Race for Life 2011

And so it was that I eventually started to be able to run for 3 miles. Oh boy was that an achievement. Still on grass fields and still alone. I didn't think I could stand anyone witnessing the pure torture that running caused me.  The Race for Life was imminent.  I received the race pack and got all excited about having a race number. I didn't even know how to pin it to my shirt!  I read the race instructions avidly and then the day arrived.  I cannot emphasise what a massive deal it was for me. It was boiling hot! Hmmmmm.  I felt so out of place as we walked into the start area.  It was packed! I've never seen so much pink! Not since I fell in that vat of Gaviscon, Actually I didn't. It was extremely emotional though because everywhere you looked there were stories of ill and lost loved ones. There was a warm up routine going on and I'm partial to a bit of Zumba so I joined in very enthusiastically.  Possibly too enthusiastically, imagine injuring yourself before you even start?  Then when the race was about to start the call came to join either 'Runners', 'Joggers' or 'Walkers'.  A dilemma.  Where to be?  Definitely not a runner but also definitely not a walker.  So I decided to join the back of the runners and the start of the joggers.  And then we were off and I was running the first race of my life and it was on concrete. I found myself overtaking people. Then I noticed some people were starting to walk.  'No way!' I thought.  I was not going to walk, I had come here to run the Race for Life and that was exactly what I was going to do whatever happened.  Then I came around the path around the boating lake and there were my family.  They were amazed to see me so soon.  I kept going and spotted the next km marker.  Then I knew we were heading for the finish and I could hear the tannoy and the crowd.  I gave it my all and as I spotted the clock in the distance I saw it had a 29 on the front and I thought 'If I can just get in before 30 mins...'.  I sprinted like mad and made it.  Then I burst into tears.  And got my medal and bag and a bottle of water.  So I walked off and tried to pull myself together.

It was the most wonderful thing I had achieved and it meant so much as I lost my father to cancer when I was 12 and I have missed him every day of my life. As I walked back to meet my family and we continued along the seafront, we passed a lady walking with a drip and accompanied by two paramedics.  You cannot help but be humbled by the people who take part in this wonderful race.  Nor can you comprehend just how many women have become runners as a result of it.