were feeling very painful and by now I had resorted to going at a gentle slow jog pace but I was determined not to stop as I had not stopped once during the whole race even on the hills. I even asked the marshalls where mile 11 was because by now I wanted the race to end. The long run along the river had now ended and now it was time to tackle the 2 big hills that we had previously seen at the start with a smaller hill before. To be honest I didn't know whether or not I would have been able to carry on with the gentle jog up these hills without stopping but I wanted to give it my best and wanted to try. With some grit and determination I got to the top without stopping but my legs were very tired but the hard part was over and now it was flat or downhill. I just knew that I had to keep putting one foot in front of the other. It was hard but I kept going.

Got passed the 12 mile and there was only 1.1 miles left. Nearly there! I realised we were probably heading back in the same direction which meant another downward hill. I was looking forward to the finish now. A few mins from the finish line, saw a Cafe Nero and thought post race refreshment is now sorted. Love the frapes there but had a milkshake this time.

As I passed Cafe Nero there was only a few hundred yards left and turned the corner into the finishing straight and I was trying to get the crowd to raise the noise as I normally like to do but as I crossed the finishing line I saw the time and I was completely shocked 2 hours 19 mins but my official finishing time was 2 hours 18 mins as I had started the race near the middle/end of the crowd which meant I was slightly delayed. Had my hands on my head completely stunned and shocked but so happy. I thought I would have been happy beating my pb by a few mins but 12 mins was quite overwhelming. I had a huge smile on my face and it actually made quite emotional in a happy way. No I didn't cry by the way.

I also saw Sarah again after the race and she also got a pb and I was so pleased for her and she had done amazing too and I was happy to share the moment with another team member!

One thing runners tend to like is a bit of bling aka the medal at the end and here is a pic.


To top the day off I also had an event in Manchester which I ended up getting lost on the way to the venue made me late but looking back now it was pretty funny.

All in all a tiring day but I was glad to be out and about.

Thanks for reading guys. Feel free to leave any comments.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @falidude

Faisal

Running better

hi guys,

Thank you again for taking the time to visit my blog.

It has been a couple of weeks now so thought I would give you guys an update about how the running has been going as well as a few other things.

Last time I blogged it was the end of Ramadan and it has taken now I have fully got back into the swing of running again with my amazing club Lancashire Red Rose Road Runners as well as doing some parkruns on the weekend. The first few sessions were really tough. I guess this could be a combination of not running for a few weeks as well as the heat.

1 run we did on a Tuesday evening a few weeks ago was on the hottest day of the year so far. Whilst I was out with the club towards the end I was counting down the miles until we got back to base. It was  a struggle. It felt like it was harder then a marathon and it was only around 5 or 6 miles. However there is also a positive as it made me realise how mentally tough and stubborn I can be.

I'm really enjoying getting back into exercise after Ramadan. Had a few gym sessions and have even been to a few classes. Went to a spinning class last week, just before running with the club. I was a bit apprehensive to go as I thought I could be shattered at running but I was determined at the same time.  After spinning I quickly got the bus down to the leisure centre to meet with the group and off we went. For the first 10-15 minutes I struggled and I presumed that was because of the spinning class but then all of a sudden I felt lots of power, strength and energy in my legs and I ran really well. Up until that point it was one of the best training runs I've done. I don't know whether or not it was due to spinning just before but even as I'm writing this post I'm thinking where did that run come from? We did around 6 miles and it felt amazing at the end.

Following on from that I also went to our Thursday session and it was more of the same. On Thursday we normally have 3 distances short, medium and long. Went for medium but again started at moderate pace but towards the end it really picked up and again I was really happy. The same thing happened yesterday at running too. I hope I manage to keep this up.

Some of you who have read my previous blog posts may remember Sarah who I am planning to run a marathon with next year. Sarah has also been doing amazingly well in her training and just ran 14km which I think roughly equates to 8 miles. She is well on the way and is doing amazingly well. As mentioned in my previous blog posts myself, Sarah and Luke are planning to do the marathon for the Four Legged Orphan Sanctuary (Flos) who look after animals who have been mistreated and abandoned in Morocco.

If any of you wish to sponsor myself, Sarah and Luke please check out the gofundme link below. I have also included the website link from the charity. Feel free to check that out too.

https://www.gofundme.com/flosmarathon

http://www.flosanimals.com/

Along with the marathon I am also planning to do the 3 peaks (also for Flos) with a former colleague of mine Michelle and another group. Michelle has decided to raise some money for Rosmere Cancer Foundation for personal reasons. Cancer is 1 of those illnesses which is commonly heard of and has affected a large number of people and fundraising is vital to help those who are suffering with cancer as well as their loved ones. Michelle is also a great girl guys so if any of you wish to donate please check the justgiving link below and show your support. I have also included the link to Rosmere Cancer Foundations page if you wish to find out more information about the charity.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Michelle-Iddon6?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=fundraisingpage&utm_content=Michelle-Iddon6&utm_campaign=https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Michelle-Iddon6?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=fundraisingpage&utm_content=Michelle-Iddon6&utm_campaign=pfp-sharepfp-share

http://www.rosemere.org.uk/

Thanks again for all your amazing support guys. I hope to keep you all updated soon.

If any of you wish to follow me on Twitter you can do here @falidude

Back on the running

Hi guys,

Hope you are all well and thank you again for viewing my blog.

I'm hoping to start running again tomorrow as Ramadan has now finished. I'm really excited but kind of nervous as I haven't been running for approximately 6 weeks but i'm just aiming to give it my best shot and see how it goes.

I feel like with running i've found a really good hobby. However it isn't the running that I mainly enjoy although I do like to keep fit. I really enjoy the social aspect that I get through running with my club (Lancashire Red Rose Road Runners) as they have always been an amazing supportive bunch. I'm hoping to see all the old and new faces again on my return. On Thursday's you have the choice of doing 3 distances and i'm even tempted to do the longer distance which is meant to be nearly 8 miles tomorrow.

