Hi all.

The past year has been incredibly tough for everyone - and the next few months look set to challenge us all even more. Pandemic, lockdowns and everything else we have lived through in these difficult times can’t help but have an impact on us all.

A couple of years ago, the lead singer of one of my all-time favourite bands died by suicide. I’ve never been affected by the death of a famous person before, but the news of Frightened Rabbit frontman Scott Hutchison going missing - and being found - hit me incredibly hard. I sat at work that day, trying to listen to The Midnight Organ Fight but having to turn it off as I fought back tears.

I often think of Scott, keep his memory alive through the wonderful music he left behind, and have shed many a tear remembering him at gigs as The National dedicated songs to him or The Twilight Sad played a Frightened Rabbit song each night to celebrate the life of their friend.

Tiny Changes is a charity set up by Scott’s family to help improve mental health among children and young people in Scotland - and as a thank you to Scott for the music he made and the memories he provided me with - this year - I’m going from Ultra Mess to Ultra Marathon runner to raise money for this wonderful cause. 

At the moment, Christmas has taken its toll on me and I’m a bit of a mess physically. In fact I’ve never weighed this much in my whole life. But now I’ve got seven months to turn that around, get as fit as I’ve ever been, and run an ultra marathon in the mountains of the Lake District (should also point out I’ve never done an ultra marathon before too).

A testing, but achievable, fully waymarked and marshalled Ultra marathon course through some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in the Lake District. The route certainly lives up to the billing as one of the most picturesque ultra marathons in the UK.

Every pound I can raise along the way will help spur me on when times get tough and training seems too difficult. I’ll get to that start line as prepared as I can be, ready to blast Scott’s tunes as I drag myself over literal mountains.

The 55K route includes 3 mountain passes, with 7,000 ft ascent along with 5 well-stocked feed stations.

I’ll keep a diary of how things are going and share often too to keep everyone up to date on how it’s going.

Thanks for reading. It’s going to take more than Tiny Changes within myself to complete this challenge. But I’ll give it everything I’ve got.

Thanks everyone - keep yourselves warm - and I’ll talk to you soon.

Scott Hutchison, singer in the band Frightened Rabbit, died by suicide in May 2018. Since then, his family have been campaigning to improve mental health amongst children and young people in Scotland. Tiny Changes (SC049112) aims to further that cause by funding projects and events that support affected people and advance research, and also by raising awareness and influencing policy. There is a crisis in young people's mental health in Scotland and it is getting worse. The next generation needs your help now.