It is approaching nine years since I discovered C25k and subsequently this forum and the combination of the two changed my life in more positive ways than I could ever imagine. From a 57 year old who thought that running might be a lesser necessary evil than heading off to the gym to maintain stamina, I fell in love with running in a few short weeks. Having been a keen walker all my life I thought I knew all my local routes, but running helped me discover loads more and to experience them with the heightened emotions and senses that come from fully oxygenated blood pumping vigorously around my body. Running in beautiful natural environments became my passion.
It is also approaching five years since I walked into my GPs surgery to be greeted by “Well, we don’t see you very often. What can we do for you?” Although I felt fitter at that moment than any other time in my life, largely due to my regular running, I was driven to visit the doctor by a sudden imperative to urinate and increased frequency of the need to do so. These are both classic symptoms of prostate issues and following that consultation, a referral to hospital, scans, tests and a biopsy, it was confirmed in a couple of months that I had a diagnosis of aggressive, locally advanced prostate cancer……….much as I suspected from my prior internet research.
I was told by all my medical team that my good fitness levels, strong heart and lack of other co morbidities meant that I could be offered all appropriate treatments and that my chance of full recovery were enhanced. At that stage the aim was eradication of the cancer. So hormone therapy, brachytherapy (look it up), external beam radiotherapy and a break from work all followed and apart from three weeks recovering from brachytherapy, I continued running which provided a period of calm in my disturbed world.
I posted about my cancer on this forum back then, as I am now, to communicate the potential seriousness of those seemingly minor urinary issues. One in eight men in the UK will contract prostate cancer. If you are Afro Caribbean, that risk is even higher. It is the commonest cancer in men and while many who contract it will die with it, not of it, and many will not even present to their GPs with symptoms, 11500 men do die every year of this disease, which if caught early can very often be controlled. It rarely affects men under 50 and age is the biggest risk factor, with no clearly defined contributory lifestyle factors, apart, possibly, from animal fats in your diet. So if you, or the men in your life have any unexplained symptoms, especially related to urinating, but also back pain, then pop along to the GP. It may be something totally harmless, but the cancer diagnosis may save a life.
In my case the initial therapies appeared to be successful, but three years after initial diagnosis a routine blood test indicated that my prostate was active again and after a barrage of scans it was revealed that the cancer had spread to some of my vertebrae and ribs and four months of chemotherapy was started, which knocked my PSA numbers (the basic marker for activity in the prostate) for six. However, less than four years after initial diagnosis, my PSA rose again and I was put on the first of two daily chemo therapies that had the potential to control the cancer at least in the medium term. Unfortunately the first drug was deemed to be the cause of a tonic seizure that I suffered in the summer of 2021 and had to be stopped, even though it was keeping my PSA numbers down. The second drug never really seemed to have much effect and was stopped in February 2022.
Up until November 2021, I had few direct symptoms of the cancer and it was the side effects of the therapies that had caused me issues. A knee injury kept me from running for about nine months, partly because the medication reduced available testosterone, which is essential to building and repairing muscle. I did, with physio help, get back to running at a much reduced level, but it still provided the balm of communing with nature and a sense of being really alive, as well as keeping me as fit as possible. I even managed to run part way through chemotherapy, but the cumulative effects eventually ground me down. Afterwards I managed to build back up, yet again, using a wonderful little training plan called C25k.
Since November 2021 I became aware of back pain caused by the lesions on my spine and that is more or less where I am now. It is two months since I last ran and although I have opted for the nuclear option of Radium 223 treatment starting next week, which may reduce pain and spread temporarily, it is unlikely that I will run again, since the risk of vertebra/disc compression is too great.
Running has helped my body to be as resilient as possible when confronted by this critical illness, for which I am truly grateful. Cancer taught me not to take my health for granted, but to become as fit and strong as possible. This forum has supplied me with support in bucketloads after my previous posts in which I mentioned my cancer healthunlocked.com/couchto5... and healthunlocked.com/couchto5....
In return, I hope that my legacy on this forum will be the repository of information for new runners that I instigated with the FAQ Posts healthunlocked.com/couchto5... which I hope will be kept up to date and added to long after I have gone. I have set my email notifications to alert me if someone PMs me on the C25k forum. If anyone wants to ask my advice about cancer or anything else, then, while I can, I will do my best to reply.
Lots of long hard thinking has gone on in respect of my place on this forum, but I know that, intolerant bastard that I am, I might not have taken kindly to taking running advice from some old fogey who no longer ran. So I will withdraw………perhaps sticking my nose in occasionally……….knowing that the remaining admin team, who have been a great pleasure to work alongside, will maintain the positive and supportive attitude that has always shone from this forum, and which I have done my best to uphold.
