Sunday 8 April 2012

An unlucky break...

My friends and I have now run 350 miles of the London Underground. We've run the entire Bakerloo, Waterloo & City, Hammsersmith & City, District, Northern, Circle and Central lines. We've almost finished the Piccadilly and Jubilee lines. We only have the Victoria and Metropolitan lines left to begin. We have 100 miles left to run. We've raised £9450 and only have £550 to go before we reach our target.

I have run all 350 miles and have run 18 half marathons, five 18+ mile runs and a marathon. For the last 6 weeks I have been running in a lot of pain in my right foot and unfortunately this morning it was confirmed that I have sustained a stress fracture to my foot and that I have to have 6 weeks complete rest otherwise the fracture of my metatarsel will turn in to a break. Needless to say I am pretty devastated.

No matter what the weather or how I felt I have run and I have run because I really, really wanted to make a difference to Harry Moseley's charity. The only way I knew how to do that was by coming up with a stupid challenge, a challenge that caught people's imagination, and then hope that off the back off this people would donate and money could be raised for Harry's wonderful charity. Amazingly people have donated. Donated an awful lot of money. We've had over 300 donations. Some people have donated more than once. Some have donated more than twice. One person, who I have never met, has donated 8 times. He lives in India and not only has he donated but he has bought bracelets made by Harry, shared Harry's story with friends and family and he has even run part of his rail network to raise money for Harry. He is not an isolated case - people have been amazing. They've donated £100s and £100s of pounds and for that I am so grateful and I guess that is the reason I feel so guilty - I said I'd finish by May and I now can't but I promise that I will finish.

I have ran past awful, awful areas! Dagenham, Neseden, Becontree, Upney, Woodford. The list goes on and on. I've done it in PJ bottoms, often at night, but I've run with friends and every step of the way my dad has been there - this has made this whole process doable. Without these people I'd not of completed 1 line let alone approaching 9.

When I pitched this idea to my mates I'd never done any running. I was unfit but I was inspired by an incredible young boy. A young boy who didn't give up and wanted to raise as much money as he possibly could. The last 6 weeks I've been running in real pain as my mates and dad would testify to. The last 3 runs there have been tears in my eyes such was the pain. Today confirmed what I already knew to be honest. But this is in no way the end of the running. I said, we said, that we would run the tube to raise money for Help Harry Help Others and we will. I have to rest my foot for 6 weeks but the minute that is up I will be back and I will be running back through the grim areas! I will be running with my friends and I will be running to raise money to try and do my little bit to help children with brain cancer. I tried my best to run and to run through the pain but I am afraid my body has given up. I am hoping you'll all continue to amaze me and to keep supporting us even though we will be finishing the challenge a little later than planned.

We'll still be putting on events and you can still sponsor us. Thank you for all your kind words and I promise that we'll finish it. Our new aim is to finish 6 weeks later - so around the middle of July. If any of you plan on doing something like this in the future I would suggest to train for it, to eat properly and to buy proper running shoes! All these things I have not really done and unfortuantely it has come to bite me on the ****. Still, we've raised £9450 and run 350 miles...not bad for some idiots in PJ bottoms.

thanks

Steve
www.justgiving.com/steven-whyley

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