By the end of this week Chris Gordon will have covered 50 kilometres without leaving his London hotel room.
The Renton man was forced to self-isolate for two weeks after other attendees of a training course he was on tested positive for Covid-19, however that hasn’t stopped him from putting in the miles to raise funds for the Mental Health Foundation.
For over a week Chris has been doing a 5k in his room every day, equal to a gruelling 558 lengths.
He explained: “I do try to keep myself fit, so on the first Saturday I was there I wondered how long it would take me to run a kilometre.
“I worked out that 112 lengths of my room is equal to a kilometre on my watch. I wanted to do something for charity whilst I was stuck in the room too, and with mental health a big issue at the moment it was the obvious choice.
“It’s really hard going. It’s like a 5k bleep test really. It was sore on my legs and knees and I had to change the way I turn to take some of the pressure off.
“For the first few days the left side of my body was really sore from the turning.
“I’m six foot tall so my room is seven paces long. Normally I can run a 5k in 24 minutes, but the best I’ve managed inside in 32 minutes.
“I’ve set myself a goal to get under 30 minutes but I don’t think I’ll manage to achieve it.
“If you start trying to go really quickly then you get dizzy after a few lengths from all the turning. I actually put a video up online with what it’s like and a lot of people were saying that it made them feel sick.
“The windows in the room don’t open either, so you’re relying on the aircon which is a bit hit and miss. The first time I ran it, it was 22.5 degrees so I’ve now learnt to turn it right down as soon as I get up in the morning to make it as cool as possible.”
Despite being stuck in the room, Chris admits that he is in a fortunate position - and hopes the money raised from his efforts can go towards supporting those struggling with the impact of the pandemic.
He continued: “A 5k is 558 lengths of my room. It is tough but, for me mentally, it’s keeping me going at the moment. I’m lucky though, I’ve got fresh food coming to my door, good internet, TV all that sort of thing.
“A lot of people don’t have that, they’ll be totally isolated and maybe struggling for food. I’ve got my family all phoning me regularly and friends staying in touch.
“Sometimes though when you look out the window and see life going on you feel it quite hard.
“Mental health is a really big issue at the moment. I read the other day about the increase in the number of callouts to suicides and attempted suicides and it’s really serious.
“With worries over finances and isolation it’s a really tough time for everyone. Every donation however big or small can make a huge difference but I also don't want to feel as if I’m pressuring people into donating if they aren’t able to.”
And the 36-year-old has been delighted with the amount he’s managed to raise so far, after smashing his initial target.
He added: “My initial goal was to raise £1000, but we hit that target in three days so we’ve now raised it to £2500. All being well I should get out on Friday, and then me and a couple of the other guys are going to go on a 5k outside for the final one. I didn’t go in as an athlete but I might come out as one!”
To donate visit ‘ Cchhris’s fundraiser for Mental Health Foundation ’ on Facebook.