So, finally, my cancer diagnosis changed my life, as it does for all, but it does not signal the end of life. A friend of mine had a very similar diagnosis, prognosis and treatment plan, six months prior to me and he has been stable ever since. I can no longer surf, windsurf or run, but at the moment I can still walk five miles or so on a good day and still delight in the beautiful county of Devon in which I live. I celebrate what I can do. I do not mourn what I can no longer do. There is something joyful and positive in every single day. Life is still good.
While you can………keep running, keep smiling.
Written by
IannodaTruffe
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So sorry to hear about your diagnosis and that you will need to stop running. Glad you’re still able to get out on the walks and appreciate the Devon scenery. That’s a beautiful part of the world.
I’ve not been on the forum that long but your support and advice has made a massive difference to me and so many others. I’ve found your posts and FAQs to be invaluable, as well as the responses to my posts, whether that’s advice or encouraging words.
Speaking for myself, your running status as an admin doesn’t matter as we all benefit from your advice and cheering us on. So please do join us on here whenever you want but of course take all the time you need too.
All the best with the treatment. Will be thinking of you and wishing you well.
Such a beautiful post from you IannodaTruffe, I am so sorry that you won't be able to do any more running among other things, however, you still are able to go country walks in your lovely neighbourhood, you have been such a expert on those forums, especially the C25K one, I wish you all the very best for your future, you can still advise new runners to the forum if you wish to.
You have always been a beacon for me on here, since I started C25K after treatment for cancer, and although I haven’t posted for ages, I love reading your posts. Wishing you well, and sending love and thanks. Xxxx
Thank you for all your posts and advice. I have learned loads from reading them and always found your writing sensible, inspiring and a kind of 'tough love' in the way you said what needed to be said to prevent people from overdoing things.I really like what you wrote here about discovering new local routes with heightened senses due to the levels of oxygen in the blood from running, it really resonated with me. I discovered running around 3 years ago and find it wonderfully therapeutic following recurrent miscarriages. You being open about your physical and mental health has encouraged others to do the same. It has helped me. All the best for your onward journey from here. Your advice and insight will be missed.
You gave me some excellent advice when I started on the journey to help me cope with my partners’ cancer. And you have helped so many others. Good luck and thank you. X
You have certainly contributed to my running without injuries,( apart from one fall) with your wise advice...your legacy will live onwards without a doubt. I hope your positive attitude continues to serve you as well as you have helped so many. All good wishes.
You are an inspiration to everyone on this forum. The way you have dealt with everything that life has thrown at you. Your posts have encouraged and educated new runners and I am truly sad to hear that you will no longer be running and (selfishly on my part) posting, and giving us the benefit of your experience. I wish you well IannodaTruffe. Thank you 🙏
Wishing you all the best man, your advice was some of the best boost for me here, some 5-6 years ago, and for many others, I’m sure. My father was in a similar boat and managed to live long into his old age and died WITH it. Like you, he continued to walk around country lanes for a long time. Yeah, keep running (or walking) and smiling is the way to go! Do pop back in, don’t be a stranger! 😀👍
What a beautiful and moving post IannodaTruffe. I, like others, appreciate all your input on this site. You could probably (and should) write a book about running and life. Don't be a stranger to the site. The fact you stop running doesn't diminish your vast knowledge. I wish you a long and happy 'running retirement'. Keep well. My best wishes are with you.
YOU are an inspiration! When myself and my partner joined C25K you were always there to hand out all the positive advice. We were both guided well by you and completed the plan. The advice you give is second to none and so positive. We wish you all the very best and thank you so much for turning me in to a runner jogger whatever I am I know I would never have become a graduate without your words of wisdom. Thank you so much and all the very best to you and yours ❤️
Thank you so much for your advice and commitment here. I've only been on the site weeks and you have been extremely kind with your time and sharing knowledge. Hope the treatment goes well and wish you the best.
Having started C25K in Nov 2017 I have always found your advice to be tremendously helpful; wise words from a wise guy. Your attitude is inspiring.Thank you and good luck.
Your writings on this forum have guided, informed and encouraged us along our individual journeys, something I will miss greatly. I wish you all the best for your future, and much enjoyment of the beautiful countryside of Devon. X
Please keep posting. I have only joined recently but I have read many of your posts and they are wonderful! I have learned so much and I love the way you write. I really don't think it matters at all that you no longer run in terms of your amazing contribution to this forum.
Thank you for your honest and thoughtful post. I have always respected your wisdom, thoughts and advice. Best of luck for the future, you will be missed. Take care.
