< Please note - in terms of diagnosis, treatment options, outcomes, high-points & low-points along the way, everyone's path through any sort of transplant will be unique. For patients and carers, take anything here that's useful. Discard what's not helpful. And, keep in close contact with your medical team. Tim >

This weekend, 15 December 2018, was a new birthday for me. I am one year old following last year’s donor stem cell transplant. This radical and risky process has upgraded my blood from B Rh+ve to A Rh+ve and was my only chance for ongoing life. In a pre-transplant St James’s hospital consultation, it was made clear that my chances of survival to 18 months post-transplant were one-in-four. 

In my five run-ins with blood cancer over 34 years, certain dates are irrepressibly hard-wired into my thinking, especially the first diagnosis of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma on 24 September 1984.

Having relapsed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in April 2017, my prayer to God in May 2017 was concise:

“Please help me get to transplant and through transplant”

Getting to transplant required a ‘Complete Response’ to the toughest chemo of my life in Belfast City Hospital leading to clear PET scan.  That was achieved after some uncertainties. This good news meant that Professor Vandenberghe at St James’s Dublin could accept me onto the Transplant Programme. She was explicit about the rigours of the transplant process, referring to it as “Tiger Territory”, due to multiple risks.

One lesson learnt from my first transplant in 2013, that used my own stem cells, was the value of having target goals. These aims give me

• a sense of forward-looking purpose
• an intentional focus for energy rather than being distracted by trivia
• sense of participation and buy-in from others

So, over the past year I have taken opportunities to set target milestones, remaining avoidant of infection and mindful of my energy constraints. The core transplant process felt like tunnelling deep underground. Milestones helped us know we were making progress forwards through the tunnel, out the other side and have increasingly given life some direction in navigating the post-donor-transplant terrain with its significant challenges.

Some milestones were defined well in advance, which I could look forward to and plan for – such as making Ruth her birthday cake. Other milestones listed here are significant events that came onto the radar as we moved forward.

15-Dec-2017  Day Zero - Infusion of donor's stem cells

Someone, somewhere signed up one day as a potential stem cell donor and then, very kindly followed through with a stem cell donation giving us hope and me life. After a week of aggressive conditioning chemo to remove my original and failing immune system, Ruth was with me as the donor’s stem cells arrived by courier from some other European country.

Lovely Nurse Martha really helped us as the arrival of stem cells slipped from the scheduled Thursday into the early hours of Friday morning. People ask what the ‘transplant operation' involves. Actually, no surgery is involved. Rather, it was a quite undramatic 45 minute infusion of two bags of cells just like a blood transfusion. Our dear friend Patrick Mitchel arrived at 2 a.m. and I will always be glad for his presence and for making sure that Ruth got back to the nearby StayCity apartment in the early hours.

31-Dec-2017  Retirement from BT

BT had been very supportive about the possibility of my returning to work. However, an increasing understanding of potential issues for a post-donor-transplant 55-year old meant I’d decided it was time to leave work and focus on rebuilding my strength. I am frequently asked "What do you miss about work?"  I miss the working relationships, the sense of shared achievement, lots of rich learning on leadership, technology and delivering change through leading across teams to achieve beneficial solutions. I remain, and will remain, in touch with former colleagues who have demonstrated ability to navigate their own sometimes challenging terrain – an attitude and skillset that I find compelling.

05-Jan-2018  Engraftment - new immune system boots up

Engraftment is a critical milestone. The donor’s stem cells have cleverly migrated to the recipient’s bone marrow, taken up residence and started, factory-like, to produce an entirely new immune system’s blood cells – red cells, platelets and an intricate system of white cells to fight infection. Early in January, Prof Brown said on one of his Ward Rounds "This is a great graft". For me, this was a powerful moment. Then, and still with me today, a sense of “Reaching for Life”.

27-Jan-2018  De-personalisation - my "Camberwick Green" moment

A late entrant to my Milestone list is an unpleasant psychological experience. Unable to sleep due to Industrial-strength steroids which were required to manage skin Graft Versus Host Disease, but can have effects such as mania/paranoia, I had a weird sensation of becoming smaller and smaller, vanishing towards nothing. Before I actually vanished (if that's possible?) a car horn outside sounded and, somehow, I was able to use that as an anchor to come back. In retrospect, this 'depersonalisation' experience stands out as a milestone, since I'm now aware that there's a gamut of psychological experiences beyond my own experience that I just don't know about. As I 'came back', my mind came up with a suitable metaphor from childhood TV. Viewers of BBC in 1966 may remember this Camberwick Green closing sequence which captures my depersonalisation experience perfectly!

