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Having completed 400 back-to-back marathons, the 401st left Ben Smith unable to put his feelings into words, let alone perspective.He had navigated the length and breadth of the United Kingdom in his remarkable 401 Challenge. In the process he raised over ￡250,000 for anti-bullying charities Stonewall and Kidscape, inspiring countless folk young and old.His journey to that point was a turbulent but ultimately triumphant one. In his own words, sheer will, grit determination, stubbornness and pig-headedness saw him complete the 401 back-to-back marathons to raise awareness over bullying. But he is far from done.The motivation behind 401Ben Smith was 18 when he tried to kill himself. From a Germany-based RAF family, he went to boarding school in England at the age of 10. The previously adventurous kid turned into a quiet, shy and reclusive boy. He was bullied, physically and mentally, and felt ashamed and trapped.When he turned 13 he changed schools, hoping for a fresh start, but the bullies followed him. The switch coincided with him coming to understand that he was gay, yet he felt unable to be himself because of the strict views of his religious school. When he hit 18, he reached breaking point.I thought, I cant do this anymore, he tells ESPN. It wasnt a cry for help, it was a genuine want to not be here any more so I tried to take my own life.I felt Id failed at not being able to do that so I made that choice to be happy -- happy in inverted commas. I hadnt even come out, I hadnt had any experiences. So I had a warped view of reality on who I was supposed to be. That set off a string of events where I played it straight for the next 11 years until I was 29.A lifestyle of 70 hours-a-week work, drinking and cigarettes took its toll and aged 29 he was sat in Bristol Royal Infirmary having suffered a TIA [Transient ischaemic attack -- a mini stroke]. It was his eureka moment, but one which did not come with an immediate understanding of what to do next. He put a flipchart up in his bedroom on which he verbally vomited all emotions, thoughts and goals.He was persuaded to go and visit a local running club, but those teenage demons and doubts came back. When I walked through the doors it was like I had regressed back to school, he said. I thought people were going to look and laugh at me, call me names and highlight how I didnt belong there.I was terrified, but I managed to stick with it.Everyone was so welcoming and I walked and ran two miles. It was like Id run a marathon, won a gold medal. I figured out what confidence was. I ran a little bit further, made friends, got clarity. It gave me an opportunity to express myself.Running struck a chord with Smith and within six months he had run his first half-marathon. Then came the 2013 Brighton marathon and in 2014 he ran 18 marathons, spread all over Europe.He enlisted a mind and body personal trainer and found himself in running. I was experiencing a cool life -- my self-esteem was rising, I was independent. I was more open, I was coming to terms with my sexuality so I was much more congruent. I came out to my parents and they were absolutely fine with it.There was a belief that I could be who I was and could do anything I put my mind to, thats where the idea came from to run back-to-back marathons.End of the road?It was day 284 of the 401 Challenge when it looked like the dream was over. He sat in Aberdeens Royal Infirmary in complete devastation.Back in early 2015 he did seven back-to-back marathons in the U.S. from St. Louis down to New Orleans, encountering 72-year-old Larry Macon who has over 1,600 marathons to his name. They talked about beating the world record of 365 back-to-back 26.2-mile runs and Smith suggested completing 400. Macon reminded him he needed a victory lap, and the 401 Challenge was born.Smith set a target of raising ￡250,000 for his two charities, but on day 284 -- his feet had already pounded 7,414 miles -- sat in north Scotland, the prognosis was grim.He had fractured a vertebra.The back pain was originally blamed on the umbilical hernia he had picked up in Alnwick a few days before, but when he was in Aberdeens Royal Infirmary on day 284 he was diagnosed with spondylitis.That was when I broke down, he said. I couldnt stand up straight, it left me crooked. I was like a question mark and my spine was shaped like a corkscrew. There was also the fracture between L4 and L5 which had irritated the disc and left me with sciatic pain.Jamie Murphy, the ex-Manchester City footballer and now renowned physiotherapist, set to work on him and remarkably, 10 days later he was back on the road. Hed lost 262 miles in his enforced pause, but he ran an extra 30 or even 35 miles each day to make it up. By day 393, he was back on track.The next chapterIt is October 5. Having completed his victory lap which took him from Bristol to his hometown of Portishead and back -- complete with a stop off for a burger and pint -- he crossed the finishing line.Over 401 days it felt like had covered every blade of grass in the UK; 9,485 other folk joined him at various stages, running alongside him, sending a message of defiance to bullying. He also visited 101 schools, promoting the anti-bullying message. Earlier in the day his fundraising hit the ￡250,000 mark.Amid the flashing cameras and media demands as mile 10,506 was ticked off, in his 22nd pair of trainers, Smith turned to his project manager and the overwhelming emotion translated into a simple question: I turned to him and all I said was, so thats that then?.The welcoming pint of Thatchers brought some clarity and it signalled the start of the next chapter.A three-month cooling down period is his next task as Smith enters more uncharted territory. A university has been enlisted to monitor the psychological and physical aftermath of this remarkable feat -- his addiction to the endorphins will need close attention as, without those, there is the risk of slipping into depression.The tapering plan involves back-to-back half-marathons, then daily 10km runs next month and 5km runs in December. His supersonic metabolism needs to be managed and a 6,500-calorie diet reduced.Smith wont stop running but his reserve energy will be driven into the 401 Foundation -- itll work with people, building confidence and dealing with mental health issues -- an events company which will put on an annual 401 marathon and motivational speaking with 350 schools on the waiting list.Despite having made history,and inspired thousands, he isnt one to sit around. Hes only just getting going.When I crossed the finishing line it was a culmination of all the hard work and sacrifice but also the people Id met, he said. It was like we were a family that were standing up against something that had affected so many others.It was like an expression of my soul. It was spine-tingling. But I dont feel I have done something that special, Ive just done something I love. But now, just a couple of days on ... Im beginning to think it might be a little bit of a big deal.Nike Sb Shoes Near Me . 