BBC - 606 - - A33190319 - What's the story behind your marathon?

10 comments

What's the story behind your marathon?

London Marathon

by Richard Irvine-Brown - BBC Sport (U7774651) 07 March 2008

Come 13 April there will be 35,000 incredible stories running the long way round from Greenwich to The Mall in London.

Well, here’s a good one.

A year ago Sean McCaffrey was diagnosed with cancer. Not only did he beat it, he’s training to run his first marathon, and on behalf of the hospital that treated him, too.

Sean had an undiagnosed germ cell defect since birth: “It’s a form of testicular cancer,” he explained to me over a pint. “The cell gets ‘lost’ and grows a tumour.”

The tumour turned out to be malignant, a less than one-in-two-million chance “so rare that my GP did an essay on it.”

His chemotherapy at University College London Hospital was a trial treatment of a cocktail of drugs and Sean was warned the side effects would be stronger.

“I spent three months tired, in and out of hospital, I lost my hair but there was no nausea.”

That three months worked in shifts of one week bed-bound in hospital, two weeks resting at home. (And last summer I was worried about not being fit enough for April…)

“My only thought was that when this was over I would go on holiday and play football again. Running the marathon was something I thought, before the cancer, would be nice but I had never seriously considered doing it.”

Following the chemotherapy the cancer cells were dying but the tumour was not shrinking. Sean caught pneumonia and became anaemic.

“Everything went pear-shaped. The tumour was crushing my pulmonary artery and my lung collapsed. The doctor had told my dad that they were doing their best but they didn't know if they could save me.”

The operation was pushed forward to late June at the Heart Hospital in London.

Sean grinned at me. “They found a tumour the size of a football!”

After two months’ further recovery Sean began to play football again and looked to fill his time with exercise, but probably not a marathon.

“The applications had already gone through for the year so it was unlikely.”

(This sounds horribly like the reasoning many of us have made about marathon training over the years…)

“It was when I mentioned it to my doctor at a check-up that she told me about the UCLH charity places. My friend signed up, too.”

So it was more important that you ran the marathon and raise money than whether you were fit to run it?

“I’d never run more than a few miles and had to knuckle down. Though now my fitness is better than it’s ever been.

“I still get pins and needles in my feet - it’s a side effect of the chemo – so I still struggle.”

As long as he was running for the people that saved his life, though, Sean never worried about how long he had left to train, or blisters, or fancy kit, or not feeling in the mood for a cold evening’s jog.

“If I was just doing the marathon for something I’ve no personal experience of I may not be so motivated but having that reason makes me get out there.

“I’m running four times a week, two of them long runs. I have a few long walks because I’m fully aware I’m not going to run the whole thing, I just aim to finish.”

Was there any medical suggestion not to train?

“My doctors encouraged me when I suggested it. I was in the healthiest state they’d ever seen me in!”

Sean attributes his positive attitude to getting through chemo.

“I saw lots of people with negative attitudes. Being positive was reflected in my family.”

But can that stretch to a marathon? What about other runners? You must be one of the only people running the marathon ‘in memory’ of yourself, in a weird sense.

“I’m the worst person to give marathon advice! Just train hard, I don’t know what I’m doing half the time. I can’t possibly imagine what it’s like to run for someone else but just think how proud that person would have been of you.”

Why are you running your marathon? Send in your support for Sean and your own stories.

Thanks again for all the comments last week, too.

comment on this article | send to a friend

Latest comments

Read members' comments or add your own

comment by Craig Currans Right Peg (CCRP) (U7079254)

posted Mar 7, 2008

Fascinating article this week Richard. This Sean fellow seems to be an incredible human being. Hope he does well in the marathon. I have a race myself tomorrow. Representing Merseyside at the English Schools at Sefton Park in Liverpool.
For anyone who is in that area the 1st race is at 1pm.
This will be my last competitive race of the cross country season before I march onto the athletics scene!

add comment | complain about this comment

comment by tranmereCCRP (U11212955)

posted Mar 9, 2008

Hi Richard
It's CCRP with a new account.
I represented Merseyside yesterday and came 70th out of well over 400 competitors. I was first home from the Merseyside team which is pleasing.
Only one race left now, the Dads, Lads & Old Boys for school which is always a great event. It's even being sponsored by Start Fitness this year!

add comment | complain about this comment

comment by ianosaurus (U11240283)

posted Mar 13, 2008

Hey Rich, long time reader, less time runner, first time poster. Not the one with the train coming through the second storey window.
Anyway, do I take it from the dearth of responses no one's running the marathon?
Well I'm not, and here's a theory on running, motivation and masochism from someone who'd rather read about it than do it. I (occasionally) run to keep (marginally) fit. I don't enjoy running qua running, and usually when I run it's because I'm chasing something (football, cricket ball, mechanical hare...)
So, when I decide to go for a run it's frequently out of guilt and the vague feeling that I need to punish myself for being lazy. The pain, stiffness, bad hair and chafing it causes is therefore in some way 'deserved', and that's why I don't stop immediately despite deriving little pleasure and having acid in my muscles. I realise how perverse that sounds when written like that but I guess it's just the idea that if you want to get fit you've got to feel what you're doing. No pain no gain, as I tell myself when I stub a toe. And when I get fit(ter), I stop running.
So anyway, point? Kudos, basically, to Sean, yourself, and anyone else who manages to either a) trump their discomfort and get motivation to run with some inner chi, or b) um, simply enjoy running. I imagine everyone running the marathon come April must have some such trump card, and respect to you all for allowing it to make you run a marathon instead of sitting at home reading 606 and eating Sainsbury's chicken korma.

add comment | complain about this comment

comment by forefeet (U10832258)

posted Mar 14, 2008

Hi Richard

I don't feel worthy to recount my humdrum story, and wonder if others are feeling the same?

