Yes, it really is true, in two months my twomarathons project will be over! Probably this is more easily imaginable for you than for me. I've grown accustomed to living with a constant list of people to contact for donations, a constant calculation of when I can fit in my training, and during the last two months a constant anxiety about my knee! The thought that it will come to an end - God willing with the objectives achieved - brings with it a certain lightening of the spirit that fits well with the approach of spring. This is not to suggest that I dislike the project. Through it I've had wonderful opportunities to communicate about some of the things that matter to me, and to experience unexpected generosity. And I've learnt a huge amount about my own (lack of) generosity, and especially about my cultivation of self-reliance as a defence mechanism. Approaching people to ask for help brings the risk of rejection - yet I understand better now how it also brings the hope of communion, the acknowledgement of mutual dependence among the whole human family. I don't find it an exaggeration to say that the continued evolution of humanity hangs on this.
On a more practical plane, there are now 52 days until the Bungay Black Dog Marathon, and 59 until the London Marathon. Donations are approaching two-thirds of the target of £2000 for each charity. Pledges and more vaguely expressed intentions to support the project should help boost those totals significantly, but there is still some way to go, and I'm running out of people to badger! So, put your thinking caps on please, and see if there isn't something you could do to help. I would be delighted to provide you with posters, flyers, sponsorship forms, and literature about the charities, if you have any arena to spread the word!
Things have continued to be less than perfect with my knee, and there have been plenty of times when I've wondered whether all the physio exercises will just be too little too late. However, I'm back to running and at present I'm managing to build up the distance without an increase in pain. This is really encouraging. I'm an extremely determined person (some other adjectives probably come to mind...) so I expect to make it round these marathons, even if not in quite the form I'd envisaged! Maybe you could cheer me on? If you're likely to be in the Bungay area on 19th April or London on 26th, let me know so that I can give you some details of when to expect me where! In my new spirit of acknowledged frailty, I will rejoice in your support!
Thursday, 26 February 2009
Monday, 16 February 2009
What does RTU do? - 5. AIDS Programme
Over the past decade or two we've got quite used to hearing about AIDS and the impact it's having on populations around the world. However, I don't recall reading much in the news about the growing epidemic in India. Reaching the Unreached happens to be situated in one of the most badly affected areas, with an infection rate that is increasing extremely rapidly. Unfortunately, people there haven't had the same chances as us to learn about HIV and AIDS, the means of transmission, the risk of infection, and so on. As a result, the disease carries huge stigma in the area. The story of Pothumani, a 35 year old widow with three children, is not an unusual one. When she and her husband discovered that they were both HIV+, they hid it from the family as long as they could. However, in this man's final days, the nature of his illness became known. Pothumani was chased out of her home with great hatred; she was seen as the bringer of misfortune to the family. She planned to kill her children and commit suicide, but discovered the work of RTU just in time. They helped her to re-gain the land she was entitled to, provided financial assistance and a house, and arranged counselling for the whole family. Now Pothumani can continue to bring up her children with dignity.
In the Children's Villages more than half the children have been orphaned due to AIDS; at present almost every new admission comes from a family affected by AIDS. Many of these children are HIV+ themselves. In-depth training is given to the foster mothers to enable them to integrate HIV+ children fully into the family and the village, and to provide whatever special care is necessary. Medical check-ups take place regularly, with the prescription of anti-retroviral drugs when appropriate. Of course, some of the children eventually become too ill to be cared for at home, in which case they go to a nearby hospice run by the Presentation Sisters. Brother James (the founder of RTU) and the current director Father Antony write frequently in the newsletter of these children. Their dedication to them is so clear from their words, as is their immense grief when a child dies. There can be no doubt that every individual helped by RTU is just that - an individual - given every possible care with unstinting love.
Why not have a look at RTU's website to find out more about their work? You will even see a picture of me on there! But don't let that put you off.
In the Children's Villages more than half the children have been orphaned due to AIDS; at present almost every new admission comes from a family affected by AIDS. Many of these children are HIV+ themselves. In-depth training is given to the foster mothers to enable them to integrate HIV+ children fully into the family and the village, and to provide whatever special care is necessary. Medical check-ups take place regularly, with the prescription of anti-retroviral drugs when appropriate. Of course, some of the children eventually become too ill to be cared for at home, in which case they go to a nearby hospice run by the Presentation Sisters. Brother James (the founder of RTU) and the current director Father Antony write frequently in the newsletter of these children. Their dedication to them is so clear from their words, as is their immense grief when a child dies. There can be no doubt that every individual helped by RTU is just that - an individual - given every possible care with unstinting love.
Why not have a look at RTU's website to find out more about their work? You will even see a picture of me on there! But don't let that put you off.
Monday, 9 February 2009
Cold Conditions: Warm Welcome!
What a week to choose for some more "outreach" publicity! I travelled to Cambridge last Wednesday ready to speak in assembly at the Perse (my old school, as blog followers will know) the following morning. Thursday dawned: snowy... Snowy to the point of school-closure, that is!
