|
Ray Illingworth, my name sake was a fine England cricket captain of the 1970’s and
was 99 not out on a regular basis. But he had only taken a few hours to reach
this point and only had to wait a few minutes to achieve his century.
Marathon
runners however take years to get to 99 not out, and have to wait a lot longer
to reach there century, sometimes weeks in my case, if you want to achieve your
goal at a certain event. It’s just as nerve racking however as standing at the
crease waiting for that next ball to be bowled, only a lot more prolonged.
By the end
of this year injury permitting I would of completed 70 marathons in just 3
years, that’s an average of just over 23 a year, yet my 100th will be exactly
25 years since my first in 1984. So my batting average is only 4 a year, so no
ashes call up for this Illingworth.
So
why so prolific all of a sudden, well between 1984 and 2003 I had only run 29
marathons. Then one of those life changing events happened that was to change my
outlook on life. On Christmas Eve 2003 I was diagnosed with testicular cancer
and had to face Christmas with all my family with only my wife Carol knowing,
pretending every thing was ok and not knowing myself until after Christmas if
the cancer had spread at all. Yes I admit I was feeling a little sorry for
myself. Fortunately the cancer had not spread but I did lose both Testicles.
Four months later after radiotherapy another operation on my stomach, another
unrelated cancer was found in my lymph nodes, this is cancer of the immune
system known as non-Hodgekinson’s lymphoma. Then a rather painful extraction
of bone marrow showed it had spread there too meaning no cure although caught at
a very early stage and I am very well monitored.
 I'd
stopped feeling sorry for myself after the new year, even finding out my next
cancer was par for the course by then. I'd come to realise by then that if
something was to happen to me it doesn't matter, it's the people left behind to
pick up the pieces that matter most. I'd seen on the telly what the late and
great Jane Thomlinson was achieving in worse circumstances then myself, and I
was given Lance Armstrong's first book to read while I was recuperating and
his story is legend, so I realised that setting a physical goal was to be my
best way of dealing with the situation and was determined to get my 30th
marathon completed which in 2005 I did and my 31st at Luton where I met Carol
and Patsy (100 marathon club wannabe’s) and have never been the same since. I
did 5 in 2006 and 12 in 2007 and decided in 2008 to do 26 miles, 26 times a
marathon of marathons in one year and got carried away and did 35. All my
marathons are to raise money and awareness of cancer research and I've managed
to raise a few bob and was honoured with an MBE this year.
Now this
might sound crazy but receiving my 100 marathon medal will be just as important
to me as an MBE, as to what I have achieved in life there are so many unsung
heroes out there that deserve an MBE more than me, but the 100 marathon medal I
have earned. It’s not just my Christian faith; the love of a good family; and
friends that help me cope, it’s running with you guys in all weather. It's
addictive, I never dreamed of getting to 100 marathons. I live with what I have,
and that’s fine as long as it gets no worse and it hasn't yet.
Nottingham
will be my 100th marathon, it had to be as it was my first; my last before
cancer; and my first one back; and maybe even my 200th?. They may be made of
silicon now, but I still have the balls to do it!
Simon
|