You are a true inspiration to so many and I thank you so much for your advice. I am so sorry about your diagnosis and wish you all the luck with tonnes of best wishes x
Your posts inspired me so much on my couch to 5k journey. I’m sure you’ve reached more people than you can imagine and they’ll all be wishing you well now.Sending you lots of love and best wishes
Sorry to read this. To me, you have been so much the biggest personality in this forum that it feels like the end of an era. I suspect your various pinned posts, and this moving final post, will continue to be useful on here for a long time.
I hope you will continue to be a member of the forum, as there seem to be quite a few on here, like me, who do not actually run much for long periods, but still post or comment occasionally.
I have valued and respected your wise and pithy comments, and the sense of your intelligence and personality which shines through them. I’ve also often felt I would enjoy a chat with you in the pub, if we didn’t live at opposite ends of the country..☺️
I’m gutted for you that the NHS hasn’t managed a cure and that you are having to go through yet more shit.. I hope the Radium 223 is effective in allowing you a long period of respite to enjoy many good days of walking.. and smiling.. very best wishes..
Thank you for all the good advice you've given us. If it wasn't for you I would probably have given up on C25K as I was doing so much wrong. I will miss your many words of wisdom.My brother has prostate cancer too, he had an experimental treatment that seems to have put it all on hold, he's around the same age as you. Another friend was diagnosed around 15 years ago and we were told his days were numbered but happily he's still around. It seems that the treatments available are safe and effective and I hope that you regain as much of your strength as is humanly possible.
My breastfeeding days are getting on for twenty years behind me. I volunteer as a qualified breastfeeding counsellor, alongside those who are 'in the thick of it'. So, please don't feel that no longer running means you have nothing to say to those who are, only that you have more than earned the right to focus on what brings you pleasure. Remember you are amongst friends here who care very much about you and who have much for which to thank you.
I think you know that I have been alongside on a prostate cancer journey with my *un*inspiration for running, my fitness-obsessed father, including when he asked the doctor if he would be able to run up the medal podium for the M90 class at the British Orienteering Championship, to the only run we ever did together, his last ever run, which was C25K Week 1, him off into the distance [oddly never told that running was a risk, despite the cancer in his spine but perhaps there were assumptions made about 80-odd year olds... although he did participate in a research study which had him working out hard at a hospital gym umpteen times a week] A lifetime of my cringing at his propensity to do stretches at any opportunity, however inappropriate, turned to gratitude as all those squats kept his legs strong so we were able to fulfil his wishes. We played 'Walks Like Rihanna' by The Wanted very loud at his memorial because he used to strut his stuff to it at aquafit - and look what has happened to Tom Parker.
I am deeply, deeply sorry to hear what you are dealing with, though not at all surprised by the spirit in which you are approaching new challenges. I hope the radium goes smoothly and buys you extended quality and quantity of life which you are so well placed to make the most of.
I still ain't stretching after a run though, not for him, not for you! 😜
Thank you so much for all your help and advice on here.... and all the very best for your radium... you are an inspiration, how you face things, and I admire you a lot.
Although I’ve only posted a couple of times, I have regularly read your posts and have found them helpful and inspiring. I send you my very best wishes for this next stage of your life. I hope you can continue to enjoy Devon’s beautiful countryside. You have made a significant contribution though this form and I ( and I’m sure many others) am very grateful to you for that. ❤️
I have just read your post and i am so sorry you have had to go into running retirement because of your health.
I too have only been on this forum for a few weeks and you were the first person to welcome me, I sent my first post thinking it would go to the forum and I mistakenly sent it straight to you.
I came on this forum with very little knowledge of running and running terminology, but every time I posted with a question you were always there with your help and advice, your encouragement and your support.
Your knowledge is unbelievable and your posts have been so informative I still find myself reading your old posts and FAQ’s.
I hope if health allows you will keep reading and posting.
Enjoy the walks and I hope you find a pocketful of happiness in each day.
Thank you IannodaTruffe for everything you have taught me.
I also started on the C25k journey with your helpful advising posts and inspirational motivation to get out there as a runner, and a human being, and experience what the world has to offer to those who want to run through it.
You are such a big part of this forum, and that will remain, walking, reading, running, resting or writing. So I’m wishing you the most beautiful walking adventures and don’t be a stranger! And thank you ever so much for helping me receive that beautiful gift that is running!
