Time to stop moaning

Last night, after work, I jumped on a tube from Aldgate and travelled 85 minutes on the Met line to it's furthest point - Chesham, all the way out in zone 9. My mate Martin joined me - we were armed with a bank card, a key, a phone and a travel card and some running shoes, questionable running shoes. We were due to run a half marathon in the intense heat after work.

It was fair to say, as with most of the runs, I was dreading this. We'd not get there until around 18.30, we'd run for 2 hours and not get home until 21:30. Martin would get home an hour later. It was baking hot and we'd just run a few days before - another half marathon - and as most of you know my body has long since given up on me so running is proving really difficult.

If this wasn't bad enough then the news that greeted us when we got to Chalfont was about to make our evening a whole lot worse. The Chesham line was suspended. The tube would be going to Amersham. If you go on to Google Maps you'll see why we wanted to start at Chesham - it goes Chesham, Amersham, Chalfont, Chorleywood etc - that's the order these places exist. We were faced with having to run from Amersham to Chesham (over 2 miles away) and then run all the way back again to then continue the rest of the tube stops we had planned to run.

Off we set and for 2.5 miles we ran downhill - it was literally all downhill. Sheeps grazed in fields, trees from the forest and park overhung the roads and the heat was really suffocating but at least it was downhill. The problem was though that we had to run back it up. We had to run around 2.5 miles up hill. Normally, for most people, this would be ok but such is the state of my ankles, knees and back this was going to be such a difficult task.

I rung my dad and he gave me a few words of encouragement. I turned my iPod on full volume and off Martin and I went. We decided to run at our own pace so Martin went around 20 yards ahead of me. We must have been running for 40 minutes, in the heat, up the most savage of hills. I don't know what kept me going to be honest. I was shouting at myself, out loud, to keep going. To put one foot in front of the other. I was making such noise that sheep were running away from me! We got to the top of the hill and got back to where we started - Amersham. We took on some water and decked a Mars bar.

We'd been running for an age but still had 3 stops, 8ish miles left to go. I was out on my feet. Nevertheless 1 hour 30 minutes later we made it to our destination. On the way we received 2 donations and passed through the county of Buckinghamshire. We got to the end and no shops were open so we couldn't get any water - it would be another hour until I got home and took on some water. At 10PM I had my first (and last!) ice bath to try to help me so that I can run tomorrow. I think the ice bath was worse than the hill!

We are running tomorrow in this poxy heat. We are running Saturday, then Wednesday and our final run is Sunday - when I can say I have run the entire London Underground. Last night I wish I'd never said I would attempt this. It was too big a challenge for me. I can do the odd run but I am now up to run 34 - most of those half marathons. There has also been a marathon. During this time my body has changed unrecognisably - every morning it hurts to get up. I am not after sympathy, nor am I looking to moan. I am just trying to describe how difficult I am finding this challenge. But as I write those words imagine how an 11 year old with a tumour the size of a tennis ball must feel. How does he begin to summon the courage to carry on? How does he continue to get out of bed and smile? How does he continue to raise money for others? All these things Harry did. It's time I stopped describing how difficult this thing is and realise how easy I have it. I am trying to run the underground - that is it. What he did, now that is brave. Help me help Harry to help others - sponsor me www.justgiving.com/steven-whyley - the pain I am feeling will go next Sunday. Harry and his family were never afforded that luxury. That's wrong.

Steve

Another reason to run

After a 5 week break due to a fractured foot I am one week away from returning to running. I will be running from Uxbridge to Acton Town - around a half marathon. I have 9 runs left and we have raised over £11,000 for Help Harry Help Others. When I begin my next run there will be one man missing - my dad.

My dad has joined me for all 24 runs that I have done so far. Whatever the weather, no matter how cold or how wet, he has been there. He lives in Southend and every single week, sometimes twice a week, he pays over £15 to get a train ticket to come and meet me and the guys. He brings with him a bag of treats - Mars bars, waters, glucose gels, spare clothes, a towel - you name it he brings it. He also works out all the routes for us and meets us at the station that we run from. We then dump on to him all of our bags - sometimes my dad has 4-5 bags that he has to lug around London with him. My dad then would meet us every 3 stops to give us a water, a gel or a much needed pep talk to keep us going. This was so, so important when I have been injured - he gave me the strength to carry on. My dad would wait until we finished - sometimes as late as 10 or 11 at night. That means he wouldn't get back to his bed until midnight or later. My friends and I have run 350 miles so far but this would not have been possible without my dad - this is a fact.

Unfortunately my dad suffered a small stroke on Saturday but the great news is that he seems fine and in good health. However his pack horse days are over. We can't ask him to carry 4-5 bags anymore and wait at grotty tube stops handing out waters. He will be there for the last run though, to run over the line with us.

I originally started running to raise money for Harry's charity - I was inspired by Harry to keep going, to run through pain at times and he was my inspiration. Now I have two people who inspire me. I make a promise to you old man - we'll finish the tube together, you may not be able to be there in person but you'll still be the one who is helping me get one foot in front of the other. Get well soon.

Steve
www.justgiving.com/steven-whyley

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

Look how far we have run..

These two picture show how far we have currently run compared to how far we need to run. The picture with the blue bar is how far we've currently run.

We have completed the Waterloo and City Line, The Hammersmith and City line, the Bakerloo line, the District line, the Circle line, the Northern line. 53 miles of the Central line, 54 miles of the Piccadilly line.

We have the DLR, the Victoria and the Metropolitan to begin and we have 1 run left on the Central and 1 run left on the Piccadilly.

We've now run over 300 miles. I have been doing this since October but due to a knee injury I have only actually run for 4 months.

I have 12 runs left including a marathon. I have around 150 miles to go. I have just over 6 weeks to complete it. I have never done something this difficult nor have I ever felt this much pain. We have £600 left to raise.

Help us.

www.justgiving.com/steven-whyley