Life Update #1

Beginning the middle of last week, I have taken on a rather large undertaking - of which I am greatly under skilled.

I am going to run the Melbourne Marathon, and raise $3000 for Movember.

As of today I am on day 5 of training. I ran about 6km in the morning, and 2km in the evening. My cardio is improving. My legs are getting stronger. Been experimenting with electrolytes. Been trying a beetroot juice to help my body oxygenate. I have a team of very knowledgeable ladies giving me tips.

Why on earth did I take on this challenge? Well, I'll also add that the marathon is in October - so going from a casual runner to running a marathon in three months is no small feat. Yet I signed up back in April, where 6 months is plenty of time to get ready for a marathon, and raise $3000. And the $3000 is to be raised by September 11th.
 
But think about it - I get to face a steep challenge, push myself, learn my limits or simply expand them, AND I get to raise money for a worthwhile cause. Why wouldn't I do this? Why wouldn't I do this all the time?

I have two friends who are right into running, and their interest revived my own. I also had a moment a few months ago where I found a white feather in one of my running shoes - and for those superstitious and into omens, you will know that the white feather represents being on the right path. I took that to mean that running is a good idea. With this attached fundraising, I am really very keen on using running as a cause for good in the world.

Over the last five days, I have had to really contend with how I am spending my time, and my social anxiety.

Since I am unable to serve multiple masters, I have put the editing of my fantasy novel down and am instead focusing entirely on the fundraising and training, plus the demands of life.

The social anxiety, however, has been a humbling reminder of that limitation of mine. Since face to face is one of the more compelling forms of fundraising, I have to face it over the next 45 days. I do have a buffer of a kind, so that my interrupting of people and asking a favour is for an end that is not purely personal. But we'll see how we go. I'll update again in a week with how the first attempt at handing around posters and speaking to business owners has gone.

Hope everything is going well for you.

- Ryan