5K

Despite the rainy morning I managed to get out of bed, have an early breakfast and walk over to Hyde Park (10min from the place where I stayed:)). I must say the atmosphere of the run was brilliant and made me feel very confident! I really enjoyed being a part of a huge event (1900 attendees in London, 2000 in Bristol and 2000 in Liverpool), event promoting charity in general! It's been ages that I have been to a huge event, and I have never ever been an active member of a run or any other sport event (apart from school event, of course) and I realized there is something magical and completely objective in the common interest and common activity...an ancient purity, even though this one was heavily branded!

It was very emotional and very uplifting, so I managed to completed 3km in 30 min, then finished in 40 min even though I did need to walk a bit! Amazing! I honestly did not think I can make it after poor training and 3 years of complete passivity, pregnancy and quite a stretched time of constant nervousness and loss of weight!
Well, it's done, and I am very happy I managed to collect half of my aimed amount - simply because I never thought I will be able to raise money AT ALL! So once again thank you for supporting me and keeping me going! It really means a lot to me and all other women who need support in hard times! It's such a simple thought but truly matters! Thanks!

4 days to day 0

..and I do not feel ready but I want to try it out. If I manage to complete the run without stopping, I actually am good. This will make me feel even better. If I manage to complete the run with stopping (more realistic, since I am really in a shit form and two moths is not enough for me!) I will feel good about the money I have already manage to collect for Amnesty.

You can still donate though;) Click, click...:)

Claudina Velásquez, or: when I was 19

Image via Wikipedia This girl was murdered when she was 19.
Let's just stop here for a sec, OK? What did you do when you were 19? Think about it!
When I was 19 I moved to Budapest leaving my parents, friends and my beloved cat, Czuga (quite similar to Manda on my sidebar actually) and head of to study Hungarian language! (do not ask me why, it just happened).
When I was 19 I was young, ambitious and extremely naive, as well as positive about all the opportunities awaiting me in this huge city. I felt I have all the time of the world to enjoy myself, to establish new friendships. I was alone, but happy - crazy, independent, free...I felt in love. I was introduced to Hungarian culture and I became the insider:)
When i was 19 a whole new world of Hungarian language opened to me - we have a saying in Polish according to which every new acquired language is a new soul we are gaining - it's an old, very traditional Slavic thinking, still - there must be something to it. Hungarians originated from the very same area of Asia as my fathers ancestors (I learned about his family, Korsak, history later on) and I always felt more at home in Hungarian standards and mentality, than I did in Polish culture. I learned to compromise, and became half-a-Pole, half-a-Hungarian in temrs of my national mentality. As with this, I was experimenting with almost everything!
I felt so happy and so ful of potential! I was about to begin American Studies, Hungarian and German Major too - I was about to study languages and literature, business and philosophy - all my favourite topics! And I new I will be able to do so much with the knowledge waiting just behind the corner!
When I was 19 I felt in love with Budapest. Did you ever fel in love with a place? Did you love it trully, so blind that even the worst experience would be forgiven? At the end of the day it was us, people, not the city I could blame...
When I was 19 I used to walk all evening long throught the city at night - completely safe - crossing few bridges, visiting my favourite streets and touching my favourite stones in walls; discovering new ones...
I was all new and I was just beginning my own experience of life...I began the happiness never really demolished by anyone so far!

And this girl, who hapens to wear a T-shirt from Budapest, had a chance for the same experience. She was a student of law faculty in Guatemala. She was found dead on the 13th of August 2005. She was not as lucky as we are - born in the wrong country?
'Families seeking help from the authorities are often faced with indifference and discrimination, and a particularly worrying tendency to blame the victim's behaviour or background for their death. Claudina's father told Amnesty International "The investigator said they thought Claudina was a nobody because she was wearing sandals and a belly button ring."
Despite such obstacles, Claudina's family have been'
It is a fact that 'In 2005, 665 women were killed - 25% up on the previous year, 10 times the rate in the UK, and not one killer caught. With no fingerprint or DNA database, no crime or victim profiling and no forensic science, killers go free and witnesses do not talk.'

