Graeme's Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 2014 page
Graeme Hilditch is raising money for Mind
Story
On Sunday August 10th, I'll be swapping my much loved and trusted Brooks Transcend running shoes for carbon soled, cleat fitted cycling shoes and taking on the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 mile road race.
So why am I taking on this challenge which is currently seeing me clock up hundreds of miles on the Cotswold hills? To take on a new Challenge or raise money for an incredible Charity?
Both actually.
Sadly, any ideas I had of running in a half marathon this year were thrown out of the window following knee surgery, so taking on the new and exciting Challenge of the Prudential RideLondon seemed the most logical way to get my cardio and competitive fix!
More importantly however, was my decision to ride for Mind- the mental health charity, an incredible Organisation who are there to help the 1 in 4 people in the UK who suffer from a form of mental illness.
Even more poignant, is that as of last October, almost overnight, I changed from being someone who was largely dismissive of people claiming to suffer from "stress" and "anxiety" - to being a sufferer myself. It was frightening.
Life in the 21st Century has never been more hectic, particularly (though certainly not exclusively) for people trying to find enough time in the day to juggle work, family, school pick ups/drop offs, finances, a marriage, exercise etc. Last October, all the above (plus two book editors on my back) suddenly overwhelmed me and I suffered my first anxiety attack.
For those who have never suffered from Anxiety, it can be an incredibly difficult condition to understand or relate to, which is perhaps one of the reasons why sufferers hide their symptoms - for fear of being branded "weak" or making a "big fuss about nothing".
What is particularly difficult for non-sufferers to understand is that most episodes of anxiety (and indeed depression) are often irrational. They can happen for no logical reason and even if your conscious mind is calm, your subconscious takes control, leading to debilitating physical symptoms which are impossible to control.
As a sufferer - you feel trapped, lose perspective of what's important in life and in my case, the symptoms of anxiety simply make you feel more anxious.
For me, the best analogy is when your PC is running a few programs. Then you open a few more. Then a few more until suddenly the processor simply loses it's capacity to cope with so many things running at once and it says "Not Responding"
Everything gets too much and you feel totally overwhelmed with everything that's on your plate. The physical symptoms of anxiety such as dizziness, chest tightness, shortness of breath, irrational panic and a strange overwhelming feeling of dread strike you down and leave you incapacitated for hours. In severe cases, it can sometimes take days before symptoms begin to fade and you start to feel normal again. This severity of anxiety has only inflicted me once and it was an incredibly scary few days.
Some people have "good processors" and can handle lots of things going on at once - others, like me, find it difficult! Tell me to run a marathon - easy! Tell me to handle Personal Training clients, a few writing projects, a family and demanding book editors and I am at risk of getting overwhelmed and at risk of becoming a victim to the unforgiving grip of anxiety.
Fortunately, my symptoms and the severity of my anxiety attacks are infrequent and mild and controlled by the amount of work I take on. Many others aren't as lucky though and are affected far more frequently and severely than me.
For a condition that affects a massive 1 in 4 people in the UK every year, it's amazing that the subject of mental illness and conditions such as stress, anxiety and depression are still such a taboo subject.
The reality is that it can affect anyone - rich, poor, old, young, employed, unemployed etc at anytime. Hopefully, once people can accept the often irrational, rather than logical, nature of mental illness, then there will be a greater understanding of how it affects people and just how debilitating it can be. Stress, anxiety and depression, have the capacity to tear families apart, but thankfully Mind are there to help give guidance and support.
Thanks to Mind- the mental health charity, there is someone for sufferers to talk to on how to deal with all forms of mental health to see them through bad times. They are a lifeline to so many people and fundraising is vital to ensure everyone who needs help gets it!
So, I hope my sore, hard working thighs which are at the moment, regularly tackling 25% inclines and 80+ mile rides, are not being brutalized in vain. I'm even giving friends, family and clients the chance to wax them next month in exchange for generous donations to Mind - more pain to look forward to!
Please donate what you can.
Thank you.
So why am I taking on this challenge which is currently seeing me clock up hundreds of miles on the Cotswold hills? To take on a new Challenge or raise money for an incredible Charity?
Both actually.
Sadly, any ideas I had of running in a half marathon this year were thrown out of the window following knee surgery, so taking on the new and exciting Challenge of the Prudential RideLondon seemed the most logical way to get my cardio and competitive fix!
More importantly however, was my decision to ride for Mind- the mental health charity, an incredible Organisation who are there to help the 1 in 4 people in the UK who suffer from a form of mental illness.
Even more poignant, is that as of last October, almost overnight, I changed from being someone who was largely dismissive of people claiming to suffer from "stress" and "anxiety" - to being a sufferer myself. It was frightening.
Life in the 21st Century has never been more hectic, particularly (though certainly not exclusively) for people trying to find enough time in the day to juggle work, family, school pick ups/drop offs, finances, a marriage, exercise etc. Last October, all the above (plus two book editors on my back) suddenly overwhelmed me and I suffered my first anxiety attack.
For those who have never suffered from Anxiety, it can be an incredibly difficult condition to understand or relate to, which is perhaps one of the reasons why sufferers hide their symptoms - for fear of being branded "weak" or making a "big fuss about nothing".
What is particularly difficult for non-sufferers to understand is that most episodes of anxiety (and indeed depression) are often irrational. They can happen for no logical reason and even if your conscious mind is calm, your subconscious takes control, leading to debilitating physical symptoms which are impossible to control.
As a sufferer - you feel trapped, lose perspective of what's important in life and in my case, the symptoms of anxiety simply make you feel more anxious.
For me, the best analogy is when your PC is running a few programs. Then you open a few more. Then a few more until suddenly the processor simply loses it's capacity to cope with so many things running at once and it says "Not Responding"
Everything gets too much and you feel totally overwhelmed with everything that's on your plate. The physical symptoms of anxiety such as dizziness, chest tightness, shortness of breath, irrational panic and a strange overwhelming feeling of dread strike you down and leave you incapacitated for hours. In severe cases, it can sometimes take days before symptoms begin to fade and you start to feel normal again. This severity of anxiety has only inflicted me once and it was an incredibly scary few days.
Some people have "good processors" and can handle lots of things going on at once - others, like me, find it difficult! Tell me to run a marathon - easy! Tell me to handle Personal Training clients, a few writing projects, a family and demanding book editors and I am at risk of getting overwhelmed and at risk of becoming a victim to the unforgiving grip of anxiety.
Fortunately, my symptoms and the severity of my anxiety attacks are infrequent and mild and controlled by the amount of work I take on. Many others aren't as lucky though and are affected far more frequently and severely than me.
For a condition that affects a massive 1 in 4 people in the UK every year, it's amazing that the subject of mental illness and conditions such as stress, anxiety and depression are still such a taboo subject.
The reality is that it can affect anyone - rich, poor, old, young, employed, unemployed etc at anytime. Hopefully, once people can accept the often irrational, rather than logical, nature of mental illness, then there will be a greater understanding of how it affects people and just how debilitating it can be. Stress, anxiety and depression, have the capacity to tear families apart, but thankfully Mind are there to help give guidance and support.
Thanks to Mind- the mental health charity, there is someone for sufferers to talk to on how to deal with all forms of mental health to see them through bad times. They are a lifeline to so many people and fundraising is vital to ensure everyone who needs help gets it!
So, I hope my sore, hard working thighs which are at the moment, regularly tackling 25% inclines and 80+ mile rides, are not being brutalized in vain. I'm even giving friends, family and clients the chance to wax them next month in exchange for generous donations to Mind - more pain to look forward to!
Please donate what you can.
Thank you.