This is going to take ages!

OK, so I have been a running a few weeks now.  I'm still getting up whilst its dark (which I hate) throwing some kit on and heading out on to the streets.  Its a respectable place, so no NOT like that!

But the problem is my expectation against my actual performance.  I'm trying to think about all the small positives and not focus on the fact that I don't seem to 1) be finding it any easier or 2) getting any quicker!

To make matters worse, my husband has bought me a watch that does whizzy things, like measure the distance run, calories burnt and time taken.  Before this watch, I could kid myself that I left the house 5 minutes after I actually did or I could estimate the miles rather generously.  I could beat Bolt with some of the timings I have 'estimated'!  I found this bit rather fun.  The watch might get lost...

So, I said I'd share a few stories along the way, for those of you who don't know much about Back Up.  I'm going to talk about Andy.  He is a trustee at Back Up, early thirties at a guess (sorry Andy if its not right!) and has a spinal cord injury from the neck down.  He's a northern chap and tells it like it is.  This is his story as he recently told it at a conference aimed at medical professionals in the sector.  His theme was 'the simple things in life make all the difference.'

Andy was (in his own words) young, fit and had it all going for him, when he was on holiday with friends and his girlfriend in Goa.  He dived in to the sea, but couldn't get out.  His spinal cord snapped at the base of his neck.  Luckily his friends pulled him out of the sea. 

He was carted off to the local hospital, where he was operated on and given a blood transfusion, bought by his dad off the streets.  Andy talked about the despair of the medic's and the grim conditions in which he stayed.  He contemplated taking his own life.

He was transferred to Delhi, where conditions improved.  But it wasn't just the environment that was better.  People had hope for him, he met and saw people with spinal cord injuries going about their daily tasks.  He was treated with kindness and care.  It made all the difference.

And then he came home and made it on to a UK spinal ward.  His four year old niece rushed in to see him.  But she fell down and hit her head.  As she got up she raised her arms to Uncle Andy for a hug, but he couldn't make things better like he had before.  It was a stark moment.

Leaving hospital, Andy had to adapt his home and work out this new life.  He would say himself he is a positive person with fire in his belly, but after initial challenges were overcome after returning home, Andy felt low.

That's where Back Up came in.  Andy went on a multi-activity residential course and learnt do things even even couldn't have dreamed of, sailing, abseiling, hill climbing.  This gave Andy back his 'fire in my belly'. Andy returned home with a set of friends for life and some ambition to take his life forward.  Since then, Andy has gone on to star in Emmerdale, set up his own business and become a motivational speaker, as well as a trustee and volunteer of two charities close to his heart.

I'm lucky to have met Andy, and now you know a bit about him too and the difference Back Up made.  That's why I'm pounding the streets for Back Up.