The Road to East London - Running for Warren; Running for headspace

January 11 marks the two week countdown to the East London 70.3 Iron Man (January 25). For those who are not familiar with the sport of triathlon, the 70.3 event is a 1.9km swim, followed by a 90km cycle, and just to top it off, a 21.1km run. The first female is expected to complete the event in approximately 4 hours. I will be bursting with joy if I cross the finish line within 6 1/2 hours; a little while after my two cousins, Gareth and Graeme Arnold. (http://eu.ironman.com/triathlon/events/emea/ironman-70.3/south-africa.aspx#axzz3OPXjCLTd)

The difference between me and the first female however is not the time that it will take to complete the event, but the reason I will be there in the first place. I have no doubt that many of the athletes taking part and competing on the day will have inspirational stories that have carried them through years of training; hours of blood, sweat and tears. And perhaps for some, these stories will bear resemblance to mine.

Almost ½ of the Australian population will experience mental illness in their life time. The other half will be affected in some way, most likely through a family member, a friend, or perhaps even a work colleage. The prevalence of mental health illness across the Australian population is rising and continues to destroy homes, relationships and stable employment every day. 

My 28 year old brother Warren suffered with mental illness from an early age. At times it would ease, but for at least 10 years Warren was never fully at peace. On March 8, 2014 Warren lost the fight.

If he was still with us today, it would be him writing this message to you. A $5 donation is all it needs to be. Please, remember Warren, support The Road to East London Team (Caitlyn Black; Gareth Arnold; Graeme Arnold) and show your love and care for all of those suffering with or affected by mental illness.

Established in 2006, headspace recognise that many battles with mental health begin at a very young age. Operating across Australia, headspace are committed to supporting young people through difficult times, offering guidance relating to defining ones identity, bullying and substance abuse, to name a few.

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Well... every week, I say to myself... "Where did the week go? I can't believe how quickly time flies!!". Now I am saying... "Where did the last 5 months go??"

My official training for the Iron Man 70.3 started on July 1. Whilst it has been up and down in terms of training consistency, I know I have come a long way from where I was at that point.

But now the fun really starts. Tomorrow, November 25, marks the 2 month count down. And with 2 weeks taper in January, that really only leaves about 7 weeks of training. Uh oh!! :P

This Sunday I will be doing a sprint triathlon (400m swim, 10k cycle, 5k run) and the next even after that is an Olympic distance on January 11. Between now and then, I will be doing a significant amount of training to ensure that I am fit and ready on Jan 25.

A two day streak of not training leaves me feeling guilty and uncomfortable about my ability to do this. But then I remind myself of who I am doing this for and why. It is not about winning; it is about aspiring to achieve greatness, even at difficult times. I wish I could have done more to help Warren realise what greatness he could achieve. I hope I inspire you.

Please, support me and my fellow Road to East London team mates and cousins, Gareth and Graeme Arnold and make a donation to headspace. This site will be live until April 5th and I have just increased my target from $1,000 to $3,000 - right now, as of November 24, we are sitting on $1,445. We have a little way to go but we know that with your help we can all achieve greatness; for Warren, for our family, for headspace and for all those who are suffering every day with mental health issues.

Thank you.

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Almost ½ of the Australian population will experience mental illness at some point in their lifetime. The prevalence of mental health illness across the Australian population is rising and will affect not only those suffering with the illness directly but also family, friends, colleagues or fellow students. 

Warren Black was planning on completing the Iron Man 70.3, in East London, in Jan 25, 2015 with his cousins in South Africa. He is no longer able to. I am.

Run for the Kids was to be our first training run. Although Warren wasn't there with us, a group of over 20 of his friends and family completed the 15k run or 5.5k walk, raising $1415 for headspace.

Since then, I have completed the Puffing Billy Great Train Race as well as the Great Ocean Road Paradise Run, with a few of Warrens friends.

June 30 marks the start of a 30 week training program to get me to East London, fit and healthy, ready to give it my all for Warren.

Over the 30 weeks, I will be swimming 87.2 kilometres, cycling 2465 kilometres and running 697 kilometres. For those who are interested in sponsoring my training, please contact me at Caitlyn.Black@hotmail.com. I will not be taking any funds to support my journey; all funds raised will go to headspace. To make a one off donation to headspace, simply click Donate Now on this page.

Established in 2006, headspace recognise that many battles with mental health begin at a very young age. Operating across Australia, headspace are committed to supporting young people through difficult times, offering guidance relating to defining ones identity, bullying and substance abuse, to name a few.

Please support me in my training and those affected by mental health illness by making a donation to headspace. It does not have to be a substantial donation. The loose change you have in your centre console or on your bed side table will go a long way! 

I will be using the Facebook page to post about my training and raise awareness for mental health and the benefits of exercise for a healthy mind.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Road-To-East-London-Running-for-Warren/284280261729221?sk=settings&tab=public&section=long_desc&view

Wish me luck!! Caitlyn xxx

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The Road to East London:
 
Warren Black was planning on completing the Iron Man 70.3, in East London, in Jan 15. Together with some of his friends, I was going to help him get there and Run for the Kids 2014 was to be his first training event. We were going to run as a team - "The Road to East London".
 
 

Almost ½ of the Australian population will experience mental illness at some point in their lifetime. The prevalence of mental health illness across the Australian population is rising and will affect not only those suffering with the illness directly but also family, friends, colleagues or fellow students. 

On Sunday 13 April, a group of friends will be participating in the 2014 Run for the Kids. We are doing the event in memory of our friend, brother, son and nephew, Warren Black and to raise awareness of mental health illness and national youth mental health foundation, headspace.

Established in 2006, headspace recognise that many battles with mental health begin at a very young age. Operating across Australia, headspace are committed to supporting young people through difficult times, offering guidance relating to defining ones identity, bullying and substance abuse, to name a few.

Please support us in the event and those affected by mental health illness by making a donation to headspace. It does not have to be a substantial donation. The loose change you have in your centre console or on your bed side table will go a long way! 

On behalf of The Road to East London Team, Thank you.

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The Road to East London:
 
Warren Black was planning on completing the Iron Man 70.3, in East London, in Jan 15. Together with some of his friends, I was going to help him get there and Run for the Kids 2014 was to be his first training event. We were going to run as a team - "The Road to East London".
 
Warren may no longer be with us but those who were planning on doing it with him have chosen not to pull out but rather to run faster and stronger, in his memory. We have found strength through the support of family and friends and would love for you to join us if you would like to. 
 
To enter, just follow three simple steps:

1.     Visit http://www.runforthekids.com.au/entrants/ and select enter now.

2.     Select the 2nd option to search for an existing and then continue. Enter "The Road to East London", click the green tick... and a second time... and then select "Join".

3.     Choose your event (either 15k or 5.5k) and follow the prompts!

We are also planning on having a barbecue on the Yarra after the event so if you can not/would not like to complete the event but would like to join us for lunch, please do. We will use the Facebook page to provide details: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Road-To-East-London/284280261729221

Caitlyn Black and The Road to East London Team