Issue 367 - Mon 22nd May 2006

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The Great Gordino Newsletter - Issue 367 – Mon 22nd May 2006
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Hi ,
I hope Monday finds you well.

Yesterday I had my first near-vomit experience when training.
I reckon I know what caused it, I had taken on sustinence too soon to running.
I spotted a gap in the rain and thought I'd make a go of it, but I suffered for it!
However, I bravely carried on, and got to 5 miles in 1 hour 3 mins, 3 mins outside my target, but not to worry about that - at this stage, targets are very rough and ready!

Of course me carrying on to do 5 miles instead of 4 wasn't really brave.
The real bravery came from the fact I was out in public at all, considering the whopping spot I had on my nose.
My body is slowly getting rid of a lot of rubbish as I get fitter, and my face gets sweaty a lot, so a few spots is a price I have to pay, but blimey, this one was (is) a whopper!

Right on the end of my nose, it's nearly as big as my actual nose.
It almost blocks my vision.
I'm not surprised I was suffering on my run having to lug all that extra weight around.

Thank goodness I have no dates looming!
Er, actually that wasn't really that brave either, and today I want to talk about some real bravery.

I saw a documentary about a woman awarded the George Cross in World War II, only the 3rd woman to get one.
Unfortunately she wasn't alive to receive it, she had been brutally beaten and shot by the SS.

Noor Inayat Khan was born in the Kremlin, where her father was an attache to the Imperial Family.
After moving to England, the family settled in France.
When Germany invaded France, she was just able to escape to England.
Her philosophical beliefs didn't allow her to use violence, but she wanted to help in the war, so trained as a wireless operator.

The fact that she spoke fluent French brought her to the attention of the special services, and she was recruited to train for undercover work in France.
Although her training often noted her as 'clumsy' and 'not over-burdened with brains', we were so short of trained wireless operatives, that she was sent over to France, where the life expectancy for an undercover operative was just 6 weeks.

As she landed in the dark, she was already in trouble, as the man who met her was a double agent, giving details to the Germans.
Soon after she got to Paris, most of her colleagues were arrested due to the double agent's work.
Noor was offered a flight back to England by her bosses, but as she realised she was the only operative left in Paris, she decided to stay.

She continued to avoid capture, and kept working for 12 weeks, twice the normal life expectancy before she was caught.
Throughout her interrogation she frustrated the Germans by giving lots of false information, until they got so fed up they stopped asking her.

She was moved through various prisons until she was sent to the Dachau concentration camp where she was eventually beaten to near death and then shot in the head.
The man that killed her was himself executed for war crimes, and Noor Khan was awarded the George Cross for 'conspicuous bravery in the face of danger.'

She knew that she was letting herself in for something which would more likely than not bring her death, but she went forward anyway because it was what she believed in.

I love watching documentaries like that, telling me about the bravery I hadn't heard of before, bravery of people I had not previously been aware of.

I, and if you are reading this most likely you too, live in societies of such freedom which we take for granted.
We don't have to show such bravery to get things done.

So, the next time you feel scared to do something, the next time you 'don't feel brave enough' to push your comfort zone, think of Noor Inayat Khan, and you may surprise yourself!

Have a good week.

'Til Next Time,
Health and Happiness,
Gordon
Get involved with my Marathon Milllion at:
http://www.thegreatgordinomarathon.com