Ray Zahab has run lots of of miles throughout deserts and the Arctic, accomplished quite a few ultramarathons, walked to the South Pole, and even starred in a movie Matt Damon produced about Zahab’s 111-day trek throughout the African desert with pals.
However two years in the past, the 55-year-old Canadian adventurer began feeling exhausted on a regular basis.
“I am not that previous,” Zahab advised Enterprise Insider. “I imply, for crying out loud. I get older, however that is ridiculous,” he remembered considering.
Tucker Prescott
It turned out that the ultrarunner’s lack of vitality had nothing to do together with his age. His physician recognized him with lymphoma, a type of blood most cancers.
Whereas the analysis was scary, Zahab mentioned he was grateful his type of most cancers is treatable, though it isn’t curable.
Zahab started chemotherapy however did not take a lot day without work from working. Although he skilled nausea, exhaustion, and shakiness from his remedies, he stored coaching, he advised “Ottowa Citizen” final yr.
Tucker Prescott
“I used to be going to only spend every month between chemo being as match as I probably may and go do one thing epic,” he mentioned. In 2023, he spent 10 days working 87 miles throughout Canada’s Baffin Island through the freezing winter.
Now that his most cancers is in remission, his subsequent journey is to run about 111 miles by means of Loss of life Valley, California, to rejoice.
Working in 120-degree climate
Loss of life Valley is one of many hottest locations on Earth. In summer time, temperatures can frequently attain 120 levels Fahrenheit.
It is no accident that Zahab is planning to run by means of the desert in mid-July, the area’s hottest month.
Jon Golden
This time of yr, Loss of life Valley looks like a sizzling convection oven, Zahab mentioned. Throughout previous runs there, “my fingernails felt like they had been burning within the wind coming off the valley,” he recalled.
However regardless of the cruel situations, Zahab truly enjoys summer time runs in Loss of life Valley. “I really like being in these locations at the moment of yr, and I do not take something as a right,” he mentioned.
He is fastidiously deliberate his route and can have caches of emergency provides and ice packs, he mentioned.
He mentioned he is additionally feeling higher than he was final yr. When he completed remedy in 2023, he determined to make the 111-mile journey by means of Loss of life Valley, “as a deal with to myself,” he mentioned. Nonetheless, he did not end final yr’s run.
Jesse Delgrosse
That is as a result of Loss of life Valley was experiencing hotter-than-usual temperatures that yr. Plus, “I do not assume I used to be utterly recovered from the chemo but,” he mentioned.
Although this desert run might be grueling, he thinks he is prepared. “I am in nice form,” he mentioned. “I have been coaching like loopy.”
Discovering your personal model of extraordinary
Earlier than he began mountain biking and working, Zahab mentioned he was a common smoker who wasn’t very wholesome. He was additionally afraid of failure. “I spent 30 years of my life speaking myself out of making an attempt new issues,” he mentioned.
Along with his most cancers in remission, Zahab is aware of he is luckier than many with the identical illness. “I discovered that in chemo,” he mentioned.
Stefano Gregoretti
Not everybody would have the ability to bounce proper again into coaching for ultrarunning whereas nonetheless in remedy. And never everybody would need to run throughout the Sahara.
The important thing, Zahab mentioned, is to search out no matter you are keen about.
“I feel that inside each single individual, in the event that they select, is their very own model of extraordinary,” he mentioned.
This summer time’s Loss of life Valley run would be the subsequent in a protracted sequence of ultramarathons and expeditions for Zahab. He hopes it is going to assist put together him for an upcoming run throughout South America.
