The 26th of November 2016 was a pretty special day. That day;
We woke at 5:45am, in a scout tent, in the rolling mist before sunrise, at an altitude of 1900m. We clambered, bleary eyed, into our running gear in the light of a single solar lantern, shadows looming across the chilly tent as we hunted for socks, electrolyte tablets, and all the other bits and pieces which had escaped from our neatly laid out clothing piles. At the mess hall there was porridge, bananas, eggs and toast. We ate as much as we could manage, and watched the sunrise over Kathmandu valley. We filled water bottles, went for last-chance-wees and then walked *down* the hill to the UN parade ground that was to be the start & finish line.
It took us over 7.5 hours to complete the race (official times still pending), which whilst it meant we weren't running quickly, it posed a challenge in itself as constant exercise for that length of time is massively depleting, and we weren't really fuelled or supplied well enough for it. And for those of you who think 7.5 hours is slow (which it is, I'm not going to argue that!), to give you a little perspective, the winner of the race took 4 hours and he can run a 'normal' marathon in something like 2.5 hours. Anyway, slow or not, I was still absolutely over the moon to have completed the marathon. It felt like an absolutely epic achievement. It was even more special to me though because my husband James ran beside me all the way, and we crossed the line hand in hand - a wedding anniversary we shall never forget! Here we are celebrating with a beer: And that was just the first 26.2 miles of my 1000 mile challenge! I hope the next 973.8 miles are a little easier!
If you think that challenge deserves a little celebration, then perhaps you would like to sponsor me. The minimum amount on Just Giving is only £2, so maybe skip a beer or a coffee once this week and donate to Global Action Nepal to celebrate with me instead: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Chloe1000
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When I told James that we'd won a week in Nepal, I'm pretty sure he imagined we'd be visiting temples, doing some sight seeing, maybe a bit of adventure sports or a safari. What I doubt he had in mind is what I dragged the poor blighter into. Of our 5 full days in Nepal, 2 of them were spent digging, laying & burying a 5km pipeline to provide a safe, clean, reliable water supply to Kakani - the village we were to run through on the Nepal marathon. It was incredibly hard graft, using only traditional hand tools - the only things available in rural Nepal! The team included around 80 runners, as well as the Nepalese Armed Police Force who have a local training ground, and the villagers. Notably almost all the villagers helping were female, and they were rela powerhouses - another reason the Nepalese women have become a true inspiration to me! [Read my last blog post if that's news to you]. Here I am with my new Nepalese friends: The route went through forests, under roads, down cliffs and generally through some very inaccessible areas. There were terrifying moments when you were convinced you were going to slide/fall down the moment and indeed a couple of people did - thankfully no-one came to any harm though. It was an amazing project to be part of though. Working alongside the runners, police and villagers created a real sense of community, culture and fun. As well as working very hard to achieve something outstanding there was also a lot of dancing and cheering. It was laborious and I still have blisters more than two weeks on, but thinking about it brings an absolutely massive smile to my face. The very talented Ben Arthur made a short film of it. See if you can spot James & I in our Cundall '40' t-shirts: We all know we're privileged. We know that there are lots of people out there with way less than us. Our mothers even used them against use in that childhood battleground of the dining table; "there are starving children in Africa you know! They'd eat that cabbage and be grateful!". But despite the fact that we are all very aware of our privilege it doesn't stop any of us, myself very much included, wanting more, not appreciating what we have, and being grumpy about tiny things like train delays, IT issues and Christmas bonuses. Going to Nepal was eye opening. Yes, I knew I was privileged and that these people had less. Yes I knew they'd been through trying times with poverty and the earthquake. That's exactly why I was fundraising, running and giving my time. What, and yes I am aware this is a massive cliché but it's true none-the-less, I learnt in Nepal really was about embracing, enjoying, and being proud of what you have. On our 1st full day in Nepal James & I woke early, and with the rest of the Global Action Nepal supporters we had an exciting taxi journey through Kathmandu to Shree Chuni Devi Lower Secondary School. We were welcomed by the children with flowers & blessings, shown around the school and treated to a traditional Nepalese dance show. The school was damaged in the April 2015 earthquake & GAN have supported the rebuild process and provided rainwater harvesting & filtration so the school has a water supply. The school, its staff, and the children were all wonderful and incredibly welcoming. What really amazed me though was the women. I didn't realise, but GAN don't just support the schools themselves, but the communities surrounding them. It's this holistic approach that really increases school attendance and retention rates so that far more children have access to education. In this case the women had been suffering extreme poverty, or in the earthquake they had lost their homes, husbands or livelihoods. GAN had given them grants. Tiny amounts of money to us, five or ten pounds at most. With that money they had been able to buy seeds to grow vegetables, or construction materials for their homes or vegetable tunnels, or they had bought livestock like a goat or some chickens. These small changes had returned these women to self-sufficiency, meaning they were then able to reliably feed their children, and send them to school. These women were awesome, in the strictest sense of the word. They had nothing. They had lost everything. Now they had just enough to scrape by, and they were so cheerful. So strong, and proud, and so generous. They insisted on preparing some of their own sourfruit with chilli, salt & sugar for us to try, and it was delicious. It tasted of spice, freedom, happiness & hard earned pride. If these women can be so full of smiles in the circumstances they are in, then I can certainly be more cheerful about any circumstance I find myself in. They have taught me that.
And if they can be so kind and sharing when they have so little then we can perhaps all dig a little deeper with our own generosity. And just in case this post has inspired your own generosity, I am still fundraising here. |
AuthorChloe is running 1000 miles to raise money for Global Action Nepal. She's also an engineer and a Mum. Archives
August 2017
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