SO ONWARDS AND UPWARDS ....
Firstly, the weather has gone to pot again and we are back to the nasty icy, wet sloshy conditions.....so I have had to sort out shoes...and with the help of a friend who scouted the internet for solutions to running on ice, I have had a 'home job' done on my old running shoes and did my first jog with the 'more affordable spiked' version of icebug running shoes.....I am not sure if they are any better than running without the spikes...the jury is still out...so lets see, worth trying though as icebugs are super expensive.....On top of the need for more grip, I feel I need to come up with a raincoat solution, as I don't particularly like running with wet feet...but wet icy cold feet....well...so any home solutions for keeping my shoes dry??!! Many puddles out there and it seems inevitable I shall get wet.....Regardless, I managed it in December, I will keep going now...The cold is not so severe so really its just a matter of having the will to get out there, find the least slippery routes, run around the puddles and go forth :)
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| Its a combination of ice/water/gravel and its ugly... |
I have started working on a route too....If you are an Oulu person you may recognise the areas....but I am trying to combine my favorite route along the water with another section around the local lakes....so at this stage, with the help of the 'home job' fix-it lady, we have worked out a route....
Click this really cool image if you want to see....
This is our initial plan, I figured if I was going to do this and not the Two Oceans I may as well make it a route that makes my heart happy to run along....
The plan is I will do it on the same day as the Two Oceans, so the 27th of March, its the Saturday on the Easter Weekend...I however will not start at 6am as the race in SA is scheduled too...as well, sorry, but way too cold and early for this time of year.....I will aim to get going as early as I can though...Possibly 8am or 9am.....chances are it will be 9am....My support crew need to be willing to support and lets face it, Easter weekend out in the cold Oulu air is not something most people would willingly do ;) But I know my friends love me and I will work as hard as I can at manipulating them to wake with the sparrows...hehe Funny how my little crazy dream has now become a group effort....
So anyways, that is the plan as to how I will do this....Its going to be a bit of a lonely run...nothing like running in a group, the excitement and buzz of the crowd at the start, having to slow yourself down in the begging...It is a natural thing to always start off too fast in a race!!...then pacing yourself, chatting to those around you when you start to loose the will to run (around 16kms is my wall), meeting new and adventurous people is always such fun....but i'm not too worried, there are a good few runs over the summer I plan to take part in, so its not like I will miss out, the plan for this particular run has just evolved shall we say ....I also love the time when I do run on my own as its a time to gather myself :)
Anyways, now I get to the part of the blog where I harass you and ask you to please sponsor me...or more realistically, please can you donate to the Anna Foundation.....I read their 10 year report....and like the foundation it is simple, pure and honest....No ulterior motives in what they do, just a great desire to help the children in the area. A report on the impact they have had on the children in the area and well....a few stories about children whose lives they have impacted upon...The more I learn about them and their work, the more I just want to help. Your sponsorship will not be wasted in anyways is what I can guarantee you!
Here is a link to the REPORT....please read and just seriously consider donating to my little run...its a drop in the ocean of their monthly needs, but every cent helps.....If I have already convinced you to donate, just CLICK HERE and you can donate....
I can't trust you to read through the whole report as maybe you are not quite as hooked on all this as I am...(its ok I won't hold it against you, we all tick differently)...however I am going to add a paragraph from Anna's introduction (kinda like force reading??)....to me it is brilliant and makes me even more sure of them and their approach.....
My thoughts...WOW....
If you are still not quite at the point of taking the plunge...let me help out even more (like I said at the start of this...I'm new to fundraising, its nothing I have ever done....so my approach is to take the emotional blackmail approach.....I really hope it works!!!!!!!!!!)
The South African rand at the moment is really bad...and its a real bonus for us who have Euros/Dollars/Pounds...I've just checked the exchange rate (online at xe.com)...here are the figures ;)
| 1.00 EUR | = | 17.8222 ZAR |
| 1.00 GBP | = | 22.9726 ZAR |
| 1.00 USD | = | 15.7899 ZAR |
You do the math...its a win win in terms of helping out...call it the perfect time to provide help to a brilliant cause.....There are 42 days left....we can do this....we can we can!!!
Now here is even more proof that you wont be wasting your money if you sponsor me :
I got an email from Carolyn, the lady I am working with at the organisation, this made me even more determined not to let my misery and self absorption take over this whole process....Here in Finland our kids get a well rounded lunch at school, for FREE...for me its just one of the many strengths of the education system here. Kids here do not go hungry, research proves that a hungry / badly nourished child really is at a great disadvantage in terms of their ability to learn, to cope in day to day situations and well their behavior is often affected too. (I have seen the proof of that in my son to be honest!! He turns into a MONSTER when he needs to eat)....I think in families where money is a problem...well, so is providing food and adequate diet....Now on top of all the positive stuff the foundation are doing they are also addressing the need to provide meals...Here is part of Carolyn's email..
'We opened a new project last month at AF Kriel Primary, close to Montagu (in the mountain in the middle of nowhere almost!). The children are SO excited about our programme and enjoying every minute at the after-school. They also get a meal first – we’ve teamed up with the Lunchbox Fund – so it’s all quite exciting and touching to see how they’re embracing the newness of their weekday routine. When I hear feedback about the circumstances in that ‘neck of the woods’, you have to know how much every cent is helping to support those children who so badly need it! It’s really sad but at the same time, so uplifting to know that they are being reached (and loved!!).'
Its wonderful :) I believe in this organisation and I really hope I have/am starting to convince you more and more to donate....this blog is not just about me and my journey.....Its also about these kids and doing all I can to give back to the children I can't help the children in the ways I would like to...but hopefully through it I can help with money to ensure they keep getting the love and nourishment they so sorely need to turn into wonderful confident human beings!!!
NOW I will stop...
CLICK HERE to sponsor me ...every cent is appreciated...
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