the magic at 243...

Blog from 31 August 2010
I'm 2/3rds through my challenge to run 10k everyday for a year in aid of cancer research.

It is fair to say the enormity of the challenge, the commitment and drive needed to finish it has become very apparent to me as I passed halfway. I've realised it is easy to start something, plan it out and believe you can motivate yourself to finish it – but it is even harder to actually see it through. As I've mentioned before, I have always created steps to break up and make a path of bit sized pieces that when put together become your goals, aims and dreams. However true this is, I found the halfway point the hardest time to stick to the path and plans set out. I've realised through all my planning and I have brushed aside a factor that I passed off as not being important or easily be able to handle – doubt.

Doubt to me has been an itch that is difficult to scratch, an itch of the mind which like all itches starts off very faint and when ignoring it only helps make it grow. The very fact that I'm ignoring an itch means I'm thinking about it until it wears me down.

Like all itches they can start from all sorts of things, for me it was almost straight after halfway through this challenge when an innocent thought popped into my head, “will the effort and sacrifice of this challenge be equal or worth the donation given?” which became over time “is it worth it?” Again like almost all itches they are resolved by either the use of an object or person, with doubt it has been same; in this case the scratch was an injection of a little magic.

I use magic as a phrase to describe the spark to fuel motivation and drive to influence my attitude. The fun and excitement that had been so present at the start needed igniting and it came in the form of those supporting (2 specific people) and focusing on: lifting my head in each run to embrace the beautiful scenery, the importance of each landmark, to involve all those following and supporting.

As if by 'magic' I was touched by 2 people over the last 6 weeks, a woman of pentioning age with limited resource insisted on donating and a 84 year old man who had heard about this challenge in February, saved up and came to visit to make his large donation.

Over the last 6 weeks I've come to value and realise the importance of adding MAGIC and should that 'doubt' return what to use to scratch it.

How you can help:
Share & Spread the word of the challenge to friends and relatives to join/like the Facebook page – the greater width of contacts:
[a] the greater interest & chance of corporates donating generously and
[b] if the audience was big enough and everyone bought a drink the total of these small amounts would be enormous!

Please take the time to share the 10k-everyday idea and encouraging others to get involved - on Face Book simply type “10k everyday” in the search bar.

You can find micro blogging of this challenge at:
FaceBook 10k-everyday page, www.facebook.com/tbridle, www.linkedin.com/in/tbridle

Send a friend request with 10k-everyday in it and I'll accept. Be well, Tim

Reality sets in...

Blog from 19th July2 weeks after the halfway point and now having covered 2000km in my challenge to 10k everyday for a year, I suddenly realise the task I set myself.

Completing 6 months of the challenge was a major thing for me. Everything in the challenge until that point was new and unknown, so I'd never given much thought to what would happen in the second half of my year.

The second half of the challenge should be easier but the reality its looking difficult. I'd developed a view leading up to 6 months that after meeting this landmark I's know what to expect and efforts needed to 'easily' do the next 6. I suddenly recognised the first ¼ of the challenge was the honeymoon quarter, everything new and exciting. The 2/4 was spring, races and looking forward to halfway, enough to keep me going. However the ¾ is nothing or void, no specific goal or anything standing out – only hot & humid and a wait for finishing quarter, 4/4.

Other things have come to mind at this stage, like I can't just stop running I'll need an exist plan – the challenge has conditioned me to consuming 2.5 times a normal amount per day; stopping would see me gain weight very quickly. In addition and at times like this, its not hard to get distracted and down heartened by the donations. Having spoken with the charity, Cancer Research who advised to keep focused on the event and the majority of donations usually follow the completion of the activity.

So, I think the second half of this challenge is going to be difficult to keep motivated and above all, keep my mind from wondering and worrying.

How you can help:
Share & Spread the word of the challenge to friends and relatives to join/like the Facebook page – the greater width of contacts:
[a] the greater interest & chance of corporates donating generously and
[b] if the audience was big enough and everyone bought a drink the total of these small amounts would be enormous!

Please take the time to share the 10k-everyday idea and encouraging others to get involved - on Face Book simply type “10k everyday” in the search bar.

You can find micro blogging of this challenge at:
FaceBook 10k-everyday page, www.facebook.com/tbridle, www.linkedin.com/in/tbridle

Send a friend request with 10k-everyday in it and I'll accept. Be well, Tim