Day 135 has seen 2.3 miles walked, 4.3 miles run and some encouragement. What a beautifully sunny day. I managed to get a good nights sleep before being woken by the dawn breaking and streaming through the windows and making the flat awash with light. So I was up, pills taken and out for a good walk to steady the mind and body while picking up litter. Sadly I found an area downwind of the new estate that had clearly seen a strong wind on recycling day so very quickly my bag was full to bursting. I turned back and deposited the bag into a rubbish bin before heading back in for breakfast after just 1 mile walked.
Breakfast eaten I was deep into some paperwork to organise all the independent reports I require to be written by the Dr and the MoD welfare officer to support the expression of interest into a place at the Erskine Home. My mind wandered a little into yesterday’s post and the memory of the melt down we had in the car after the tour around the facilities. I was feeling a little down but then the Sainsbury’s delivery arrived. I had forgotten that I had booked it for 1000hrs but it was here and I was here so I went downstairs to collect my food shop and to receive a little boost from the driver. The driver hadn’t been on duty for a year as he had just moved and tried other work elsewhere but came back to the driving job. So this was the first time I had seen him in a year. ‘Wow you look great’ he said. I was slightly taken aback by this and the driver suddenly realised how that might have sounded on first meeting a man you had delivered to a few times a year or so ago. So he started to try to clarify his last comment and the more he tried, the deeper he dug. It was amusing, so I let him flounder for just a few seconds before thanking him hugely for his comments. I was thrilled and significantly buoyed by this immediately apparent improvement in my appearance. I now felt great too and it reminded me that despite the odd set back I was getting better. I was going to Beat the Beast. After the driver went on his way with a handshake and a thank you I went to the loo and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I went back to the mirror and looked at myself. I leant forward and looked deeply taking in each and every wrinkle and imperfection. ‘Gosh I must have looked really bad a year ago,’ I chuckled.
Lunch time today was run time. The weather was amazing so I threw on a t-shirt and shorts before donning my trainers and heading out into the sunshine to run 3 miles and soak up some vitamin D. As I ran along the A84 my peely wally legs were clearly dazzling some drivers in this bright sunshine so I decided to dive into the Blair Drummond Estate via the chain link lodge and run around the track there. It was going to be a little further for the run than I had planned but I was feeling comfortable so went for it. As I ran alongside the woodland the wonderful echos of a woodpecker preparing a nesting site on a hollow tree reverberated around me. The sun shone and the green fields of grass and stubbly fields of new crops looked healthy and full of spring. I was having a great time and at the junction turned towards the River Teith. Then I turned to follow the river bidding a good afternoon to anglers stopped for their packed lunch, then as the track petered out I was stumbling around the field edge back towards the chain lodge exit. As I ran, across the river from me rolled the wonderful green pastures of an old estate with its delightful old walled gardens looking quite magnificent in this sunshine before I then saw an old chapel that I was yet to explore and then the magnificent edifice of Doune Castle standing imposing in its guard position on the river it’s saltire fluttering gently against the flagpole on top. This was a magnificent site and I thanked God for this day and the day that he delivered for me the flat through Bob and then a mortgage broker who managed to find me a mortgage despite the prognosis and the lack of income beyond my half pension and war disablement pension so that I could stay and live in such a wonderful area so close to the children. I was in a great place and was still feeling good as I ran over the bridge over the river and back up the A84 towards Doune. I dived right to head back along the river through some woodland before heading up onto the castle road with my legs now starting to feel more and more sluggish as I grew tired, then into the village, across the park and back home. I stopped the watch. 4.3 miles ran in 45 mins. I took off my trainers and went up to the flat and did 3 pull ups, 18 press ups followed by 18 sit ups and some stretching. Then it was time for some Maths. I had run at a pace of 10min and 27secs for each mile. I was sad to see that I had lost some fitness and some pace during my enforced rest but then I was thrilled that I had just run 4.3 miles. That was the furthest I had run since treatment started with Brain Surgery very nearly 2 years ago. I was very pleased as I ate lunch of the usual after my bath giggling at the messages from Sarah Jane about our shared memories of our youth, high kicking to Fame with leg warmers on!! This afternoon saw another couple of posts read for the audio visual diary of the journey before a 1.3 mile walk up the Argaty road to collect some more litter before then cooking Arrabbiata by Jamie Oliver. With fresh red chilli, garlic, basil and chopped tomatoes it was a very quick and simple tea to prepare and serve with pasta and some more spinach, rocket and watercress salad.