I need to get back into the swing of things with regards to fitness as I have a lot of events planned in the near future. I'm planning to do the 3 peaks challenge with a group of people including a former colleague of mine called Michelle, Preston 10k run, Manchester half marathon, Bolton half marathon and a marathon next year with the lovely Sarah which I have mentioned on a previous blog post. I'm really looking forward to them all but the 3 peaks challenge in particular as this is something i've been wanting to do for a long time.

I am planning to do all these events in aid of a beautiful charity called FLOS which stands for Four Legged Orphan Sanctuary which looks after and helps abandoned animals in Morroco and Sarah has also mentioned that she is planning to do a few 10k runs in the build up as it will be her first marathon and she has already started training so please support us by donating and sharing the following link. https://www.gofundme.com/flosmarathon

That is all for now guys but I hope to keep you guys updated soon :)

Twitter @falidude

Eid day

Hi guys,

Thank you again for taking the time to view my blog and read my posts. I really appreciate it.

Yesterday was the of Eid which muslims across the world are due to the end of the fasting period for Ramadan. Muslims celebrate Eid twice a year. 1 is called Eid Ul Fitr which muslims believe to be a reward for fating throughout Ramadan and the other is know as Eid Ul Adhaa which takes place during the season of pilgrimage. Eid beautiful time in the Muslim calendar as it is a time for families to get together and celebrate this day of happiness that God has given to us.

Eid is a day in which we have been taught to spread kindness amongst our fellow human beings. Muslims are commanded to give an extra special form of charity before the Eid Ul Fitr prayer. This is so that those people who live in poor countries also can enjoy the day of Eid  It is a day of happiness. The day normally starts off with the normal early morning prayer which at the moment is around 4:30am. Thereafter people tend to go home and get ready for the Eid prayer by wearing their nicest clothes, having a shower and eating something sweet.

The Eid prayer normally takes place around 9am and it is a great time to see the mosques so full as Eid is 1 point throughout the year that everyone in the local community comes together and celebrates Eid together amongst friends and family.

Before the Eid prayer there is normally a sermon which is delivered by the imam and quite often the sermon relates to all the good actions that muslims tend to undertake during the month of Ramadan. Many people associate Ramadan with the month of fasting and rightly so, however we often find that muslims during Ramadan undertake lots of other different forms of worship which they don't normally do. The sermon normally reminds us to keep up all the good work that we have undertaken during Ramadan.

After the Eid prayer lots of people tend to visit the cemetery to remember their loved ones and those who have passed away before this. I feel this is a very important thing to do as we can also visit them on Eid but at the same time reflect on the true meaning of life and what life is about.

During the afternoon is the time where families normally get together and sit down and have a meal. This tends to be a special time for some families as in some cases the whole extended family is invited and you get to see people who sometimes you don't see for a quite a while but again, families getting together and celebrating together is part of what Eid is about.

In the evening a person may visit another member of his family and see some of his friends and eat with them also. I really enjoy Eid as it is a day full of celebrations and celebrating with those who you love and those who love you.

A busy weekend with CLASP and run Part 2

Hi guys,

Thank you again for visiting my blog and reading this post.

I'm sorry it has taken me nearly a month to write part 2 of this article but now I feel ready to complete this part of the story.

As I mentioned on my previous post that the day after the 10 miles walk with CLASP I had arranged to do the Chester Half Marathon with 2 members of running club that I attend called Emma and Maggie.

Some of you may be able to tell from my previous posts that recently I have developed a passion for running and even though I only got back from London pretty late the night before I was really looking forward to it. Part of the reason I was looking forward to it is because Chester is a city that I have never previously visited before even though it isn't very far from where I live but I was looking forward to seeing Chester and having a new experience.

It was a very early start to the day as I had arranged to meet Emma and Maggie at 7am in the morning which meant I had to be up around 6:15am to leave the house for 6:50am to meet them at 7am. Most of you who know me will probably know waking up early isn't 1 one of my strongest points as I massively like my lie ins, but I guess in some ways the earlier start can help you have a more productive day.

Once I met up with Emma and Maggie the 3 of us set off to drive down to Chester and the 3 of us were really looking forward to running. I just remember feeling excited because it must be something special for me to have that amount of energy that I felt I had that early on a Sunday morning.

As we drove into Chester I remember thinking how beautiful it was and I was reflecting on what sights I would see on the run. The car was parked near a local gym which was around a 15 mins walk to the start line and that gave me the chance to explore Chester a little bit more as we made our way to the start line.

Once we got to the start line I got the familiar feeling. I am always totally amazed to see how many people are intending to run. The starting pen was absolutely cramped with people and it is like you have to walk at nearly a snails pace to make it to the starting line but I see that as a good thing as it just adds more fun and excitement to the atmosphere in my opinion.

Just before the race started I heard someone commenting that it would be a flat race. That is like music to the ears of most runners who like me absolutely hate hills with a passion. The race started and that familiar tingling feeling started that I normally get when starting a race of excitement and nerves. The first couple of mins were flat but I remember seeing a hill and I was like Oh no I thought it was meant to be flat. It's hard running up hills and it does take a lot of strength and stamina but in the end it is good for the legs. Somehow by the end of the hill I still managed to keep on jogging for quite a while.

After the hill we got to see part of Chester Town Centre. I was quite impressed by how good it was. I didn't expect it to be that good with Chester being such a small city but I enjoyed doing a little bit of shopping there after the race was done. I think runners deserve a little retail therapy after a run like that haha.

I managed to keep a steady pace for the next few miles but around half way through the pace began to drop off a little as I was hitting "The Brick Wall" as the runners say. I was now at the point where the legs felt like they were stopping and starting. This is the part of the race where you just think it is about sticking in there and getting through it and not giving up at all. However I still see it as an advantage because it makes you realise how mentally strong you can be to cope with all the pain and come out the other side and achieve what you wanted to.