05-Feb-2018  Friends Patrick & Ines for meal in Apartment

We invited our Dublin-based friends Patrick and Ines to our Apartment for dinner to say "Thank you" before we headed back home in early February. I was very weak and not feeling as well as I'd expected for our imminent return up North. Later that week, infirm on my feet, I was fairly teary saying thanks and goodbye to all of the St James’s staff. In a final appointment of a long day Ruth, however, was spectacularly teary when Prof Vandenberghe examined me and exclaimed “What’s happened to you???!!!” and it became clear that I wasn't going anywhere. Our St James’s sojourn was extended. As the Outpatient Nurse Co-ordinator said to me “Welcome to the world of transplant...” and I was readmitted.

28-Feb-2018  Beating the Beast-from-the-East - actual trip back to Belfast City Hospital

28th February was set as the new date for transfer back to Belfast City Hospital. This coincided with the 'Beast from the East' major snow storm. There was great uncertainty until the last minute whether it would be safe to make the ambulance trip. It was indeed a tense ride for us, chased by the storm with visibility poor due to frozen windscreen wash. It was a relief to be welcomed back to 10 North in the City Hospital. I thought we'd be there for a week, Ruth thought probably two weeks.

17-Mar-2018  Home-bake of Ruth's Birthday Cake

Ruth’s birthday is St Patrick’s Day and, from six months before, I envisioned being at home, assisted by friend & neighbour Linda Bell’s recipe and her pre-weighed-out bags of ingredients  for me to make Ruth a special celebratory birthday cake.

Target milestone dates don’t always work out as expected.

The couple-of-weeks recovery stay in Belfast City Hospital turned into a further two months as an in-patient. On St Patrick's Day, rather than birthday cake making, there were multiple bowls of blood due to stomach bleeds. A stomach endoscopy and emergency surgery to put staples in my gullet were needed to stop the bleeding. Also, in the following weeks, a nasty painful abscess at the other end of my gut also needed surgery and weeks of, well, let’s just say careful management!

This was one of three zones in the past year where I knew I was potentially close to death. I know and acknowledge fear, in that state, especially through a night of cry-shouting to Jesus for help due to indescribable pain. “Jesus wept” is the shortest Bible verse. My trust in the close company of a God who became one of us, and is acquainted with suffering, was tested.

25-Apr-2018  Home at last

After five months as an inpatient, finally getting home on 25 April 2018 was a major milestone for us all. The prime emotion was a calm thankfulness for the gentle home setting, rather than any exuberance. A welcome home banner greeted us, made with love by Rosemary Maxwell.

13-May-2018  Short walk & talk outside with the boyos

I have learnt the importance of exercise. The research into benefits of exercise for recovery is now substantial. So, after five months of confinement, one planned milestone was a walk in the fresh air enjoying conversation with my sons by the sea.

“Being there” is a title of an interesting Peter Sellars film and I am thankful to ‘be there’ for Ruth, our sons, family and close friends.

14-May-2018  24th Wedding Anniversary

One life lesson learnt from my first transplant was “If there’s something to celebrate, celebrate.” So, with lots of anti-infection measures deployed, we enjoyed an early dinner to celebrate our 24th Wedding Anniversary at Bangor’s Salty Dog.

24-May-2018  Visit son DJP in his new house

During the year, our eldest son moved into his own house and, with Ruth’s help, set about making it into a lovely home. It has been great to see him established like this. While in Dublin for three months, I really valued WhatsApp since I could offer some experience and support on his house purchase.

25-Aug-2018  Celebrant role at Daniel & Tammy's Wedding

Daniel is the eldest son of our good friends Maurice and Adrienne. In November 2017, before our Dublin foray, Dan and his fiance Tammy asked me if I would be celebrant at their wedding in August 2018. I was surprised and felt privileged to be asked. The wedding ceremony and reception were to be at Kilmore House, Glenariff.

