An unexpected end to 2022 and a quiet start to 2023

After the exhilaration of completing the Gower Bach ultra in October 2022, and getting engaged at the end, we were on a real high. Aside from the normal buzz after finishing an event, it was the furthest Mike had ever run, and on a tough route – and I was giddy after he got down on one knee when me and Julie crossed the finish line (and incredulous that he could even do that after an ultra – and get back up again!).

So, with a long-anticipated holiday coming up – the first since before Covid closed the world – a wedding to plan, and a short rest before starting to train for the Rob Burrow Marathon in May, we had lots to look forward to.

Then life chucked us a curveball. A few weeks afterwards – and after tests for something completely unrelated – a tumour was found, and Mike was diagnosed with kidney cancer. It was a huge shock, to say the least – how can you have cancer when you have absolutely no symptoms? The truth is, most kidney cancers are found by accident when they are detected during a scan for other, unrelated symptoms. The blessing, though, was that it had been found early, and surgery, we were told, would more than likely be curative. Nevertheless, there followed a stressful time waiting for the operation date. When we met with the surgeon at the end of January, one of Mike’s questions was ‘will I be able to run a half marathon by mid-May?’ Runners, eh?! At least he’d anticipated not being able to do the Rob Burrow Marathon and had changed his entry to the half. The surgeon – also a runner – said that should be possible.

Mike’s operation went ahead on 5th March (keyhole, using a super advanced Da Vinci surgical robot – he’d want me to mention that!). The tumour was successfully removed, and, although he has to have immunotherapy for a year to reduce the risk of recurrence, he has made a remarkable recovery. During his recuperation time, he booked himself onto one of the UK’s hardest duathlons at the end of July to have something to work towards. And from being exhausted after walking only a couple of hundred metres the day after surgery, he crossed the finish line of the Leeds half marathon in Headingley stadium on 14th May in 2:01:50.

Life is for living – one life, one chance. Live it to the full. If we’ve been quiet at the start of this year, that is now changing and we’re planning lots more events throughout 2023. Including a wedding, at some point!