BMF Blog

The Ultimate Challenge

Written by Bonnie Hatcher | 22-Jun-2017 13:25:10

Tara Papworth has been a member of BMF Cheltenham for two years. She joined when she first moved to the town as a way of meeting people and keeping up her fitness levels. Now she's training for a huge, hot, ultra marathon - despite not being a fan of the sand or the heat! Here, she tells us how BMF is helping her train - and helping her to fundraise. 

Tara is blogging about the challenge here and told us: "I have loved every minute of British Military Fitness! I was fairly fit when I joined as I've been a runner for six years but BMF has increased my general fitness and helped me train for various fitness challenges. Now BMF is helping me with the ultimate challenge! I've just signed up for the Wadi Rum Ultra (a 162 mile desert ultramarathon) in the Jordan desert in October to raise money for the charity NMO Research UK which supports people with Neuromyelitis Optica.

NMO affects the nervous system, particularly the optic nerves and the spinal cord. Those who are most seriously affected can be paralysed in all four limbs and may lose their sight. This cause is close to my heart as a good friend was diagnosed with NMO in 2009 and continues to battle every day with the effects of this incurable disease. I asked her what it's like. She said it can be like doing an ultramarathon every week. For me, this is a one-off challenge effort. For some people, that is their daily life. I can't even start to imagine what that is like. Every time I run, I am reminded that I am lucky to be able to do so. Every time I guide a visually impaired runner, I am reminded how lucky I am to be able to see.

So BMF Instructor Mark Day has helped me with a training plan and I'll be using BMF as an integral part of my training. I've never even run a marathon before so this will all be a bit of a challenge. In fact, the training itself will be a bit of a challenge. I'm not a huge fan of sand or heat. Or spending hours running when I have to, rather than when I want to. Or having to run in the middle of the day in summer. Nor am I a fan of not going out and drinking beer in the summer because I have to run the next day. It’s also tricky planning in runs and things weeks and months in advance. Sometimes it’s just hard getting out and making tired legs move.

It’s the equivalent of running six marathons in five days 

or of running around 2600 football pitches or 10, 833 tennis courts

or the length of 17, 333 double decker buses or 78, 078 rulers

or just under the driving distance from where I currently live (Cheltenham) to where I used to live (Horncastle, Lincolnshire).

Basically a really long way. In the desert. You know, in the heat. And on sand.

 

Tara at BMF in Cheltenham

 

The training started ok - just slowly building up the strength and miles with lots of BMF and running. Now I'm moving into a more of a running phase to increase the distance but keeping BMF in there for some variety and of course the social aspect! A lot of my friends are at BMF and help me keep motivated plus it's a great way to keep up my core strength which helps me avoid injury with the longer runs I'm now putting in. I’ve also thrown in some swimming and yoga and lots of foam roller-ing!

I've recently started an idea called the '£2 training plan' where I'm inviting people to come and join me on one of my training days for a £2 donation to charity. It’s mainly been my BMF friends so far and they help keep me company and motivated!

It’s a way of encouraging people to part with their cash while getting something out of it – which also helps me (a) get out and train and (b) keeps it fun. So, I try and turn some of the sessions in my training plan into something that other people would like to join in with because let’s face it, not many people - with a few green bib exceptions - want to join in a 15-mile training plod around town, do they? That doesn’t exactly scream fun - but they might if they have to follow clues and get a prize at the end!

If people do want to join me, all I ask is that they pay £2 (less than a fancy coffee) which will go straight to charity. Hopefully that seems fair. However, I also know that running is not everyone's idea of fun either! So, they are welcome to simply donate - it would be most appreciated.

My fundraising page is :http://www.justgiving.com/Tara-Papworth