My name’s Paul, I’ll be 87 in September, I don’t take any medications, and I’m living my best life. I’m also the happiest I’ve ever been.
But it wasn’t always like this. I didn’t have a great start in life - I wet the bed until I was 11, I was dyslexic (although I didn’t realise this until my late 50s) I was expelled from school - because of the dyslexia - and I was sexually abused through my teens .
I was always socially awkward, found it difficult to make friends, and had very few girlfriends.
Quick bit of history - I was called up to do National Service at 18, I signed on for 4 years to get an overseas posting to HK. I then emigrated to Australia, came back to the UK, joined the CS and took early retirement in 1993, when I was 55.
All through that time there was something I didn’t know about myself. I used to wonder what it was that people knew about me - straight away - that I didn’t know about myself.
However, in retirement, I wanted to teach my hobby of breadmaking - so I did a stage one C&G course that took about 10 weeks. Enjoyed it so much that a group of us went on to do St. 2. Then we were invited to join the CertEd at SCAT. When I finished that, my tutor said I may as well go on and do a degree! 3 years later I got a 2:1 in Ed and Trng - to go with the 2 GCSE’s I left school with.
Doing the research for the degree, I discovered that dyslexia was linked to the autonomic system, which also controls the bladder. I’ve talked to many SN teachers, and they all agree that their pupils need to go to the toilet more often. Another effect of dyslexia can be the inability to make small talk, which is a measure of how comfortable you are around people. So suddenly I had an answer - and now everything fell into place, everything was explained, and for the first time in my life, I felt comfortable in my own skin.
My life changed again in the early 2000s, when I gave up meat to avoid mad cow disease (BSE). I started looking into the dairy industry - and the egg industry. And what I saw horrified me! The cruelty, and how we treat animals that are in our care, I found appalling! So I went vegan. Took me two years for all the blinkers to come off.
And you know what? My arthritis just disappeared, and I became pain free.
I’d tried to run in my 40s, but gave up after 6 weeks, my knees were too painful. But when I went vegan, my osteoarthritis, which was most evident in my fingers which were becoming twisted and gnarled - and very painful - cleared up and I became pain free. Which was a real bonus, since I went vegan for the animals.
But I never thought about trying to run again, until, chasing round the dining room table, after my 6yr-old grandson, I found my knees didn’t hurt. And when lockdown came, 4 years ago, wanting to come out of it with a new skill, I began running. I laid out a 20 yard track in my back garden and started running round it. 3 months later, I felt strong enough to challenge myself to do 10k a day, over 10 days. In the event, instead of getting more tired as the week went on, I became stronger and finished up doing 110k - raising over £4000 for a local animal sanctuary. Then I discovered ultra marathons, and I haven’t looked back.
My biggest achievement has been the 106k round the isle of wight over two days last April. But I’ll never forget my very first ultra - SWC2C - when I was climbing Dunkery Beacon, the highest point in Somerset. My over-riding memory of that day was the weather - it was appalling. It was the height of summer, but there was a freak weather event and the temperature dropped dramatically. The rain was torrential, the wind was whipping across, and there were thunderstorms around. Conditions were brutal - and I heard later that several people had gone down with hyperthermia. Whilst climbing that muddy, stony trail, attempting vainly to control my poncho, I remember saying to my companion, “ You know what, mate? There’s nowhere else I’d rather be!” All my senses were on full alert - I felt so alive! And from that moment, I was hooked!
One of the people who inspires me is a guy called David Goggins, supposed to be the fittest man alive.
He has several mantras, which keep me going, when things are tough:
'Be uncomfortable'; and more - 'Become comfortable with being uncomfortable'; 'Nothing happens in your comfort zone'; 'We can all do more than we think we can - much more'.
'When you think you’re done, you’ve nothing left - you’ve only used up 40% of your resources!'
And I’ve one of my own - You’re never too old to have adventures!
When I’m out there on the trail, I’m doing it for the animals. And no matter how hard it might be for me, animals have it far worse. So I just get on with it.
I’m always striving to be the best version of me that I can be.
Just this month I’ve challenged myself to visit 31 care homes with 31 choc cakes in 31 days as a fundraiser for Viva!, which is the charity I support. There’s a Viva! Hamper for the donor with the closest guess. And I’m getting so much joy out of presenting these cakes to the homes! I’m not paying for the ingredients, those are sponsored by Taunton’s Zero Waste shop, Lesser Litter.
And a lesson which has been learned again - in spades - is something we’ve all been told since we were kids - ‘It’s better to give than to receive!’ And as long as what you’re giving is yourself, that’s so true.
Everyone needs a purpose in life - something that drives them, and gives them some satisfaction. With me it’s working on behalf of the animals - that drives me, every single day!
My name’s Paul, I’ll be 87 in September, I don’t take any medications, and I’m living my best life. I’m also the happiest I’ve ever been!
[Note: I took along some chocolate cake to share (my ingredients this time!) - find the recipe here.]
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