25 August became a sacrosanct date. It was a privilege to work with Daniel and Tammy on how they wanted their wedding ceremony to be. In the background, I agreed with my consultant Dr. Finnegan that, in the unlikely event of my being in hospital, we would do everything possible to get me up and out just to do the ceremony. Daniel’s brother and Best Man Niall was also ready to step in with script at last minute if required.

Everything worked out. Tammy and Daniel’s wedding was just superb. Unknown to me, there was a last-minute change of ‘down-the-aisle’ music to “The Book of Love”. Right at the start of the ceremony this evocative song, from a powerful episode of the TV series Scrubs. This is in my all-time top 5 TV episodes – beautiful music accompanied by hopeful pictures of future relationships and timely emotional breakthroughs. Caught off-guard, tears were in my eyes as the beautiful Bride and bridal party, in the epic beauty of the sunny Antrim Glens, approached.

We proceeded with their lovely outdoor Ceremony, ending with this blessing

May you have many joys,

and be the light of each other's days.

May all that you are, always be in love;

And may all that is love, always be in you.

May you always see and encourage the best in each other.

May the challenges that life brings your way

make your marriage grow stronger.

May you always be each other's best friend

and greatest love.

01-Oct-2018  Return of the stairlift

To enable me to get home from hospital we required a stairlift since, due to the impact of 'proximal myopathy' on my muscles due to steroids, climbing stairs to the bedroom and bathroom wasn't possible.

As energy and strength improved, I didn't need the stairlift much in September, so it was removed by the very efficient man from Stairlift Solutions, Bangor.

29-Oct-2018  Hickman line removal

A Hickman line is a double- or triple-tubed catheter in your upper body to enable drugs/nutrition to be delivered and lots of blood samples to be taken. After 11 months, this valiant enabler of my treatment was getting blocked up, and was an ongoing infection risk. So, it was time to remove and to revert to the few remaining serviceable veins in my right hand. This was in the middle of a medically and psychologically difficult period, which may get its own blog write-up! Suffice to say that, over a few days, the Belfast City apheresis team nurses were professional and compassionate when I found troublesome memories related to venous access of many previous procedures coming at me.

31-Oct-2018  Resume driving

Having not driven for a year, medical reports, insurance and Driver Vehicle Licensing were all lined up and I could drive again. Throughout our married life, Ruth and I have always shared one car. With Ruth working, and local Translink train to BT office no longer on the agenda, we bought a second car enabling me to get to hospital appointments without Ruth, and to generally get around without infection risk on public transport.

Mobility Is Just Great !!

19-Nov-2018  25th Engagement Anniversary

On 19 November 1993 I asked Ruth to marry me and she said "Of course!". Since then we have always marked our engagement anniversary - the moment when we committed to each other. So, for the first time in 15 months, we were able to get a few nights away at The Bushmills Inn. 

15-Dec-2018  New First Birthday!

So, today, is first birthday for my new upgraded self. 

"Well, I'm back."

Thank You...

Since April 2017, I have received so much support and care.

Thank you to Dr. Lawless & team, City Hospital, who got me to transplant.

Thank you to Prof Vandenberghe & team, St James's Hospital, Dublin, who got me through transplant. Prof Vandenberghe said "It will be harder than you think it will be". Professor Vandenberghe was right.

Thank you to Dr. Finnegan & team, City Hospital, for detailed and sustained post-transplant care.

And we have also really appreciated the professional care of Bridgewater, Apherisis and Holywood District Nursing teams.

Thank you to the five chaplains, working in Belfast City and St James's who had the knack of turning up at the right time.

Thank you to my donor.

Thank you to family and friends for all of the concern, presence, practical help, prayers, support and love.

Thank you to BT colleagues, Carnalea Methodist Church and Corrymeela people for lots of help.

And thank you Ruth, a constant presence through tough times, my ezer kenegdo - lifesaver alongside me - for your skill, humour and resilience and for just being here with me.

What's Next?

Later in December, I will write a further post on intentions for next year. Until then, best wishes to you through this Advent season, for Christmas and for the New Year ahead.

Tim

"We should be preparing our bodies for what life throws at you."

  ~ Mike McAuley

This third #TimPageFitForLife interview is with Michael McAuley.

Michael graduated from the University of Ulster in Sports Coaching.  A creative and effective entrepreneur, he is Owner of EXSTO Fitness & Fitness Trainer at EXSTO Gym.

