Eric completed his 26 km Ruach Run in and near his home town of Sherborne UK, as planned. We asked him to send us a report of his experience.
Eric writes:It’s one of the most worthwhile things I’ve done for a long time. I started and finished my run in front of the beautiful Sherborne Abbey, also to honour the Anglican community here who generously donated £500 to the Fundacion Ruach through its Faith-In-Action Committee, even before I had the idea of my solo sponsored run.
“I had to focus my mind on what I was running for.”
Physically I was reasonably prepared. I’d set myself a somewhat challenging target of 26 km to stretch myself beyond what I had ever run since 2011. Running on my own meant I had no help in pacing myself, and in the last 10 km I struggled somewhat, especially on those uphill stretches, when I had to focus my mind on what I was running for, as well as thinking of some acquaintances who over the Christmas period were facing family crises. Just after 1 pm I had the finishing line in sight, where my small but great support team was awaiting my arrival. I wasn’t exactly a flying Dutchman, but ‘my sexagenarian self’ felt nonetheless pleased that I had passed this self-inflicted test with flying colours, with Ruach colours in fact!!
Doing the publicity for the run and the reactions I got were definitely part of the positive experience. I re-established contact with long-lost acquaintances from my secondary school days, and one of them called the sponsored run a ‘sympathetic campaign’. Another person wrote that she and her husband through PLAN had supported a child in Central America and that it was a good thing I brought the plight of intellectually disabled persons to people’s attention. Closer to home, a good friend who had already donated very generously himself doubled the money for Ruach by raising among his friends an amount similar to his own.
“What the heart is full of, the mouth will overflow with”.
I may have been somewhat over-enthusiastic in talking and writing about the Ruach project before the run. After all, as the Dutch saying goes: “What the heart is full of, the mouth will overflow with”. One thing really struck me: as soon as I mentioned that the Ruach community is deeply inspired by the L’Arche movement in its philosophy, and how the community is run, people are ready to be convinced that I’m talking about a good cause.
It’s too early to know the total amount sponsored, but because of people’s eager and generous interest in the Ruach community and the run, I’m expecting that the US$3,000 mark will be topped, an amount that includes the contribution of Sherborne Abbey. Any gift no matter how small, no matter whether now or later will bring joy, and therefore the following £ and € accounts will remain open for the Ruach community to go on being surprised!
€ (euro) to account number NL 10 TRIO 0390 9437 11 of Vivir Juntos, Leiden quoting “ Sponsored run Eric”, or in £ (pond sterling) into the account of Mrs Rosaleen E Bryson, bank sort code: 09 01 28 Account number 89511627, (or IBAN: GB34 ABBY 0901 2889 5116 27).”
