Diary of a Charity Chick: Race for Life

Last Sunday, my friend Julia and I took part in the Race for Life 5K in Sutton Park. It was the first time either of us had run Race for Life (or any 5K for that matter) and it was an amazing experience! We were blessed with a gorgeous, sunny day (although this did have the downside of being a little warm for running at times!) and we were joined by more than 2000 (yes 2000!) other women and children who ran, jogged or walked in aid of Cancer Research UK. It must have seemed rather strange to anyone out for their Sunday morning stroll to witness a sea of pink moving en masse through Sutton Park!

The event itself was well organised. It started with warm-up dances including the "Cancer Slam", and moving personal accounts from people affected by cancer. There were bouncy castles for the little ones, refreshments stalls and plenty of toilets! I have to say the bottle of water and brioche I received on completing the course were very welcome indeed and the medal was a nice touch too.

I found it particularly poignant reading some of the back signs on which each participant had written the name or names of loved ones they had lost to cancer, or who were still fighting. What better motivation to keep us all going to the finish line than the thought that we were all in it for the same reason - to put an end to the loss, suffering and grief caused by such a cruel, indiscriminate illness!

Come on mum!

In March I blogged about the early days of my training which you can read about here. I have come a long way since then and Julia and I were over the moon to complete the course in less than 40 minutes. This might not seem fast to the more seasoned runners among you but I don't think it is too bad for my first ever attempt, only a matter of months after knee surgery. My "knee op to 5K challenge" (as Julia named it) was a success!

It was a great experience and for a fantastic cause so I am certain that this will not be the last time Julia and I take part in Race for Life ... but maybe next time we'll tackle the 10K!!

It's not too late to sponsor me. If you would like to make a donation, my fundraising page is here.

If you would like to take part in your own Race for Life (and I would definitely recommend it), it is not too late as there are still events to come. Click here to find your race.