Michael, Fitness Trainer to Ruth and myself for 18 months, talks about the 'massive' health benefits of fitness including the physical, mental, emotional and occupational aspects of our lives.

Michael sees one of his aims as to "try and just get people moving", citing the American Heart Association as one of thousands of resources available on the web.

Thank you to Michael for getting me moving.  After 18 months, I'm the strongest and fittest that I've ever been ... I can recommend him as a Fitness Trainer who can help prepare his clients for what life may throw at them.  Thanks also to Andy Magowan, cameraman for this interview, who's up next in our fourth interview.

If you would like to donate to LLNI, the BTmydonate site is here

In case you missed them, previous interviews were with

• Dr. Mary Drake, Consultant Haematologist - Overview of Blood Cancers
• Laura Croan, Clinical Nurse Specialist - Physical Fitness for Patients

Next week, a further three interviews will be posted:

• Andy Magowan - Exsto Gym - Benefits of sports massage
• Prof Ken Mills - LLNI - the importance of research
• Dr. Kyle Matchett - LLNI - repurposing of drugs

The second #TimPageFitForLife interview is with Laura Croan, Clinical Nurse Specialist for Lymphoma, based in Belfast City Hospital.

Laura's post is funded by Friends of the Cancer Centre, doing great work - caring for patients, providing various resources for the Cancer Centre and also funding research.

I received help from 'Friends' in 2008 & 2013.  Also, in 1985, during a month of radiotherapy at Belvoir Park Hospital, I recall the kindness of the "Friends of Montgomery House" volunteers.  The charity changed its name in 2006 when services moved to the Cancer Centre at Belfast City Hospital.

Here's a Belfast Live article on the occasion of Laura's appointment.

Laura speaks about the benefits of physical fitness for patients.  If the patient's condition permits, quality of life can be improved with potential benefits of increased muscle strength, energy, sleep & self-esteem - potentially resulting in less fatigue from both disease and treatment.

The academic papers that Laura mentions are listed here.

• Fatigue improved with exercise - "Effects of Supervised Multimodal Exercise Interventions on Cancer-Related Fatigue: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials"
• Benefits of exercise through treatment - "Precision Oncology Framework for Investigation of Exercise As Treatment for Cancer"
• 'Prehab' can help patient to tolerate treatment - "Cancer Prehabilitation An Opportunity to Decrease Treatment-Related Morbidity, Increase Cancer Treatment Options, and Improve Physical and Psychological Health Outcomes"
• Exercise after treatment can help with fatigue - "Randomized controlled trial of the effects of high intensity and low-to-moderate intensity exercise on physical fitness and fatigue in cancer survivors: results of the Resistance and Endurance exercise After ChemoTherapy (REACT) study"

Thanks to Laura for providing these references and also for being camerawoman during the interview with Dr. Drake.  And thank you to David Speers, BT Apprentice, for being cameraman for this interview.

If you would like to donate to LLNI, the BTmydonate site is here

In case you missed it, the previous interview with Dr. Mary Drake, Consultant Haematologist is here

In the next interview, to be published on Friday, Michael McAuley, Owner of Exsto Fitness & Personal Trainer discusses the many benefits of fitness for life.

Next week, the remaining interviews will be posted:

• Andy MaGowan - Exsto Gym - Benefits of sports massage
• Prof Ken Mills - LLNI - the importance of research
• Dr. Kyle Matchett - LLNI - repurposing of drugs

Well, what a week that was.

An exciting week in BT work, supporting the launch of BT Sport On EE:

Mid-week, I resumed running, thanks to benefits of an ongoing physio programme

Then, on Thursday, NI's Regulation & Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) Belfast Marathon runners and Office team handed over £621 to LLNI.

#TimPageFitForLife exceeded double the £5000 target for LLNI donations, with £10028 raised to date for vital research, in the same week that LLNI's Joanne Badger handed me the recent NI Institute of Fundraising nomination. 

I completed the Armagh run yesterday, with great support from BT colleagues and friends.

Armagh is a particularly beautiful course - a mix of hilly parkland and woodland.

There was a sense of close local community amongst the runners - I guess the 'further out' parkruns, not close to many other runs, tend to have a more constant attendance.

Thanks to Run Director Mark Lundy for the warm welcome.