You have put so much of yourself into this forum which is so appreciated. Your advice and FAQ post are invaluable and have helped so many of us to continue to run when without the knowledge gained seemed impossible. From both of us, thank you 😊 Wishing you well in your journey forward and long may you enjoy walking around the beautiful part of the UK
Your wisdom and positive advice were really helpful to me and have inspired me to be running nearly 2 years since I started. I’m sore hundreds or even thousands of beginners and similarly grateful and send you every good wish for successful treatment and continued active life x
I still think there’s a place on this forum for intolerant bastards and old fogeys. At least I hope so because I’m in both sets. Thanks for all your brilliant advice and best wishes as you tackle the next stage.
Thank you IannodaTruffe , both for this post, and all your contributions to this forum.
You won't remember, but you awarded me my C25K Graduate badge, which I'd requested via a ludicrous limerick. You responded not only by welcoming me as a fellow runner, but with a similarly remarkable rhyme, and your inimitable "Keep running, keep smiling" sign-off. That meant so much to me.
As a certain Mr Armstrong sang, it's a Wonderful World: may your health allow you to spend as much time as possible out there making the most of it. xx
Thank you for all your encouragement on my C25k journey. I’m only running 2 years later due to the massive support this forum has provided. You will be pleased to know that I’ve actually managed to learn to run at a conversational pace. You’ve been a real gift to me and many others. Thank you!
I can't find words Tim !Other than to say Thank you
Thank you for your time, your honesty and your wisdom and your support.
You have been a guiding light on this forum all through my time here and for many years before .
I sincerely hope your treatment reaps the rewards you deserve and you can still enjoy the outdoor life in the beautiful part of the country that you live .
This community will never be the same without you ! And even if you are not running I hope you can stick around .
Very best wishes for the future , and again, Thank you !
Thanks for such an inspiring post Iannoda. When I started c25k 4 years ago, your posts were so helpful and supportive in those first few weeks. All the best for the future
I'm not an active contributor here but was very moved by your post and inspired by your sheer determination to fight the cancer but also keep up with your running and support for this community. I'm so sorry that the running you so clearly love doing has to stop but heartened to read that walking in such a beautiful part of the country is providing you with a source of joy and nourishment for the soul. May this continue and thank you for your contributions to this forum. All best wishes, Foz
Thank you for all your knowledge and advice, you got me off my ass and doing something I never in my wildest thought I could … Run! I wish you all the best with your treatment x
Thank you for sharing such a personal update. Wishing you all the best. Understand your decision to withdraw but your experience and guidance on here has helped me immensely and I would happily continue to take advice from an experienced runner no matter if they were currently running or not. Nothing takes away experience gained in the sport or how best to offer advice.
Thank you for your support during my C25K. I had no idea. Please stay on the forum. Running is a constant and you have so much experience of both that and the myriad of people who explore C25K. We need you but clearly you come first in health and well being. Good luck and happiness in the future. 👟🎽🏆
Every so often in life, you come across someone so inspirational, so selfless and so willing to help in any way and, Ian, you are most certainly one of those people. I can only say a truly heartfelt thank you for all the support and encouragement and, at times, just telling it as it is. There can be no doubting that you are responsible for so many of us keeping going, becoming fitter and starting to enjoy, rather than endure running. Your sage words will be missed so much and I know that I will be among so many who simply want to say thank you, thank you for more than you can ever realise. Now it is your time to sit back and take it easy. You have so many memories from your own life, and now you should put your feet up, read, draw, watch crap daytime TV and, in the immortal words of the Hothouse Flowers, Spend your Days Watching Sky and Sea Change Colour.
Ian, THANK YOU, and we all wish you the very best now and always.
I'm sorry to hear this Ioannada Truffle. I've missed your posts recently and can assure you that your advice has been greatfully received. Thank you for your support and encouragement. I hope this latest round of treatment helps. x
So sorry to hear your story and hope you can continue to enjoy your walking. It’s been very inspirational to read this so thanks for sharing and good luck to you.
So sorry to hear about your diagnosis and that it's finally forced you to stop running altogether. I've learned a huge amount from your helpful and insightful posts in the forum. Your positive attitude, as well as your running fitness, has clearly helped you through the past few years and that positive attitude will continue to stand you in good stead I'm sure. Wishing you all the best for the future. Thank you.
Nothing much I can say that hasn’t already been said. Thank you for your support and advice over the last couple of years and hoping you can knock that big C into touch.