Around 9 miles in I was beginning to really look forward to the finishing line and it felt like the countdown to the end was really on. I along with a few other people just wanted the race to finish and to get through it. However the thought went through my head of just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Each step is a step closer to the finish.

We had just past mile 11 or mile 12 and there was a huge hill towards the end of the race. I was like Oh My God. A hill at the end of the race. I struggled with the hill and the beginning and now we have a hill at the end too. But again I still see that as an advantage because it shows how strong a person can be.

Towards the end me and another girl kept overtaking one another as we both had to slow down so many times. This happened from about mile 8 onwards and I lost count of the amount of times one of us had overtaken the other. However just as we turned the last corner of the last mile it turns out we both ended the race together.

That familiar feeling of relief came when the race ended and I was looking for Emma and Maggie who finished before me. I was still delighted with the time that I got which was around 2 hours 32 mins. Emma and Maggie both did amazing and they both finished around 2 hours 10 which is fabulous as it was the first half marathon for both of them and they both did incredible and amazing.

I then decided to have a little look around Chester town before I decided to head back home and to top off a really good weekend I ended up back at one of my favourite cafes back in Preston called Mystery Tea House. All in all a busy, productive and fabulous weekend.

I have also signed up to do some more races over the next couple of months. Just signed up to do the Blackpool 10k today, Bolton half marathon and Manchester half marathon. These are all in the build up to the Brighton marathon which I plan to run in April next year with a lovely lady called Sarah.

Sarah is a former colleague of mine and she messaged me on Facebook asking if I wanted to help raise money for an aminal sanctuary that she helps to support in Morroco called FLOS (Four Legged Animal Sactuary). I was so touched when I received that message that I found it impossible to say no and i'm really looking forward to working with both Sarah and the charity now to try and raise as much money as possible so expect a donation page on this blog soon.

FLOS are a beautiful charity who offer love, care and support to animals that have been abandoned in Morroco and i'm looking forward to working with both Sarah and the charity to try and raise as much money as possible. For more information please visit the charity website here http://www.flosanimals.com/

Again I don't want to turn this into an essay so I think I will end the post here.

Thank you very much again for reading guys and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

For more updates feel free to follow me on Twitter @falidude

A busy weekend CLASP and run Part 1

Hi guys,

Thank you again for visiting my blog and reading my posts. I hope you are well well.

Following on from my last blog post I just wanted to give you guys a bit of an update with what i've been upto recently.

The weekend of the 14th-15th of May was an incredibly busy weekend. I travelled down to London on the Friday night and was really looking forward to doing a 10 miles walk for the CLASP charity. They are a charity who do amazing work in the world on mental health and it was a pleasure to go to London and undertake this challenge with many other like minded people.

I remember at the hotel I was staying at there were a lot of people who had CLASP t-shirts on and I was really surprised but in a very pleasant way because it wasn't something that I expected and it was nice to see.

As I made my way down to Battersea Park on the morning (even with my luggage as the hotel wouldn't allow me to leave it) I met more and more people with CLASP t-shirts on and I guess in a way it made it more exciting to do it with so many people.

As I arrived at Battersea Park I met Kat as well as loads of other supporters. Kat is someone who has worked tirelessly to support others with mental health issues through CLASP charity and various other means and it is through her hard work as well as her fellow colleagues that events like this can go ahead.

Another person I was looking forward to meeting was Amy Murray. Myself and Amy have followed each other on Twitter for a few years and spoken sometimes via social media and it was the first time I had met her so it was nice to finally meet her. She is also an amazing mental health advocate who works hard and is incredibly determined. She also has an amazing blog which I have told her on numerous occasions and if any of you wish to view it, you can here http://absolutely-amy.blogspot.co.uk/

The day started with a few speeches. They were all great but I was looking forward to 2 speeches in particular. 1 from Ruby Wax (who unfortunately was unable to attend due to illness) and the other was from Johnny Benjamin. Some of you reading may know Johnny's story which was well documented in the media a few years ago when he was quite close to committing suicide but someone called Neil saved him. There was a campaign a few years ago when the story broke to try and find Neil and it was amazing to see them both there and sharing that same stage. I firmly believe that sometimes a person who is willing to offer 2 ears and an open heart can help people who are struggling in a very positive way because it just shows that you care at a time when they feel others don't.

There was also an author who was doing 1 speech too (can't remember her name) but she has a book currently on sale on Amazon. She mentioned she would donate £10,000 to CLASP if her book can get to a bestseller. Can't remember whether she said bestseller or top 10 bestseller. I remember looking at Kat's face and I could see the shock and she covered her mouth with her hand in amazement. I tried to get the camera out to take a photo but I was too late and the moment passed.

After the talks the walk started and I remember thinking how nice Battersea Park was and tried to compare it with my local park. Battersea Park is stunning. I was really looking forward to the walk and looking forward to the experience.

I met many people along the way but there was 1 person in particular who I learnt something very valuable from. I can't remember her name but she told me she had PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and it wasn't as a result of going to war which many people commonly think with this condition. Even through my own experiences with mental health I also thought judging by what I see in the media PTSD has to be something to do with war but her story was something completely different and out of respect I won't explain the story. I did however learn something very valuable and it taught me to think a little more openly.

1 of the best parts of the day was walking for a few miles with Norman Lamb. Norman Lamb is a British MP for the Liberal Democrat party but he is also 1 of many people who have seen a family member struggle with a mental health condition. It was a pleasure to walk with him, his wife and their friend for a few miles and listen to Norman's story about how his family member struggled with their condition and what effects that it had. As Norman has witnessed this first hand, he tirelessly campaigns for change which makes him a great ambassador for supporting others with mental health issues.

