Walking for cancer

I just wanted to share one of my early morning walks with you whilst it is still fresh in my memory. I call this post walking for cancer as I’m walking 11000 steps each day for prostate cancer UK.

The air is cool, almost cold but not quite. There is a still and silent mist just laying above the wet grass like a grey cold blanket. As always the birds are awake and announcing to the world it’s another day, a new day bringing with it new hopes and dreams as well as sadness and broken hearts. The birds are always there, their beautiful songs accompanying me on my morning walks. I close my eyes and just listen for a moment and it fills my heart with peace and tranquility as well as a certain amount of love. All is well if the birds are singing. They are like the heartbeat of the world. When the birds stop singing the world will stop turning.

The sun is rising, it’s colours today are on fire 🔥 the burning sky painted beautifully by mother nature, an impossible number of reds and oranges all constantly changing as the sun makes its way into our day. This makes me smile, the early morning alarm calls are worth it just to see this wonderful show. I sit on a bench and watch it all unfold the child in me is in awe of this magical spectacle that mother nature creates. The sun rise takes about 5 minutes then it’s lost in the clouds. I start walking, I’m alone no other people in sight, I own the world at this moment, no one to the it away from me. I’m tired from the day before but the sounds of the birds and the smells and feelings that this autumnal morning create gives me inspiration and strength and with that I put one foot in front of the other and start yet another morning walk all in the name of prostate cancer.

The field is wet so I decide to head off into the woods, it’s dark and cool and vibrant with life. The wood pigeon is the loudest as it noisily makes its sounds not quite singing more cooing I guess. The blackbird is the opera singer of the woods as she warns me to stay away with her amazingly stunning vocals. I see a tiny wren darting from bush to bush and it allows me to get quite close, next a robin catches my eye. I arrive at a green pond, it’s silent and scary it’s covered in some kind of green algae that does not look very inviting, I would not wish to fall in. The trees are numerous and are painted in a myriad of greens, some are just starting to turn that golden hue on the side facing the sun at the edge of the woods. I spot a squirrel doing what squirrels do he looks busy jumping from branch to branch pausing for a second to watch me, how dare me to trespass into his woods he seems to say. I’m at 4km now and almost coming to the end, the tumors in my back are on their best behaviour the one in my right hip lets me know it’s not happy. It always starts to shout at me around the 5km stage it’s letting me know it’s time to stop but I press on the aim is to hit around 8000 steps before work and complete the rest in the evening when I get home. The alarm on my watch tells me Ive completed 1 hour I press on for 15 minutes more.

The walk tires me but refreshes me at the same time. The sights and sounds inspire me. I’m like a child in the woods always looking for something new to be amazed by. My cancer takes a back seat, it’s not welcome and it knows it. I’m grateful that it allows me to be able to do this walk, I’m grateful that it doesn’t try to stop me.

I’ve been walking 11000 steps each days so far to take part in the Prostate Cancer UK march for men in September. Each step sadly represents a man who dies from Prostate cancer in the UK each year, can you believe it that’s 11000 dad’s uncles brothers grandads boyfriends and cousins that lose the fight each year to prostate cancer. It’s frightening that 1 in 8 of us blokes will be diagnosed with it, what’s slightly better is if it’s caught early it can be controlled, if it’s caught late it will change your life in so many ways that are very unkind. Below I’ve left the link to my just giving page, all donations are important as funds are desperately needed to find new ways to help people like me who are dealing with this fast growing cancer.On average 143 men are diagnosed with Prostate cancer every day in England, 1 man dies every hour, if it’s caught early it can be managed very effectively.

https://marchthemonth.prostatecanceruk.org/fundraising/woodys-march-the-month-for-prostate-cancer-uk

I believe that you have to do things with a certain amount of purpose and this reflects back on you. I have got up extra early to get the majority of the steps in before I start work. It’s not easy to walk 5 miles before work but if you can find a nice place to do it then the task becomes a lot easier. It’s not just walking though it’s walking with my head looking around and absorbing every single thing as if it’s the last walk I’ll ever do. I walk as if I’m going to replay it back as a memory someday in the future. Maybe on a cold wintery Sunday afternoon when a cold sleet is tapping on the window I’ll sit down and close my eyes and revisit the journey.

I’ve so far managed 22 straight days walking 11000 steps, just 8 more to go. I won’t lie it’s sometimes hard its toll on me and I’ve rolled into bed at night more than once during this challenge asleep before my head has hit the pillows. But if it makes one person sit up and take notice and prevents them from having to sit down and listen to the words I’m so sorry but I’m afraid you have cancer then it’s just worth every step. I’ve been soaked to the skin on more than one occasion and sat all day in an ambulance in damp clothes but it’s worth it. Men you can check your own personal risk by hitting the link below, don’t be scared this could end up saving your life.

https://prostatecanceruk.org/risk-checker

Thanks as always for reading. I’m always hoping that out there someone is unfortunate to have the illness but by becoming aware of the symptoms early they can stop it from growing and spreading and becoming advanced. If it’s caught early it’s entirely controllable in most cases. I know already of a small number of people who have become aware through my blog my YouTube channel or my social media postings that they have it in its early stage. For me there is no higher purpose than to just keep on spreading the information in the time I have left. My belief is strong that I’ll win this battle and at the same time help others to win theirs.

love Woody ❤️