Stay with me with this one, but I will get there. Everybody knows the butterfly effect, discovered by Edward Lorenz. Technically defined, 'a small perturbation in the initial condition of a system results in large changes in later conditions.' Very small beginnings can have huge consequences.
A butterfly flapping it's wings in Mexico will eventually set in chain sequence of events that causes a typhoon in China. For humans, as someone has said, faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains.
CASPA is an amazing charity working with children, young people and families affected by autism in South East London. I know this because I have spoken to some of the families involved and for some it has been life transforming.
My friend Ivor found a way of making CASPA happen just because one day he got up and thought 'I really should get some exercise' and he went for a jog.
One thing led to another and he thought 'I should get other people involved' and some friends went jogging with him. Then the friends thought' 'we really should have a go at some of these running events and do it for charity'. This is how fourdaysrunning was born and every year Ivor organises a running event, the mainstay fundraising for CASPA.
Ivor Reveley presenting a cheque to CASPA from the fourdaysrunning event: each year the money comes in and it is spent gratefully and wisely
Ivor, clutching that cheque in the photo above, badgered me into joining in. Well, I can't run very well, but I can row in small boats. So starting in 2013, Ivor invited PicoMicroYacht to join fourdaysrunning.
The joggers would run and I would row in the sea or river nearby and we would wave to each other along the way. Four years later, PicoMicroYacht has been inspired to row round the west of Cornwall (PicoMicroYacht's Cape Horn), the length of the Thames (Tom Sawyer eat your heart out) river and round the Isle of Wight (an epic voyage for PicoMicroYacht)
Their next adventure is to run along the wild and rugged west coast of Ireland. PicoMicroYacht will be joining them, rowing, firstly 130 miles across Ireland from Dublin to Limerick, timing the arrival for the start of their fourdays 100K run at the end of April.
PicoMicroYacht is getting ready, with some sanding down and a few coats of varnish. Little modifications are being done such as some plywood boards to rest on when I stop and a better tent to sleep in. The rowing machine is getting longer workouts.The runners are training harder and the excitement is building.