We also walked along the River Themes and I felt very proud to be walking through the huge crowds with the CLASP t-shirt and I think the fact there was so many of us would have been great to raise awareness which is a big part of what the charity are aiming to do. Some members of the public even stopped us and asked about the charity which is nice and shows the hard work is both valued and recognised.

As I carried on walking I was beginning to feel more and more tired and I just wanted it to come to and end as I had the Chester half marathon the next day with 2 members of my running club and I had to be out of my house at 7am on Sunday morning too. We got to the end of the walk and again ended up in Battersea Park and I ended up chilling in the park with some of the people that I had met. On reflection it was a brilliant day, where I met some fantastic people but most importantly I believe the charity achieved what it set out too. They hope to have some regional ones in future so please keep an eye out.

As this post is now turning into an essay I will wrap this up here but I plan to write part 2 of my busy weekend within the next few days so please keep an eye out. Before I go though if any of you want to find out more information about CLASP charity or the wonderful work they do, then you can contact them by using any of the following:

Website: http://www.claspcharity.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/claspcharity/?fref=ts
Twitter: @claspcharity

Please also see below for pictures from the day:

Update

Hi guys,

Just wanted to give you a bit of an update about what has been going on with the running recently.

As I have mentioned in my previous posts that I have signed up to do Chester Half Marathon which is scheduled to take place next Sunday. Alongside this I have also signed up to take part in the Bolton half marathon which is scheduled to take place in September along with the Brighton marathon which scheduled to take place in April next year. I'm really looking forward to all of them, particularly Chester half and Brighton full as they are cities that I have never visited before and I like seeing new cities.

I'm still collecting donations for Lily Uganda, Mind and St Catherines Hospice for the Chester half marathon so if people still wish to donate, please click on the link http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=lillyugandamindstcatherines

Along with this training at Lancashire Red Rose Road Runners has been going well and I have continued to enjoy running with them. Tomorrow I plan to go for my first weekend run with them which is a 10k run up Beacon Fell which is a forest in Lancashire. I reckon this is going to be a hard run because it is 3 miles of uphill and 3 miles downhill. It's also a very early start. Have to be down at our meeting point by 8:15am and those of you who know me on a personal level may know that getting out of bed early on the weekend is a struggle for me but I guess it is for others too haha.

In other news as I mentioned in 1 of my previous posts, I was taking part in a blog series called "24 hours in the life of" by Aimee and i'm pleased to say my piece has been added to her blog. In Aimee's own words the reason behind the series is:

"To give readers an insight into other people's lives; with the blog being centred around mental health, the majority of external authors are from that industry. A large part of my blog, however, is intended to give the general public an insight into things that they may have assumptions about, in the hope that having more knowledge on the matter will shape their assumptions and attitudes. This, is what I hope to achieve with this series"

Aimee has done some amazing work with this blog and she works really hard to raise awareness of mental health issues to feel free to check the blog out and read my piece http://imnotdisordered.blogspot.co.uk

Thanks for reading again guys.

Feel free to follow on Twitter @falidude

Made With Hope

Hi guys,

Thank you for visiting my blog :)

Some of you may be glad to know that this post is not running related at all but I just wanted to let you all know about a beautiful charity that I support called Made With Hope.

Made With Hope was founded a couple of years ago by a lovely lady called Eleanor and the charity has continued to grow. Eleanor had a vision that she wanted to help underprivileged children living in poor conditions and wanted to make a change hence why she founded Made With Hope. Made With Hope is a 100% donation policy charity and they even have 2 bank accounts to ensure donation money doesn't get mixed up with admin costs.

I remember the fist time I met Eleanor and some other members of her family was at another International Development Event in Manchester and towards the end of the day they told me about Made With Hope and the first thing I noticed was how much passion and desire they had. I believe that if a person truly wants to make a change there has to be some sort of motivation and that was clearly there.

They also told me what the project was about an how they planned to build an orphanage in Tanzania  and that they needed to fundraise a total of £20,000. I started to get really interested because these type of projects are also something that I am really passionate about. I took the details of the charity, had a look at their website and decided I definitely wanted to help.

Through Eleanor's hard work Made With Hope managed to raise the £20,000 needed for the orphanage and now they are raising funds to build a school next to the orphanage. One aspect of building the orphanage and the school that I really like is that they have a buy a brick campaign which you can see on their website (link provided below). Through this campaign you can buy a brick which then goes towards building the orphanage/school and your name can be written on the brick. Every child matters and their education matter because they also have dreams an ambitions like we did when we were young and the great thing about Made With Hope is that they have recognised that and are trying to give the children similar opportunities to what we had when we were children. I do however believe the best thing the charity offer is in the name of the charity itself and that is HOPE for a bright and prosperous future.

Among building the orphanage and the school Made With Hope have been involved in other brilliant projects such as  a water project, a sanitation project, an orphanage project and a food project. Along with building the school Made With Hope also want to purchase some land and cultivate with a tractor they have purchased, grow food themselves and sell the food to raise money for the children. A wonderful idea.

I am also an Events volunteer at Made With Hope which means I am trying to organise fundraising events in the UK to raise money for this amazing charity. At the moment I am trying to organise bag packing collections at various leading supermarkets. I've currently got to the stage where I need to contact the supermarket managers to see if I can do it and organise times and dates. I would also need volunteers so if any of you would wish to volunteer at the fundraising events, feel free to contact us on any of the details below. I also wish to keep you guys updated on this blog with how this goes in future.

I've got to say though one of the best things I find about Eleanor and Made With Hope is that the support everyone gives doesn't go un-noticed and sometimes it's the simple words of thank you but they make me feel both valued and appreciated.

If you would like more information or to support any of Made With Hope's wonderful projects, please feel free to check the website http://www.madewithhope.org/ or contact the Facebook and Twitter links below.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadeWithHope/?fref=ts
Twitter: @madewithhopeuk

You can also email contact@madewithhope.org

If any of you wish to volunteer you are more then welcome to leave a comment on this blog or you can contact me on Twitter @falidude

Thank you for reading :)

Paris and Manchester Marathon Part 2

Hi guys and thanks again for reading my blog.

