race for life – A New Mission

Wow! I cannot believe it! You may remember last year I bought a running bra, and proceeded to try and do Couch to 5K (a 9 week NHS programme that gently increases your running times from 60 seconds to 30 minutes), but it all fell flat in September last year.

I gave up!

But in March, as I was about to turn 30, I thought I’d dust off my trainers and try again. It has been really hard. There has been a lot of rainy evenings, and a lot of aching calves. But every other day, I made an effort to get out there and just give it a go.

Fast forward to June 2018, officially the hottest driest June ever (ok, so not officially, just in my head). It hasn’t rained. The heat has crept ever higher. And I cannot, will not run in the heat. My body just can’t cope. I also cannot bring myself to go out running at 6am or 10pm when, realistically, the climate is cooler. I am a tired mum, and I need to sleep at some point.

So, with great trepidation I travelled down to Blackpool yesterday evening with a good friend, and we did the 5K Race for Life. My aim was simple: to run all the way, without stopping, even if walking would have likely been quicker.

I DID IT!!

What an amazing experience! Very emotional seeing the sea of pink stretch ahead of me and behind me, all running or walking to raise money for (and awareness of) Cancer Research’s work.

And I got a cheeky PB. 5K in 40 minutes 56 seconds. Which isn’t too shabby for someone who only started running in March.

Whatever you want to do, set your goal and go for it! You never know what you can do until you try.

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.