Run for a Child

Today is the last day of Mental Health Awareness Month - and I was pleased to complete (over-achieve) my New York Road Runners (NYRR) 31-in-41 challenge (31 miles in 31 days.). I covered 54.4 miles of running and over 31 hours of physical activity?

Why? - physical health and fitness, which supports mental health and fitness, which supports mental health and fitness… it’s all interrelated.

AND - to drive awareness for mental health. EVERY ONE of us needs to take care of our mental health as much as we do our physical health; it is not a domain that is exclusive to the “mentally ill”, depressed, or those with psychiatric disorders. Those cases that need extra support need our support, as do their loved ones who support them - or if they have no support from family or friends, then those medical staff or those strangers in the street that help them out.

So, tomorrow, June 1st, I’ll still be aware of mental health - for people around me, for strangers, and for myself.

Nonetheless, May 31st, I am happy to have completed my 31-in-31

If you or someone you love needs help, please reach out:

USA: 988
Australiia: 13 11 14
UK: NHS 111 or text SHOUT to 85258.

American Foundation for Su***de Prevention

FIISH

Ready for the New York Road Runners (NYRR) 2024.
Every post raises more $s for National Alliance on Mental Illness - so well worth the strain to get up early and get this done!

I have met with business leaders, senators, and real genuine people over the past few days. One resounding message of feedback… they want me to run for office!!! Because I CHOSE this country!… because I LOVE this country… because I protect the innocent … and because this country is ALREADY GREAT!!! - we just have to keep it here and make it AMAZING!

As m working to get myself back on track, I’m ready to run the Grid Iron in New York tomorrow morning. Not a big distance, but a qualifier.

I had a small tear to my left knee meniscus at the San Francisco Marathon and Half Marathon last summer - tore it up even worse at the Staten Island Half Marathon last autumn (fall.) Spent months recovering from that.

Then - speaking of falls - had a heavy fall last week and really hit both patellas hard on a tiled floor.

So, whilst tomorrow is only 4 miles, I know it will be a painful 4 miles. Not about the pace for me… just about starting and finishing.

So, double knee braces, compression socks, compression calf sleeves, determination,and the joy for bing around about 5,000 other determined runners!

See you at the Start and Finish lines!

Mike Karpenko

First of all... wishing everybody in my network a Happy, Peaceful (let's wish that we get there), safe, healthy and prosperous New Year in 2024.

At the same time, it's important that we all recognize ("recognise" for my International English language friends 😊 ) that as an example, in the United States of America, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), major depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the United States.

In 2021, an estimated 21 million adults in the United States had at least one major depressive episode, which represents 8.3% of all adults in the U.S.

That means that whether it's you, and/or me, almost 1-in-10 people reading this post might NOT be so excited about 2024. (8.3% represents those that have said it out aloud - my personal opinion is that it could be double that number!)

So - most importantly - if you are struggling; if you are fighting this fight... it is OK not to feel OK! Depression and related suicidal thinking is indiscriminate! - it doesn't care about your nationality... the colour or tone of your skin... your language... your accent... your financial stature... where you are in your career path... if you are a senior executive... if you are fresh out of (or still in) college... it doesn't give a S41T!!! it will try to bite you.

So, my New Year message is: to that 8.3% (or possibly 17%) of my Friends, Business Partners, Acquaintances, Family and extended family, and anybody else that knows me - YOUR life matters! YOU matter! The whole universe is a better place because YOU are in it!

Check out the link below from the American Foundation for Su***de Prevention that highlights how to recognize risk factors in yourself, or in people that you love.

To you all! Happy New Year! Happy 2024! Please don't get in your own way! You ARE loved and you ARE needed and you DO matter!

I have listed some resources below, but it is not an exhaustive list, that can help you if you personally are in that dark place today - or that can help you if you perceive that someone you care about might be in that dark place.

If you can't find the help and support you need - or if you feel "weird" saying it out aloud, then please send me a direct message, and we will partner up and make 2024 an amazing year for us all!

Much love and all the best for 2024!

American Foundation for Su***de Prevention
***deprevention ***deawareness ***de

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm1syU71ZMc