It’s been a fair time since I wrote a blog. I’m still running, but you probably haven’t heard me harp on too much about the Congo as much as I’d use to. I’m sorry about this and I thought I’d share a few reasons why this was the case:
- I had begun to feel that the campaign had fatigued by 2011. I’d done my best to get people to be aware of the Congo, but after that I felt I was endanger of turning people off the topic by repeatedly banging a drum.
- I think the challenge of running a marathon, ultra-marathon or kayaking was no longer really cutting through, I’d proved myself to some degree and after a while people seemed to accept that it was pretty normal and straight forward for me to do. The challenge had vanished.
- The last time I visited Congo was in August 2010 and time passed I lost my understanding of the region as I didn’t have that tangible connection that I’d had in 2009 and 2010. Over time my knowledge was fuelled only by press coverage.
- I was knackered. Running, training, thinking, planning and everything else that comes with trying to get people to focus on the Congo left me shattered. I needed a break. The one thing I learnt is to get cut through you need energy.
I’m sure there are other things, but hopefully the ones listed above give you an idea why things have been quiet for a while. The one thing that hasn’t altered is that the situation in Eastern Congo hasn’t improved considerably if at all since 2010.
This summer I’m going to be going back to the Congo with new ideas and energy to provide a new insight into life in the Congo and help you understand a little bit more about the Congo and ensure that people don’t forget in an area that still requires you support and attention.
Running for Congo! 