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
Wednesday, 3 August 2016
Wednesday, 13 July 2016
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
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
Wednesday, 6 July 2016
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.
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.
Saturday, 25 June 2016
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
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
Tuesday, 31 May 2016
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:
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:
Saturday, 7 May 2016
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
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
Thursday, 28 April 2016
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 :)
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 :)
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