Moving Forward, onwards, upwards.. looking beyond today

So sequentially, on my return from the MDS I was impressed how well my legs recovered compared to last year, maybe I was not trying hard enough this time in the sand but I don’t think so. What that means for me of course is that I could get out there again and start running in training for my future events. Running in nice places always fills me with a sense of just how good life is be it Epsom Downs, Box Hill or Beachy Head, my favourite training haunts.  

Medically, I had to have one unpleasant procedure that hopefully may have drastically reduced my ongoing effects from collateral damage due to the radiotherapy I had almost two years ago and whilst not great, early indications are that things have improved a bit so I may be able to avoid special Doctors handshakes and intimate moments with the Hubble telescope for a while if you know what I mean!   

After that I had to have a day in hospital to have the first lot of bone strengthening drugs via a drip. Whilst I was not worried about it at all what I had not prepared myself for was having to have the infusion in the same room as those having chemotherapy, it brought back some pretty sad memories and I could see in the faces of the others there the same fear and angst that I had two years ago. I do hope however that the opportunity it gave me to talk to them all there proved that you can come out of the other side of chemo and carry on if not forever for some time at least.   

I rounded off that week with a lovely run with a friend I ran the MDS with in 2016 around Bewl water, I had never been there before but what a beautiful place that is, another one to add to my places to train list and so good to bang out a gentle 12 mile easy run.   

I mentioned in my last blog about my wife and I being royalists and we had the honour and pleasure of being invited to one of the Queens garden parties at Buckingham Palace, it was a wonderful afternoon, the weather behaved and it inspired us both to redouble our efforts to do what we can for Prostate Cancer UK. I know the Royal family is not everyone’s cup of tea but if they did not exist how else would the nation inspire 7,000 people in one go to do something good as the thought of meeting a politician or President of whatever political persuasion would not do it for us or many others I am sure. After that we had an amazing dinner that had been organised by a very kind lady from the Bank who did not know me but perfectly understood the occasion. It gave me the opportunity to thank some close family, friends and the charity for how they have positively influenced my life in these last two tough years. A day that my wife and I will never forget for as long as we live. Next came my evening on BBC2, thank you for watching if you managed it,  I hope that you found it inspiring. With respect to some that watched it though, the point I believe was not about what the 12 in the programme are doing in a bad situation but what everyone should do in their lives and not wait until some form of grim wake up call.  

Whilst I would be lying if I said that I enjoy them, I have made a few more presentations both inside and outside the Bank, I like to think that some are inspired or at the very least take heed of their own body changes and go to the doctors if ever they notice a change, I guess I can only do what I can do but partners play an important role here too. The month of May has been filled with some amazing fund raising some that I have been involved with and others that somehow I just managed to inspire, I call it Magic May. Sixty colleagues and I walked a full marathon from Stratford to Richmond, a friend and I organised a golf day, there have been raffles held in my name in Edinburgh, London and Jersey, quiz nights in London, mates running or walking their own challenges, colleagues running marathons in Copenhagen and finally, a gig last week from some guys at work. That lot alone will raise over £50,000, I am so grateful and humbled by the effort people have put in doing what they can for a cause that is so close to my heart, I just hope that I can continue to inspire others to do something and for them to let me know so I can say thank you. 

The month has also had some sadness for me surrounding others, a relative was diagnosed with stomach cancer but it looks like the operation was successful and it has not spread, an old colleague and friend has had her cancer return and it is not responding to treatment as was hoped and my father has continued his fight with cancer, those situations inspire me to do what I can for my family, the charity, others and occasionally me! I try to send my inner strength to anyone and everyone who wants and needs it.  

So what next, well today I have been packing everything I need for my next challenge that starts this Friday which is 15 marathons in 15 days with Jeff Stelling from Sky Sports. Day one starts in Exeter and day 15 ends in Newcastle. My legs feel good at the moment but I have never done that much distance in so few days before so attrition will wear me down I am sure however there are around 88 friends and colleagues walking a day or more with me which will really help me when I am flagging, hopefully inspire them to do another challenge later on and will raise a lot more money for the charity. I am really hoping by the end of this year to hit £200,000 between what I have raised personally and what I have inspired, its within touching distance, thanks to everyone who has helped to date.  

The last day of the 15 marathons will be emotional I know, not just because it hopefully will see me complete something special but also because my wife has signed up to do the last one from Durham to Newcastle and is raising funds too. She has never walked or run more than 13 miles before so it will be a real test however I hope that together we can see the day through and create another great memory (and probably a few blisters!). On my return from the marathons is my next blood test but that will be what it will be now (a very different view from that which I had two years ago I can tell you).  

So that’s another month gone, thanks again to everyone who has supported in any way, I know that I don’t say thank you enough to so many people but hope that you all know how much your support in every and any way means to me and Prostate Cancer UK. I hope that you all go and push yourselves in some way good in the next month and if you do please tell me about it. Feel free to share this email with anyone who you may feel would like it and as ever, if you don’t want to receive any more email me back and I will stop sending to you, I wont be offended. 

Take care but live a lot
Kev