It was great to have work colleagues Liz Leckey and Brenda Hilley along on their first parkrun.
I really appreciated BT colleague & runner Gavin McBride's pace-setting.  We alternated between 3 minutes running and 30 seconds walk.  Perhaps it was due to Gavin's guidance that I headed home with no muscle pain and hopeful for a straight run ahead through the remaining 7 venues.

Armagh photo album is here, thanks to Sarah Irwin for the amazing cake!

Next week, we're at Cookstown. 

Through August & September, as well as running and fund-raising, we'll be

1. Working with DKMS to drive up the number of prospective stem cell donors, and,
2. Producing video interviews about the role of fitness, medical care and research in preventing and treating blood cancers

As the final two months of our #TimPageFitForLife project start tomorrow... ideas, offers of support & publicity, donations and questions for the video interviews are all very welcome.

Best wishes,
Tim

Project Objectives

Tim's Running Progress

The Citypark course - one lap around the Craigavon lakes - is very scenic.  Today's weather was less pleasant - the heaviest rain of the 14 parkruns to date - but that brings its own refreshing quality.

Thanks to friends and colleagues who came along today - Patricia McAuley, Heather Chestnutt and BT colleagues Nick Orr & Sabina O'Hagan.  

My running mentor Mark Crothers said in January, when I decided to run 22 parkruns for LLNI, that this would be a significant challenge, given the sustained conditioning training as well as the parkruns.  By #14 of the 22 Saturdays, I realise that he was right.  Last week at Carrickfergus and this week at Citypark Craigavon have been tricky due to calf muscle and now upper back twinges. 

My objective, as last week, was to get around the course with zero damage.  Sarah Irwin, daughter of old friends Ivan & Joan Thompson, came along today and, as she said,

"Any run is better than no run."

In my Antrim run report two weeks ago, I mentioned a health query.  For some cancer survivors, the occasional medical scare is unsettling but familiar territory, and I've had a few over the years.  So, it was a relief this week when the hospital rang to say recent neck lymph node biopsy was clear.  Phew.

Early today on BBC Radio, there was an item about the 1984 Olympics Women's Marathon - the first time this event was held.  One runner was Gabriela Andersen-Schiess, her final six miles a major challenge, as this video shows.  

Today's run was difficult due to the leg issues so I was trailing.  Today's parkrun volunteer 'tail runners', bringing up the rear with me, were Joe McAnearney & Niall Rankin.  Niall and I spoke about the role of determination in pushing through life's challenges.

This afternoon, getting home after an uncomfortable but beneficial sports massage, I googled more on Gabriela Andersen-Schiess.  She finished the race in 44th place despite being in great physiological distress.  In an interview years later she said

"I got to the finish line.

Looking back, with time, I can see that people kinda identify with you, because they see the struggle, and they see that, if you really set your mind to it, you can overcome a lot of obstacles.

And it teaches you a lesson too that, besides overcoming obstacles, you have to get over some bad experiences, and not dwell on it and just look forward and learn something - hopefully learn something from it."

Every Saturday I see many people get to the parkrun finish line.  Further, I didn't realise when starting this project, that I'd meet a range of people from different backgrounds with stories of challenge, struggle, celebration and resilience.  Thanks again to parkrun and hundreds of volunteers each Saturday who enable this experience of promoting well-being, community spirit and mutual support.

This week's album is here.

Looking forward next week's run #15 (!) at Derry.

Project Objectives

Tim's Running Progress

Carnalea Methodist Church 29-May-2016 – Family Service

Perseverance – “Keep on keeping on”

Readings

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last for ever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Hebrews 12:1-3

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

“My Story for God’s Glory” – Tim Page

When Paul wrote to the Corinthians about “running the race”, he was talking about the “Isthmian Games”.  From 582 BC to about 400 AD, these games happened every two years at Corinth, on the land bridge – or isthmus – in Greece where Corinth is located.   Events included chariot racing, wrestling, music & poetry – which women were allowed to compete in, and running.  The prize for each winner was a crown, of pine leaves or ivy, and massive prestige.

Entering the games was a big commitment – ten months training and then, maybe, you’d get selected to play.

