Mark Church - Dead Man Running: One Mans Story of Running to Stay Alive

First published by Pitch Publishing, 2021

Pitch Publishing

A2 Yeoman Gate

Yeoman Way

Durrington

BN13 3QZ

www.pitchpublishing.co.uk

Kevin Webber, 2021

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A CIP catalogue record is available for this book from the British Library

Print ISBN 9781785319884

eBook ISBN 9781801500272

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For my children, Hayley, Ben and Ollie, if nothing else I hope this book shows you that when you get knocked down you get up and go again, as I like to think I have done.

I NEVER had any desire to write a book at any stage of my life, probably because I never thought I had anything new or different to say that had not been written before.

I started writing email blogs in 2014 because of my life-changing situation and within a few months people started asking me if I was going to write a book about my experiences. I was flattered and assumed they were just being nice, but the question about writing a book about my journey never went away.

Finally, when my friend Mark Church asked me if I had ever thought about writing a book about my story it made me stop and think seriously. Mark thought the journey I have been on would be of interest to people and he said he would help put my words on paper. Marks offer plus my mantra of living for the day was enough to convince me to set out on my writing debut.

I hope that you enjoy sharing the highs and lows of my journey and if nothing else my story might help you become a better and kinder person because I know that is what has happened to me.

Thank you.

Kevin Webber, June 2021

KEVIN WEBBERS story was one that needed to be told. But who should tell it? There was only one person for that job. The man himself.

But writing about yourself is a difficult thing to do. That is where I came in. I had spent time with Kevin and was amazed by the journey he had been on. I always thought there was a book in there and one afternoon I asked Kevin if he had ever thought about putting pen to paper. He said he had but he wasnt sure how to get started. I offered to put his words in print, and I was delighted when he said yes, because I wanted to give something back to him. Kevin does so much for other people, and I thought he should have his story told as a way of saying thank you for everything he has done.

I also wanted to help write the book for his family. I think Kevin would agree that without their love and support he would never have achieved everything he has. It makes me happy to think they will always have his book, no matter what the future holds, and I hope Sarah, Hayley, Ben, Ollie, and Ian are happy with how the story has been written.

Kevin is an inspirational fella and I will always be grateful he trusted me to help him write his story.

Mark Church, June 2021

What will I think of me the day that I die?

Saltwater, Julian Lennon 1991

As you read through my six-year journey you may feel that you, like me, want to support Prostate Cancer UK. If you are able and want to help keep families together for longer, please do sponsor me as it all goes to the charity, at
www.justgiving.com/fundraising/kevin-webber9
Thank you

MY NAME is Kevin Webber. I am an ordinary 56-year-old guy who loves his family, loves his job, loves his friends and loves a pint. I also love running.

My life changed seven years ago. Everything was going great. I was working hard and doing well in my job at NatWest Bank. I had no financial worries, all my family were healthy and life was good. I was living my life the best way I could. That involved a bit of running, the odd marathon here and there but nothing too serious.

Then, in the summer of 2014 we took a family holiday to America. My kids were 16, 14 and nine and I thought it might be the last chance we would get to have a holiday together. I can remember not wanting to go away with my mum and dad after I was 16, so this was going to be a special family holiday.

We decided to go to America and stayed at my brother-in-laws in South Carolina, then drove to Florida to spend a week at Disney World and Universal Studios. No matter what people say, you cannot help getting wrapped up in the magic of Disney and I was no exception, having my photo taken with Tigger and Winnie the Pooh and enjoying having time with the kids and my wife Sarah.

Whilst we were staying in Florida, I started to notice that I was waking up in the night, desperate for a wee. I would suddenly be wide awake, having to rush to the toilet but would only urinate for a couple of seconds and that would be it. An hour later the same thing would happen. I would wake up bursting for the toilet, rush to the bathroom and only go for a couple of seconds. This was happening two or three times a night and, in my mind, there was no reason for it because I wasnt really drinking alcohol in the evenings as I was the one that was doing all the driving.

I didnt think too much about it because we were having a fantastic time and I thought it might just be the heat or the water and it wasnt uncomfortable. I just put it to the back of my mind. We left Florida, had another week in South Carolina and came home having had the wonderful family holiday that I had desired.

The following week I returned to work and after a couple of days I noticed that when I sat down it felt like I was sitting on a golf ball. I would have this uncomfortable feeling for a couple of minutes but it disappeared when I got up and had a walk around the office. My job with NatWest was to look after a portfolio of commercial banking clients and I had to give them my full attention during meetings. But the feeling of sitting on a golf ball was starting to niggle and I was not able to concentrate. Some days the feeling wasnt there, but on others it would last for an hour and I was really starting to notice it.

I was still being woken up two or three times a night desperately needing to urinate then finding nothing really happened and, in the words of Bill Clinton, it was much the same when I had relations with my wife. So now I had three noticeable problems all in the same area and I had no idea what any of them meant.

I then did what most men never do and booked an appointment with the doctor. I honestly thought he would tell me that I was being silly and there was nothing to worry about. I hadnt really mentioned how I was feeling to my wife Sarah and I thought it was better to be on the safe side. A week later, I was off to the surgery and the only thing I was nervous about was wasting my doctors time.