LIVE FOR TODAY Iron will powered me through race Simple treatment helps Covid
Running with terminal cancer
This week saw me finish the biggest challenge I have ever done in a nine-day period.
When I set off on the 6633 Arctic virtual challenge I had no idea if I would be able to complete 383 miles of running, well shuffling, on foot within the timeframe, but by some miracle I finished it. I came fourth overall out of 42.
I hope that if a 56-year-old bloke with terminal cancer can do this, maybe I can inspire others to take on a challenge that floats their boat?
While I did not face many of the Arctic challenges in person, I will next year when the race should be able to happen. I was still banging out over 40 miles a day for nine consecutive days without time off which nearly beat me on a number of occasions.
After a couple of days I didn’t believe that I had the stamina, and towards the end, my feet, ankles, knees and hips were screaming at me as I slowly plodded along mainly on my own – just like the real race – and it’s best I don’t elaborate on the chafing! It really came down to how badly I wanted to finish and I knew I wanted it bad.
The support of friends and family made a huge difference, not just in their words of encouragement each day, but also in helping me raise over £4,000 for
Prostate Cancer UK. In addition, Martin and Stuart, the amazing organisers of the 6633 Arctic Ultra generously decided to donate all the profits of the race to the charity too. That certainly inspired me not give up!
Finally, I know today is Mother’s Day, and sadly my mother is no longer with us, but I want to give a massive shout out to my wife Sarah and women who support their kids and partners everywhere. Without her tolerance and support every day I would not have completed the event, so it was really our race rather than just mine.
I hope that you too show your appreciation to women who support you on this special day. For all you mums out there, as my friends Hayley and Mark say: “Teamwork makes the dream work”.
‘‘ Organisers generously donated race profits to Prostate Cancer UK
justgiving.com/fundraising/kevin-webber8
Gas and air can help beat Covid, according to new research.
Nitrous oxide, found in gas and air, is naturally produced by the body and is thought to have antiviral properties.
Giving patients nitrous oxide was found to reduce the length of hospital stays and the number of deaths due to Covid, a study by Sweden’s Uppsala University and the Karolinska Institute found.
The treatment was also shown to reduce inflammation in the lungs of patients.
In 2003, nitrous oxide was given to patients with SARS, as it was found to help beat the virus.