What a beautiful post. Can't see the keyboard for the tears in my eyes. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and your journey. I wish you every success and a good life 💚
So sorry to learn of your health challenges! I just want to thank you for your support and inspiration over the last 3 years I’ve been running and using the forum. You’ve been amazing on here and you will be much missed. Keep on with the walking - the countryside is amazing and beautiful but you know that already. Best of luck xxx
I remember your words of wisdom from when I was first active on this forum 8 or 9 years ago. Breast cancer and recurring agonising plantar faciatis have kept me from running but, like you, I still enjoy walking and the countryside. I wish you all the very best, you have been a wise mentor to so many, keep active on this site, you have much more to give xx
So sorry to hear that you are hanging up your running shoes. Cancer is such a b ***h. I want to thank you for your support and advice when I was going through my own cancer journey. Keeping running during and around my own treatment, kept me sane when my world fell apart. You are truly an inspirational soul. I wish you well in the next stage of your treatment.
Such an inspirational person & post - lapsed member here, prompted only to reactivate by email alert this morning - yours is a name I recall in my many attempts to run & visits to this forum - thank you for your support & encouragement, I wish you well wherever your feet take you & shall carry your “Celebrate what you CAN do” with me x
I am so sad to hear of your diagnosis and wish you the very best in whatever you are able to do from here on. That was a lovely post, you write as well as you ran. I hope you do stick you nose in from time to time. With thanks, love and best wishes 🙏
I too wish you well going forward and feel terribly sad you can no longer do the running, and other sports, you so clearly love. You have been unbelievably inspirational to me doing c25k and currently repeating it and I thank you.
From Day One you were an interactive mentor and boosted my depleted confidence. I, as no doubt many others, am grateful for your generosity of time and advice, especially given your personal challenges. May you take a back seat but continue to give us all lessons when and should you feel fit. Don't be a stranger. You have a very large and kind heart.💖
Wishing you all the success in your treatment and a long and happy future - walking not running. I have definitely benefited from your expertise and experience over the years. So thank you and go well. 💕
Thank you for sharing your life in such a frank and open way. It must have taken a lot of courage to reveal everything that has been happening. Wishing you all the best. The forum has been really positive with my journey and I trust you'll stick around and whatever you end up doing you'll be able to find support and encouragement with what lies ahead.
Thank you so much for your support and posts which have been so helpful. I am sure many of us would not have completed C25K without your advice and encouragement. All the very best
I echo the appreciation expressed by all the posters here for your encouragement and advice to those of us starting off on our running journey. You've done an amazing job! My sincere best wishes to you.
I have appreciated your informative and sensible guidance which has helped me achieve more running success than I thought possible.Keep on smiling and enjoying your beautiful countryside walks. 🤗
Everything I feel about your moving letter has been said (probably a lot more eloquently than I would say) so I’ll just thank you for the help and support you’ve provided to me since starting running again on this program.I send my love and best wishes to you.
I was very sorry to read this Tim and certainly hope that you will "stick your nose in" more often than not! I always enjoy your posts and value your advice, running or not. I have learnt so much from your detailed articles and refer back to them time and time again. They have helped so many of us and I would like to thank you for all the time you must have spent researching them and contributing to this forum. Take care and continue to enjoy the Devon scenery x
Thank you for all your advice and information, in the short time I have been on this forum it has been invaluable. I'm sure any future posts from you will be equally useful even if you are no longer running. Best of luck to you.
I am not often without words to describe how I feel or how to respond, but I am humbled by your courageous approach to a cancer diagnosis. I do sense it may have been cathartic for you to take your thoughts, open your heart and let them be known. What we know of you from your words, is that you have dealt with the overwhelming nature of the diagnosis and all the physical suffering it brings, but your spirit is strong and remains true to yourself.
How you have been able to summarise this so succinctly is beyond me, but I will remember how you have been able to make sense out of the fear, grief and anxiety that must prevail and share your feelings . By just reading your post it gives us all hope that whatever misfortune comes along in life, there will be a way of dealing with it and not being crushed by it, no matter what the outcome
IannodaTruffe, you are exemplary and I salute you.
Your advice has been invaluable. I still talk out loud when running and recently picked up on your advice to someone else that your mojo is found in your running shoes.
Wishing you all the best with your treatment and I hope to keep coming across you on the forum.
"Intolerant bastard" 🤣 this sums up the no-nonsense, yet humorous touch in many of your posts, which I have valued so much. Thank you for your outstanding service to this community. I'm priviledged to have graduated on your " watch". The best of wishes for your continuing journey,... and a small leaving gift for you...🏅...sincerely, MrsLW.
Thank you for your post and so sorry to hear your news. Please do not disappear entirely as your help and guidance has greatly helped me with running and I will always be so grateful. Enjoy your walks in the fresh air and countryside.
What a beautifully moving post. So sorry to hear your health news and that you’ve now hung up your running shoes. Thank you for all your support and advice; I believe you have normally been the first person to answer any of my posts with sound advice and passing on your experience. I have learnt so much about running from you and I can’t thank you enough. Take care of yourself and don’t be a stranger on the forum.
