2021 London Marathon
The pandemic has affected so many people in so many ways but throughout the dark times there has been hope. Hope of an end to the pandemic, hope not just for a return to the ‘good old days’ but for a better future and hope that the lockdown ‘diet’ didn’t require a whole new wardrobe.
The impact of the pandemic on physical health is well documented but the devastating and lasting effects it will have on people’s mental health is only now starting to be noticed. Mental health is something that our family is well aware of both on a professional level through Emily’s work as a community paediatrician but also on a personal level. A number of our family and friends have severe mental health difficulties that they struggle with every day and we have seen first hand how hard coping with the pandemic has been.
So, we wanted to do something to help. Initially we started delivering croissants, cakes and doughnuts around the community but we realised that this was not helping people’s lockdown diet and that sugar, while wonderful, is generally only a short-term solution. We decided, therefore, to do something way outside our comfort zone and run this year’s London Marathon.
Those of you who know us know that we are not athletes, we are not close to athletes and, in fact, most of the time might be considered anti-athletes. Yes, Mark goes to the gym, which he freely confesses is more to do with vanity than strength and Emily once-upon-a-time was a dancer but 26.2 miles (and that .2 at the end is going to be very important so it mustn’t be forgotten) is, well, almost unfathomable. Growing up, a marathon was a wonderful chocolate bar not a feat of endurance (unless you ate a lot of marathon bars).
Given what we have said, it will not surprise you to know that we run for hope (and believe us when we say a lot of hope is needed). Specifically, we run for Kintsugi Hope. For those who don’t know, Kintsugi is a Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by inserting seams of gold. Kintsugi Hope takes the same philosophy when trying to help people’s mental health. It works for long-term improvement not just in the mental health of individuals but also society’s understanding and response to mental health issues.
We appreciate that the pandemic has caused many people economic difficulties as well as many other challenges. However, if you did feel able to donate any amount at all to our marathon efforts then please see our giving page here https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/MarkPearce37/1. Outside of any financial donations you may feel able to make, we really appreciate all the support given to us as a family and we are blessed because we know that you will continue to support us through this, possibly mad, endeavour.
Finally, they say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. If you google marathons you find out terrifying facts like your feet will sweat out a pint of water during the race, your body will consume around 4,000 calories, each foot requires 200 muscles to take a step and there are 55,000 steps in a marathon!