Race Finished - 24th May 😃👊

Me and my Dragon decided to go straight on to an adventure in Lisbon with the family for half term. This is the view from our balcony this morning. Later we might go for a jog on the beach so I can stretch my legs and he can have a drink. It's been a brilliant week. Thank you so much to everybody for your support. We've raised over £2000 for the local and national mind organisations which is a brilliant achievement. And for those of you who have asked - no I didn't use a space hopper on crib goch but there is always next time!

Thank you to Joanne Tiler for the following. She works in mental health and she and her husband Jason Tiler were amongst Dave Vickers best friends.

I would just like to say people are often worried about talking about suicide. So here are a few ideas about how to broach the conversations

You won’t put the idea into somebodies mind by asking the question.
So ask, are you considering suicide?

Ask if your friends or family members are struggling. Just ask.

It’s a myth that somebody won’t tell you if they are considering it. Not everyone will but some people will.

If the person says yes they are feeling suicidal don’t say, don’t be stupid or don’t talk like that.
Let them talk about their feelings and why they feel like that. Just be there to listen and to hold their hand.

Give hope . Tell them how much they will be missed and that they are loved .

Ask if they have plans . If they do you need help quickly. Take them to A&E or GP or just stay with them for a few days. Be there.

Encourage them to get help. Go with them to the GP or mind or ring first response.

And if you feel suicidal then please reach out . Give somebody the chance to help, what is there to lose. If suicide is an option in your mind nobody can take it away. But once you take the leap there is no going back. So reach out one last time. Tell a friend, a doctor, a nurse, a family member, ring the Samaritans or first response, but tell someone . Please .

Original pledge -

Whilst out for recces of the Dragons Back I have had a fair bit of time in my own head. And not being in race mode most of it has been pretty reflective.

It has sprung to mind how much stress I see people under – particularly friends and work colleagues. And how making time for each other has become more important, and at the same time more difficult. Evidence is that running is protective for your mental health. However, runners are absolutely not immune, and I have known many who have at times needed support with mental health issues. Those of us who enjoy the ultra long stuff may also spend more time reaching into the darker sides of our minds, as well as hopefully finding there the tools which make us more resilient after.

I have known too many lives bought short by suicide. I’ve wondered every time how I could have helped prevent that from happening. I've never found a good answer other than we need to concentrate on being kind to one another every day and not let life pull us into spirals of negativity, or conflict. And we also need to recognise that talking about the difficult bits of life is important. That’s where organisations like MIND come in to play, providing information and support.

I’ve not run The Dragon's Back Race before and one of the key points of attraction I keep hearing about the event is how supportive all the competitors and staff are of one another. For such a significant challenge we will all need it. But perhaps we all need more of that in our daily lives too. If you would like to support MIND I am going to run the event in aid of the charity. A smile next time I see you will do just as well. And I will give you one in return.

I am going to run each day of the race to remember someone. I will be taking them all with me as I go round and I hope you will all be able to share that with me.

Day 1 - 20th May - Remembering Dave Vickers - https://www.facebook.com/tom.hollins.7/posts/10156546325094737

Day 2 - 21st May - Remembering Richard Harding - https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156552488119737&id=628999736

Day 3 - 22nd May - Remembering Carlton D'Souza - https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10156557303464737&id=628999736

Day 4 - 23rd May - Remembering John Roche - https://www.facebook.com/tom.hollins.7/posts/10156561935269737

Day 5 - 24th May - MIND - https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156566587604737&id=628999736

http://www.berghausdragonsbackrace.com/

For anyone that would prefer to support National Mind please visit - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/thomas-hollins