As I mentioned in my previous post that I managed to register for the marathon and picked up the race number literally the day before and by now I was both excited and nervous.

The day of the run came and as the minibus was leaving at 7:15am, I had to be up and ready really early. I think it is one of the earliest times I have ever woken up on a Sunday. It seemed like such a rush that morning and I had to do things very quickly. We set out of my house around 7:05am and got the Poachers Pub (where the minibus was setting off from) just in time.

I got on the bus and it was nice to see people from my running club again and we all had a common goal. That was to try our best and complete this marathon. One thing that made me happy is that when I told some of them about what happened in Paris the week before a lot of them were very supportive and non judgemental. I knew though there was a difference in my mindset the way I was on the morning of the run compared to Paris. I knew I could run this marathon and just as importantly I believed that I could. My frame of mind was more confident, positive and relaxed.

Once we arrived in Manchester due to traffic we were dropped of a couple of minutes away from the starting line. I heard someone mention that starting line is like a mile away.My first reaction was like blimey another mile when i'm planning to do 26.2 anyway but in hindsight I guess it was a good warm up.

We got to Old Trafford cricket ground and the main things that we wanted to do was drop our baggage off and go to the loo. It felt like a mission to find out where to drop the baggage off. We were asking loads of people who seemed a little unsure. As normal the queues for the bog was incredibly long, so me and Mike (a fellow runner) decided we would try and find out where to put the baggage. Whilst on the way we found a different set of loos and the queue looked a lot smaller. Thought we had hit the jackpot and got a smaller queue. I was wrong but things like this are all part of the marathon experience and to capture of it is amazing.

I finally managed to get to the start line but I was around 15 mins late but lots of other runners were late too for various reasons.As I was walking to the start line the support was incredible, loads of people holding up placards and supporting their loved ones. It was lovely that lots of us were walking to the start line together talking to completely random strangers and wishing them luck for what they were about to do. It really isn't easy.

Once over the line I was ready and the run had started. My attitude was just have a slow gentle jog and nothing more. I wasn't aiming for a time. Especially after Paris I  just wanted to finish and make sure that I achieved what I wanted to for the beautiful charities that I was supporting (Mind, Lily Uganda and St Catherines Hospice), everyone who sponsored me but just as importantly for myself too. I set out with a goal to run 26.2 miles and I was determined that what happened in Paris was not going to stop me.

The sign for the 1st mile came a lot quicker then I expected and I thought i'm not going fast and I felt ok. Things were going well at that stage. Around this time I also met a fellow runner called Susan who also runs for Lancashire Red Rose Road Runners and it was nice to hear her words of encouragement and I ended up staying with her until just after the 4th mile. I remember mentioning to her that it was around this time that I began to struggle in Paris and I felt ok and she reminded me that it is a good sign.

Around mile 3 I saw the the Coronation Street recording studios. I was quite tempted to go and ask for a nice cup of tea with Ken Barlow but refrained from doing so in the end. I had lots of energy left in me at this time and I was using quite a lot trying to motivate the crowd into giving us more support, loving the fact they responded and cheered even louder as I went past. That is one thing I really enjoy about running in a big event. A lot of the time the crowds are tremendous and can try support you, encourage you, motivate you and just give you a bit of extra drive to do well and try hard.

I felt like I was going at a really good pace and could sustain that pace for a long time. Unfortunately around mile 5 we had to see that horrible sight of a stadium that is called Old Trafford. Some call it the Theatre of Dreams but I now call it the Theatre of Nightmares as they haven't won a trophy there apart from a community shield since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. Some Liverpool fans that were running were commenting about how they hate Man Utd.

By now I needed the toilet again and I was wondering where the poterloos would be. Luckily they came on the 6th mile and this time there was no queues. YES! However I had run really well and at a pace I was happy with until that point but I was worried that having a toilet break would lose my momentum. Sometimes negative thoughts like that can enter your head especially whilst running but sometimes we can push our bodies more then we think we can.

So I got back out running and kept up with the same pace as before and I was really happy with the way things were going. At mile 10 we had some incredible support which seemed to go on for ages. Half of the supporters were on our side of the road whilst the other supporters were on the other side encouraging the other runners who were further along the route then us. I soon got past mile 11 and I saw a sign on the other side of the road where the other runners were returning. I had a quick glance expecting it to say mile 12 but it said mile 16 and I was like blimey these guys are miles ahead of us and I was wondering where the route would take for the next 4 miles. I thought it is probably going to take me a while to get to 16 miles.

As the route carried on we got to the halfway stage and at 13 miles I saw my time as it stood was 2 hours 55 mins. I thought this couldn't be right as I got 2 hours 35 in Blackpool with 2 toilet breaks. Then I thought because I started the race late it must have had some bearing on the time. I just think initially I was quite shocked to have seen that time. At the halfway point it felt like we were running in a mini town centre as there quite a few cafes and shops around but were in Altrincham by now. I don't ever recall visiting Altrincham but I remember the place had a good feel to it and even young children were stood outside the cafes offering us snacks.

Just after the half way point I remember seeing hill but it didn't have much of an incline but I hate running up hills in general so even small hills feel massive to me. As I was doing my slow gentle jog pace up the hill I felt the normal jangles of pain that you get running up a hill. I was glad that part was over. I was delighted with my performance at this point because I still hadn't stopped.

My first stop was just after the 15 miles mark due to massive cramp. I had never felt cramp pain like this before. I remember asking 1 of the marshalls if there was a St Johns Ambulence tent nearby but she said there wasn't and to make sure I stretch my muscles. This was the first time I stopped and I had an idea based on previous experiences that I was now going to hit a brick wall and do a combination of both jogging and walking. At this point I feel your main battle is a mental battle and working through the pain. It is hard staying in there but I have can have quite a stubborn personality at times and when I really want to achieve something, I believe I can do it.