At Sullivan school in Holywood, around 1980, I was the least sporty Sixth Former in my year.  Computers were just appearing in schools and I was abIe to dodge rugby, hockey and athletics by helpfully offering to support teachers learn about the computers arriving in their classrooms.  Looking back, this was a mistake since I stayed unfit.  I’ve done some sport on-and-off since.  However, after serious illness and a stem cell transplant in 2013, and months in a hospital bed, I deeply appreciated regaining the mobility and freedom that rehabilitation brought.  I now see that I have a responsibility to do what I can to stay well.  So I decided to do a 5k run, and achieved this goal at Victoria parkrun last November.  This personal breakthrough was such a positive experience that I then decided to run all of Northern Ireland’s 22 Saturday morning parkruns in support of two charities… 

• Leukaemia & Lymphoma NI that does cellular-level research at Queen’s
  and also
• Global charity DKMS, which signs up prospective stem cell donors, potentially a life-saving act

So far, we have promoted both charities, raised £8800, signed up 62 people as potential stem cell donors, and encouraged 10 people to run their first parkrun.

I have learnt some lessons about striving for a specific aim.   On this running project, I have to:

1. Keep my aim in mind, organising my life around where I want to get to
2. Train and strengthen my self – body and mind – to be able to succeed
3. Be connected to a network of people for mutual encouragement and support

Reaching my goal of running 22 parkruns this year means saying ‘Yes’ to a few things and saying ‘No’ to lots of things.  As Gandalf says to Frodo,

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

I made another decision when I was 12 years old, choosing to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.  And, I have a very, very long way to go.  Right now, in fact, my running life is better organised than my faith life!  What I can offer, though, is a question arising from our Corinthians reading that I’m currently asking myself –

“How can I live my life so that I’m not running aimlessly but, rather, walking through life with Jesus Christ, living in the world as He wants?”

Paul talks about competitors being in ‘strict training’.  As a regular runner, I have committed to a regime of conditioning training – to get fitter, stronger, leaner and faster while avoiding injury and improving my 5k PB – Personal Best.

Leading up to each week’s Saturday run, this involves two 1:1 training sessions with my personal trainer, two conditioning runs, and a somewhat painful sports massage to unknot my muscles.  If you’re curious – you can see some videos of this training on the TimPageFitForLife blog.  There’s a particularly entertaining clip where I use ‘Battle ropes’ to drag a heavy metal “Prowler” device around the gym.  Tough stuff.

If a pattern of behaviours is necessary to build physical condition, then there will be some areas we can work at in our faith life.  In our Carnalea Family Services, we try to offer something to everyone, whatever milestone you’re at as you run the race.  So, in a few minutes, we’ll sing a beautiful hymn, know to the older generations represented today, “May the mind of Christ my Saviour live in me from day-to-day.”

First, though, as a computing enthusiast and electronically well-connected guy!, some practical ideas to young people starting the race – for your own pattern of personal training … your practice of spirituality through your life to keep fit for the race you’re on.

Using words from the hymn,

“May the mind of Christ my Saviour live in me from day-to-day”
A phone app like PrayerMate can be helpful in organising people and topics to pray about

“May the Word of God dwell richly In my heart from hour to hour”
The Bible App is great.  It includes audio readings of The Message, and reading plans where you tick off each day.  Nicky and Pippa Gumbel’s 'Bible-In-One-Year' is a helpful resource.

“May the love of Jesus fill me As the waters fill the sea”
Of course, developing a lifelong spiritual practice is not merely about apps.

In 2008 Elizabeth Porter took me to a Service of Healing led by Rev David Jardine.  Each time I have gone to this service over the years, it has been helpful.  He spoke about how we respond to the poor, including the person that we see sitting on the street.  He said that to ignore people made in God’s image wasn’t good.  So, be open to the prompting of God’s Spirit about responding to poor people you come across throughout your life – a £1 coin, or a sandwich & drink from a shop, or a smile and ‘Hello’ are some options.

One other thing – Jesus built into his life times of getting away from the crowd to be still and listen to God.  Wherever you are on your race, consider planning in time to get away from the crowd, and away from the Internet, to 'Be still' and know that God is God.

So. As you work out your Spiritual Practice,

“May the love of Jesus fill you.”

Focus on your aim – following Jesus Christ – and organise your life around that aim

Finally, I have learnt the importance of the gift of encouragement in being able to persevere and keep running.

I wasn’t looking forward to Saturday’s run at Limavady.

I didn’t know anyone at Limavady.

Also, the Limavady parkrun website showed the slowest runner’s time as under 34 minutes, whereas I average in the high thirties.

