Hey folks,

So in April I am running the LLHM on behalf of the Strongmen charity. This is a charity which focuses on men who are struggling to cope with a form of bereavement. They do this predominately through outdoor activities and bringing men together as they believe that mental health is intrinsically connected to physical wellbeing, something which anyone who knows me knows I am 100% in agreement with.

Rather than talk directly about my own struggles I would like to focus on what the charity achieves. In the last year and a half I have been involved with them, I can't quite put into words what an unbelievable difference they have made to all of those who are now apart of this small (but ever growing) brotherhood. Men who have never met, come together, from every walk of life and instantly gel due to a terrible but impactful bond. There is never any pressure to talk about what brought you there. For some may be the 'win' is to just turn up and not let grief win. For others, it could be to speak about their loss out loud and how it is crippling their lives. There is no judgement about how you are handling the pain, only support and comradeship in a space where you know everyone understands. And this space is vital and unique to what has been created by the Strongmen founders Ef and Dan and the support team. You are also added to a WhatsApp group with all the other folks and if you are struggling back home or even just want to share a small memory or story, you can message a space where that support continues. This is just a small part of what they do and I would encourage anyone interested to visit the Strongmen page at https://www.strongmen.org.uk.

To try and raise the minimum target of £250 for the charity, I am going to run the LLHM in a 10kg weighted vest. Anyone that has ran with a weighted vest knows it doesn't take long before the straps start to dig in to your shoulders, various parts begin to chafe and all the sores creep in. I am not going to put in any special training for this with the vest (again anyone who knows me knows that training is a huge part of my life and I trust that I am able to do it with my current state of fitness and be safe). No, the aim is not to glide through it comfortably and try and hit an amazing time for a personal win but to actually be quite miserable and uncomfortable for the duration of the event as a reminder of the suffering that my brothers in the Strongmen community go through on a regular basis.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for any contribution towards this truly impactful charity.

Big love, Harty