Doog Sspeeder for Mental Health

Moving forwards, staying positive by staying connected

Sometimes you have to change your goals

So it turns out I did the Motatapu dirty double  (ride Sat/run Sun) with a concussion. 

That plus Covid have changed my goals.

Next scheduled event appears to be Naseby 12hr in October. No Papakaoi 8hr , No Whiterocks, No Hawea Epic, No Ashburton 6hr, No Tekapo Grind. 

Still supporting Mental Health and gladly accept any further donations.

My lot currently is concussion rehab.

I have awesome friends supporting me, but some people don't. Help me support them by donating to the MHF, and remember your 5 ways to exploring your wellbeing:

Giving

Learning 

Connection

Taking Notice

Be Active

Yesterday....my goal was to mow my front lawn, and have a beach walk.

See pic

Aroha

Never give up

DoogSspeeder

Motatapu Miners Trail done n dusted!

15km hill run completed. Great response to the purple shirt today;)

Dedicated to those living with Post Traumatic Stress.

Kia kaha

Doog

Motatapu mtb done!

As I said earlier in the week. This event is dedicated to those living with post traumatic stress.

I went through some off that after being assualted 2014.

I went through it again after being assualted last week.

Today's ride was tough and filled with waves of emotion. I literally had 15min sitting down at one point quite overcome.

I let the process take its course. No doubt it will continue to do so.

I finished the event, proud to wear my mental health foundation colours.

PTSD is rough. Respect to those living with it. Kia kaha. Never give up.

Doog.

#fundraising for mental health

Almost there...

Motatapu in three days! I'm super buzzed about it. The archillies is not too bad although I'll be limited to a walk/run I think, but will still be visible in the purple shirt! !!

The ride should be sweet and I'm very excited to represent the MHF with so many competitors there, over 1700 bikers :)

I'd like to particularly raise awareness of the need to support those living with the results of trauma. 

Never give in. Find strength in others. 

Kia kaha

Nga mihi nui

Doog

Waimate Whitehorse Big Easy completed

Placed 27th open men's.

Placed 9th in vet mens

More importantly, did the purple shirt proud, raised $150 specifically for the Waimate Centrecare Counselling Centre, and made myself available for people to talk to.

Job done;)

Moonshine 50km Race

0530 wake up. Drive to Gore. 1030 race start. Southerly. Windy and raining at times. Hill climb after hill climb. Chain mechanical. Upset tummy. One gear bike. Hard work!! BUT MY CHOICE:)

Those living with mental illness have hard days ongoing. It just is. They didn't choose it. Mental Illness does not discriminate. Anyone can experience it.

Help me fundraise to contribute something toward improving resources to support those of us living with mental illness day after day.

Event two complete. 

Event three Feb 29th..

Can you spare a fiver?

Small set backs

Sometimes we experience unexpected setbacks. Readjust the plan, be flexible, and make the most of the new playing field on offer.

So I tweaked my archillies. Outcome is no running for two weeks, ecentric strengthening exercises (70 reps a day), some strapping, then progress from walk to run in flat grass to run hills. The good news is my training was going well before this and the rehab is doable before the waimate big easy duathalon I'm training for. Even better is I'm still able to bike...and may even put some swim time in. So not all bad. Just gotta roll with the punches and make the most of it.

Next event 50km off road mtb race 22nd Feb,  then the Waimate Big Easy Dualthalon 29th Feb, followed by the iconic Motatapu dirty double 14th March.

You sponsors are so awesome I've pushed the target out from 1k to 2k! Now there's a challenge for us.

Staying focused and true to the cause.

Nga mihi nui

Doog

13km hill run

Hmmm....where has summer gone ? More training in the rain. Good test for the jacket. Unfortunately today I tweaked an archillies which might slow things down a bit over the next two weeks. Gently does it. See how we go.

Not far from the fundraising target now. Thanks to all sponsors. You rock! 

Nga mihi nui

Doog

North Otago gravel loop 102km

Training day. Rained all day. Didn't get sunburnt;)! 