After doing some stretches combined with light jogging the cramp eased off and I was on my way to the 16 miles mark. It still felt like a long way to the 16 miles mark because I remember when I previously saw it around mile 10 or 11 and still thought I was quite a distance away from the street I saw it on. I remember running along a main road towards 16 miles and we got some amazing support. By this time I had completely stopped trying to get the crowd to give us more encouragement and support as I needed to conserve all my energy into the running at this point as I was struggling.

Once we got back onto the street I originally saw the 16 miles sign on I was relieved. I remember it was around this point that a couple of girls were walking along the pavement at the sid and 1 of them offered me one of the energy gels and I wa slike yes please I could defo do with one of those right now. I found the energy gels quite helpful and they tasted quite nice. I also saw a man who was holding out biscuits and he had one of my favourite biscuits on the place which are Custard Creams. I thought I could have done with a bit more energy so I decided to take one. I aksed if I could have another and he said yes.

I had a really good mile between miles 17 and 18 because it was a non stopping slow but gentle jog and this was the first time that had happened since mile 15. It did take up quite a lot of energy but I managed to surprise myself to keep going and I really didn't want to stop until at least mile 18. I remember running onto another main road where there was a big crowd of people supporting and encouraging us and it can give us a big boost. When I saw the 18th mile it was a relief because I kept thinking to myself, when it is coming.

I eventually got to the 20th mile and at this point you can feel a little excited as there is only 6.2 miles to go and the end feels near even though it is still very far away and there is a lot of hard work that still needs to be done. At this point I got talking to a fellow runner and I was shocked that he was running as he told me that he has previously injured himself and hardly done any training but he still wanted to give it a go. He was done amazingly well to still be running at 20 miles even without hardly any traning. I guess it gave me the encouragement and motivation that I needed at that point. He mentioned at that point that he will be doing a combination of walking and jogging which was what I was doing anyway.

I got to the 22nd mile and I remember at the point I received a phone call from my dad and he was wondering where I was. I guess he was looking forward to seeing me at the finishing line but I sitll knew that I had a long way to go. By this point the majority of the time I was walking rather then jogging. The pain was quite difficult to take but I had a to learn the manage and work through it. Mind over matter because there was only a few miles left. As i've been told Muhammed Ali once said you can put all the hard work in at training but once you win you are a champion forever. I obviously never thought that I would win the marathon but finishing it felt like a victory for me.

Everyone in the crowd was now cheering on us on reminding us that that we were only a couple of miles left and the end was very close and I was feeling positive about getting towards the end. I saw the man that I met at mile 20 again and ran/walked with him for a while.

I then got to mile 25 and to my surprise I didn't feel any adrenaline and I was fully walking and looking forward to the finish. The guy who had been walking/running with previously had re-joined me along with another man and the 3 of us were walking towards the end making small talk about the marathon and other things. Then I saw my dad and I thought blimey I have to run now and by this point we were very close to the finish but it took a lot of energy to run those last few hundred yards. I ran towards my dad and he spotted me coming towards him and he decided that he wanted to run with me for the last few moments which was really nice as it was an extra motivation for me.

My dad told me that when we turned the last corner I would be able to see the end. I could see the end but I still thought it looked a long way but compared to the rest of the marathon it was a very short distance. I wanted to run a little faster towards the end and I had some energy to do so. Just before I crossed the finish line I saw my mum and my sister who were also cheering me on from the sidelines. I managed to get over the finishing line in 6 hours 19 mins and the first emotion that I felt was relief that I had finally done it and that I had justified all the sponsor money that people had donated. I do however feel a great sense of satisfaction that I had finally achieved what I set out to achieve. I am a firm believer in the saying that "everything happens for a reason" and I believe that everything that happened in Paris and all the pain and the cramp that I felt during this marathon made me realise how mentally strong and stubborn I can be and that is something that I can use at other points inn my life so overall I see it as a positive.

I then got the medal and the t-shirt but the first place I was looking for after that was the tent where I could get a massage. I ended up having one for about 20 mins and after a long run like a marathon it felt amazing. I tend to want massages after long runs sometimes.

I also saw my fellow running club member Susan at the end and I was very proud of her for finishing because she had done amazingly well and I knew from running with her at the club how hard that she worked and all the effort that she had put in. All the members of the club did amazing but I think Susan deserves a special mention.

I think a few people deserve a special thanks. The first person that I want to thank is Aimee who is the founder of Lily Uganda who were one of the charities that I was running for. Aimee has been very supportive with her encouraging words but she sent me a card after Paris thanking me for my efforts raising money for the charity which meant a lot to me and made me feel like my work was both valued and appreciated. Lily Uganda are a small charity but they are also a beautiful charity but behind every great charity is someone who had a vision to try and make a change and Aimee and her co-founder Charlotte were those 2 people in the case of Lily Uganda. Please check out their website guys to find out more about the incredible work they do and show them your support. www.lillyuganda.org.

I also want to thank Sarah from St Catherines Hospice for her support and encouragement via emails and all her hard work getting the newspaper article sorted. St Catherines Hospice are also an incredible charity. As some on you may have already read in my previous posts St Catherines Hospice was the place where my Grandma spent her final days but the support the hospice gave was superb and comforting to our family as we felt a special family member was very well looked after and cared for. They also looked after us as a family very well. Again I would also encourage you all to support St Catherines Hospice and if you wish to find out more information please visit their website. https://www.stcatherines.co.uk/

I want to thank the amazing people that I work with for their incredible support during the cake sale and all the kind comments and encouragement they gave.

I'm also hoping to continue with running and even did the fun colour run today which was one of the funniest runs I have ever done even though it was only around 3 miles.

