Stretching the pain barrier in run chase
that does not come naturally to a man with a 36min 10km to his name. Indeed, at school his nickname was “Overdrive” because he would do everything at pace.
The laps were anything but flat, with a number of short climbs. Sessions averaged around nine laps, with a good ceiling of 13 and a less favourable one at seven.
Counting the laps was not undertaken by Stones himself as he motivated himself in the cause and the children he was championing – raising funds for deaf and seriously disabled children, whom he met and spent time playing with the day before setting off on the sojourn.
On the third day the heat got to him and he suffered some heatstroke. It would be the weakest of his 10 days, amounting to 79km nonetheless.
He further encountered a few niggles and sought the help of a physio, while two monster blisters on the heels of his feet had to be lanced and drained.
When on days seven through to nine much of the self-motivating factors may have run thin, it was always to the children of the cause and his own two boys at home that he could turn for inspiration. When even that energy waned, it would be to singing and a constant inner chatter that he would turn to keep going.
The other runners their supporters and even the arrival of hundreds of runners for the launch of a new parkrun at the venue, early on in the race, all kept the adventure stimulating and real. Good and often hefty meals, meaningful hydration, along with special nutrition kept the engine running smoothly.
Stones had broken his own 48-hour record and been really satisfied with his 534.153km recorded for the six days, an event of its own, that he hopes to pursue internationally.
He was challenged by others and his own goals along the way to shoot for 800km and when he reached that target 850 and then 875km.
Day 10 was remarkably his best as he decided to adopt an all-or-nothing approach. With father Christopher there to spur him on, as he had been over the days, Stones accumulated a massive 116km with the last two-andahalf hours calling for one last period of digging deep.
There was much to be delighted about as he completed a very emotional last hour and then his final lap with the South African flag draped around his shoulders. There were age group records, monies raised for his cause, videos recorded, many messages of support and congratulations from his Born 2 Run club members back in East London and, of course, his own family standing by him.
The event was a life-enhancing 10 days for a man who has found an even greater passion for running than he had previously.
He has already entered the Legends Marathon due to be run on September 24 in the view to qualifying for Two Oceans and Comrades in 2018 and perhaps, just maybe, a Six-Day event in Hungary which is sponsorship dependent.