Further, we were having some press coverage for World Blood Cancer Day.

And, while Ruth comes with me to all the parkruns as “Professional Supporter”, this week she had to pick up our son from the airport instead.

I set out alone and, overall, felt a bit exposed.

At every race I’ve had an experienced runner to set the pace – it was great to have BT colleague John Kelly running alongside me.   I tend to drop my head as I run, which restricts breathing but John kept encouraging me ... “Head up!”

Limavady is a beautiful course of 3 laps.  Finishing my second lap, most of the runners had already finished the race, and were getting ready to head to the nearby Leisure Centre for coffee.

One parkrun volunteer said “Do you mind if they run with you?”

“No problem – please do.”, I said.

Immediately, behind me, materialised a posse of experienced runners, encouraging with their good humour.

Heading up the final incline, my legs really wanted to stop.  I would have stopped for a few seconds, as in previous races, but the encouragement, energy, positivity, momentum and sheer human goodness behind me powered me on.  Without a break, I finished the course.

My phone battery died before the results were available, so I left Limavady not knowing my run time.  When I got home, Ruth met me at the door.  “Fastest run yet!” Ruth said – a new Personal Best of 35 minutes, 42 seconds.  I got a kiss!

The guidance and support of people around me, combined with my own focus and training, enabled that personal best.  I have learnt that encouragement can improve physiological and psychological performance.

As you run through this life, be mindful of the example of those who have run the race already.  And remain open to support offered from the people running alongside you.  Recently, Ruth and I thought of the influence on our lives of the late Reverend Cecil Newell, formerly here at Carnalea.  We fondly remember Cecil’s support and visits when I was ill in 2008 - his character, his teaching and example.  When life is otherwise discouraging, such a man’s witness helps us both think “yes, there is something to all of this”.  

I can nearly hear Cecil saying

“Head up!”

 To conclude.  

We get one go at this race. 

Focus on Jesus Christ – consider Him.  He is our Friend and Brother, alongside us for the race.

Work at your Spiritual Practice – your conditioning training for the race you’re on.

And, in following Him through your life, go after your Personal Best, supporting others along their way with words of encouragement, and showing up practically for people when you can.

“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.”

Hymn

May the mind of Christ, my Saviour,

Live in me from day to day,

By His love and power controlling

All I do and say.

May the Word of God dwell richly

In my heart from hour to hour,

So that all may see I triumph

Only through His power.

May the peace of God my Father

Rule my life in everything,

That I may be calm to comfort

Sick and sorrowing.

May the love of Jesus fill me

As the waters fill the sea;

Him exalting, self abasing,

This is victory.

May I run the race before me,

Strong and brave to face the foe,

Looking only unto Jesus

As I onward go.

Author: Kate B. Wilkinson

Hello from a very warm Chennai!

My schedule of parkruns has a two week gap in it, due to a work trip to India.  With about a week in Bangalore, I met software engineers from BT and one of our subcontract companies Tech Mahindra.  This week, I have two days in Chennai with colleagues from TCS - Tata Consultancy Services.

In Bangalore, I used the hotel gym for conditioning sessions before getting a cold and losing my voice!  Of the exercises, the plain vanilla sit-ups are the toughest - it's an unforgiving exercise.

Today I went to the beach to try a run. I knew 5km would be a stretch, but hoped I could do it.

However, at 3km, the heat just got to me - it was my legs that went.  I learnt a few things from the attempt…

1. Use the stretch to and from the beach as part of the run rather than not having this time in the heat count
2. Sometimes you really do need a headband to absorb the sweat!  There were so many drops I thought it was raining.
3. For a cooler run... get up even earlier

The Runkeeper Kilometer 'split' timings tell the story of getting slower…

Kilometer 1: 08:15,   Kilometer 2: 11:11,   Kilometer 1: 12:05.

So, deep respect to people who do running in extreme conditions, not least Eddie Izzard.

Looking to the coming week, I aim to…

• Get rid of this cold
• Resume conditioning training on Thursday when I get home
• Complete parkrun 3 of 22 on Saturday - my 'local' Ward Park
• Start producing a series of videos around fitness conditioning & health, as well as different angles on blood cancer treatment and research

Thank you for interest, encouragement, donations, stem cell donor signups.

Some nice photos after today's Chennai sunrise are here.

Best wishes,

Tim