In the last few days I have signed up to do the Chester Half Marathon next month, the Bolton half marathon in September and the Brighton Marathon next year. I still want to do the Chester half marathon for Mind, Lilly Uganda and St Catherines Hospice so if any of you wish to donate and show your support, please do so by clicking on the following link http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=lillyugandamindstcatherines

I am also hoping to do a 10 miles walk for CLASP charity in London next month. I'm really looking forward to this event and meeting some of the amazing mental health campaigners. The event takes place on the 14th May 2016. For more information, register and donate please visit the CLASP charity website http://www.claspcharity.com/

I've also recently contributed to a blog series called "24 hours in the life of" which gives you a bit of an insight into my daily life.y a lady called Aimee. The blog is is run b It is scheduled to be on the blog on the 25/04/2016 so remember to check the blog on Monday. The link for Aimee's blog is http://www.imnotdisordered.blogspot.co.uk/

Sorry this has been a long blog guys but thanks for reading and i'm hoping to keep you updated with how all the running is going.

Thanks again

Faisal

Paris Marathon day and Manchester Marathon day Part 1

Hi guys.

Following on from my last blog I wanted to explain what happened in the Paris Marathon.

Me, my cousin, my dad, my sister and my brother in law travelled down to Paris on Friday 1st April (no that isn't an April fool) haha via Eurostar with a short stop off in London where we offered our Friday prayers.

We then arrived at London Kings Cross and I was excited to be getting on the train to Paris. We got on the train and I was getting frustrated with the lack of wifi but who doesn't find that frustrating. I found it amazing how we can enter a tunnel and within a matter of minutes be in a totally different country.

Once we arrived in Paris we went straight to our hotel, out to eat and then back to the hotel. It was amazing to know that we had now arrived in Paris and I was really looking forward to the race day on the Sunday.

On the Saturday morning we had to wake up early as we needed to get to the exhibition and get the race number. We had finally got the race number and I was really excited to see what was included in the rest of the expedition. We got the race bag. My cousin even managed to get one even though he wasn't running (typical) haha.

I was really impressed with the expedition but one of the things that impressed me the most was that our names were on the wall with good luck messages. It felt a bit surreal to see my name up on the wall saying good luck when I was only one of a possible 50 odd thousand runners. I also got to meet some amazing people who have been running for Mind for a long time. I have spoken to a few of them on Facebook for around 2 years so it was lovely to spend some time with them and finally get to meet them.

Later that evening my cousin, my dad and I went out to eat at Dominos Pizza. However only once we got there I felt like I had no appetite whatsoever. I found this strange because I didn't feel nervous but I felt like I had to eat something in order to feel strong for the next day and have some energy for the marathon so I had some cheesy bread

During the night I felt unwell and began to vomit and I was struggling to sleep too. Despite this I was really determined to try and least attempt the marathon. I felt like I owed this to everyone who had put faith in me, supported me and sponsored me. However I really felt like it just wasn't going to happen and I had negative thoughts in my mind. My body was feeling weak before the race even started but I was really determined to do my best and try.

After travelling on the metro, we finally got to the start line at the Champs Elysees. I thought it was incredible that I was in the starting pen and I saw loads of other runners from all over the world. Some were from Gambia, Spain, Brazil, UK, America and other different countries and they all untied on the streets of Paris solely to run the marathon. It was such an amazing sight and I even managed to speak with some of them. For some of them it was their first marathon and they seemed to be looking forward to it.

As we walked towards the starting line the music was blaring and the atmosphere was very noisy as we had some great support at the starting line. The race got started and only a few jogs in, I was beginning to feel pain and negative thoughts were swirling around in my head but I was quite determined to try the best I possibly can. As I put one foot in front of the other time after time, I was beginning to think about where the sign for the first mile was. I couldn't see it for ages and it felt like such a long time before I reached the first mile. I kept wondering if this is how I am thinking on the first mile then how an earth will I cope with 26.2 miles.

The first mile eventually came but the negative thoughts were still there and I found that I was really beginning to struggle but I didn't want to give up and somehow at that point I was still jogging and one foot was going in front of the other.

I then got to the 4th mile where there was our first drinks station and rather then just take a bottle of water and carry on, I ended up completely stopping and I guess now in hindsight it was a sign that it wasn't going to be my day. I still carried on but now I was getting to the point where I was stopping and starting and I couldn't believe that it was happening as early as this. I kind of expected to happen around half way at around 13 miles like what happened when I did the London Marathon a couple of years earlier.

I struggled like this until the 8th mile and things were getting even more difficult. By now I was mainly walking as there was pain in body and it is like I was trying but my body wouldn't let me do the things that I wanted it to do. As I was continuing to walk I saw another group of people who were walking and stopped with them to have a drink of water. 2 of us got left behind, myself and another lady called Lisa. Both of us were in exactly the same situation and I tried my best to encourage myself and encourage her saying we could walk the rest of the way if we had to even though in hindsight that may not have been a good idea. I really wanted to carry on but it felt like my body wouldn't let either of us so we both decided this is the end of the road for our marathon in Paris.

I remember the feeling after I realised I wasn't going to finish it. It was devastating and I felt like an utter failure. I kept thinking of the time when Paula Radcliffe didn't finish in the Olympics and I imagine she felt exactly the same as me except she had hundreds if not millions watching around the globe so the pressure on her was probably a lot more. I felt like I had let a lot of people down especially the people who had sponsored me and put so much faith in me to run the marathon.

Myself and Lisa well Lisa mainly tried to flag down a taxi for a while but the taxis were not stopping. We ended up asking a French couple advice about where the nearest taxi rank is. They were so lovely and ended up taking us to the underground station which was approximately 1km away but seemed like a lot longer. The feeling of devastation however was still there and I felt defeated.

I then got on the metro with Lisa and made my way to see the rest of my family apart from my dad who was still running. I met them at a Subway near the Eifel Tower. I was still devastated and gutted that I felt that all the training and hard work before hand didn't pay off and that is what the frustrating thing was for me.

