Hello, I’m Ben… just Ben
This is a diary of my journey to run Badwater 135, the hardest footrace in the world, and a metaphor for my evolution as I train and prepare for that challenge.
I am often asked “how do you do it?”, I hope that this will help to answer that question, my greater wish is that it will show you, the reader, that you can unlock that reservoir of potential within.
I will share my training, the obstacles along the way, the gear I use, the food I eat and any races I do along the way.
It will be honest, mundane at times, amusing at others, sometimes insightful and perhaps amusing.
A bit more about me.
I went to Cheltenham College, that’s where I started rowing, I played other sports (like rugby) but I wasn’t very good at them. Rowing was my thing, I got pretty good. After school I went to read Engineering at Oxford University. I rowed for Oxford in the Boat Race for 3 years, winning twice. The first time was overturning a long Cambridge winning streak and the next was around the outside of the last bend - nobody wins around the outside - we did. I don’t like to hear that things are “not possible”, a thread you may pick up.
After Oxford I joined the national team and rowed at the World Championship for GB, my spine decided that enough was enough and I had to stop rowing. Two herniated discs, L4/L5 and L5/S1 if you want the details, they still try and throw me off course now.
I’ve got three kids, is this the part where I am meant to say they are amazing? They are great, some days they drive me nuts - I don’t think you really appreciate your own parents until you have offspring of your own. Thanks Mum and Dad for everything you put up with (and still do). I am married to Laura, we met at Oxford and we live just north of Bristol - does she support my running, I’d say tolerate is a better adjective. I’ve got a younger sister and brother, both married with kids of their own now.
I ran the Marathon des Sables, yes that is the mad desert one, it was a tad warm.
“When I say rubbish, I mean I was really rubbish at running. 300m in wellies as a warm up for rowing was my limit. I’m not really any good now.”
The job part, how I pay the bills?
When the rowing came to an excruciating halt I fell into my first job, actually this was working with Laura. I’ve always worked in operations and technology, I’ve worked in a variety of industries along the way; my skill if I have one is in making technology work for business.
After working at RBS (joined in the summer of 2008, banking meltdown, good timing Ben) for a few years then I set out on my own. I built up a software development company, as the years went on this evolved into the technology consulting business it is today. There are more twists and turns in that story, if you are interested (unlikely) then you can ask me or look at LinkedIn.
Richard and me in the closing stages of a 24hr cycle, raising money for Great Ormond Street Hospital who helped cure his daughter’s cancer.
Allegr - what is it?
When my younger daughter was born she had a bit of a plumbing problem with her heart, it was all quite serious and at 4 days old she had open heart surgery. She’s now perfectly healthy and fixed. The process at the time floored me and prompted a bit of shift, something I have since learnt is not uncommon in the middle-aged period of life - a shift to more purposeful ambitions. In short I wanted to make a difference to others and use what limited powers I had to do that. You can read a fuller version of that journey here.
Allegr and The Allegr Foundation both have a similar aim - to bring communities together, they do it differently, one leverages technology the other shared activity. The word community is used a lot these days, for clarity “social media” is not a community, it is a market. I believe in the true power of our communities, our tribes, it’s a fundamental part of being human.
Delilah and Basil at the end of a fundraising run for the Royal Brompton Hospital, that’s where Allegra was treated.
Allegr, the Social Enterprise:
Creates digital solutions that strengthen community bonds and enhance member engagement - paving the way for more connected and active communities.
The Allegr Foundation, the Charity
We are a charity promoting community participation in healthy activities to improve mental and physical health. Building activity programmes, fostering human connection to improve wellbeing. Events
