2016 is a whole new year

My active treatment of chemo and radiotherapy for prostate cancer ended in the summer last year and since then I have continued on hormone treatment and regular blood tests to watch the cancer growth so that they can take further action once the current treatments fail (which sadly they will). I have a couple of important Doctors tests in the next week which may change what path my treatment takes, fingers crossed its no change!

Whilst there remain a few physical side effects I have now pretty much come to terms with them although life is somewhat different. Mentally, the battle continues but I guess that is to be expected.

As far as my running is concerned I now have 73 days, 12 hours and 57 minutes until the Marathon Des Sables starts

Training has not been without a few glitches with knee and ankle issues added to the general increase in tiredness that my condition and drugs have seemed to give me. That said however this race is not a sprint, it is a battle of distance (156 miles), heat (45 degrees), mountains, sand dunes, carrying 10kg and self sufficiency. The battle will be as much in the mind as physical fitness so I have adapted my training to be slower but further. I have run/walked 53 miles last week and feel good on it. Mentally, bizarrely I think my health has made me tougher which I hope will help (makes a change!).

Over the weekend of 6th Feb I am running in a 66 mile race along the North Downs effectively from Farnham to Reigate and back, that will be a real test and I have to remember it is just a training run and not the main event so take it easy.

I have been working closely with Prostate Cancer UK who remain very supportive of my efforts. You may have heard of a man called Jeff Stelling who is a commentator on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday, PCuk have invited me to run the last leg of Jeff Stellings 10 marathons in 10 days from Hartlepool to Wembley (I will be running from AFC Wimbledon to Wembley via a few London clubs, 26.2 miles) on 30th March. It will be good training for me, raise profile for the charity and hopefully a great experience too. I spent last week eating only the food I will eat in the desert, I have to say it was nicer than I expected although did have a couple of taste nightmares along the way that I will now of course be avoiding but all good experience. Leading up to the race I need to spend much of the last two weeks heat acclimatising which will be a blend of using a treadmill in Kingston Universities heat chamber set at 40 degrees and daily "Bikram hot yoga" which is ninety minutes of yoga in a 40 degree room, apparently both are very hard at first but at the end of 14 days I should be able to start the race without too much shock to my system about the heat.

I will email you again just before the race (assuming health permits) with details of how you can follow me during the week (if you want to) as I will have a tracker fitted to my kit and you will see my "blip" move slowly across the desert, I will also give you an email address where you can send emails that will be given to me daily if you feel the need to heckle in writing!

Away from the race I am in the process of organising two golf days to raise funds for Pcuk (let me know if you want more information), they have also asked me to be involved in some way at the Capital One Cup final on 28th Feb which sounds interesting.

Finally, as ever, thanks to my wife Sarah and kids Hayley, Ben and Ollie, who have been incredibly supportive both with my overall situation and the training which is currently about 20 hours a week, I would be nothing without them.

Thank you once again for sponsoring me, please do feel free to spread my just giving link to others on facebook etc as it all helps (I have increased my target again as everyone has been so generous and Pcuk tell me that it will generate more support) and most importantly do think prostate cancer for any male who feels anything strange or unusual below the waist (so to speak)as early diagnosis can save lives.

Best wishes.
Kevin P.S Now 73 days, 7 hours and 25 minutes!!