We then made our way to the finishing line to watch my dad finish but it felt like a bittersweet moment. I was really happy that he got a time of 5 hours 17 minutes but I was sad that I wouldn't be crossing that finishing line. I even saw Andy and another Lisa (Runners who were running for Mind too that I met the previous day) and told them what happened. They were both incredibly supportive which gave me comfort but didn't help ease the feeling of disappointment that I had within me at that time. I was still so tired that I went back to the hotel with my dad and got some rest.

The following day was the day to go home. At Gard De Nourde (the Eurostar station in Paris) there were lots of people heading back home who ran the previous day. I was happy that they managed to complete it but as they were telling their stories, my own sadness was still there. Nevertheless apart from the marathon day itself, I had a great time in Paris spending it with loved ones and finally getting to meet members of the Mind Facebook group after speaking with a lot of them for about 2 years.

Once I got home I the messages on Facebook asking how it went and I think people were wondering as I refrained from putting a status of Facebook as I didn't want to tell people that I didn't complete it and that I had let them down. In hindsight now maybe I should have because the majority of people who sponsored asked so I had to tell them anyway.

I knew the Manchester marathon was the week after as some people from Lancashire Red Rose Road runners (the club who I run with) were going to do it and I did have an idea that I could use that to try again. However it was only when a fellow member called Helen messaged me on Facebook asking if I would like to do it after what happened in Paris did I have the real conviction to say yes. We checked if there was spaces left which there were and all I had to do was go down and register on the Saturday which was the day before the run. My transport for the day was sorted as Helen advised that we could go with Lancashire Red Rose Runners on the minibus so all I had to do was register.

My dad took me down to Manchester the day before the race so we could register and get my race number, I still can't believe I only managed to get the race number the day before. I think it is the latest that I have ever got a race number but I was excited to have been given a second chance but equally as afraid that what happened in Paris could possibly happen again. I kept thinking of an incident of Paula Radcliffe. Either 2 weeks or 2 months after she was unable t finish the marathon in the Olympics she won Gold at the Chicago marathon and I just thought that is what champions and winners do. They get up and they go again and I decided that I wanted to be a champion and I wanted to be a winner so I took that comfort from this and used it to encourage me. Don't get me wrong I didn't think I would win the marathon by coming first, I thought I could win the marathon just by finishing it.

If you want to find out whether or not I finished it, you will have to look out for my next blog post which I hope to update soon. I think this blog is now too long haha.

Thanks for reading guys.

Faisal

5 days to go!

Hi guys,

Hope you are all well.

It is now Tuesday the 29th March 2016 which makes it 5 days before me and my dad are scheduled to take part in the Paris Marathon. It really isn't long now and we are both looking forward to the challenge that awaits us.

I feel like my training has gone really well. A few weeks ago I took a day off work to cover between 17-19 miles twice in three days. It was fairly exhausting and very difficult but it gave me even more confidence that I will be able to finish the 26.2 miles marathon on Sunday. I've also still been running with Lancashire Red Rose Road runners and they have been an incredible help and it has helped me to get fit.

I have also got upto £660 so far which I am so happy with. At work I am scheduled to have a cake sale on Thursday which I hope will bring in more money. Local business Indulgence have agreed to donate a cake and I will hopefully find out tomorrow if any of the local supermarkets such as Sainsburys and Waitrose will donate some too.

I have got to say the support from all the charities have been excellent. Going to give a special mention to Aimee who is one of the co-founders of Lilly Uganda for all her encouraging words and support. Also going to give a special mention to Sarah from St Catherine's Hospice for her support in getting our article into the Lancashire Evening Post and for everything that she has done to support us.

I would encourage you all to support these charities in whatever way you can because they are all wonderful charities and help to support others in different ways but they all have a number of beautiful things in common, They are all supporting communities and individuals by offering strength, support and comfort at times where many of the people using their services may find it impossible to have those otherwise. In other words they are all looking after and caring for the human race which is a responsibility on all of us. Please check out their websites and support them in any way you can.

http://www.lillyuganda.org/

https://www.stcatherines.co.uk/

http://www.mind.org.uk/

Last but not least if anyone still wishes to donate, they can do by clicking on the link below.

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=lillyugandamindstcatherines

Thanks for reading guys!

Paris Marathon Update

Hi guys. Sorry it has taken a few weeks to give you an update regarding my progress.

I feel like my training is going well. I have now joined a running club in Preston called Red Rose Road Runners. Been going for about 5 weeks and I have felt like my running and training has got a lot better. Nornmlly we run between 5 and 8 miles. I'm loving running with these guys as it helps to give me motivation and really improved my running. Overall i'm running about 3 times a week now. Twice with the club and a long run on the weekend. Today I did roughly 14 miles and the muscles really began to hurt once I had finished.

Last weekend both me and my dad ran the Blackpool half marathon which is 13.1 miles. Part of the run was really enjoyable running near the sea. I even got drenched and felt like I was on a log flume haha. However due to the wind part of the run was really difficult as we were running against the wind. It was really tough but I was determined not to stop and not to give up and I ended doing a time of 2 hours 35 mins which I was delighted with.

Me and my dad also went to St Catherines which is 1 of the charities that I have decided to run for. My dad is also planning to run for St Catherines so we both went and had our photos taken. They also asked us a few questions and are planning to do an article to send off to our local newspaper which is the Lancashire Evening post. This should be printed within the next few weeks.

It is just over a month until the Paris Marathon now and I can't wait. The travel has been booked and I hope to do some sightseeing once I am there. I can't wait.

The fundraising is also going ok. Planning to do a bake sale at work sometime next month which will hopefully raise a lot of money. Raised nearly £300 so far so really happy. I hope to raise at least £500 by race day so if anyone can help please click on the link to make a donation and help spread the word.

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=lillyugandamindstcatherines

You can also follow me on Twitter @falidude.

Thanks guys and hopefully will update you guys again soon!