I've found your posts really helpful and encouraging and will miss them. I do hope you will pop in from time to time, if only to say hello. I'd like to wish you the very best of luck and hope you will be around for a good while yet 🙂
I wish you all the very best, you have helped me so much on my running journey, I will be forever grateful. I hope to still see you on here as I am sure many will.What an inspiration you are, so positive, you are amazing. Again, thank you
Thankyou for you wise and helpful posts. Wishing you all the best for your future treatment and hoping you can keep active for many more years to come.
I, and many others have been so grateful for the sound advice you have given. You have been instrumental in keeping my running journey safe and positive. In short you have made a difference - to myself and many others I’m sure. I thank you 😊 Wishing you all the very best with your treatment and enjoy those long walks. As a Black Country lass I envy your beautiful surroundings (coughs due to air pollution 😂😂)
Thanks for all you have done on this forum. I dont frequent here as much as I once did, but the kind advice and pragmatic support I have enjoyed both directly, and, in your many more responses to others, still resonates, and I think of them often.Enjoy your walks in the lovely Devon air and all the best for the upcoming treatment!
I am so very sorry to hear about your cancer reoccurring - it sounds like you are doing well on your treatment though, since you are still doing long walks! I wish you the best possible outcome.
Like what must be thousands of people on this forum I have benefited from your welcome, your support and the phenomenal information in the pinned posts. I still go back to these sometimes even though I am now post 10k in my running journey. I have also enjoyed your occasional bouts of dry wit that always raise a chuckle. I don't think a single person would question your expertise and knowledge if you were to continue mentoring us! There will always be hordes of us running, smiling and offering you the biggest virtual group hug on the planet. Xxxx
So sorry to hear about your diagnosis and that you have had to retire from running. Have loved reading your posts even though I do not post often myself I always come on here to read through others. Such a lovely post that you have done. Wishing you the best of luck with your recovery and look forward to hearing from you when you are able to pop on and post. Take care xx
I’ve only been around here for a few months, but your help and advice has proved invaluable. Thanks for all you have done for the community.
On another note - do you know if the Afro-caribbean risk is due to genetics, or the chlordecone contamination that much of the French caribbean suffers from? Being my neck of the woods, it has been something I have been following for a few years now.
Just wanted to echo the other comments and say thanks so much for your excellent and informative posts and all your encouragement! You are amazing, wishing you well on your adventures and all the best with your treatments.
So sorry you have to stop running. You were an inspiration to me when I discovered the programme and the forum when I started running just after my 60th birthday. I wish you all the very best for the future. One thought, however - please only withdraw from the forum if you need to. Don't go away because you think your knowledge and advice is invalidated by not being able to run any more. It is not. You have inspired and helped so many people and nothing can change that. You can continue to do so if you are well enough.Regards and respect
A really moving post IannodaTruffe, I wish you all the best and want to say thank you for all your helpful replies throughout c25k and for all the essential reading posts!
Sometimes, even I can say very little...In this instance it's because there are few words that describe the feelings I have in my head and in my heart .Thank you.
Enjoy the walks and be sure to know you have helped so many of us along the way. This will continue to be the case via the information and advice you have put together
Sending much love and best wishes to you. Devon is an amazing place to live with stunning scenery which can be enjoyed just as much whether walking or running. Keep on trucking matey, you've got this. xx
When I first posted here you were one of the first ones to reply. I am very grateful for all the advice you have given me. I am sorry to hear that you have had to give up your running but hopefully you will pop your head in now and again.. Wishing you all the best for the future. Take care.
Thank you for sharing this. You have given me some no-nonsense advice in the past and it has helped me to continue running atleast once a week.You have so much positivity in you that you will sail through. All the very best. Please do keep posting. Cheers!
Very best wishes to you ❤️ Don’t be a stranger on here. Your straightforward, kindly and excellent advice helped me hugely. You’re a real asset on here x
Thank you for all the advice and wisdom that you’ve given to all of us over the years. Speaking personally, I’d still take advice from you whether you’re running or not.
I hope the future is kind to you and that you fill your time with things that bring you joy. Very best wishes to you 😊
🙏🙏🙏 thank you for your honesty,help knowledge guidance and inspiration. Best wishes with your ongoing treatments and enjoy the walks in beautiful Devon
It’s been said in abundance above but I just want to thank you so much for your kindness and your sound advice. I have you alone to thank for my love of super early morning running- or Silly O’Clock as others call it! I really do wish you all the best with your next challenge 🙏 I hope you can enjoy the walks and the beautiful nature around you for a long time yet xx
Don't know what to say. You've helped me, and so many others. To the guys out there, can I just add that my husband's cancer was discovered through a routine health check, he had no symptoms and would probably still be unaware of anything wrong, but he's had surgery and is doing well - so if you do have symptoms, get checked.