This is the point at which I must say a huge and public "THANKYOU" to the school staff. Despite having small and insignificant decisions to make such as whether it was safe for girls to travel to school and whether staffing levels would be adequate for the girls to remain safely at school once they got there, a good deal of effort and flexibility was in evidence so that my presentation could go ahead. This finally happened on Friday, still surrounded by snow, with girls arriving late and others leaving early, yet I really felt that I received the warmest of welcomes. I was particularly delighted to have such an attentive audience in distracting circumstances. Thankyou, everybody!
Hopefully, a few "Perse parents" might be reading this. If so, you daughter has probably heeded my appeal to show you my blog and to encourage you to make a donation! So why should you support this unknown person and these unknown charities? Well, my visit to school last week has certainly convinced me of the existence of a "Perse Girls Community", extending to embrace families and past pupils as well as girls currently attending the school. Within that community I know that there's a real and long-standing commitment to development and progress on a global scale. My two charities contribute to that ideal of development in contrasting yet complementary ways. With Reaching the Unreached, the focus is on solutions to poverty. With WPF Therapy, it's individual emotional well-being that's at stake. Yet in both cases, the charities are working for empowerment, with particular emphasis on the dignity and worth of each individual. These concepts are key values in the educational approach of the Perse, and so I trust that we are "on the same wavelength". As a result, I have the audacity to appeal to you very directly: please make a donation! You can be sure it will help people to turn their lives around.
This is the point at which I must say a huge and public "THANKYOU" to the school staff. Despite having small and insignificant decisions to make such as whether it was safe for girls to travel to school and whether staffing levels would be adequate for the girls to remain safely at school once they got there, a good deal of effort and flexibility was in evidence so that my presentation could go ahead. This finally happened on Friday, still surrounded by snow, with girls arriving late and others leaving early, yet I really felt that I received the warmest of welcomes. I was particularly delighted to have such an attentive audience in distracting circumstances. Thankyou, everybody!
Hopefully, a few "Perse parents" might be reading this. If so, you daughter has probably heeded my appeal to show you my blog and to encourage you to make a donation! So why should you support this unknown person and these unknown charities? Well, my visit to school last week has certainly convinced me of the existence of a "Perse Girls Community", extending to embrace families and past pupils as well as girls currently attending the school. Within that community I know that there's a real and long-standing commitment to development and progress on a global scale. My two charities contribute to that ideal of development in contrasting yet complementary ways. With Reaching the Unreached, the focus is on solutions to poverty. With WPF Therapy, it's individual emotional well-being that's at stake. Yet in both cases, the charities are working for empowerment, with particular emphasis on the dignity and worth of each individual. These concepts are key values in the educational approach of the Perse, and so I trust that we are "on the same wavelength". As a result, I have the audacity to appeal to you very directly: please make a donation! You can be sure it will help people to turn their lives around.
Monday, 2 February 2009
Training update 3
It would be more accurate to say "injury update", but the effort I'm putting into overcoming this injury certainly feels like training! The week of rest and anti-inflammatories having done very little other than to leave me feeling unfit, I went to see a physiotherapist, who came up with a totally different diagnosis! Apparently the problem is "iliotibial band friction syndrome". Despite sounding very grand, this is actually an extremely common runners' problem. The pain is due to a long tendon (stretching from the hip to below the knee) rubbing on the end of the thigh bone in the knee area. In my case, this seems to be due to a muscle imbalance in my hip, maybe due to some leg injury I can't even remember. Compensating for the imbalance, I use the wrong muscles to bring my leg forward when I run, and so the tendon scrapes on the bone rather than making a smooth passage past it!
So much for the anatomical explanation; what about the cure? Exercises! And more exercises, followed by some exercises for good measure. Four times a day you will find me in front of the mirror concentrating intently on keeping my pelvis straight as I lunge, bend, and generally contort myself in the interests of waking up those lazy muscles! And they're certainly letting me know about it. I should have impressive quads after this, if nothing else! If I have any time to spare between the muscle-strengthening exercises, I can also cycle (or use the exercise bike as is more likely in this weather), so my cardio-vascular system doesn't need to go into hibernation.
It has to be said that this is entirely not the form I expected my training to be taking at this stage. However, despite the lack of actual running, I know I'm building up all the important aspects of my fitness, and so I'm staying optimistic. After all, if I don't believe I can achieve my aims, who will?
So much for the anatomical explanation; what about the cure? Exercises! And more exercises, followed by some exercises for good measure. Four times a day you will find me in front of the mirror concentrating intently on keeping my pelvis straight as I lunge, bend, and generally contort myself in the interests of waking up those lazy muscles! And they're certainly letting me know about it. I should have impressive quads after this, if nothing else! If I have any time to spare between the muscle-strengthening exercises, I can also cycle (or use the exercise bike as is more likely in this weather), so my cardio-vascular system doesn't need to go into hibernation.
It has to be said that this is entirely not the form I expected my training to be taking at this stage. However, despite the lack of actual running, I know I'm building up all the important aspects of my fitness, and so I'm staying optimistic. After all, if I don't believe I can achieve my aims, who will?
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