Tonight? More emails and letters to answer before tackling the mounting ironing pile. But before I do. The challenge in numbers:
Days completed: 135
Total Miles Cycled: 659
Total Miles Walked: 684
Total Miles Run: 48.5
Total Miles Paddled: 7
Total Distance Cycled, Skied, Ran and Rowed in the gym: 28.3
Total Distance Swum: 2,420 metres
Total Miles covered under own steam.1,429.2
Total Height Gained under own steam: 35,681 feet
Mountains Climbed: 5
Hills Climbed: 19
Days of Voluntary Activity: 8.5
Organ tunes learnt and performed: 5
Salmon Caught: 0!
Bats Found:0!
Curling Matches played in: 8
Curling stones placed on the button (the centre of the target): 3
Weight Training Sessions: 10
Weight shifted: 10kgs lifted over 102metres or 2040kgs moved over ½ a metre,
Aerobic Circuit Sessions: 7
Press Ups: 398
Pull Ups: 82
Sit Ups: 483
People Met and Hands Shaken: 393
Pots of tea shared: 29
Prayers joined on the top of a hill: 2
Prayers joined in the street!: 4
Prayers joined in a Train Station: 1
Prayers joined in a Café: 1
Pills popped: 768
Days until Driving Licence (lost to epilepsy) possibly Returned: 662
And most important of all – Money Raised as at Day 126 – £6,710.77
Considering I started this challenge 6 months ago very quietly with no target beyond a fiver, thanks to the brilliant advice from a friend of mine, I am absolutely thrilled and again thank you all. That is £53.26 for each and every day that I have managed to find the will and energy to do something worthwhile and my goodness it has been worth it for my peace of mind, for my healing and for the five wonderful charities you are supporting through your generosity. Long may it continue. May I also ask however that if you are not sponsoring me to please consider it for as much or as little as you can afford. My rate of revenue raising has slowed from £70.00 a day to £60.00 a day to £54.02 a day so please sponsor me and encourage your friends to as well.
Thank you all for your incredible comments and support. Please continue to spread the word.
If you see me around do please give a cheery hello and shake my hand or toot your horn and give a cheery wave to show your support and encourage me on.
Thank you for joining me on my own personal journey and encouraging me to walk, cycle, climb, paddle, sport and do good deeds each day to ‘Beat the Beast’ while helping to improve the lives and life chances of so many more people through sponsorship. The Five Charities that I have selected to support are:
- Cancer Research UK – My Father Succumbed to Lung Cancer; a couple of friends are currently fighting cancer and I am fighting a brain tumour. Let’s Help to Beat Cancer Sooner.
- The Prince’s Trust – Inspiring and preparing disadvantaged Young Lives for success.
- British Red Cross – helping those in need around the UK and the world whoever and wherever they are.
- World Wide Fund for Nature – For a Living Planet and a Future Where People and Nature Thrive.
- Help for Heroes – Support for our Wounded and their Families. To learn more about my story that brought me to this point, how I plan to ‘Beat the Beast’, what activities I plan to do within the challenge and why, please see my welcome video on this page.
How to Sponsor Me
The Beat the Beast Challenge is self funding through my own contribution while keeping costs to a minimum with voluntary support and corporate sponsorship in kind. Therefore the entirety of every penny donated will go directly to the 5 charities listed above.
Please sponsor me by completing a standing order form either through your own personal internet banking or by completing a hard copy standing order form in your branch of your bank and then handing it in to the teller.
It is entirely up to you how much you would like to and are able to sponsor me for so do please give as much or as little as you can. Every penny will be very gratefully received.
While I hope you will encourage me to keep going by sponsoring me for every day I survive and am able to find the cognitive and physical capability to complete a day’s task designed to improve my chances of ‘Beating the Beast’ or improving the lives of others, 5 days a week, four weeks a month, for as long as ever I can. Any One off Cash contributions will be most gratefully received and distributed in exactly the same manner to the five charities as the sponsorship. Any one off donations can be made by BACS or cheque.
Thank you for having enough faith in me to sponsor me.
Yours aye
Archie