Eddie Izzard – 43 Marathons in 51 Days

Eddie Izzard – 43 Marathons in 51 Days:

British comedian Eddie Izzard recently ran 43 marathons in 51 days. With no prior running experience, the 47-year-old had only 5 weeks to prepare for the challenge. When it was all said and done, Eddie covered over 1100 miles throughout the United Kingdom to raise money for the Sports Relief charity group.

Eddie ran day after day, despite poor weather, blisters on top of blisters, and even a few lost toenails. He ran at least 26 miles, six days a week. Regardless of how he felt each morning, he continued to get up, get outside, and hit the roads.

Part way through his journey, Eddie made the following statement,

“It’s been hell, 26 miles a day is a lot. Try that six times a week. At first the last six miles were pure agony. Then it changed to the first six miles. Then it was the middle chunk. But now it’s pretty much all the same. My feet are disintegrating, the small toes have lost their nails and they look like alien monsters but I’m told they will grow back. But I’ll make it; my body isn’t really determined but my brain is.”

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Afterward, he went on to say,

“If an idiot like me can run 43 marathons, then just think what real athletes can do.”

I agree with his statement, but I believe his story is actually more relevant to the average person. We already know what top level athletes are capable of achieving. The real message to share is the potential that exists within all of us. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t have room to improve, just as I’ve never met anyone who didn’t have the ability to improve.

Unfortunately, society often babies its adults. The message is usually one of caution. We are always warned about doing too much, but rarely is one warned about doing too little. What happened to setting high expectations? I’m not suggesting that we all run a marathon a day and throw caution to the wind, but that doesn’t mean the average Joe or Jane cannot get up and exert themselves. The body will adapt if you are consistent and diligent. It is pointless to constantly warn the masses about doing too much when the majority isn’t doing anything.

I’d rather pass on a message about human potential. There is much more than most realize. It doesn’t fall out of the sky however. You must get up and find it. The best way to get ahead is by getting started. If a 47-year-old man with no formal training can run 43 marathons in 51 days, I’m certain that we can all get up and do something. There is no reason to fear hard work. You’ll eventually learn to embrace it.

In the words of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,

“When we treat man as he is, we make him worse than he is; when we treat him as if he already were what he potentially could be, we make him what he should be.”