I have never been a runner, ever. In fact, I’m quite certain I wasn’t even one of those children who just ran and ran and ran. Maybe my memories hazy, though. Since having my daughter, I’ve wanted to get fit. Mainly so I can have a healthy future with her, but also so I set a good example to her as she grows up in this world obsessed with looks and beauty. I want her to know that we exercise to keep our bodies strong, not necessarily to keep them slim.
Anyway, I digress. Last year, I started running but soon found my knees aching and so I stopped and recovered. It turns out it was a mixture of lingering hormones from pregnancy and the introduction of hills too soon into my runs. So I have rested, recovered and yesterday I went for a run. I did the Week 2, Run 1 of Couch to 5K from the NHS. How was it?
BRILLIANT!
I really enjoyed it, even though it was hard. And that brings me to the title of this post: Race for Life.
Each year, across the UK, Cancer Research UK put on various running events for all women. You can walk, jog or run your way round, all in the name of beating cancer. I did one in 2010, a 10K. I was slightly 10kg lighter then and managed it in 1 hour and 3 minutes, with minimal training. This time, I’d like to complete the 5K in under 45 minutes.
I know, I know. There’s only 18 minutes between those two times, but I’ve had a baby and grown a stomach, so getting round will be harder. Between the race and now I have 7 training runs, as well as weekly netball. I should be ok, right?
If you’re feeling generous, here’s a link to my fundraising page.
A New Mission 