It was somewhere around the twenty five mile mark it really started to sink in. Not only was I doing a marathon but I had now almost completed one. These next twelve minutes accumulated eight months of work. Eight months of uncertainty and eight months of full focus. In 2019 I took on the challenge to end my twenties with a bang by running a full marathon. I did this in memory of Toni Louise Harte for Aoife's Clown Doctors Ireland. This is a full account of my marathon journey.
Depression is a funny ol' thing, before you even notice you have it, it's taken you in its grips. The past few months have been tough. They've brought a painful combination of busyness and solitude. A combination making it too busy to catch my breath and too lonely to want to. Now I reclaim it, while answering only to my soul's purpose.
Day seven we visited the River Jordan and Sea of Galilee. I didn’t sleep well the night before yet still felt so rested; the inner serenity melting any exhaustion away. At this point I felt no pain and no fatigue which is a rarity living with joint pain and chronic fatigue daily. Waking everyday with a smile, genuinely loving every moment. It’s amazing what a difference seven days can bring. We had a long journey today with some stops along the way. Not as walking intensive as it has been. I miss all the walking, the exercise is amazing considering the massive consumption of spectacular food. We set off on the bus and I really wasn’t sure where to. We...
A wave of calm at the dead sea We said goodbye to the desert and our lovely beduin tent and continued on our journey. While we left it behind I knew it would remain in my soul forever. The experience of the desert was one thing, the profound effect it had on me was to last a lifetime.
One of the greatest gifts I was ever given was the opportunity to stay overnight in the Negev Desert. Camping in the desert is something I had wanted to do for a long time. Doing it as part of this trip made it all the more worthwhile. It was here I found my angels.
