The short version:

Cancer is a ****, it took my Mum on the 30th January 2021. I’m going to do something painful, stupid and difficult in her honour. 

The long version (sorry, not sorry) - grab a brew and take a seat:

My Mum, a fiercely proud and truly wonderful Portuguese woman, spent decades working tirelessly to help others. Be it caring for children, including those with specialist needs, or raising money for charities, the total amount of which I can’t begin to add up. Her heart was the size of Portugal and made of pure gold. She had love for everybody. She was particularly passionate about raising money for Cancer charities and, in her final act of kindness, she chose to donate her body to medical science, in the hope that she might help train the next generation of medics who may, one day, find a cure. Her ashes are about to come back to us and we finally had a funeral and a chance to say a proper goodbye, hence the long lead-time. The final end-date of this event is TBC,  but work commitments mean that I won’t be able to attempt it until Spring or autumn of 2023 now, I’ll keep you posted.

COVID-19 meant she had to shield herself from even her closest family during treatment so, we kept our distance and, for the last year, she only got to see her children and the grandchildren that she loved so very dearly on the screen of a computer. The news that her Cancer was no longer treatable came as a devastating blow but she was told she had 6-12 months left. With vaccines on the way, she lived in the hope that she would see us all again. Sadly, just a week after we received this news, her cancer accelerated unexpectedly and, within 24hrs, she was gone. My Brother and I made it to the hospital just in time to be there with with her and my Dad before she passed peacefully.

Cancer and COVID-19 stole her final year with us and, amongst many other wishes, I know there were 2 things that would have filled her heart with joy; seeing her grandchildren and seeing a Portuguese sunset.

It’s approximately 1600 miles from her home in Otley to the beach near her birthplace in Portugal, where we spent many happy summers as kids. I intend to travel that distance as a virtual race over the coming 18 months (I’ve set myself some rules - see below). All virtual except for the last 100 miles; that’s how far it is from Lisbon, a city dear to her heart and the place where I married my soulmate, to Praia Grande de Porto Covo. Here’s the stupid bit - I’m going to run that last 100 miles as an ultra-marathon, non-stop and, with my family, spread her ashes at the finish line with our feet in the Atlantic as the sun sets. Not my brightest idea but one that I know she’d approve of (she did a bungee jump for a cancer charity on her 50th birthday). With the sunset bit covered, the plan is that her grandchildren will be there to see it and know how much she loved them. She was their Avo (Portuguese for Gran).

I’ve never run further than a half marathon before I started this, I’ll be at least 43 when I attempt it and most of my body is broken in some way, after years of abuse, so this might be a bit tricky. I’ve been working away during the week for most of the last 2 years, which limits my training time available. I’ve nursed a variety of injuries and this has been part of my rehab from a significant spinal injury which prevented from doing any decent exercise for a long time. This has been the hardest rehab back to fitness I’ve ever done (and I’ve done a few) but, go big or go home, right? 

The virtual race rules:

- I can run, cycle, cross-trainer, cross-country ski or row for mileage.

- 1hr of gym time = 10km.

- Walking is an important part of the training, to build time on my feet on rest days, so decent walks with the family/dog (not to the shops and back) count towards the total.

- I promise that I will keep an honest record of the distance covered, using GPS traces wherever possible.

- The last 100 miles will be real, just me and my feet.

I’m well on my way to hitting the 1600 mile target now and really starting to up the distances I’m running, having broken through the wall of niggling injuries and lack of strength in places I didn’t even know I needed it!

I’d be extremely grateful if you would consider supporting this worthy cause with a small donation in my Mum’s name, every penny counts. 

Obrigado/Thank you, lovely people.

Força!