IdT, your legacy on this forum is safe for sure. Enjoy your walks in beautiful Devon, and please come back and stick your nose in as often as you like.
A PSA test will give an indication of prostate activity which may be benign or malignant.A DRE examination carried out by an experienced practitioner can give further evidence and scans can add to that, but a biopsy is required to give definitive proof of prostate cancer and it's aggressivity.
So sorry to see that you have to hang up your running shoes Tim, we know how much joy your runs bring you. You have encouraged and helped so many of us with kindness and wit for many years. When I joined I believed you to be a super cool guy, and I respected very much your running prowess and attitude. This has not changed at all, you are as many have said an inspirational presence on the forum and your words will continue to help and guide new runners to come.
Personally you were very supportive and helped me to reach my first 10k, your words of encouragement meant a lot.
Keep doing things that make you happy, wishing you all the very best for the next stage of your treatment.
Thank you for everything you have done for all of us on the forum over those years, IannodaTruffe . You will be sadly missed on here, for your sensible advice, your humour and your directness in responding to posts .
I wish you luck with your future treatment, and I am sure you will keep in touch with those special friends you have made through this forum .
Thanks you, IannodaTruffe for all that you have done....for sharing your precious wisdom and advice, for sharing your journey. I haven't been on this forum very long but I have appreciated your input. I wish you all the best and hope that your days will continue to be filled with joy and appreciation.
Without your support and encouragement, both myself and many others would have hung up their running shoes due to lack of inspiration and motivation.
On a personal level, I certainly would not have restarted the many times I have over the last year now and although I am on yet another post Covid pause, I can still hear you saying "keep running, keep smiling" which tells me to hop on that mill and keep on trucking .
I wish you a full long life filled with love, light and laughter. Please accept my gratitude alongside many others on the forum 🙏
First time I've logged in for over a year as I'm thinking about starting the c25k all over again initially having started moments before covid emerged and graduated in 2020, so new password needed as my phone didn't remember the old one and the first post is your story which I read as I remember your name and posts from my original journey, I just wanted to say good luck with your continuing changing story and journey, May the force remain with and within you 😀
Thank you for your wise, sensible voice on this forum and the essential guides to running. I'm at a loss for what else to say at such a moving post... 🙏
What a moving post. I have loved reading your wise words and advice and you have helped me with my running journey so much. I wish you all the best for the future, you will be missed. 🙂
Just a simple thank you from someone who never thought they could run 5k, you convinced me it was possible with your inspirational posts and honest advice, and I did it! Wishing you all the best for the future, your unique ability to connect with and help so many of us will be sorely missed xx
IannodaTruffe your advice, life experience, perspective and positivity shine through. Enjoy your lovely Devon walks and ramblings and thanks for your so very valuable insights. Best of wishes.
I am so very sorry to read of your news. Like many here, I haven't posted often, but have always enjoyed, and been inspired by your posts. You are a true legend to this community and I wish you all the very best.
Just adding my best wishes to the stacks and stacks of others. That’s a testament to your contribution to this forum.Good luck with all your further treatment.
Beautiful post IannodaTruffe I wasn't aware of your background - you are such a strong person. Thank you for all of your advice, it's really helped me and many others.
Hello IannodaTruffe,I want to add my thanks and appreciation to that of many others for all you have given to this forum over many years. I can not begin to imagine the hours of time you have given voluntarily to replying to posts and compiling many substantial informative posts. I have really valued your input. Thank you so much. You clearly have a gift with words and are a fount of knowledge. I know that I shall continue to read your pinned posts.
When my motivation was waning you encouraged me and spoke of the health benefits of running and how numerous medical folk that you had dealings with attributed your lack of serious side effects from your cancer and its treatment to your good level of fitness, which was at that time mostly attributable to having been a runner for five years. You also encouraged me to mix things up a bit. I seemed to develop the mantra that my running was an investment in my health. As my distances increased the joy of finding new routes and so enjoying the scenery of the Derbyshire countryside also increased. I know what you mean by running in beautiful natural environments. A joy! Keep running, keep smiling has also stuck with me.
I do hope that the Radium 223 treatment goes well and that you continue to celebrate all you can do in beautiful Devon.
I look forward to hearing from you again whether your words contain running wisdom for others or news of your own progress.