I grew up watching the FLM every year right from the beginning. My athletics-obsessed Granny absolutely loved watching it and the enthusiasm rubbed off on me.

I discovered when i grew up that i had no talent for running, but a remarkable ability to get injured. My enthusiasm persisted, but i never managed to build up to any meaningful training.

A few years ago i changed my running style. I don't know if this was the sole reason, but i gradually realised i could run the mileages you read in training books without being perpetually side-lined.

I entered a marathon with a dream of running 'sub 3' and on the day i flew along - running a 2h43 (1h23 / 1h20 negative split) and feeling on top of the world.

I was hooked. Since then i have had precious little time to train, but have made some minor progress. I ran 2h35 last year in London and acheived my long-term goal of a top 100 finish position.

Busy work and family life have led to difficult balancing acts - true for all of us i'm sure. This year i will be well down the field - around the 3h mark i think.

I hope to climb the ladder again one day and get comfortably under 2h30, but i'm not sure when i'll find the time.

I have run many hundreds of races over the years, but the London marathon is the best - it feels like being allowed on the pitch for a cup final - how many sports allow jokers like me to line up with the greats? Last year, Haile jsut a few feet away from me at the start of the world's greatest race - what a privelege.

add comment | complain about this comment

comment by Richard Irvine-Brown - BBC Sport (U7774651)

posted Mar 14, 2008

CCRP - that's some top cross country running, there.

ianosaurus, I hope forefeet is closer to the mark, that there are marathon runners here, but, like him, like me, our reasons may pale (certainly as feats, and perhaps as stories) against Sean's.

And never underestimate the power of guilt to aid an aspiring marathoner.

I'll pass on the good luck messages when I see him for a jog.

forefeet, that's a top story and it's what makes London work - the combination of dedicated athletes (don't be so modest) and great fund-raisers and fund-raising.

"...down the field - around the 3h mark..."
I don't know whether to use the blush, yikes, or hugely-intimidated by the capable runner smiley...

Absolutely awesome.

add comment | complain about this comment

comment by athena2uk (U3093700)

posted Mar 18, 2008

My best friend is running this year for the first time and I am so proud of her for taking on the challenge. She was lucky enough to get a spot first try and has been training since Septmeber last year when her brother bet her a pair of Manolo Blahniks that she couldn't complete the London Marathon!!! Bearing in mind this girl rarely went to the gym and had a very deep and meaningful relationship with Smirnoff and Coke!!
I think a lot of people have been sceptical about her actually doing this but, I think she is going to prove a lot of people wrong on 13th April!!
She is a single mum and works full time but has still managed to find the time to train and just goes to show that you can do anything you want as long as you're willing to work your butt off for it!
I'm just gutted I can't be there as I'm working in the middle east.I'm not even sure there's coverage of it over here.
Whether she completes it or not, I will always proud of how hard she worked to do this.

add comment | complain about this comment

comment by 2e1ebr (U11195677)

posted Mar 20, 2008

Good going.
I am a runner. I have had some real classy body damage, broken bits, free compartment syndrome and more, never stopped me for more than a few weeks.
I ran 43 races last year and aiming at 50 this year. As a club runner I will be behind the 30 at the front of London who get on telly and in front of the 10,000 good cause runners. I will be with the 30,000 forgoten majority, prob get a 3:10 this year.
I can't run London for charity this year as in the last 13 years of many hundreds of races I have taken all the money from people that I can. Shame they make London so hard to get in for us club runners.

add comment | complain about this comment

comment by Richard Irvine-Brown - BBC Sport (U7774651)

posted Apr 4, 2008

athena2uk - good luck to your friend, I hope she wins her shoes.

2e1ebr - I hope you get that 3:10! 50 races would be an amazing achievement (I'll probably manage five).
Haha, I'm actually aiming to be in the same band of 'not on telly' runners, though.
Fully sympathise and understand with the not wanting to ask friends and family for sponsorship again.

add comment | complain about this comment

comment by hairyairey (U3422509)

posted Apr 7, 2008

Unfortunately I'm not running this year (I've been rejected three times but have run it once). However I am helping out with the Cancer Research UK presence as the issue of cancer is quite literally very close to my heart. A few years ago I had a skin cancer tumour removed from my chest right over my heart. I now work for Cancer Research UK at the Cambridge Research Institute helping researchers find new treatments and improve existing ones. I'm quite happy to remove my shirt to show people!

2e1ebr - I think this year it's going to be easier for people who aren't in this one to enter since they are opening entries online on the day.

add comment | complain about this comment

Comment on this article

Sorry, you can only contribute to 606 during opening hours. These are 0900-2300 UK time, seven days a week, but may vary to accommodate sporting events and UK public holidays.

My 606

Browse 606...

More...

What's the story behind your marathon?

Latest comments

Comment on this article

RATE THIS ARTICLE

Rate Breakdown