What running the length of Africa could have done to Russ Cook's body, according to a doctor
For most people, being mugged at gunpoint and kidnapped by machete-wielding thugs in the jungle would be enough to give up.
But not Russ Cook, the 'Hardest Geezer'.
The ultra-marathon runner yesterday accomplished his dream of running the entire length of Africa, completing his 352-day running odyssey that saw him cover more than 10,000 miles and run the equivalent of about 385 marathons.
Mr Cook, a self-confessed 'fat lad' before he embarked on a sensational turnaround, began his journey at Africa's southernmost point, Cape Agulhas in South Africa, on April 22 last year.
He crossed the finish line in Tunisia's Ras Angela, the continent's northernmost point on Sunday, where he was embraced by loved ones and serenaded by fans chanting 'Geezer, Geezer, Geezer'.
Russ Cook beams as he crosses the finish line after becoming the first person to run the entire length of Africa
Originally from Worthing, West Sussex, Mr Cook has openly shared the ordeals of his continent spanning adventure, from urinating blood and back pain to kidnap by armed gangs.
Such super-human accomplishments like Mr Cook's aren't the norm and Dr Zakariya Waqar-Uddin, a family doctor in the North East, explains there's good reasons why.
While regular exercise is universally agreed to be good for you, taking it to the extreme — like 27-year-old Mr Cook — can be bad for your health.
Dr Waqar-Uddin said: 'It's like brushing your teeth.
'Twice a day is healthy, but brushing after every meal, or for too long or too hard can actually damage the protective coating.'
He said people who commit to extreme levels of exercise risk damaging aspects of their physical health like their heart, joints and muscles due to the prolonged wear-and-tear.
Dr Waqar-Uddin added that while regular levels of exercise are good for these parts of your body there is a limit, and pushing past this can be potentially harmful.
As such he recommends people try to do 30-50 minute exercise sessions three-to-five times a week, similar to what the NHS recommends.
However, he added that any amount of healthy exercise, even just a 10 minute walk, is better than none and people at the start of their fitness journey shouldn't be put off by starting small and making minor healthier changes to their life.
In fact, he warned that trying to do too much too soon, could actually harm your health in the long term as sustainable regular exercise if far better for you.
'Too much exercise is likely to disincentive you to continue it long term — it'll feel unachievable and will be abandoned,' he said.
Dr Waqar-Uddin added that while a healthy amount of exercise is good for our mental health too much can, similarly to the physical health benefits, have the opposite effect.
'The mental health benefits of moderate exercise can be cancelled by extreme exercise — it can turn into an addiction,' he said.
Mr Cook's astonishing achievement marks a sensational turnaround for the 'Hardest Geezer', who described his former self as a 'fat lad' with drinking and gambling issues who 'didn't have any zest for life left' until he found his fitness calling.
He now claims to be the first person to ever run the full length of Africa.
But the World Runners Association (WRA), which is made up of just seven members, has claimed that one of its founders actually deserved the title over Mr Cook.
The red-headed extreme marathon runner overcame multiple obstacles in his near-long journey, and not just the physical ones or mental ones.
Among his most terrifying ordeals was when he was 'kidnapped' by a gang of men armed with machetes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in August.
He previously described the nightmare few days as 'the toughest of my life'.
'In an attempt to find the boys at a village on the plan B route, I stumbled into a rural settlement where the chief told me I must give him money. I had none,' the runner wrote on day 107.
He added: 'So that went down well. Pretty soon I found myself surrounded by lots of game blokes with machetes. Was escorted out the village into the bush.
'Emptied my bag to show I had nothing but a half eaten biscuit. Gave it to them, and ran. Spent the next few hours bushwhacking through overgrown jungle paths. Trying to stay off any tracks until I was far away.
'Made it to the village on the plan B route to find the road was also impassable for the support van again. Exhausted and dehydrated, I started heading back to the last known place with passable roads when two blokes pulled up on a bike.
'They spoke no English but tried to communicate I must come with them to get back to my friends.
'What happened next was a seven-hour motorbike ride deeper into the jungle. In my head I thought this was it. Me. The self proclaimed hardest geezer. About to get held in a Congo gulag before being ripped apart limb by limb and eaten.'
Fortunately, Mr Cook was driven into a village and moved into a hut where he recalled a group of men clashing over what to do with him and discussing how much money he owed them.
Cook embraces his supporters at the finish line after he completed 385 marathons over a year
After some back and forth negotiations, he was able to contact his team who spent the next few days formulating a rescue plan.
Cook ultimately managed to escape and returned back to his start point that day, running another 60km on a new route. He admitted that his head wasn't 'fully there' but vowed to 'move forward'.
He celebrated the end to mammoth run by taking a dip in the Mediterranean Sea where he candidly told reporters: 'I'm really tired.'
As one man joked 'let's get you a strawberry daiquiri, Cook replied: 'Yeah, let's f*** off'.
The runner has often joked about having the cocktail as a reward for his epic effort.
The extreme athlete was pictured slurping down on a pink-coloured cocktail while sat on a white and golden throne with his girlfriend.
It was a moment he had been savouring for many months - having battled through setback after setback
Mr Cook run was not only a superhuman feat but a humanitarian one with his raising funds for charity along the way.
Half of the proceeds are set to go to The Running Charity, which helps young people who are homeless, and the other half will go to WaterAid, which provides clean water and toilets in places like Africa.
At the time of writing, he has raised nearly £800,000.
You can donate to his fundraising page at https://givestar.io/gs/PROJECTAFRICA