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Down by seven with 90 seconds left in regulation, thats where they looked comfortable.SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- We celebrate Allen Iverson for his authenticity and then, as his sport bestowed its highest honor on him Friday night, he deceived us.We thought he held it together during his Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement speech. He started off with watery eyes and voice even more gravelly?than normal, then he seemed to gain strength as he powered through a half-hours worth of memories and appreciation. But we couldnt see what was happening behind the podium.My legs were shaking the whole time, Iverson confided after the ceremony that featured him, Shaquille ONeal, Yao Ming, Sheryl Swoopes and Tom Izzo.It was so important to him that he get this right, that he thank everyone who helped him get here. The whole thing still felt so surreal to him, even after it was over, even as he clutched the Hall of Fame trophy that he can add to the Hall of Fame ring and Hall of Fame jacket he picked up this week -- evidence upon evidence that he belongs among the all-time greats in his sport.He stood in a stairwell, just off the Springfield Symphony Hall stage, waiting for the go-ahead to exit the building and climb into an SUV for the after-party. Whatever poise he had summoned to get through his speech was gone now. I covered Iverson throughout his two seasons at Georgetown and covered him in the NBA Finals and I had never seen him look like this, so bewildered, so ... shook.Thats the thing with Iverson: You never knew when the emotions might pour out.He really came unglued the night before, during the annual dinner for the weeks other honorees. Chris Paul, who received an award for community service along with Jalen Rose and Tubby Smith, became emotional himself upon his first visit to the Hall of Fame, overwhelmed by how small his place felt in the grand history of the sport. Paul looked down the stage at Iverson seated at a table in the front row and recalled how he once wanted to be like him, to the point he begged his mom to buy him a pair of Iversons signature Reebok shoes. That did it for Iverson, who buried his face in his hand and started crying. It wasnt the first time he had heard a story like that, but listening to a great player like Paul describe how much Iverson meant to him, well, that got to Iverson.When it was his turn to speak Friday night, Iverson had a chance to tell his three Hall of Fame presenters how much they meant to him.He thanked Georgetown coach John Thompson for saving my life, for giving me the opportunity.He distilled his oft-contentious relationship with coach Larry Brown down to its most important element: Once I started to listen to him the way Im supposed to and was coached by him, thats when I became an MVP.He paid his highest compliments to Julius Erving: Just a great, great man. Handsome, old-school dude too.The rest of his speech followed a traditional template but with a distinct Iverson flare. His thank-yous to his friends included shoutouts to Jughead, Stanky Wanky and Stump. He invoked imagery from the CChappelles Show Rick James sketches to describe his first encounter with Michael Jordan.dddddddddddd And in a Hall of Fame first, he said, I want to thank Biggie Smalls, Redman, Jadakiss, Tupac and Michael Jackson for being my theme music throughout my career.Iverson was struck by the same realization that hits so many people at the moment of their greatest individual recognition: Its the product of almost everyone but them.Izzo took it a step further, thanking not only his family, his mentors and his players, but the game of basketball itself.Its allowed so many of us to live our wildest dreams, Izzo said.Because of the sport, Izzo has traveled the world, met presidents, even played a game aboard an aircraft carrier.Basketball can be humbling, Izzo said. Its taught me to laugh, to celebrate victory. Its also taught me to cry and handle defeat with class. Shaq could have taken his show-closing speech in a number of different ways, but he opted for funny. (Shaq loves making fun of Iversons practice rant, but Yao beat Shaq to it when he led off with a wisecrack that Iverson should have made the first speech, because Yao needed more time to practice). A friend of Shaqs said Shaq chose to go the funny route in part as a defense mechanism to avoid getting too emotional. So Shaq riffed on his sage-burning coach Phil Jackson, who once told him sage is the cousin of cannabis, so Starting today, Phil and I will be opening medicinal sage dispensaries across the country.He zinged his old ally/rival Kobe Bryant, calling him a guy that pushed me and helped me win three titles in a row. ... He also helped me get pushed off the team and get me traded.It felt like something out of a roast.He squeezed in one last retort to the chorus of critics he heard during his career, whom he quoted in a whiny voice as saying, Shaq, bend your knees. Shaq, concentrate. Shaq, play defense:Shut up.He recalled the unprintable name his high school coaches always called him. He told a humorous tale of the time he drew unexpected inspiration from Dick Vitale. He talked about the time he did a Buick commercial, even though he couldnt really fit in the car.Hey, they paid me $3 million, Shaq said. What, you want me to say no?No, we want you to keep being Shaq, just like we want Iverson to be Iverson, Yao to be Yao.Yao gave such a stellar speech in his second language that the one time he stumbled and apologized, the crowd gave him a rousing cheer of appreciation/encouragement.These players personalities were always as important as their game, to the point that it didnt feel sad that theyre no longer capable of duplicating the highlights that played in their introductory videos. Theyre still capable of making us relate to them or laugh with them thanks to their words.Most of all, Iverson still grabs us with his persistence in the face of his own vulnerability. ' ' '