Mostpeoplemakeadonationiftheywanttohelpthoseinneed.Andtheyhopethatiftheyjoindemonstrationsorhandoutleaflets,they'llmakeothersawareoftheterribleconditionssomepeopleface.But47-year-oldBritishcomedian,EddieIzzard,didsomethingcompletelydifferent.Hedecidedtoraisemoneybyrunning1,100milesthroughEngland,Wales,NorthernIrelandandScotland.Andhemanagedtoraisemorethan£200,000!
Howlongdidittakehimtorun1,100miles?Believeitornot,ittookhimjust51days.Forsixdaysoutofeverysevenheranatleast26miles.Inotherwords,heran43marathonsinlessthantwomonths,beforehefinishedingreatstyleandpouringraininLondon'sTrafalgarSquare!
Whenaskedhowhefelt,hetoldtheBBCthathewasplanningto"sleepforaweek".HethankedthepeoplewhohadwaitedforhiminTrafalgarSquaredespitetherain.Theyhadallcometosupporthimandtoapplaudhisincredibleachievement.
Andthecomedianadmittedthathisjourneywasprettypainful.Hehadtohavehisfeetbandagedeverydaybutstilllostseveralofhistoenails,andhehadblisters(水泡)alloverhisfeet.Hewouldn'thavebeenabletodowhathedidifhehadn'ttakenicebathsforhislegsattheendofeachday.Thesebathshelpedto"stopyourlegsinflatingtotwicethesizeofanelephant",asEddiecommented.
Peoplewhohavenoideaaboutrunningandexpertsalikeareimpressedwithwhathehasachieved.AndyDixon,editorofRunner'sWorld,amagazineforlong-distancerunners,says,"Covering26milesinadayatwhateverspeedfor43runs,it'sdemanding.Afive-hourmarathonisfairlydecentpace.It'samassiveachievement.
So,howdidhedoit?Well,whenhedecidedtorun,hewasn'tevenparticularlyfit.Heranhismarathonsslowlyatfirst.Tenhoursadaytobeginwithand,ashegotfitter,hegotfaster.Intheendhewasfinishinginjustoverfivehours.Butfitnessalonewasnotenough.Whatwasmoreimportantwasthefactthathewantedtomakeadifferencetootherpeople'slives.
WhatEddieIzzarddidwassospecialthatthedocumentaryofhisrunhasbeenmadeintoaninspiringfilm:Believe!"You'vegottobelieveyoucanbesomethingelse,"Eddiesaysinthefilm."I'vedonethatafewtimes.That'swhyIkeepg