Meet Dan Adams, a previous client at SV and an inspiration to us all!
Dan now lives in Australia and has recently completed a mega 10, yes 10, marathons in 10 days!! All to raise awareness of a cause very close to his heart...Over to you Dan!
What was your Inspiration for 10 Marathons in 10 days?
The inspiration for running 10 marathons in 10 days came from Edie Jackson, my Niece and the strongest person I know. We called Edie the 'Warrior Princess' because of the way she fought so bravely in the face of DIPG, the most devastating disease you can ever imagine.
My marathons started on the 1st August 2023 and finished poignantly on the 10th, on what would've been Edie's 10th birthday, but she is forever seven. I didn't run to celebrate; I ran to mark the occasion and raise much-needed funds for two amazing causes, to help those facing the deadliest form of childhood cancer and those working tirelessly towards finding a cure.
The Causes:
Edie's Kindness Project was set up in Edie's memory and helps other families who find themselves faced with the difficulty and devastation of DIPG, relieving some of the financial burdens for them and trying to make things a little easier, as well as trying to make them smile – just as Edie would’ve wanted!
RUN DIPG is an Australian-based charity dedicated to improving outcomes for patients, families and communities impacted the brainstem cancer, diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), also known as diffuse midline glioma (DMG). They are committed to achieving this by raising awareness, empowering advocates and fundraising to support DMG/DIPG research.
When did you start training for the marathons?
Training began as far back as the beginning of the year and got more serious from around February when I started working with a running coach. This year, including the marathons I have clocked up 2,489km and was topping 400km each month in the 3-months prior to the challenge starting.
What day did you find the hardest?
Day 1 went well; body and mind knew what they were doing and I just got out there fresh and did what I needed to do. Day 2 was a completely different ball game, I think due to the fact I had never ever run consecutive marathons - you could say my mind was ready to go, but my body took some gentle encouragement to convince it along for the ride. From there, inspired by Edie and with the thinking that my suffering was nothing compared to what kids faced with this awful disease go through, plus the kind donations that continued to pour in, I was almost robotic, churning out another 8 marathons.
I think what surprises people most is not only was I getting up and running at 4am each morning for 10 mornings, but after 4/5 hours of running, it was a quick shower ready to start work around 9.30am - luckily my bosses were amazing throughout and allowed me to work from home!
Any recovery tips?
As for recovery, each day it was a hot Epsom bath, theragun massage and a focus on food, electrolytes, water and sleep. Recovery after Day 10 was much the same, although it has been slow and I have had to be patient, focusing on easy running when the time was right, and continuing to eat right, make time to stretch and focusing on good quality sleep, the importance of which cannot be understated.
What is your link to SV Sports Therapy and how did we serve you?
If I remember rightly, the hot bath advice came from Sophie at SV Sports Therapy when she was trying to get me ready for Edie's River Run, a marathon that sees family and friends run in Edie's memory from Bishop Stortford to Waltham Abbey. In September 2020, with very little training behind me and some issues with my knees, I made an appointment with Sophie, at the beginning of which I told her politely that I needed to run the marathon that was upcoming in just a few weeks.
From there, Sophie did what Sophie does, assessed the situation, remained pragmatic, told me exactly what I needed to do and got to work. With Sophie's help and support, a bucket load of determination and fantastic taping job on the day, I completed the marathon as I hoped, just.
What's next Dan?
As for what's next, I am running Sydney Marathon on 17th September, where I hope to go under my personal best, and will follow that up with an 80km ultra marathon in October, and then who knows, next year maybe just maybe, I might go for 11 in 11 days to continuing supporting both Edie's Kindness Project and Run DIPG.
How can we help?
For more info on Edie's Kindness Project, visit - https://www.facebook.com/groups/439224763687582
You can donate here:
To find out more about the amazing work
RUN DIPG do, head to https://rundipg.org/
Have a running injury or need our support to prepare for a running event? Maybe you just need a good sports massage!
We would love to serve you, just like we served Dan.
Give us a call on 0203 494 4343 or email reception@svsportstherapy.com to sync diaries with us. You can also book online here!