100 miles for Jay

Help me make it meaningful

On Friday 10^th of May this year I will be attempting to run 100miles in the Southern Flinders Range. Starting at Mt Little Homestead at 11am and finishing in Quorn before 3pm Sunday. To run 100 miles is a journey. I love attempting to complete these crazy long distances. What starts out as a physical journey always ends in a mental battle. A battle to continue when it hurts. A battle to keep going when you are crazy fatigued. A battle to continue when everything within you screams stop. When all you want to do is give in. But a battle that is eventually overcome by putting one foot in front of the other consistently until you reach the finish line. Sometimes we fall during these events. Some will want to give up. Some will unfortunately give up.

Just like these events for those suffering with mental health battles it’s like running one of these races. Instead of being in a battle to complete the race they are in a battle within themselves to complete each and every day. They battle every day to get up. They battle every day to get through. Some days are harder. Some days are easier. Some days they will want to give up. Most will want to give up almost every single day. Some will continue slowly putting one foot in front of the other until the end of their mental health battle is over and normality returns. Ultimately some will not come out on top. All of these are a reality for those who both suffer and for those who love someone who suffers.

So why am I doing this? Why will I willingly suffer? What is the Why that will keep me going when times get tough? That why is my wife Jay. 

She has suffered for a long time with depression. Over the last 12 months it has bitten hard. Every day is a constant battle. Every day is hard right now. Some days are easy hard, but most are hard hard. Some days it is just a struggle to get out of bed. Some days getting out of bed doesn’t happen. Lots of days there are tears. Occasionally there is a smile but right now they are mostly few and far between. Right now, it feels more like a losing battle but not one that is lost. I know one day the battle will end. As is the same with everyone there is ultimately 2 outcomes. I know the outcome I want. I want the same outcome that gets you a medal at the end of 100miles. The one where you cross the finish line and finally feel relief. The one where you can look back on the journey and see how strong you really were and how much stronger you’ve become. The one where you realise now no matter what happens you can keep going.

For me this is about my wife but there are others just like me with a loved one suffering. Through our donations Black Dog Institute can continue to do their amazing work. So they can continue to help those struggling to return to some sort of normality and ultimately overcome their battles with mental health. 

To all those who donate thank you. Know that your donations are going to a very worthy cause. A cause that lots of times literally can have people's lives in it's hands.