Claudina was a lovely young girl, full of potential and free to become whoever she wants to be, yet she was deprived her basic right - right to live.

That is the reason why I decided to run the challenge for Amnesty International and chose her story as my own. If you think I am running it for myself, you are wrong. I was misused but I am alive and I kept my faith in law, truth and independence - my own one.

I will do nything I can (and this really DOES NOT COST me a lot!) to help organisations fighting for similiar rights to be established and respected in other countries. Simply, because I am lucky and I can;)

You can help too - just donate the money you plan to spend for your evening pint to my cause instead.:) Thank you!

Claudina Velásquez, 19

PIX: BBC News
See this girl? He name was Claudina Velásquez. I will tell you more about her tomorrow....

State of panic...

..is what I am in! I am not able to run 5 km without stopping! Why is it so difficult?! I spent my summer training as much as I can, but I do not think it's enough. OK, I did nothing for 3 years, still, I am not 60! I do not smoke! I hardly ever drink! I changed my diet and I eat properly! And, oh Lord! - I GAVE UP CHOCOLATE!
I am so annoyed with my own body!


Additionally, I have received my number and the actual route of the run. I feel shitty about myself but I hope I will be able to try it out at least the day before:/ (to see the point where I will stop and start walking?! ahhh!). I must admit that this whole idea of collecting money for charity really works - I might not do much, but my own daily sacrifice and the frustration I have to put up - if only I could measure it in £'s! - is enormous! My dear friends, like Javi, donate to keep me going because they know my personal experience of slight domestic violence and they understand my reasons.
They keep telling me it's not about running the run. Still, no matter how funny the idea of becoming the last person to arrive is - I will burn in shame if I do not deliver. Burn, like the Amnesty candle on my t-shirt:P

If you still want to support Amnesty, do donate though! I am going through all this humiliation just to help few people out! You can as well...

Adidas Women Challenge in Amnesty News

Actions

Yemen: Fatima Hussein al-Badi After an unfair trial which was exacerbated by interference from Parliament and the President of Yemen, Fatima Hussein al-Badi is at risk of execution. Take action

South Africa: Rural women living with HIV face discrimination. Treatment for HIV and AIDS requires regular visits to hospitals and clinics. Rural women living in poverty and unemployment often cannot afford the transportation. Take action

South Africa: Inadequate care and support for rural victims of sexual assault.The South African government is obliged by law to provide a means of preventing HIV infection after sexual assault. However, poverty and distance create barriers to the access of treatment. Take action

Events

Adidas Women's Challenge: 7 September 2008. The Adidas Women's Challenge is one of the UK's biggest women-only races. It takes place in London, Birmingham and Liverpool, and over 30,000 women enter. Join them as part of Team Amnnesty

You can always find out more on these and other issues on the Women's Action Network pages of our website.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Day 1, 113 days to day 0.

Day Zero is the 7th of September 2008 when I have to run in the Adidas Women Challenge representing Amnesty International (Amnesty For Women Rights).

Today is the first day of my training. I take it very easy, starting with swimming. It took me two weeks to convince myself to do just that properly, so WELL DONE!
Currently my training possibilities are restricted to one hour of my lunch brake (lunch eaten in front of PC), so I need to make sure I do take it.

Swimming was cool today, I did 10 lengths and I think it helps to set up a daily goal too.
By the 8th I was dying.
The 9th was still hard.
The 10th went smooth and I actually enjoyed it better than the very few at the beginning. How bizarre.

Now I am sitting at my desk and all aching. How not bizarre.


Once I manage to swim every day, I can start jogging in the gym. By the time my parent come over to help me out with Dawid, I will be fit enough to do some serious running.
So I think I am pretty ok, although I still do not know how long the actual run is. I didn't bother checking...I might regret that part:/

As for now I am being strict to myself and sticking to the fist of the top 10 rules of training: RESTING!:)

Blogged with the Flock Browser