Thank you so much for all the time, wisdom and knowledge you have poured into this forum. Your excellent contributions have always been required reading but are so crammed full with such great advice and information repeated reading is essential.
A few days ago I complained of stiff knees and as you have done on countless occasions you kindly took time to time to share your knowledge and experience with a very inexperienced runner. I followed your advice and did take a day off; in fact I took several days off until I was hopeful of not doing any damage to my troublesome knees. I resumed running today and I am relieved to report all seems well. Whilst pausing my running routine I was really anxious that I may not be able to run again, a comment which pales into absolute insignificance in the light of your situation. I am so sorry for your loss.
I wish you great fortune and. considering the week were in, may the force be with you !
I am so sorry to be reading this. Prostate cancer is close to my heart as this is what my dad died of. Unfortunately his ongoing surveillance fell short of expected standards. Thank you for raising the subject/awareness of this and I wish you all the best.
Thankyou for being so honest & sharing how you're dealing with what's happening to you. Your wry humour & straightforward advice has been an inspiration on the forum. All the best for the future
So sorry to hear about your diagnosis and that your hanging up your running shoes. You have been an inspiration to me and many others on this forum. Thank you so much for everything you’ve helped with as I started out running. Try not to be stranger on here, I’m sure there will be a smile on fellow runner’s faces to hear from you again. For now .. enjoy walking, Devon is a beautiful place, and take care xx
That was a brilliant & affecting post; thanks for sharing it with us. I really appreciate all the sound advice you've given me since I joined 2 years ago - I'll never forget the thrill of being congratulated by you when I completed my C25K in March 2020, and the excitement of receiving my first badge! Take care & don't be a stranger ❤
Sorry to see this Tim, you are an inspiration on here and hope you chime in sometimes with your experience and that you continue to walk around the lovely Devon (I have a cousin who lives in Newton Abbott who I've stayed with on occasion)Thing is, no one knows what's around the corner do they, although you may have seen your condition come on gradually and continue to accelerate, for some health conditions are immediate and require urgent attention, such as a scare in my family where my nephew, a club and Park runner started having sight problems and loss of movement in his arm, so was taken straight into A&E where a small stroke (tia) was diagnosed, he certainly didn't expect that with his fitness, but seems he has learnt a lesson the hard way about high cholesterol.
It's a shame he had to find out this way, but at 48 maybe it should have been picked up on a previous health checkup, maybe he hadn't had blood tests done, I don't know, but doc his given him medication, I would think a statin..
Anyway, after refraining from excercise (running) for about a month he's now back on it and a 24-26 min Parkrun..
Anyway, I wish you all the best for the future keep walking keep smiling..
So very sorry to hear your news Tim. I lurked on this site for months, your FAQ posts and all your advice were instrumental in giving me the courage and belief that at 60 mumble I could complete C25k and become a runner I did and I am. Thank you so much, I wish you all of the very best.
I've not been on the forum much lately so therefore only just read your post. It made me feel so sad that you are having to give up the running that you love. I've not posted much on here but you were one of my first, most encouraging, replies when I put my head above the parapet.
Thank you so much for all of your good advice and warm encouragement.
Oh I am SO sorry to read this but great you still have a positive attitude. Life is cruel sometimes but as you say you can still go for your walks and more importantly you are still alive. I hope you will still continue to help us newbies out as you give such great advice (sorry to be selfish). Your encouragement and tips really help. Good luck for your treatment and future.
You have given me good advice and encouragement on my running journey and I am very grateful for that. Thank you. You will be much missed around these parts by many people. Enjoy your Devon and all it’s scenic pleasures 👏👏👏
I’m sorry things are not going to plan for you and you’ve had to stop running. Hopefully you can still get out and walk your beloved trails. They’re so good for the mind and body. Plenty to go at in beautiful Devon 🥰
A friend of ours is alive and kicking many years since his diagnosis and treatment. Like you he was previously fit, active and well. An outdoors man like you. He lives on one of my trails 😀. My husband had a worrying diagnosis a few years back but fortunately it’s not progressed but he has frequent check-ups.
I wish you all the very best with everything you’re having to endure. Your positivity shines through in your postings. Thank you for everything 🙏. You’re always such a rock to fledgling runners 💪👊✊
Firstly, thank you for all you have done for this forum. I am sure you have helped many, many people become healthier versions of themselves and to find the joy in running that you did. Just as running has helped you in the past, your attitude will help you in the future. There abosultely is something joyful and positive in every single day - you are right. I am looking forward to the day that you pop back on here and tell us what new found passion you have discovered. My very best wishes to you.
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