Tuesday, November 30, 2021

If you would like to support Aidan's 10km charity run, donate towards the WAVE Trust and its 70/30 Campaign to reduce child maltreatment by 70% by 2030 via the WAVE Trust donations page here. All donations this month will go towards supporting the 70/30 Campaign ambassador network.

 

My calves are aching right now and probably will be tomorrow morning too, but I'm glad to have finished my 10km run in support of the 70/30 Campaign!

I did this run as part of a wider effort by ambassadors for the 70/30 Campaign (to reduce child maltreatment by 70% by 2030) to raise funds for this year's #GivingTuesday event.

70/30 ambassadors do great work raising awareness of the impact of childhood trauma in their local areas and, crucially, pushing for meaningful action at a political level. Many joined the cause because they experienced adversity themselves in their child and/or adult lives and want to prevent as many others from experiencing the same. All funds raised via this year's Giving Tuesday activities will go towards supporting this inspiring network of wonderful people.

You can find out more about my reasons for running in this blog here. For now, I would like to thank everyone who donated towards me bringing myself to the point of collapse (more than once) on a Tuesday evening and to ask anyone who has not donated so far to please consider doing so via the WAVE Trust donations page below (all donations this month will go towards supporting the 70/30 Campaign ambassador network):

Donate to WAVE Trust

 

Now, here's the story of me endlessly running in circles for a good cause, via photos and videos. My goal was to cover the 10km in under 60 minutes. Let's see how I got on.

 

Warming up while it was still very light. I promise most of my preparation didn't involve casually lying on my back.

 

 

 

And we're off! By the time I reached that first tree, I'd realised that I'd forgotten my headband, earphones and water bottle. Great start.

 

 

I can't remember ever being chased by a dog when running before, yet it happened 3 times today - all different dogs. Maybe there was some food in my pocket...

 

 

Standing up while watching me run was evidently too tiring for my photographer. I felt such sympathy.

 

 

 

I promise this shortcut was in keeping with the 10km distance! Though why I decided to take a shortcut on the flat, then do the full circuit uphill at the other end of the park, I have no idea.

 

 

 

That sad moment coming up to 8km when I realised I likely wasn't going to hit my target to beat 60 minutes. I know now that was my slowest lap, so I must have been knackered. But I gave it one last go and shaved 47 seconds off my time on the next lap to give myself a fighting chance.

 

 

 

In a last ditch attempt to give myself an edge, I ditched my water bottle for the final lap to lose some weight. I'm sure it made all the difference in the world.

 

 

 

By the end, I was little more than a speck of mobile torchlight in the darkness. I had just about enough energy to speak briefly to the camera, though only after having collapsed. I was wrecked.

 

 

So did I manage to beat 60 minutes in the end? Alas, I was only able to average 6 minutes 8 seconds per kilometre, finishing with a respectable time of 1 hour 1 minute 35 seconds. Not what I'd hoped for, but not bad either. I'll take it for this year and beat it the next!

Once more, thank you to everyone who has donated so far and, if you'd like to donate to the 70/30 Campaign, please do so via the WAVE Trust donations page at the link below (all donations this month will go towards supporting the 70/30 Campaign ambassador network). Thank you!

Donate to WAVE Trust

 

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Aidan Phillips is Trauma-informed Communities Project Manager at WAVE Trust.