This summer, I am taking on the House-to-House Challenge for Ronald McDonald House Charities (more info here - https://rmhc.org.uk/event/house-to-house-challenge/). In August and September, I'll be juffling* 1,000 kilometres and virtually visiting some of RMHC UK's Houses to help support more families with children in hospital. 

*a strange mix of jogging and shuffling

Why am I doing this?

Ronald McDonald Houses are spaces at or near hospitals where parents can stay close whilst their children are undergoing treatment. They are spaces of calm where parents can catch their breath. They are spaces free of the constant blips and beeps of hospital machines. They are a lifeline for parents who are often at the end of their tether. 

Over the years Kate and I have spent a lot of time in Ronald McDonald houses whilst Molly has been receiving treatment for her heart problems. Our first exposure to Ronald McDonald house was when Molly was rushed to Oxford when she was only a few days old. Kate started that time at Oxford on the maternity ward recovering from the birth, but we soon ended up in the Oxford Ronald McDonald house. From there we quickly ended up relocating to Southampton when Molly was transferred there for further surgery. At Southampton we spend time in their former Ronald McDonald house - which was basically two rooms next to the PICU ward before moving to some space they had in the Heartbeat House (co-run by Wessex Heartbeat). Miles away from home and with no idea when Molly would be discharged these spaces were a godsend and meant we could concentrate on supporting Molly through her early surgeries. 

We've since returned to Southampton for stays short and long. We spent a Christmas there and had the dubious pleasure of spending time in their new house on Tremona Road. The house benefits from 

• Supportive and compassionate staff
• Kitchens where families can eat together
• Communal area for resting and relaxing
• Telephone connected to your child’s ward
• Access to outside space where children can play
  

Ronald McDonald Houses support families in their darkest hours. They help remove one of the big worries that parents have at a time of extreme stress. In a sense we've been lucky - our stays in Ronald McDonald Houses have been relatively short - other families have spent much longer in these places.  

Since the Covid-19 lockdown they, like many other charities, have been unable to carry out their usual fundraising activities. At some point (possibly later this year) we may well be back in a Ronald McDonald House. I'm doing this as a belated and a pre-emptive thanks.  

What kind of training have I undertaken?

Well, for a start there have been major changes to my diet. I am currently down to three meals a day (having dropped second breakfast, elevenses and high tea). I am also down to half a packet of biscuits a day and soon hope to get that down to a quarter pack.

When I decided to undertake this challenge (about three weeks ago) I resolved to go for a run every morning. So far I have managed two. Two weeks worth or runs? No, two runs. But they were good runs. Oh boy, they were good runs. 

What's going to be the hardest part of the challenge?

My initial calculations show that I have to do 16.39 km per day. That's quite a shift from my current average of about 16 m per day (from bed to lounge). 

So, I planned to do a run around Whiteknights Campus in the morning (about 5 km), to the allotment and back (about 4 km) and then another wander around campus again in the evening. That should total about 14 km, with the other two being made up by me aimlessly wandering around the house. 

However, there were a couple of things that I didn't factor in. 

1. When I first looked at the challenge I was furloughed from work - I had long empty days and the prospect of filling them with walking was great. But I'm due to return to work at the start of August ... just when the challenge officially kicks off. 

2. I also didn't fully take note of the various conversations that were going on about Molly's care after her spell in hospital over the summer. I knew that she had an appointment in mid-August for a CAT scan in Southampton, but I didn't twig that this would mean that we would have to isolate for two weeks before that! So, I've lost two weeks of the challenge already. 

On my reworked calculations I have to do 21.27 km a day. *Gulp*

So yeah. That's going to be a lot of kms in a six week period (unless someone wants to lend me a running machine for isolation/lockdown!). 

A message for my sponsors

If you've made it this far thank you for staying with me. The goal listed if to raise £300 - this was the default setting. However, I would be amazed, overwhelmed and extraordinarily happy if I could raise £1,000. This would represent £1 per km - I think that's a fairly decent return for a fat old man sweating his guts out to raise a bit of money for an awesome charity. Don't you?