Yeah!!!

Excuse me, but fuck yeah!!! 8.28km this morning!!! 2 hour 35 minutes. Really, really chuffed.

This morning was sunny, very hot (around 32 degrees by the time I finished) and humid (after a storm yesterday evening) - the weather can't be any more challenging than this on race day.

Gait was very good in many parts - something different was happening this morning, in a positive way.

The last 400m was hard going though. I started to stiffen and lose balance. 5 meters from the car I tripped and fell in a bush! That's the first time I've fallen in over a month. I'll put this one down to fatigue! Recently I discovered a few quotes from Nelson Mandela. He said "The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall". That quote helps me today.

How will Spinal Research use the money?

I asked Spinal Research for information on how the money being raised will be used. One of the research initiatives is into the clinical use of an enzyme called chondroitinase. After a SCI, a scar develops at the injury site. That scar blocks the way for re-growing nerves which might otherwise be capable of making useful new connections to restore movement and function. They have discovered that the bacterial enzyme chondroitinase could digest these molecules. That holds out the very real prospect that this most significant obstacle to regeneration might one day be therapeutically overcome. Spinal Research said:

"We now have a path, plan and timeline to take the enzyme chondroitinase to clinical trials. We plan two approaches to development, one by injecting the enzyme directly to the injury site, and the second by using gene therapy before delivery. Gene therapy has demonstrated the most effective results thus far, but it carries a greater number of uncertainties and thus concern for the regulatory authorities. We believe this parallel approach is therefore prudent and provides the greatest opportunity for success.

It’s obviously just one of our areas of work but it’s a huge step in the right direction and a good example how the funds you raise will help us reach clinical trials."

Fantastic to know!!

PS..... target raised to £10,000

My fundraising has almost reached £7,500. Thanks very much everyone. I've raised the target again - now £10,000!!

www.justgiving.com/Paul-Fairhurst

Getting back to it

No long walk today. I got back to Singapore last weekend after 2 weeks in Turkey and the UK. Since then, I've had a spike in tightness and pain (jet lag and tiredness might be contributors), so it felt better to not push it too hard today. Instead, had a long gym session this morning. Lots of work on the connective tissue and muscle tightness, then to mobilize my pelvis (which felt beneficial), then 50 minutes on the treadmill - difficult in parts, but very good in others. Getting back to it! 5 weekends to go to race day!!