18km nudge ;)

Waimate big easy fundraising event will be my event no. 3. It's at the end of Feb. I entered in the solo elite duathalon category which is run 18km and bike somerhing or other. The bike side of things doesn't bother me, but to enter in that category I had to run 18km in under 2hrs. The first 10km is all up hill!!

Tonight I did a simulation run and gave it a nudge finishing in a time of 1hr 50min. So I'm in. Stoked. It was a big ask and very tough,  but again not as rough as living with mental Illness day in day out.

Qualifying means I get a give a little page and raise money for the waimate counselling centre. Stoked. 

DoogSspeeder supporting mental health :)

Stoneburn event completed!!

Great day out. Completed my first event of the year. Thanks to my sponsors. Check out the photos posted. Keep tuned in for event two....not far away now!;)

Chug chug chug.....22km

Bush run. Keeping the legs ticking over. Nice views today;)

Motatapu training

Chug chug chug. ...Nothing easy about running.Just on 18km of hills this evening. Keep persevering. Motatapu run coming up mid March. White horse big easy run end Feb. Chug chug chug;)

Gravel Adventure

Hot n hilly

83km

One small moment of anxiety with cramps which I got on top of with grounding, more electrolytes, and a shade rest. Great tool to have in the box!

Sweating for mental health

Maintaining my own health

Staying committed to my sponsors and the mhf 

Sponsors are awesome!

Big shout out to my two newest sponsors Johnny Van Leeuwen and Neil McKinnon. Every $ enables the Mental Health Foundation to better help those living with illness be supported to improve quality of life! Let's do that!!

Your Life Matters

Connect Exercise Taking Notice

Up to Naseby for some 45km worth of single track today with a mate. Sometimes a change of scene makes all the difference; )

The Five Ways to Wellbeing (Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning, Give

So I've been using the Five ways to well-being and they are pretty spot on.

Connection with others is super important but can be hard to do when I feel like shit because it requires me to be vulnerable and ask for help.

Being connected and supported by friends is better than being isolated and stuck in my own head.

Big thanks to My mates for supporting me yesterday and inviting me for morning talk, afternoon ride, and evening talk.

No mojo

Last time I did the Oamaru end of the alps to ocean I had a mechanical which cut it short. Today my body just wasn't in it and simply put it was just hard work. Sometimes life is like that. If it was all easy I'd never grow.

Windy training ride

To Palmy for hot chips then return. Tail wind there and a new pb of 125min. Hard yakker coming back into a stiff 40-60km/hr head wind. Got a tough patch in the legs at the 75km mark and the 130km mark. Good mental test and miles of meditation. I find exercise an immense help with my head space and mood. 150km today, and very happy with that:)

Alps 2 Ocean

65km training ride. Keeping the momentum going ;)

21km training run today

Well that was very hard. Started with a 8.5km uphill. Next year I'm running the miners trail at the Motatapu which is 15km and starts the same way. There's plenty of time to think when your training. Today was lots of pain and sore muscles. Only just finished the run and had to walk at times. Nothing compared to the struggles and challenges mental illness throws at people! 

Jan to April 2020

Feb 22nd Moonshine Mtb Trail 50km Gore

Feb 29th White Horse Big Easy Dualthalon Run 12/Ride 20 Waimate

March 14th Motatapu Mtb 50km Wanaka to Arrowtown

March 15th Motatapu Miners Trail Run 15km

March 21st Papakaio Mtb 8hr solo

March 29th White Rocks Gravel Adventure Mtb Ride 72km Enfield North Otago

April 4th Naseby 12hr solo Mtb

April 18th Contact Lake Hawea Epic Mtb 95km

That's the plan for the first four months, but it's a year long commitment so will be full of challenges and more after that!

I'd love your support:) so I can support others. 

Doog

First Event 2020

Stoneburn Mtb Ride. 30km loop fundraiser for Palmerston Primary School

Jan 26th 0930 Ainges Rd

And I'm sweating for Mental Health